Bound To The Seduction

Chapter 12: Are You Okay?

"Sarah, are you okay?" Emily asked, placing her cutlery on the dinner plate.

"Never been better," she smiled, but the corner of her eyes did not crease. The waiter was quite efficient; he arrived right on time, saving her from talking through her feelings. She knew Emily did not buy her excuse but who cares?

Sarah hated the feeling of being vulnerable. It made her feel exposed and naked. She had to remain strong and level-headed as she had been when she left Brandon. His betrayal did not affect her life at all; at least that's what she'd like to believe.

She picked up the wine bottle and filled Emily's glass, then hers. Each sip of wine took her further and further away from reality. The scene where she had walked in on Brandon and Clara kept replaying nonstop in her head. Her eyes started to sting and tears threatened to fall.

She emptied her glass again and tossed it aside. She picked up the bottle and drank straight from the bottle, only placing an empty bottle back on the table with a soft thud. Why bother with the tiny amount when you can drink to your satisfaction in one go?

Emily, "..." What the hell just happened?

Sarah grabbed the bottle again and gave it a gentle shake. She tipped it into her mouth, sticking her tongue out to catch the few remaining drops. Disappointed, she placed it back on the table with a little more force than necessary.

"Nothing," she pouted, calling for the waiter again, "get me another one."

"No!" Emily flashed an apologetic smile to the waiter and leaned close to Sarah. "Girl, this could kill you, you know?" said in hushed tones, poking Sarah's forehead.

Sarah thwacked Emily's hands away and placed her hands on the table, feeling a little dizzy. She accidentally knocked down the sauce, splashing on Emily's face.

Emily scrunched her face as she stood. "Sarah, I'm going to the bathroom to clean up." She took a few steps towards the bathroom but she remembered something. She glared at Sarah and said through grit teeth, "You'd better not do anything funny."

Sarah sat for a while, feeling a mix of emotions wanting to bust out of her. She stifled it and tried to act normal but she had traded her rationality for numb emotions. The drunken Sarah decided she had something to say.

She took a spoon and tapped it gently against a wine glass. "Attention everyone," she called out. All the customers turned to her, some craning their necks to get a glimpse. Then a realization hit her; she's too short!

She tossed the glasses aside and climbed onto the table. Great, she could see everyone. "You see that couple over there?" Her sweet and gentle voice filled the room. It was so soothing that no one booed at her. Some people even stopped eating and leaned closer.

She pointed at a couple spoon-feeding each other two tables on her right. "Me and my ex-fiancé, Brandon, used to do that a lot." She paused and her eyes became distant, "But recently, hic- he's got a new assistant and he thinks she's much prettier than Me." she shook her head, "That's when I realized he has such poor taste"

She swayed a little then steadied herself just in time not to fall off the table. She thrust her chest forward, like all superheroes do, and patted it. "I admit that bitch, Clara, has a bigger chest than Me."

Her drunken eyes scanned the crowd that listened attentively. Her voice got soft and heartbreaking, "I'm a Cup size A, that's the smallest bra size there is. My mom and grandmother are like me." Her eyes sharpened a little, and she said, almost shouting, "Where am I supposed to get a bigger chest?"

"I think you are fine. You don't need a bigger chest, or anything for that matter, to keep anyone," a man said.

"Someone who truly loves you will love you for who you are. No conditions at all," Someone added.

"We support you, girl."

"We agree with you, he definitely has poor taste. You are beautiful as you are."

The whole restaurant became vibrant. The previous calm and peaceful ambiance had now resembled the story-telling tea house. Someone wasn't too happy about it.

"Hey miss, I'm sorry, I'll have to escort you out. You are disturbing the peace in here," a security guard called out in a gruff tone.

"But ma'am, I'm not drunk at all," She slurred. She looked at the guard, spread her palms, and waved them a little. She spoke in an innocent child-like voice, "I just drank a bottle of fermented grape juice."

"Who are you trying to fool," said the guard, "I don't want any accidents to happen."

"I'm not drunk at all," she protested. She stood on her toes for a few seconds, to prove a point. She lost her balance, almost falling off the table again. "Okay, maybe this much," She said, pushing forward her right hand with her thumb and index finger a few centimeters apart.

"I've had it," the guard said as she tried to grab Sarah's hand. She had had a long day and wanted to get rid of this trouble as fast as possible. She had no energy left to reason with a drunken kid.

"Did I hurt anyone?" Sarah held out her hands in front of her and asked in a drunken voice, slurring a bit. "No, I didn't. Did I shout at anyone? No, I didn't. I just had a small talk with them. They are totally fine with it. You can ask them."

"Ma'am it's alright, let her be," an older couple said. The man waved his hand and continued, "Everyone has their own troubles. Let her speak out. She might feel better after this." he smiled as the guard stomped away.

"Thank you lovely people." she blew kisses in the air. "I'll tell you a secret." A smile plastered her face as she raised her left hand and pointed at her ring finger. The area at the base had a lighter color than the rest of her finger. "You see this? This finger used to have a ring until yesterday. Now it's naked and I feel strange."

Pin drop silence ensured.

Her eyes drooped as sadness clouded her eyes. She blinked away the tears that threatened to fall. No, she big girls don't cry. That's what her mother always said. Crying was a weakness; she couldn't be weak now.

She pushed away the pain, determined to remain strong. She waved her hand to the small crowd and flashed a charming smile that could melt anyone's heart. "Don't get me wrong. I'm not heartbroken at all. I'm just very happy."

She crouched and then sat at the edge of the table such that her legs were dangling. "I'll sing you a song." She said grinning. She rummaged through her purse for a while and fished out a miniature microphone – God knows why she had that.

Sarah cleared her throat and started singing the English version of 'Collateral Love' by Huang ZTao.

"Yeah... yeah,
I'm now feeling a little bit pathetic
Only because of your one sentence.
Today the kiss I gave you
Will become a memory in the days to come
Say sorry a thousand times
My heart will not change again
Because we shouldn't have started at all
This wrong choice
You are not worthy for me to love at all
I'm just a mere playing card in your hands
Sorry, I won't allow taking cards back
Sorry, I won't allow taking cards back
Oh, oh, boy I used to believe in love
Even though you've already left me
Now, I want to keep searching
Searching for that rare and sincere true love
Collateral love"

She sang all the verses by heart, her voice laden with emotion. It was sweet and hypnotizing; if you ignore the fact that it was terribly out of tune.