The Stare

Chapter 14 : A Night to Forget, A Morning to Remember

~Kiara~

I groggily extended my arms, searching for my pillow. Within seconds, I located it, but to my surprise, it lacked its usual squishiness. Instead, it felt oddly stiff. In the dim light, I squinted, puzzling over this unusual texture, though, at that moment, it hardly seemed significant.

I embraced the pillow, savoring its comfort. Yet, an odd sensation overcame me; it felt as though the pillow was hugging me back. My confusion deepened. Pillows don't return hugs, and they certainly don't weigh a ton.

With cautious reluctance, I gradually opened my eyes, and to my shock, I discovered that I wasn't clutching my beloved pillow; it was a man. How did I end up in bed with a man? Did I have sex with someone and not even remember it?

Lost my virginity without even a memory to treasure - truly, a shame. No, Kiara, what is wrong with your thoughts? There is a stranger in your bed. What if he's a serial killer?

Panic began to creep in, but I remained frozen. What if he was awake? What if he was a psychopath? My mind raced, conjuring the most dreadful scenarios my imagination could cook up.

This was my apartment; there was no need to flee. Maybe he's just some regular subway worker, harmless, right?

Oh, Fuck it. Let's confront this. I do know Tang Soo Do, after all. Perhaps I can fend off murder for another day.

With my head still throbbing from the previous night's escapades, I summoned the courage to yank open the curtains, welcoming the morning sunlight into the room. It offered a clearer view of my one-night stand.

And, much to my chagrin, my one-night stand was none other than Ethan. My boss, of all people? What the fuck?

Anger surged through me, and without thinking, my hand met his face with a resounding smack. "Ethan, get up right now!"

Ethan reluctantly opened his eyes and mumbled, "What?"

I didn't hold back. "You took advantage of me. You agreed to drive me home, then drugged me, or chloroformed me, or whatever. I don't remember anything, and then... you... had your way with me. And all you have to say is 'What'?"

"Get you on drugs and then... fuck you? Not my style, Kiara. And using you like that? Below my standards, clearly," he replied nonchalantly before closing his eyes.

My frustration peaked. "Oh, yes, because it doesn't look like it. You're sleeping in my bed, without your clothes, like a naked potato. Someone clearly doesn't know how to make up lies. Using your employees like some prostitutes, is that all you know, huh? The great Ethan Harrasing-Women Billionaire? Kudos to you. But unlike your other 'whores,' I'm not going to shut up and sit."

"As I said, I didn't do anything to you," he repeated, unfazed. "Fucking you would be an exaggeration to say the least." He said, not caring one bit, and more focused on getting some sleep as he tucked his face under the blanket.

With exasperation, I yanked the blanket from his face. "So, you just sleepwalked into my bed naked? That's your story?"

"On the contrary, I'm not naked, just shirtless, which merely counts as explicit nudity. In usual scenarios, I wouldn't choose to stay like that. But your hair got stuck on my shirt." He wouldn't even bother to open his eyes, and his not-so-caring attitude pissed me off even more.

I shot back, "Oh, right. My hair magically decided to bond with your shirt. How convenient. Got any other absurd explanation ?"

Ethan decided to sit up, his casual demeanor intact. "Well, you were drunk. I dropped you home, you asked me to stay, so I stayed. No foul play, just a misunderstanding. Want to hear the extended version, where you'll wish you were dead from embarrassment?"

"Me asking you to stay? Are you sure you weren't hallucinating?" I said, finding the whole notion absurd. "Going home in a cab sounded so much better. At least I wouldn't be in this situation right now."

This time, he stood up and walked over to me. "Well, if it wasn't me but some cab driver, I don't think you would be on your feet right now. You should be grateful it was me. Aren't you a bit too fast when it comes to making conclusions?" With that, he dropped a kiss on my cheek.

I stood there, dumbfounded for a few seconds, and stared into his drop-dead gorgeous eyes. "Dude, you can't kiss me like that," I protested, pointing a finger at his chest. He was shredded, by the way; he had ridiculously hot abs. Not the time, Kiara. My brain screamed. Go crushing on abs later, not now.

My mind was still reeling from the abrupt shift in circumstances, and I couldn't help but be a little taken aback by his actions. I mean, this was my boss, for heaven's sake. The man I usually only saw in suits and meetings, now standing shirtless in my apartment. It was a lot to process.

As I pointed my finger at his chest, he gave me an amused grin. "You should be grateful I just dropped a kiss, nothing else."

He tucked a loose strand of my hair back behind my ear, and the unexpected intimacy of the gesture made my heart race. "How about you sleep for a while, and then we can have this interrogation later?"

I mean, sleeping for a little while sounded nice. My head was still throbbing from last night, and a little more peace seemed just perfect. His proposal, for once, made sense.

I promptly removed my hair from behind my ear. "Fine," I reluctantly agreed, my curiosity still gnawing at me.

Ethan chuckled, "Good girl," before turning and settling on the other side of the bed.

As I settled back into the bed, I couldn't help but ponder that just hours ago, I had been partying with friends, and now I found myself sharing a bed with my boss. It was the kind of scenario you'd expect in some bizarre rom-com, not in real life.

***

Four hours later, I groggily blinked my eyes open. The sunlight had shifted in the room, casting its golden rays through the curtains. It felt like I had just been on a wild rollercoaster ride in my dreams.

As my senses gradually reassembled the puzzle of my consciousness, I realized that I was alone in bed. The lingering warmth on my sheets was the only evidence of the presence that had recently graced my bed. Ethan had vanished, leaving me to unravel the mysteries of last night by myself.

So, he pulled a Houdini on me. Wonderful! Now it's just me and my hangover, playing detective to piece together the events of the night. How wonderful indeed!

I swung my legs out of bed and noticed a note perched on the bedside table. In a hasty scrawl, it read, "Lemon juice with honey should do the job."

I couldn't help but grin as I read the note from Ethan. It was like a hangover prescription. Who said chivalry was dead? Or maybe he just didn't want me to be a human trainwreck when we discussed whatever the heck happened last night.

I followed his advice and made myself a warm glass of lemon juice with honey. The tangy and sweet concoction worked wonders on my taste buds, and for the first time since waking up, I felt a glimmer of hope that I might survive this hangover.

As I sat there nursing my drink, Claire emerged from her room. She looked like she had wrestled with the night just as I had.

She raised an eyebrow and asked, "Your evening was spicy, wasn't it?"

I didn't even realize how badly I slipped up when I replied, "Yes, it was." In reality, it wasn't spicy; it was more like an adventure in the Twilight Zone. I quickly backtracked, "Nah, it wasn't spicy."

Claire gave me a sly smirk, her eyes twinkling mischievously. "Explains the hot guy coming from your bedroom."

I couldn't help but let out an embarrassed chuckle. "That was Ethan - the boss, remember?"

At that, Claire erupted into laughter, almost choking on her own drink and creating a comedic spectacle that set the tone for the hilariously awkward day that awaited me.

As the amusement gradually subsided, I realized I was dressed in my pajamas. Wait, how on earth had I managed to change into my pajamas again without recalling it?

A/N - I hope you all had a blast reading this chapter because I sure had a blast writing it.
Anyways do you guys have series recommendations ?