Risk Taker [Englot]

Chapter 19

Charlotte was there, in front of me. I noticed immediately that Heidi was there too. Her hands were holding Charlotte around her waist and her chin was resting on her shoulder, like she was hugging her from behind. It made me feel angry. Why was she touching her like this? They were friends, sure... And why were they looking at me like that? Nudee awakened me from my thoughts, grabbing me by the arm and pulling me towards her friends.

"Engfa, these beautiful ladies are Meena and Aoom." she said, gesturing towards them.

They bowed slightly and smiled at me before looking back at Charlotte and Heidi, visibly shocked. My coworkers stepped forward, getting into the circle.

"Hello..." Charlotte said softly.

"Hi..." I replied.

"Hi boss!"

"Hello Heidi... ahem... this is Nudee, a good friend of mine." I said, feeling like I owed an explanation.

"Hello." Charlotte said to Nudee with a very cold attitude.

"Apparently you know each other?" I asked Nudee and her friends.

"Yes! We worked together back in New York a few months ago!" Nudee replied, very enthusiastically.

I was happy to see her be this joyful. And her friends seemed like nice people. I could swear I had seen them somewhere else. Maybe at the museum since they were friends with Charlotte too... Once again Nudee pulled me out of my thinking.

"Let's get drinks together!"

She grabbed Aoom, I think, by the arm and led us all to the buffet. Charlotte ended up next to me. Her presence made me tingle all over. Maybe I had too much to drink...

"How are you?" she asked in a soft voice

"I'm ok, I guess. What about you?" I didn't know where to start, there were too many people around to engage into a more thoughtful conversation.

Charlotte didn't get to say how she was feeling because Nudee handed us all glasses of champagne before she raised her own up high.

"Ahem, everybody, gather up! You all have to cheer for something good for yourself or your friends! Come on Aoom, you go first!"

"Hmm... to a great night with good friends!"

"To Aoom's beautiful and revealing dress!" Meena said right after.

"Meena!" Aoom whined and blushed at the same time, they were probably a couple...

"Leave her alone, she's right! Your turn..." Nudee added.

"Heidi."

"Ah yes, Miss Heidi the beautiful." my friend said, flirting.

She made me smile even though I knew this was probably not a good thing... Heidi was my coworker. Maybe I should keep work and private life more apart than what was happening now...

"To the future!" Heidi said, winking at me.

"Come on, Charlotte, you're next!" Nudee said without wasting any time.

I looked at Charlotte, feeling a little worried about what she was going to say.

"Hmm... To New York, a place where you meet good people!" she nodded towards her friends.

Was she really talking about Nudee and those two girls' relationship... or was she talking about us? Damn, if she was... this was clever! I really loved how quick and quirky she could be when you least expected it. I smiled gently and turned to Nudee because my turn was coming. She was looking at Charlotte with a visible smirk, this couldn't be good...

"Engfa, cutie, your turn!"

Cutie? Oh... Charlotte looked really annoyed by this. Nudee was most probably doing it on purpose... I needed to snap out of it and think of something to toast to... Could I be as clever as Charlotte? I doubted it... I wasn't very eloquent when she was around... My brain usually went dumb with her near me...

"Hmm... I'm quite fond of Heidi's... So I guess to the future!" I answered, smiling at her.

We all turned to Nudee, who was the last to toast to something. I was even more afraid of what she could say than any of them. I knew she was crazy and that she could say the raunchiest things, especially when she had a little bit too much to drink. But I didn't know that what she was going to say would affect me this much.

"To Engfa being finally divorced!" Nudee yelled before drinking her full glass of champagne in one go.

I instantly blushed like I had just caught up on fire, looking at my feet to hide the feelings going through me. To my surprise everybody raised their glass like nothing happened and I followed them. We all drank, bottom's up. As the champagne coated my throat I was thankful for the cold sensation getting inside me, making me cool down a bit. Nudee squealed and kissed my cheek out of nowhere before she pulled me towards the dancefloor.

"It's my favorite song!" she yelled, forcing me to follow her, leaving everyone else behind.

"What the fuck, Nudee?" I asked when we got surrendered by unknown people.

"What?" she replied, dancing to the beat.

"What just happened? Why did you tell them I was divorced? Why did you kiss me?"

"You just needed a little push, girl. Would you have taken a moment to speak to Charlotte alone in that crowd to tell her about your divorce? That other girl works for you too, right?"

"Yes..."

"And I obviously kissed you because I wanted to make Charlotte jealous. I think it worked. Trust me on this, ok?"

"I... No! I don't want to make her jealous, Nudee! I don't need her to prove she likes me!"

"Yes, you do! You're putting up walls to make us think you're ok. But Engfa, I can see right through you... and your sister too!"

"I don't know what you're talking about..." I said, getting a bit angry.

"Listen, I know it's hard. I know you like her and you don't know what to do about it. I know you have all these good principles you want to follow. You're a good person BUT YOU NEED TO OPEN UP!"

"I don't need you to rant about my private life to strangers! That's not how you open up!"

