A KINGDOM OF DEAD HEARTS [COMPLETED]

CHAPTER 5: HER SAVIORS

"Airin!" a voice called out to her.

She stopped and turned to the left, to a woman in her mid-thirties with gold-framed glasses, bright red lipstick, and cropped hair. "Morning, Stella!" she smiled and Stella, teacher of Group Yellow, one of the four groups of preschool level, smiled back and waved at her.

"I still owe you dinner for last week!" Stella sauntered closer.

Last week, she took some of Stella's students to be in her own group, Group Red when Stella was recovering from a case of gastroenteritis.

"Don't worry about it," Airin shook her head.

"Nope. I will worry about it. Tomorrow, Saturday, The Hollies is playing a set at McCuddy's Bar. They are among the best bossa nova jazz bands in town. Fine. If the jazz band does not interest you then if I may also share this little tidbit of information: McCuddy's mozzarella chicken wings are to die for. Come. On me."

Airin sighed, admitted privately that Stella could definitely talk at a speed that her brain could barely keep up with, and shook her head. "I have to help out at the bistro ..." she did not bother to finish her sentence.

Stella rolled her eyes, then focused back on her. "Did you have any weekend free at all? Any?" a sincere concern now in her voice.

"OK. Fine. Not McCuddy's. How about that grill place across the bridge? You said that was your Mom's favorite? Oh wait, is that where Sean works? The security guy? You and him ... damn ..." Stella started rattling off another possibility before something entered her mind, something she remembered, and that was the end of the grill place idea.

"Stella, Sean and I spent one night together 4 months ago. That was it. It was a mistake, I was in a very bad place after Mom's gone ..." Airin wanted to cry when she remembered that particular stupidity.

"Sorry ... sweetie, I just want you to have a good time. Just a bit. Your dad should understand it. Think about it, ok? Please? Let me know? We could go to any restaurant, bar, club, in town that you want. All on me. Let me know, ok?" Stella bit her lips as she said her sorry, her eyes widened, her voice softened.

Dad won't understand. Airin nodded at Stella. Stella was about to say something else when a loud shriek was heard from her classroom, followed by two young girls who broke into crying fits as they fought over one teddy bear. Stella sighed as she rushed to attend to the altercation.

Airin took a deep breath. Sean came hurtling back into her consciousness.

The biggest mistake in her life. That night she had a fight with Dad over God-knows-what. She went out and ate by herself at a grill place where Mom took her for her birthday lunches/dinners over the span of few years.

Mom loved that place, especially the beef brisket and the Cajun-marinated chicken tender grill. She ate, cried, drank few glasses of beer, all in memory of Mom. When the grill place closed off for the night, she sat half-drunk by the side of the street in front of the restaurant, and Sean, the security guard, stroke a conversation with her.

They talked for a bit. She was not sure how it happened, but she spilled her guts out about Mom, and she cried in Sean's embrace.

Sean drove her back to her apartment. They kissed, and in a beer-influenced atmosphere, decided that sex was a good idea. The rest was stupidity that she did not want to remember anymore. Sean went out of her apartment, and her life, in the morning after telling her that he actually had a fiancée.

She froze, but she did nod in agreement when he said what they did the night before was a mistake.

One hell of a stupid mistake, she did not regret that Sean was never going to be in her life, but she did regret deeply one thing: The grill place became a no-go for her now. She could not remember Mom there with Sean worked there too.