The Scent of an Orris

Chapter 28

"Good morning sweetheart" sobrang sakit ng ulo ko at tamad na tamad pa akong bumangon, feeling ko sobrang maaga pa para bumangon ako

"Or should I say, good afternoon?" Dahil sa narinig kong iyon ay agad kong minulat ang mata ko

I looked around and realized that this wasn't my room. Kaya agad akong napabangon at nakita ko si CJ na nakatayo sa may pintuan

"Kamusta ulo mo? I'm sure you have a hangover" sabi niya at agad na ibinigay ang isang tasa ng tea sa akin. It was almost as if she could sense that I'm still dealing with the aftermath of a hangover.

"Why am I here?" Tanong ko sa kanya, tumawa naman siya bago sagutin ang tanong ko

"Oh hindi mo naalala? You kissed me" seryosong sabi niya kaya nanlaki ang mata ko at napahawak ako sa labi ko

Ginawa ko ba iyon? Nakakahiya

"You really don't remember?" she asked me and suddenly burst into laughter. "Oh my gosh, Louize, you're so cute. I was just kidding" agad na sabi niya kaya nakahinga naman ako ng maluwag

"You got drunk last night and I was supposed to take you home, but I didn't know your address so I brought you here instead, rather than leaving you to sleep in my car" she explained.

"I'm sorry CJ" nahihiya kong sabi sa kanya

"Aww it's okay, Louize. Go ahead and take a shower. There are new clothes inside the bathroom. I bought them for you just in case. Freshen up first before we eat. Magluluto muna ako" sabi niya at lumabas na ng kwarto

I quickly grabbed my phone from the bedside table and my eyes widened when I saw that it was already 1 o'clock in the afternoon. I panic as I scrolled through the missed messages and calls from Fiona, Mommy, and Daddy. They had been worried sick, trying to reach me all morning.

Realizing the urgency of the situation I did, I hurriedly made my way to the bathroom. CJ had thoughtfully prepared everything I needed, from towels to toiletries. I stepped into the warm water, letting it wash away the remnants of last night's escapades and the grogginess that still clung to me. Nahihiya pa rin ako dahil sa pagtulog ko dito

After a refreshing shower, I quickly dried myself off and put on the new clothes CJ had provided. They were comfortable and fit perfectly, as if she had known my size. 

"Hey, relax. Are you in a hurry? Eat first before you leave" sabi ni CJ nang makita akong mabilis na bumababa sa hagdan

"I'm sorry CJ. But I really need to go home" sabi ko sa kanya nang makababa ako

"Let's eat muna, wala kapang kain"

"I'm sorry, pagagalitan ako ni daddy" sabi ko sa kanya at hinawakan naman niya ang braso ko

"Okay fine, pero ihahatid kita sa inyo" sabi niya kaya naman bilang kapalit pagtanggi ko sa inihanda niyang pagkain ay hinayaan ko siyang ihatid ako

"Oh wait, may unexpected visitor ako" sabi niya nang marinig namin ang doorbell, kaya pinanood ko lang siyang tumakbo papunta sa pintuan para buksan ang pinto

"Omg! You missed me, didn't you? For the first time in history, my favorite cousin paid me a visit" I heard her exclaim, her voice filled with joy and surprise.

"Hi CJ" the man greeted her warmly, his voice exuding a sense of familiarity

"Oh your suitor is here too" sabi naman ni CJ kaya naman dahil chismosa ako ay tiningnan ko siya at nanlaki ang mata ko nang marealize kung sino ang bisita niya