Veronica woke up to the feeling of someone sitting over her chest. It was Pumpkin. Her orange tabby was looking down, her big brown eyes staring right at Veronica's face.
When she felt Veronica move, she meowed once before jumping off her chest. Veronica reached for her phone to check what time it was. Six-thirty in the evening. The space next to her was empty. The only proof of Chan sitting there were the ruffles he left behind.
She could hear Pumpkin playing with her bowl in the kitchen, and Veronica knew she had to get up. Rolling off the bed, she padded to the kitchen. The apartment was shrouded in darkness. She switched on the light in the hallway.
Her stomach grumbled as she poured food in Pumpkin's bowl. Opening the fridge, she checked what options she had, only to find it empty. Guess it was time to go grocery shopping.
She quickly washed her face, got into a pair of jeans, and found a random clean shirt. She was about to leave the house when she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. It was Cassie.
Pizza?
Veronica smiled at her phone as she typed: My place?
Cassie sent back a thumbs up. Fifteen minutes later, her best friend entered the apartment with fresh pizza. Veronica emptied the wine she had in two glasses and carried it to her room.
This was what she needed. Her best friend. Good food and wine. She knew Cassie could tell that Veronica had been crying. Her puffy eyes were a dead giveaway, but Cassie didn't comment.
"So," Cassie started, taking a sip of her wine. "We almost lost the Frando group today."
Veronica grabbed a slice of the pizza from the box and took a bite. "What do you mean you lost the Frando group?"
The Frando group was a group of tourists visiting South Molton under the Frando Traveling Agency. She had checked in the twelve tourists along with the guide two days ago.
"They got lost." Cassie tried to break the cheese string extending from her bite.
"How?" Veronica asked. "They do four trips like this every year."
"Martin tried to map their route through the city." Cassie explained.
Veronica groaned. They usually had these routes mapped for any tourists who wanted to sightsee through South Molton. Why Martin would try and chart a new route was simply beyond her. But then again, it was Martin.
Veronica opened her mouth to say something, but Cassie cut her off. "So are you gonna tell me what's wrong?"
Veronica sighed and put her slice down. She couldn't lie to Cassie. Not when her face looked like an open wound anyone could gawk at. "I had to bail my mom out of jail last night."
Veronica hadn't told Cassie everything about her family, but her best friend knew the gist of it.
"Shit," Cassie said. "Was it ugly?"
Veronica nodded, picking back her slice and eating the crust. "It didn't help that Chan was there, too. I was so humiliated."
"Did he say something?" Veronica smiled at the protective tone in Cassie's voice.
She shook her head and took a sip of the wine. "No, he was - I don't even know how to explain it. He was so kind about it. He drove me back home. Didn't say a word about how psychotic my mother had acted. To top it all off, I had a breakdown before him in the afternoon. I, officially, can not face him ever again."
Just thinking about that moment when he had stepped forward and hugged her made her stomach churn. She could still feel the imprints of his arms around her waist. Remembered the beat of his heart. In the moment, just for a second, all of Veronica's pain had disappeared. She had melted at the warmth of his embrace. She could feel her cheeks heat up at the memory. What was wrong with her? She felt dizzy just thinking about it.
Cassie didn't speak for a while, just removed the mushrooms from her pizza slice. Then, "Do you like him?"
Veronica blinked at the sudden change in the line of questioning. "What?"
"Do you like Chan?"
Veronica scrunched her eyebrows. "Of course, I like him." Why was the room suddenly so warm? "We have barely known each other, but he's been such a nice friend. To the point where I feel that I am taking advantage of him. He's kind and compassionate. He-"
Cassie cut her off again, "Do you like him as more than a friend?"
Veronica let out a surprised laugh. "What? That's insane. No. Of course not. We are fake dating, Cassie. He likes Diana."
She took the last slice of pizza just to keep her hands occupied with something. Cassie was staring at her.
"What?"
"You are lying," Cassie replied. Veronica scoffed at the implication, but her friend ignored her. "You are lying to yourself. Deep down, you really like him, and it scares you. I know you, Veronica."
She opened and closed her mouth a couple of times, trying to form an answer. "You are wrong," she finally spoke. "And even if you are right, why would it scare me?"
Cassie laughed as if Veronica had cracked a joke. "Because you don't let anyone in. You are scared of giving people a chance to know you. You bolt at the first sign of intimacy."
Veronica needed something stronger than wine. She knew Cassie was right, but she didn't need her best friend to psycho-analyze her. Not when she was still reeling from last night.
