COF 3: The Fallen Dynasty

Foreword

I sipped my une noisette, staring through the glass-paneled cafe and into the lazy street beyond. My head pounded from the fourteen-hour flight from New York and possibly from the fact that Jacqueline decided to charge it to her purse.

Okay. Back-up.

Jacqueline. I met her in my best friend's apartment just when we decided that it's not decent for me to be there. Jacqueline walked up to us, eyeing Denny's hands on my shoulders and me wearing his clothes with my hair wet.

I expected her to fly into a rage, wave her pink Givenchy Antigona around, and break up with Denny on the spot, but the girl simply blinked and shut the door.

Denny's hands dropped to his side and from my vantage point from being a foot shorter than him, I saw his throat bob as he swallowed. Jacqueline sauntered in with a command I didn't expect. Her presence seemed to have elevated the room's temperature up to about ten degrees.

Then, she walked up to me and smiled, her straight, pearly teeth a great contrast to my crooked, yellowish ones. Even her luscious blond hair seemed to be picking a fight with my black, soppy mess.

"I'm Jacqueline Shaw," she extended her hand for me to shake. I hesitated, glancing at Denny's direction and almost laughing to find him red all over. I glanced back at Jacqueline and shook her hand. Her skin was so soft. "Reigl," I croaked.

Jacqueline raised her perfectly lined eyebrows. "Reigl what?"

I shrugged, shaking my head. "You won't be able to pronounce it."

"Jac," Denny put his massive frame between us. By massive, I meant scrawnier than an average jockey but still leagues taller than me that I have had to crane my neck every time I talk to him. "You could've called to say you're coming. I thought Mr. Reed's paper isn't due until Thursday?"

Jacqueline crossed her arms with a frown. "I can't visit my boyfriend?"

"Last I checked, we broke up," Denny replied. My head snapped back and forth between them. They what? Was I intruding on something?

Jacqueline waved her hand. "That's why I'm here," her large, blue eyes never strayed from his face. She jerked her chin at me. "But it seems like you're already moving on and finding yourself another girl."

I choked on my own saliva and started hacking like a low-rated third wheel. Denny scratched his neck. I meant to tell him some other time that maybe we should wear couple shirts that said We're best friends!!!! for people to stop assuming we're a couple just by being together. Seriously, did we look anything like a couple?

"Ma'am," I stepped forward and splayed out my palms at Jacqueline. A nervous but amused chuckle rang in my throat. "I mean, Miss Shaw, you can rest assured that we're not dating. I would rather die than date him. Trust me."

Denny made a face—the one that told me he was annoyed yet grateful at the same time. I whipped back to Jacqueline and flashed my winning smile which hopefully didn't look like a grimace. "Why would you break up with him? Did he start farting?"

Denny slapped me upside the head. Jacqueline blinked as I punched Denny in the arm for hitting my head.

"Tell me," the girl said slowly, turning both of our attention back to her. "What is your relationship? Are you on-and-off?"

I knitted my eyebrows. "I'm not a light bulb, last I checked."

"No," Denny pinched the bridge of his nose like my reply gave him a headache. He shook his head and sighed before facing Jacqueline. "We're best friends from back in the Philippines. I told you I spent half my life there, right? That's where I met her. We've been keeping in touch."