Chapter 8

• Jasmine’s POV
• I received a phone call from my little sister right after I stepped out from my place of employment. She needed me to come get her and take her home from a bar, she had a few drinks. And by a few drinks, I meant she was heavily drinking and now she was intoxicated.
• I found the pub after walking for half an hour. She was sitting at a table, surrounded by beer bottles. Her eyes were slightly closed and she holding onto a beer bottle like if she was holding on for dare life.
• What the hell?
• “Zen, what are you doing?” I asked her furiously, embarrassed to see her in such an unusual state.
• “Hi *hiccup* Jassy,” she answered.
• “Come on, get up. I’m taking you home!”
• “No I’m not ready as yet anymore. I need to finish drinking this beer.”
• “What the hell are you doing Zenia?” I asked angrily at her again.
• “Drinking this beer. I just told you that. Duh!”
• “Zenia, listen to me. You need to stop this. This isn’t going to solve anything.”
• “Yes it would! Our mother is dying and you’re not doing anything about it! Just leave me alone!”
• “Zen, what do you want me to do about it? I can’t afford the transplant and we shouldn’t be having this conversation here!”
• My sister yanked herself up from the chair and stormed out the pub. I wanted to rush after her but I was frozen and slumped as I reflected what she said to me about our mother. Mom was still at the hospital, attached to machines in order to keep her lungs functioning and to keep her alive as well.
• I began to drink the my sister’s remaining beer. Then another and another and another. I was doing what she was doing all along.
• Getting loaded with alcohol.
• I believed I was almost at my eighth beer when my boss appeared out of nowhere and seemed to be deeply concerned about me. I always wanted this, his friendly attention instead of the professionalism when barking orders at the office.
• Next thing I knew I woke in his bed, naked and wrapping my body around with his bed sheet. I had no memories or recollection of what happened last night or how we got here but I was definitely not dreaming about it. It was real. The overall ideal made him unpleased and unkind at my presence in his bedroom and in his house.
• I left after he asked if I wasn’t going home. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I went to the main door and walked out on his long pavement. I
• didn’t even held the courage to look around his mansion or the yard. I was too blinded by the tears which kept on coming. The security guards at the gate let me out without a greeting or a word. I walked until I got to the main street and took a bus heading up Brooklyn to my apartment.
• When I got home, I felt a little better to be back to a familiar place where no one could dismissed me or be shocked that I was here. My sister was sleeping on the couch. I went into the kitchen and made myself a cup of tea and some toast. I sat down at the kitchen table as I tried to remember what happened last night.
• I remembered my sister calling me to come get her.
• I remembered when she lashed out at me in the bar.
• I remembered not going after her, instead, I drank her beers.
• I remembered Mr. Hollen talking to me and me talking back to him.
• That was all I remembered. I don’t remembered how I got to his house and how I got into his bed. Naked!!
• Oh my God! Did we have sex?
• My head was clouding with thoughts but I found myself smiling at the remembrance of him, wrapped with his silk gold bed sheets which matched his perfectly tanned complexion, his grey eyes popping at me (in a bad way) when he saw me in his bed and his messy hair falling just over his eyes from the sleep. He looked as perfect and his body looked so lean and fit. I just wanted to lick his abs and lay down on his rock hard chest.
• Oh, how I envy the women who already got the opportunities of doing such.
• “You didn’t come home last night. Where did you sleep?” a voice startled me. My sister had woken up.
• “I slept at a friend’s house.”
• “You don’t have any friends.”
• “Yes I do.”
• “Hmm! My head is killing me!” she said with a shout as she covered her forehead with her palms.
• I went into the medicine cabinet and found some headache relievers. I gave it to her. She drank a dose then I gave her a club soda sparkling water to help with the upset stomach pain I knew she was having.
• “Thanks,” she said and went back to the couch and put on the television.
• I looked at my phone and saw a missed call from Mr. Hollen. My heart skipped a beat.
• ′Should I return his call?′ I asked myself.
• I was curious to know why he called and what he wanted to say to me, also there was something I needed off my chest.
• I called him back.
• He answered on the third ring.
• “I’m just returning your call,” I started.
• “Oh yeah, are you alright?” his voice asked with concern.
• “Yes I am. How are you?” My heart beating so quickly, wondering if he’ll show me the compassion I was looking for or shut me down because he was already taken.
• “Hmm. I’m fine. Listen...” he began to say something which I knew was coming but I had to let him know how I felt about last night.
• “Mr. Hollen, before you say anything else, I want you to know that what happened between us last night...” I began but he cut me off back.
• “What happened last night was a mistake. We both had too much to drink and one thing led to another. It was an act of alcohol and nothing more. I don’t have any feelings for you whatsoever. You’re my employee and that’s all you’ll ever be.”
• “I just wanted you to know that,” he added again and then he hung up.
• My heart fell to my toes again.