"I don't bolt," Veronica replied, scowling. "And I don't like Chan. Can we talk about something else, please?"
Cassie shrugged. "Maybe I am wrong. Which I know I am not. But think about it." Her blue eyes stared at her unblinking. Her face devoid of any humor.
Veronica shrunk under her gaze, looking for a way out of this conversation. She didn't need to think about it. She knew she didn't like Chan romantically. They might have gotten close over the last few weeks, but Veronica wasn't stupid. She knew what it meant to fall for a guy like Chan. He was nice to everyone. Just because he had helped her out a couple of times over the last few days didn't mean she was special. And above all that, he was taken. Veronica knew better than to put her hand through a burning flame. Cassie was just reading into things.
Cassie switched topics after that. Veronica was glad. She didn't think she had the mental capacity to argue further with her friend. Once the pizza was over, Cassie asked if Veronica wanted to come with her to this party at one of her friend's place?
"I don't think so, Cassie," Veronica replied, carrying the dishes back to the kitchen.
Cassie followed her. "Why?"
Veronica began rinsing the glass, her head bent over the sink. "Because it would be weird. I don't even know the girl. Hell, I don't even go to your university."
Cassie came up next to her and tapped her shoes on the floor, her arms crossed in front of her. "So? I know you had a shitty day yesterday and even today, but that's all the more reason to go out and have some fun."
"But," Veronica started, putting the plates on the dish rack to dry.
Cassie cut her off, "Just get ready, put on a cute dress, and you'll already start feeling a bit better. We can get drunk, make out with some hot people at the party, you'll end up dragging me home, and we'll wake up with the worst hangovers of our life tomorrow. Doesn't it sound fun?"
Veronica rubbed her forehead. Going out did seem like a fun idea. It would feel good to get ready and dance around. She wasn't that keen on the making out part, but the rest sounded tempting.
"Okay," she agreed, and Cassie clapped her hands enthusiastically. "Can I borrow a dress from you?"
"Of course," Veronica replied, walking out of the kitchen. "What's mine is yours."
â¤ï¸
The party was at this girl, Jasmine's place. One look at the apartment, and Veronica knew she was rich. For starters, she lived in a penthouse. The apartment was decorated in a manner that screamed luxury. Which basically meant it was uncomfortable furniture and concerning wall art.
By the time Veronica and Cassie arrived, the party was in full swing. The two of them squeezed through a throng of people, trying to find the table with all the liquer bottles. Music was blasting through the speakers at a bass that made Veronica's heart thump to the beat. She was dressed in a tiny red sequined dress that stopped a little below her ass. The dress had been lying in her closet for years, and Veronica had finally decided to wear it tonight.
Cassie was right. Doing her makeup and putting on a cute dress had already made her feel better. They spotted the table with all the alcohol bottles and red cups and placed the liquer they had brought with themselves on it. Veronica had decided to bring tequila, while Cassie was holding a bottle of whiskey.
Like every party ever shown in movies and shows, everything looked extremely unhygienic. One look at the table spotted with what Veronica hoped was spilled liquer, she and Cassie decided to drink from the bottles they had brought in.
Veronica unscrewed the tequila and poured a generous amount in two red cups. The alcohol burnt as it slid down her throat, and Veronica had to suppress her gag reflex. She felt her stomach heat up as the alcohol made its way through her body.
Two seconds later, Cassie was dragging her to the makeshift dance floor in the center of the room. They danced to an old Britney Spears song. Cassie's body moved to the beat as she squated down before dragging her body up in a sexy manner. Veronica let out a happy laugh as she cheered her best friend on. She let the music take her, moving freely to its rhythm. She didn't notice how, but Cassie brought back their cups filled with more tequila that they drowned in a go. This time, she felt the heat travel through her whole body. A pleasant buzz.
They danced for the next three songs before Cassie decided that it was time to make out with someone. It wasn't hard. She had barely looked for two minutes before Veronica saw Cassie's face plastered over another girl's.
"Veronica?"
She turned around at the sound of her name. It was Diana.
"Diana?" Veronica replied. "Hi!"
"What are you doing here?" Diana asked. She was wearing a black low-cut dress that hugged her waist. Her brown hair was tied back in a long ponytail.
"I am here with my friend." She pointed to where Cassie was making out with a girl against the wall. "She knows the girl who's throwing the party."
Understanding dawned on Diana's face. "I thought you would be here with Chan?"
