"Nadine!" Tita Nona greeted her in the lobby of B Hotel with a beso. "O, nasaan ang bag mo?"
"Anong bag, Tita?"
"Para sa damit na pampalit mo?"
Nadine looked down at her tight fitting long-sleeved black shirt and black pants. "Tita, eto na po ang suot ko."
Tita Nona looked her up and down. "Seryoso ka? New Years party 'to, Nadz, at hostess ka pa! Bakit ganyan?"
Nadine crossed her arms across her chest defensively. "Wala naman masama ah. Nakakatamad mag-ayos at comfort lang naman ang gusto ko. Bret said they might bring the Xbox here. Why would I dress up when I'm just gonna play games?"
"Hay sus, alam ko na!" Tita Nona exclaimed. "Ayaw mo mag-ayos dahil wala naman dito si James at ganyan ang suot mo dahil alam natin lahat na mapapraning yon kapag naka-sexy dress ka at kasama ang mga lalaki dito."
"Tita! Hindi naman."
Tita Nona opened her mouth to argue but was stopped by the appearance of her friends at the front door. Nadine breathed a sigh of relief as Tita Nona ran forward to greet them. It was true that Nadine felt too lazy to dress up and put on full make up when she was probably going to be playing video games for most of the night. But she'd be lying if she said she wasn't thinking of James when she picked out something to wear from her closet earlier that day. Even though the party consisted mostly of his friends, Tita Nona was right that James wouldn't like it if Nadine wore a skin baring outfit.
Yassi once asked Nadine how she could stand James' attitude about her clothes and why she always gave in to him. Nadine didn't see it as giving in though; it was a compromise. Her mom once told her that the secret to her long lasting marriage to her dad was learning to pick your battles. She said that there are things that might seem small or petty to you but could be really important to your partner. After nearly two years of friendship, Nadine knew that James' issue with her clothes and her showing off her body was less about her and more about his own feelings and issues that he can't even put into words. He didn't have to. She understood him and she knew that he had her best interests at heart, that more than anything he wanted to protect her. So when it came to her clothes, she mostly let him have his way.
Nadine tugged down her shirt and gamely posed for photos with Tita Nona and her friends. It was time to throw an awesome New Years party that would make her partner-in-crime proud.
-
"Hiii James!" Quinito drunkenly threw an arm around Nadine and waved at the phone that she was holding. "Hope you're having fun in the desert. You're an asshole for ditching us but it's okay 'cause Nadine is kicking butt at Kinect. She's slaying man! You're missing out."
Nadine laughed and pushed Q off of her. "You hear that, Jaye? I'm kicking all their drunk asses."
James was in the middle of the desert for the Lost Paradise festival and the phone and wi-fi connection there was choppy at best so the gang had been making videos all night to send to James later. Q had made a Snapchat series of videos but Nadine and Andre had put a stop to it once most of the group had become increasingly drunk. There were just some things that didn't need to be made public, like Bret dancing on top of the table and trying to take his shirt off.
She had been able to speak to James briefly earlier when he called her once the clock had struck midnight Sydney time. But the signal wasn't great, the music was too loud and they hadn't been able to say much more than 'Happy New Year' and 'I love you.' Nadine stared down at her almost empty beer bottle, trying not to feel the emptiness in her chest at James' absence. She knew it was selfish and she felt stupid for even thinking it but a tiny part of her wished that, despite her all but ordering him to go, James had ditched the festival and came home anyway. She missed him so much, it was becoming unbearable. He had been gone for a week now and she honestly couldn't remember the last time they were apart for this long. Their most recent time apart was Nadine's trip to Korea and that had been only four days (though even that felt like an eternity at the time).
"Hey, I know that look." Debbie sat down beside her on the couch and put an arm around her shoulders. "Don't be sad, babe."
"I just miss him," she sighed.
Debbie leaned her head against hers. "Cheer up baby girl, it's a party! Your boy will be here tomorrow. In the meantime..." She glared in Q's direction. "I think I better stay right here."
"It's okay," Nadine said in a low voice. "He's just really drunk."
"You know James won't be happy with those videos he's been posting on Snapchat. They're all of you."
"I know. It's a good thing Andre managed to confiscate his phone."
"Well, it serves James right for not being here."
"Debbie..."
"What?" She grinned and took a sip of her champagne. "It's true. Leaving his gorgeous girlfriend to fend for herself on New Year's Eve? What does he expect?"
"Thank you for still coming out, Debbie," Nadine said, her gratitude sincere. Bret's friends were all good people but having familiar people around made being a co-host easier on her.
"Of course!" Debbie side hugged her. "You know we'd come out just for you. Ash wishes she could be here but she has a family thing."
"Nadz!" Q yelled from across the room where he was holding the Xbox controller. "Queen Nadz! Come play against me!"
Nadine really didn't feel like being around Q anymore, especially now that he was this drunk but she felt like he'd make more of a scene if she ignored him. Debbie seemed to sense her dilemma and quickly grabbed Nadine's hand and pulled her up from the couch.
"Sorry Q!" She yelled. "Nadz is dancing with me!"
Debbie pulled her onto the dance floor and Nadine saw Q disappointedly go back to playing on the Xbox with someone else taking the other controller. She mouthed "Thank you" to her friend and danced happily, jumping around and grinding her hips against Debbie's.
She didn't really blame Q for being kind of...flirty. He and James have been friends for years but he's not one of the people that James has told about their recent change in status. They had agreed to bring in as few people as possible and only those that they could absolutely trust. Still, Nadine knew that she was going to be steering clear of Q for the rest of the night.
"Aww yeah!" Andre came over, holding up his phone. "Smile girls! I'm sending this to James!"
"Don't put this on Snapchat!" Nadine yelled over the music as she and Debbie danced closely, their arms around each other and heads pressed together.
"Hindi, para sa JF mo lang 'to!" Andre said. He gave them a thumbs-up as he finished recording and moved away from them.
Nadine couldn't help but laugh and shake her head at the way that their friends were having way too much fun mocking and torturing James for missing this party. They seemed to be taking his absence much more personally than she was.
Zach came over and joined her and Debbie. Her cousin wasn't much of a dancer and Nadine laughed so hard at the way he flailed all over the dance floor that she was crouched over on the ground with tears leaking out of her eyes. Yes, she missed James and she wished he was here but Nadine was thankful to be surrounded by amazing people and this was still an awesome way to start 2016. James may not physically be here but he still brought her to this place and to these people. If it weren't for him Nadine would probably be spending her New Years at home in her pajamas watching TV with Mimi. That wasn't a bad way to spend it at all but she was thankful that because of James she has slowly been learning to move out of her comfort zone. Nadine was sure that 2016 and all the years that come after it spent with James Reid will be nothing short of amazing.
A/N: Sorry for another short one. But after New Year's Eve is New Year's Day and yes, that means James is back. :)
