English Version: Sands & Sparrow

13

"Fair enough...you like to read?" Margo shrugged and held the left side of the cover, their hands were in a book, hanging in mid-air. "You can have it if you like." She released her grasp.

Aveline held Don Quixote close to her chest. "Thank you... Miss Sinclair."

"Call me Margo. Are you okay? You hardly spoke earlier; now, you're a chatterbox."

"I am not!" Aveline protested, but her laughter betrayed her denial as she playfully slapped Margo's arm. Margo raised an eyebrow in surprise, causing Aveline's cheeks to burn with embarrassment. She had consumed too much alcohol and was unsure if she was making a fool of herself.

"Sorry! Did that hurt?" Aveline leaned in, rubbing Margo's arm as though healing an invisible wound. She giggled when Margo frowned at her. "I think you're drunk."

"Um... no," Aveline denied, shaking her head. "Margo, can I use your bathroom? I want to take a shower," she blurted out, her face flushed crimson.

"Sure... go upstairs, it's to the left. Then you can enter my bedroom and choose any clothes you like," Margo replied casually, gesturing towards the staircase leading to the room.

"Wait for me," Aveline said with a smile plastered on her face, nearly stumbling her way to the bedroom.

"She's crazy," Margo muttered to herself, shaking her head while watching Aveline leave.

A pair of chocolate eyes widened in amazement as she entered the bathroom, which exuded a level of luxury she had never before encountered. The gleaming granite countertops were spotless. Fragrant, fluffy towels were carefully folded on a chair in the corner. A jacuzzi tub, a walk-in shower room with an oversized showerhead, and a soft bath mat with under-floor heating adorned the space. The bathroom was three times larger than her house. Even the toilet was modern—a sleek, one-piece design that flushed automatically, with water cleaner than the tap water in Manila and filtered like the rest of the house's water supply.

Aveline didn't waste another minute. She showered and allowed herself to submerge in the relaxing bubbles of the Jacuzzi. Afterwards, she went to the closet room to finish her bath. She chose a robe designed like a kimono, crafted from cotton with beautiful floral patterns. Aveline looked like a geisha, her dress green, the soft garment caressing her skin like a cool autumn breeze.

She was even more surprised upon seeing the bedroom. It was enormous and bore little resemblance to a typical bedroom. It was more akin to a suite in a palace. The bed was king-sized, adorned with red Egyptian cotton sheets. A sprawling leather sofa and glass windows mirrored the entire city. From the balcony, the oval-shaped swimming pool was mesmerizing. Aveline reverently rubbed her fingers along the mattress, pressed her cheek to the cold, velvet pillows, and found the comforter thick and irresistibly soft, like a billowing cloud. She happily toppled into it, resting her tired feet.

Meanwhile, Margo was inside the study room, examining papers and browsing through documents. She suddenly remembered she had a guest waiting for her. Then she found Aveline sprawled on the floor, watching cartoons, too absorbed in the television and oblivious to Margo's presence. The door closed with a click of the hinges, finally catching Aveline's attention.

"Hi," Aveline said, her dimpled cheeks beaming.

"I can see you're enjoying yourself here," Margo said, sitting on the edge of the bed.

Aveline shrugged. "You have a nice room." She attempted to turn off the TV but accidentally picked up a different remote, and mellow music began to play from the stereo. In search of the right remote, she chose another one, which turned out to control the retractable roof. As the roof opened, revealing a glass covering, stars mirrored in the glass ceiling, transforming the room into a semblance of a planetarium where stars or rain could be seen across the sky.