Veronica cocked her head to the side, unsure of what to say. She had to control the situation before Diana suspected something. "Yeah, he told me about it, but initially, I had no plans of coming, but then Cassie kinda bullied me to come." She desperately needed some more alcohol in her system.
"Ah," Diana replied, taking a sip from her soda can. "I had to bully Chan to come here, too. He really doesn't like going out like this, but I think it's important social exposure, you know."
So, Chan was here? Veronica tried to sneakily scan the crowd for his face. She felt trepidation at the prospect of seeing him, but at the same time, she had to find him and fill him in on the situation.
"Yeah," she replied to Diana, already walking away from her. "Actually, I see someone I know, but it was nice running into you, bye."
She quickly moved through the crowd, trying to scan faces. Finally, she spotted him standing near the liquer table.
She rushed towards him, trying to bury the image of him hugging her deep into her brain. He was filling his cup with the whiskey Cassie had brought it.
She tapped on his shoulder. He turned to look at her. Veronica braced herself for his gaze. She was already burning hot just being this close to him. As if she was running a fever.
"Diana knows I am here," Veronica started, not stopping for greetings. "I told her you invited me, but I said no, and then Cassie bullied me into coming with her. I didn't know what to say, so this was the best I could come up with because I didn't wanna blow our cover."
When she finally stopped speaking, she waited for Chan to say something, but he didn't. He was just staring at her. At first, she thought there was something on her face. But when she felt his gaze travel over her body, she felt her cheeks heat up.
"Chan?" Her voice was thick.
He broke out from his reverie and said, "Okay, good. I wanted to invite you to the party but I didn't know how you'd be feeling given.." he trailed off.
"Given my breakdown this afternoon," Veronica finished his thoughts, refilling her cup with some tequila. "Thank you for that. And I am sorry, I didn't mean to go all Carrie White on you."
Chan smiled, stuffing his hand in his pockets. He wasn't meeting her eyes. "Carrie White? No, I think it was more like Ariel. Less pig blood dumping more Disney princess vibes."
Veronica drowned her tequila. Standing this close to him was making her head spin, or maybe it was the alcohol finally hitting her. He had combed and set his hair back, and the low lights in the apartment cut shadows across his face, making his cheekbones appear even sharper.
"You guys found each other." Diana approached them, her eyes fixed on Chan. She could read it on Diana's face that she wanted Veronica to go away. The way her shoulders tensed when she noticed how close Veronica stood to him.
But as his pretend girlfriend, shouldn't she be standing closer? The quicker they made Diana jealous, the faster this whole fake dating thing would be over. That was why they were doing it in the first place. They had to make Diana believe that they were a real couple. And real couples danced at parties together, rather sensually.
Veronica reached out and grabbed Chan's hand, trying to ignore the way the touch electrocuted her senses. "Yeah, we were just going to go dance now."
With that, she dragged him away to the center of the room. Chan followed her, confused by her actions. "What are we doing?" His voice sounded hoarse.
She stopped at an empty spot, turned around, and hung her hands around his neck loosely. She felt a tremor pass through his body.
She was aware of Diana's eyes on them, but more than that, she was aware of Chan looking down on her. She cleared her throat, "Boyfriend and girlfriends dance together at parties."
"Really?" Chan smirked, putting his hands around her waist. "I thought they just made out in a corner."
Veronica rolled her eyes. "Don't be cheeky."
He pulled her closer, making her body move with his. Veronica let out a surprised exhale as the distance between them diminished further.
"Are you okay?" He asked, his eyes peering into hers.
Veronica managed a small smile. "Yeah, I really am. And I wanted to say thanks to you. For yesterday and today. You were there, even when I didn't ask you to be."
"I just did what anyone would have done."
Veronica scrunched her eyesbrows. "No. That's not true. Chan, you came with me to bail my mother out of jail. You came to my apartment to check in on me. Not everyone does that. At least, in my world. So yeah, I am grateful. Embarrassed. But grateful."
She could see Chan's cheeks turn red at her compliments. It was insane to Veronica that he truly didn't grasp the enormity of his kindness and open heart.
The music playing on the speakers was some pop song. Chan did some pretty impressive move with his arms that Veronica tried to mirror but failed miserably. The two of them erupted in a fit of giggles, their bodies colliding with each other. He tried to show her the move again, but Veronica had absolutely no talent on the dance floor. He twirled her in instead, making her collide with his chest.
The track changed, and more people joined them at the floor, pushing Chan and her closer together. One more step and their noses would touch.
She swayed her body to the song, her nervous system on overdrive. Chan's hand gripped her waist. She felt his fingers burn through the cloth of her dress.
