Saudade | ✓

offering

"Tell me you forgive me," Lily pleaded, chewing the blueberry pancakes I made her. "Don't have a cow, please."

"I can't believe you traded me for a spa night," I muttered, kicking her ankle. "You are such a cheap fink."

She winced. "It was a five star spa. I'm sorry. You know we rarely ever get those stuff."

I drive a fork through my french toast with more force than I intend to that it makes a clinking sound on the glass plate. Lily's eyes widened.

"So of course you use our ability to charm the richer populace?"

We both had quite the talent to have people gravitate around us. Though not high born, we knew how to keep up with the crowd by utilizing what we have: our brains, charm and looks. And though I wasn't born stunning like my sister, a little play with make up and I was good to go.

She smiled, taking a sip of her coffee. "Or in your case, the royalty wants to charm you."

I rolled my eyes. "I don't want to be charmed. So don't ever do this again, you hear me, Lil?"

"Oh come on, Annie," she said, pouting slightly. "You have to forgive me. But I just seized an opportunity life threw at me. I never tried going to a spa as expensive as that before. I felt like royalty just walking in there and not having to talk."

I shook my head. "A cheapskate, my sister."

My sister was a bit materialistic if anything. We never got to experience those luxuries until I started working as an FA.

She laughed, kissing my cheek. She then, wrapped her arms on my stiff shoulders. "Sorry sis. Won't happen again."

"It better."

I released a breath I didn't realize I had been holding. I really wanted to get mad at my sister, but I hadn't seen her in a long time. And I get it really, she wants to set me up with Dean because she thinks it will make me happy. Because for a time before, he did make me happy. But this time it was different.

And I couldn't make my sister understand unless I told her everything that happened, and that I could not do.

We both finished the rest of our breakfast in silence.

"So where are we going again?" I asked later, leg propped up on the tub. I rubbed a bit of coconut oil, and grabbed my razor.

"To Daph's family cabin somewhere up north in the mountains," her muffled voice came through the other door. "For her baby shower, remember?"

"Will there be a good mountain view?"

"You can bet. And a jacuzzi..."

I laughed. I could care less about those stuff. I was more excited for the mountain view, anyway.

"Who else is coming?" I asked after we finished dressing. I sat on my chair and started doing my make-up.

I was wearing a dark dress with quarter-length sleeves and a deep plunging neckline. I finish off the look with a necklace, and some wedges.

"Same gang back at the bar," she answered.

She must have noticed my displeasure, when she walked in front of me and stared at me.