I stumbled through the door, giggling erratically. I looked around the room to assess the situation. Realizing I was home, I smiled and sat on the ground. I pulled off my heels and jacket and left everything on the floor. Free from the burdens, I climbed to my feet and wobbled into the apartment.
"Laurraine?"
I lazily looked over to the couch. In the tv's light I could see Dae watching me. He paused the show on and walked up to me. I gave him a mad grin, swaying back and forth. He quickly took my shoulders and held me upright.
"Do you know what time it is? It's past two in the morning. Was the party really that long?"
"Hmmmmmm... Yeah," I replied, looking up at his worried gaze. "Why are you looking at me like that?" I drawled.
"Because you're completely drunk and coming home at almost three in the morning. What did you guys even do?"
"I can't really remember some of it, but I remember getting into a limo with some hot guys, then going to a concert. Oh yeah! And the spa." I giggled and bounced in place happily. "They were really good looking..."
"What? Getting into a limo with hot guys? Did you order strippers in a limo? By yourself?" I jumped at Dae's demanding tone, a frown gracing my face.
"No, with Em. And what do you care anyway?" I shouted.
"Because—" Dae cut himself off.
Getting the picture, I smirked. I pointed at Dae's face with a few slow nods, desperately trying to suppress the giggly fits.
"You're jealous."
"I am not!" Dae snapped.
"Then what do you care if I get into a limo full of strippers. Sexy strippers who have no boundaries, who dance and sing, and get all down and dirty with it without shame." Dae let go of my shoulders, his eyes glaring down at me. "What do you care if they touch all over me? Or better—I touch all over them?"
"You—" Dae slowly walked me backwards toward the dining table.
"What is it to you? Are you jealous?" I asked.
My butt hit the edge of the table, but Dae kept advancing. My eyes started shifting, avoiding his angry gaze. He was a few inches from me. Even his breathing was angry. Feeling bad, I quickly turned my head away and braced to be slapped. He slammed his hands on the surface of the table, causing me to startle. He had me pinned in place. My heart raced out of fear. Why did I have to be like that? All I wanted was a simple reaction. I waited in silence for a moment until Dae leaned into my ear.
"Yes, I'm jealous. I'm jealous of the man who got to leave a hickey on you before I did."
My eyes widened in shock. I turned my head to him. It was hard to see his face without lights. His breath hit me at a steady, almost tired beat. I finally had sobered up.
"Dae, I'm—"
"Don't." He removed his hands from the table. "It doesn't matter."
As he turned, I lunged forward. I wrapped my arms around his waist, holding tightly to his back. He stopped in place. I tightened my grip on his shirt.
"I'm sorry! Dae, I'm really sorry! I know it wasn't right of me, but I didn't know what else to do for a bachelorette party, besides I did for Em so she could loosen up. She's been so tense lately and I felt really bad about it like it was my fault. I thought something like that would help her. And if I didn't do it with her, she would've never stepped foot in that limo." I panted out of breath.
Dae was silent, which worried me. I felt his hands snake down my arms and grab my wrists. He pulled my grasp apart. Tears came to my eyes.
"So, was she better?"
"What?"
"Did Emilia feel better after the spa, and the strippers, and the concert? Did she have fun?"
I nodded frantically. "She said she hadn't felt that free in a long time."
"Do you feel better now?"
I looked up at the back of his head. He didn't move. His tone didn't change. He seemed so distant somehow.
"Yes... Now that Em feels better, so do I," I replied quietly.
"Good. You should see strippers more often then," Dae snapped, letting my wrists go and walking away.
I stood in shock. I heard the door slam shut, causing tears to peak the corners of my eyes.
"He left..." I whispered in disbelief.
Feeling a sudden wave of grief wash over me, I collapsed to the floor. Tears feel from my eyes like a river and sobs racked my body terribly. I felt so ashamed and confused. I didn't even know what I did wrong. All I did was follow the internet's "Most Fun Bachelorette Party Ideas" page. It never said that it would hurt someone like Dae.
"I just tried to help..."
Ding dong~
I gasped as the doorbell rang. I felt a rush of hope and scrambled to my feet. The bell came again, then a knock. I wiped my tears and climbed to my feet. The knocking came harder. I ran to the door and swung it open.
"Dae-" I froze, the joy melting from my face. I looked up at the man before me, eyeing his dark eyes and crooked grin. "You... You aren't supposed to be here."
The man laughed, seemingly amused by my fearful expression. I gulped and attempted a strong farce.
"You were always known for your greetings, Yao." He paused and leaned in. "But you don't look any different. You're just the same as you were two years ago."