"Are you sure this is okay?" Chan asked, gulping. He was staring at her, his gaze unmoving. Veronica felt her heartbeat rise as she continued to look at him. Everywhere they touched, every accidental brush made her feel breathless. She was drunk, that was it. The tequila had finally hit her brain, and that was why she was feeling like this.
"Yes," she replied, her mouth dry. "Diana needs to get sufficiently jealous in order for our plan to work."
So, the two of them danced. Their bodies moving in sync. The apartment fell away. Every single person on the floor next to them vanished. Only they existed. There was barely any space between them, and yet all Veronica could think of was getting closer to him. She felt his breath of her cheek, and her whole body shivered.
His fingers brushed down her arms, leaving a trail of goosebumps. Loosely intertwining their fingers, he raised her arms before settling them back on his neck.
He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ears. Veronica needed to get away. Every time she took a breath, all she smelled was him. She quickly glanced in the direction where Diana was standing and noticed that she was gone.
"Veronica -"
"I need to use the washroom," she mumbled quickly before walking away. The second she stepped away from him, from the dance floor, the air came rushing back in.
She made her way to the washroom, her steps unsteady, and found it to be empty. Locking the door behind her, she leaned against the counter and took in big gulps of air.
What was happening? Had she drank this much alcohol that her senses were fried and disbalanced? She needed to get some water in her system. Or some coffee. Yes, coffee sounded good.
When she stepped out of the washroom, she found Chan waiting outside. He looked up as she came out. "Are you okay? Do you feel sick?"
Veronica shook her head. "I just needed to use the washroom. Have you seen Cassie?"
Chan looked around. "Last I saw her - wait, there she is." He pointed to a figure trying to open up a bottle of whiskey. Veronica recognized that it was her best friend by the dress she was wearing.
Cassie was drunk. She could barely hold herself up as she tried to pour the alcohol in her cup. Veronica grabbed her elbow. "Cassie, let's go home."
Cassie narrowed her eyes before recognizing her best friend. She threw her arms around Veronica's neck and said, "Veronica!"
She patted Cassie on the back as she motioned to Chan that it was time for them to leave. The two of them carried her to Chan's car. The minute they placed her on the back seat, Cassie fell asleep.
"Can you drop us both at my place?"
"Of course," Chan said, getting in the car.
Veronica got in the passenger seat, trying not to think about how close she and Chan had gotten. She stared out of the window, watching the town pass them by. Cassie mumbled something under her breath in the backseat. Veronica turned around to make sure she was okay.
"So," Chan started, breaking the silence. "What made you come to the party?"
Veronica rubbed her eyes, remembered that she was wearing eyeliner, and stopped. "Cassie said that getting out of the house all dressed and pretty would help. So, I listened."
She felt his eyes on her. Veronica knew she looked pretty. Sexy, even. The dress was the perfect red, and the sequins made it all the more charming. Her hair fell in perfect curls around her shoulders. She felt pretty. And it felt good to be admired.
Cassie mummbled something again, her face leaning against the window pane. "She's going to be so hungover tomorrow."
Chan parked outside her apartment building. The two of them carried Cassie inside. Luckily, the elevator was working because Veronica didn't think she had it in her to walk up four flights of stairs.
Carefully, they put her on Veronica's bed. She took off Cassie's shoes and covered her with a blanket.
"I am debating whether or not to put a bucket by her side of the bed," Veronica said.
Chan stared at Cassie. "It's better to be safe than sorry."
Veronica agreed. Grabbing a bucket from the bathroom, she placed it next to Cassie, in case her best friend decided to pull an exorcist.
"Do you want anything to drink?" Veronica asked, walking into the kitchen.
"Coffee?" Chan replied.
Veronica turned and stared at him, her eyebrows raised. In all the time she had known him, she had never seen Chan drink coffee. He always got some tea, while Veronica debated whether or not to shoot some coffee powder up her nose.
He just shrugged in response. "It's been a long day."
She spooned the coffee powder into the machine and felt Chan come up behind her. Her heart stopped beating as he opened the overhead cabinet and took out two mugs. She felt his torso brush against her back. She just stood there, mid-spoon, trying to ger her heart to start beating again.
Then he was moving away, and Veronica had to do everything in her power to remain standing still.
"I have to use the washroom," Chan replied, putting the mugs on the counter and leaving the kitchen.
Veronica just stared at his vanishing frame. And for the first time, entertained the idea Cassie might have been right in suggesting that Veronica liked Chan as more than a friend.