"I'm sorry but you're wrong on this one, Engfa... You won't have chase after Charlotte even though you're dying to do just that. So I tried to help by making her chase you. Come and thank me when she does!"

"Fine! I'm going to the restroom!"

"Good for you!" Nudee replied, rolling her eyes.

I walked through the mass of dancing people across the ballroom, searching for a sign on a wall indicating the restroom. I was looking around when I felt a hand wrapping around my arm. I turned around and saw a middle aged woman, beautifully dressed, smiling at me.

"Engfa.. Waraha?"

"...yes? I'm sorry, you are..."

"I'm Davika, Win Opas' wife. We met over dinner with your husband... Apo, right?" she said, giving me an intense look.

"Oh right! I'm sorry I didn't recognize you. It's been..."

"Almost 5 years! I usually never forget a face..."

"That's impressive." I replied, looking around to see if I could spot the restroom sign.

She kept on talking to me for a while about our husbands' work and my job at MOCA. It's not that I didn't want to chat but I needed to pee for real and I was still overwhelmed by the whole Nudee saying I was divorced to Charlotte...

"Have you ever visited MOMA in New York?" Davika asked, a smile at the corner of her lips.

"Yes, actually I went there a couple of weeks ago."

"Oh really?" she said, looking like she was faking being surprised yet quite satisfied by my answer.

We talked a bit more about MOMA and New York and I finally got away from her, excusing myself because I really really needed to go to the bathroom now. I stayed a while in my stall, just sitting down, thinking. I should apologize to Nudee when I would go back to the ballroom. She just wanted to help. I didn't get that many opportunities to see her since we graduated and she started traveling for work. So I didn't want to fight with her. But I felt a bit sad that she was the one to tell Charlotte about my divorce. Maybe I wouldn't have told her tonight... but I would have told her at some point for sure... I knew starting the conversation would be good. I was just... afraid. I wanted her for real but... what if... Somebody started to laugh really loudly and woke me up from my thoughts.

I got up and left the stall, only to find myself pushed back inside by none other than Charlotte.

"Charlotte, what are you..."

"Don't Charlotte me!" she replied quite roughly.

I was shocked that she would push and talk to me like that. I had never seen her act this way before... and it got me hot somehow...

"S... sorry, I didn't mean to yell..." she stuttered.

"What's going on?"

"Where's your friend?" she asked, looking slightly annoyed.

"Nudee?"

"Yes, obviously Nudee." she replied, rolling her eyes.

"Are your model friends looking for her?"

"No..."

"I don't understand... What's... Oh my god, Charlotte! Are you... jealous?"

I couldn't help but smile. This made me feel good in a way I didn't expect. If only Charlotte knew who Nudee was she would get down from her moody ways real fast...

"Did Apo and you really get divorced?" she asked.

"Don't change the topic." I smirked at her, realizing what was going on.

"Don't tell me what to do."

"Don't stand up to me."

"What if I do?" she dared me, making the tiger-flies roar loudly inside me.

"God... I want to kiss you so you would just drop the attitude." I replied on the spur of the moment.

"So do it..." she said, her eyes getting wider and darker.

It cost me a lot of strength to not do it.

"No, I respect you."

Damn... She was making this so difficult.

"Then don't..." she replied with a husky voice.

"Charlotte!" I blushed, shocked but really pleased that she wasn't letting go.

"Mew and I got into a fight..."

Oh... Yes! Well, that was not what I meant... but hearing this made me also happy. I was such a bad person... But this could mean I could have a chance... with her?

"I told him that we should take a break..." Charlotte explained.

I didn't know what to say. I was afraid to break our bubble if I asked something wrong. I didn't want to push her away or scare her if I was too eager.

"Who's Nudee to you?" she asked, looking down.

"She's one of my best friends. I met her when I went back to school..."

"You went back to school?"

"Yes, I've never told you that MOCA was only my second job at a museum. I got back to school when Sun was born. I left my old job and took a risk. I studied art history and I met Nudee in class. She is a photography major." I explained, looking at her features slowly shifting from sad to relieved.

"That's why she seemed so much younger..."

"Were you really jealous of her?"

"Engfa... I..." Charlotte looked like she was having trouble getting the words out.

"Yes?" I said, hoping she would tell me that she was indeed jealous and that she wanted me.

"I really... need to pee." she said.

I couldn't help myself and bursted out laughing. This girl... seriously... Like I did back in New York, I turned around, facing the door to let her pee but still didn't leave the stall. I had seen her naked before but we were not together and I didn't want to impose by looking at her while she was relieving herself. Yet I couldn't go out to give her full privacy. We weren't finished talking.

"Be honest, Charlotte. Were you really jealous?"

"Yes, I was..." she admitted.

Yes! I smiled so wide. I was happy she couldn't see my face. There were so many thoughts going inside my head at once. Charlotte and her husband got into a fight and were on a break. Apo and I weren't together anymore either. Did that mean that we really got a chance to be together? To try and see where this could lead us? Would that be something that she still wanted? If she was jealous of Nudee that could only mean that she really wanted me right? Right?? Maybe I was thinking too much. Maybe Nudee, Dolly and P'Daad were right... Maybe I needed to stop being so stubborn...