I sighed, acquiring a case of the elevator eyes. As I was the same, he had completely changed. He seemed to grow into his face, and his body seemed more slender and muscular. His hair was now black and parted in the middle. His eyes were red due to the colored contacts, and his lips were tinted a luscious ruby. I gulped, examining his seductive, yet disconcerting appearance. He was dressed oddly in a suit, his white shirt unbuttoned at the top.
"And you've changed so much. What gives? As if weren't dressed like a douche-bag before."
"Feisty. That's exactly why I loved you."
Rage burned in my core, bursting out with one clean punch to his face. He stumbled to his right, holding his jaw. I quickly grabbed his collar and pulled him down to my level.
"Why are you here?" I hissed.
He scoffed, wiping the blood from his bottom lip.
"Why did you punch me?"
"You know exactly why I punched you, now spill it. Why did you come to my place?"
"You know exactly why," he snapped back.
I let his collar loose. He straightened and groped his throat.
"You come in here looking like that. What, did you think that I would magically fall into your arms? You think looking like that, with the sweaty and disheveled appearance, you think I would fall for you again?"
He took a menacing step forward. I backed up.
"Actually, I did. A shallow woman like you who plays a man like a fiddle. You wake up in the morning next to him, and then you go out to do strippers at night. The cycle continues until he finally leaves you like I did."
He took another step forward. I held my ground.
"Last time I checked, I left you that night after exposing you for who you really were."
"Right, but who did the first wrong? Who lied about their genitals the first few months? Who put me in a troubling situation at the Lanping party? Who made me arrest a man with a lot of money that I could've used?"
"Lucas!" I shouted. "That's behind us now. Don't bring up what no one cares to remember. Now, please leave."
He chuckled, placing a strong grip on my shoulder. I yelped, being forced to yield to his grasp.
"You haven't even heard my offer."
"What could you possibly want from me now after all this time? You're supposed to be out of the country forgetting I even exist."
"I need you again, and frankly it seems you need me too."
"You're propositions have done nothing for me!"
"On the contrary, Yao! My propositions have gotten you everywhere. Without it, you wouldn't have met your little boy toy roommate."
I glared and brought my hand up to slap him. He grabbed my wrist before I could make contact and squeezed it so tight I feared it would break. I tried to break away, but his hands didn't budge.
"Don't you dare talk about him. He's a better man than you ever were," I shouted angrily, my voice quivering only slightly.
"Really? Then why did you go and feel up another man?"
I silenced, a tear falling from my eye.
"Aw, don't cry. You're uglier that way."
I turned my head, stifling sobs.
"See? You will always be the same, scared little rat that can't get anyone to love them. No one knows who or what you will be. You are unpredictable, and that's what makes you unattractive. Ignore my proposition, but trust me." He let go of my shoulder and pushed my hair back. He clutched a clump and pulled. "You'll regret it."
He let go of my wrist and hair and turned from me. I panted heavily, the fury building up behind the dam of civility. Unfortunately, the dam of civility could only go so long. I pulled off my slipper and chucked it at him with a wild, guttural noise. It hit the back of his head. He held the spot and turned around. His red eyes gleamed threateningly, striking fear into my soul. He marched up to me and brought his hand down swiftly and forcefully, knocking me to the floor.
"That's strike one. Strike two won't be as nice."
"What happened to you? Why are you like this? Is it that kid Ian? Did he do this to you?" I asked.
"Ian? No. He learned it from me. I've always been like this. You were just too stupid to realize it. You truly have a bad taste in men."
"You take that back!" I scrambled to my feet and grabbed his shirt collar. He ripped my hands from his shirt and pushed me away. My back hit the edge of the table painfully. "Dae is an amazing person who cares about everyone no matter what. He's kind and understanding, and will listen to you for hours without a complaint. He's always there for you even if he has to cross a mountain. How is that bad taste?"
Lucas scanned the room and shrugged. "'Caring, understanding, always there.' Then, where is he?"
My heart sank. As much as I hated to admit it, he was right. Dae wasn't there, and it was all my fault.
"From what it looks like, Em left, Damon left, and so did this new guy." He approached me at the table. I felt his hand snake around my waist, sending shivers down my spine. He leaned in and took a long whiff of my hair. "But I'm willing to give you a second chance. Meet me at the bar across from Tritea tomorrow alone, or it'll be strike two."
He quickly turned from me and stormed out, disappearing like a shadow. The fear tumbled down like bricks, shaking my body and forcing tears down my face. I hugged myself tightly as I quivered in terror. After so long, that was how he greeted me: insults and a slap in the face. He'd changed so much, and it scared me. I cried out, feeling that the only way to let out all of the frustration was to pitifully sit there and beat myself up. I hit my chest and pulled my hair. I cried in that one spot for the rest of the night, waking up the next morning feeling like a bag of rocks.
The bright sun was blocked by the closed shades. There was no smell of coffee or bacon, or even pop-tarts. Moreover, I was alone. No matter what happened the night prior, even if Dae was still there beside me, I would still be alone. I would've realized at some point or another that he would leave someone like me. The grief didn't effect me anymore. I was used to it. After three failed relationships, you think I'd learn to just give up. And I finally did.
With a sigh, I stood from my spot on the floor and walked over to the bedroom. I changed into a baggy t-shirt and loose blue jeans, disregarding my hair and face. As I left, I caught a glimpse of myself in the hanging mirror. I scoffed at my appearance.
"Welcome back," I mumbled angrily, pushing past the thing I saw in the mirror.
I slipped on some sneakers and a hat and grabbed my old, plain satchel. Hoisting it on my shoulder, I opened the door. I had to meet Lucas, not because I wanted to but because I had to. I didn't want to know what strike two was. No matter what, I had to prevent it. I had to just go with whatever he said.
I nonchalantly walked into the bar. Having been the morning, the bar was empty. Only two people were at the counter. I waked up to them and tapped one on the shoulder. Lucas turned around. Upon seeing me, a devious grin graced his perfect lips. Ian turned around a half second later, mimicking the look. I stood in silence a moment, avoiding their eyes. Lucas moved his hand toward my face. I flinched. I could see it pleased him. He quickly grabbed my face and eyed the side of my mouth.
"Sorry I had to be so rough with you last night, dear. I didn't mean to leave such and ugly mark."
"She shouldn't have thrown the slipper," Ian hissed.
"You're right, but she had her pride to keep." He chuckled. "But seeing as you're here, that must've changed."
I jerked my head from his fingertips and back up. He took notice of my outfit and demeanor. His laugh was enough to curdle milk.
"I see that you haven't changed. I was hoping what I saw last night was a new you. All the makeup and sexy attire was nice, but I see you are still the same sorry excuse of a she-male."
I stayed quiet and averted my gaze. It took everything I had to suppress my emotions. I wanted to cry and scream and kick him right it the nuts, but I knew causing a scene wouldn't help. Two men against one woman was hardly fair, and I knew I couldn't win.
After a while, Lucas gestured toward the stool next to him. I sat and motioned to the waiter. The two boys watched me curiously.
"Whiskey on ice," I requested. The drink was set in front of me and I downed it all the second next. I set down the glass and exhaled. "You're going to stare a hole in my face."
"Why are you drinking in the morning?" Ian asked disgustedly.
I looked at him. "To even consider doing anything, I need to at least have one drink." I motioned for another glass. "So let me hear it."
"Ian," Lucas said, motioning to his sidekick. The boy handed a packet of papers to the model, who in turn held it out to me.
I glanced at it, then at him, and scoffed. I ignored it and drank another glass, then another. Lucas slammed the papers down in front of me. I didn't even startle. I was already drunk enough to care less.
"This," he started angrily, "is a script. It's a script for a vampire drama series that I'm a part of in England. They needed an actress to play the main role, but no one fit the bill. I saw the trailer for your new movie, and thought it would fit you."
I drank another glass and took the script from the bar. I skimmed through the first few pages. Staring Lucas dead in the eyes, I tore it in half. Lucas's expression changed dramatically. It was frantic and full of hate. I gave a sarcastic gasp of shock.
"Oh no," I stated flatly, then stared into my empty glass. "I get it, Lucas. You want me to get your rates up again. You want me to save your ass again!" I stood from my seat. "You know my answer."
"I do, Laurraine." Lucas stood as well. "Do you really want to find out about strike two?"
"Another slap to the face? You think that will make me take the offer? You could torture me for the rest of my life, but I will not help you again. You did nothing for me in return after I did so much for you."
Lucas grabbed my collar and threw me against the bar. The bartender wrapped his arms under my pits and held me in place. I glared viciously at the model in front of me. He caught his breath, then nodded at Ian. Ian suddenly threw a punch to my gut. I grunted, the pain churning up my insides and causing me to go limp. I nearly puked up the alcohol I had just drank.
"This is strike two. Don't make me strike you out."
I sniggered, my head low. I felt a hand grab my hair and pull back. I grimaced, but continued to laugh. I stared icily at Lucas's narrow gaze. He approached me angrily.
"Strike three."
YOU ARE READING
Photo Finish
Romance"Laurraine Yao, you silly girl, Love is the best thing in the world!" Yeah right. The most love got me was a kick in the ass and a low self esteem. Being the confident, career based she-male is more my thing. Besides, I have a brother and a roommate...
