CHAPTER 2: REALITY AT DINNER

SANDRA could barely breathe. She tearfully put down her cup with coffee. Just thinking of it makes her more embarassed.

"Stupid, Sandra. Stupid!" Instead of trying to comfort her, she even bragged that she was too stupid to do that to Madame Madelle. When she told Tina about it over the phone, she hurriedly travel just to tease Sandra.

"Ayst, De Luna. Your stupidness even reaches the moon." She lower her head and remembered what happened yesterday. When Madame Madelle offered her to be her daughter-in-law she could not speak. She could not think of the correct answer.What should she answer? Yes, of course, Madame? 

"What do you think, hija?" She blinks. Does she heard it right? Yes! Clear. She rethink her face. She can't calm down because she don't know how to answer her.

What should she answer? All right, madame? Doesn't she look too desperate? Yes, she was desperate. But that's not that! She's really surprised!

"Hey, hija. You know, I'm looking for a lady that will suit my son perfectly. Didn't Denver is your crush before?" She pressed her lip even tighter. No, she won't answer.

"DE Luna!" Sandra is at a charity ball with Tina. A shout grabbed her attention from her conversation with fellow designers. A tall man called to her. She smiled as soon as she met the man. She is one of her close colleagues in high school.

"Vera!" She kissed the young man's cheek as he approached her.

"I thought you were forever tied there to your husband, Kristine. I thought you forgot to come back here." Laughing, Tina refilled the young man's glass.

"What are you, Kyle?" Kyle turned to Sandra.

"What about you? You're still beautiful until now, De Luna. I wonder if I can still court you or maybe you already have a lover?"

"Hey, I'm still stressed because of that Moon."

"Spill the tea, Tina." Sandra just left them when they started gossiping. Kyle is a friend from High School. He's a straight but others don't think he is because he's very gossipy. He's young and rich. Single and ready to mingle. But he has very high standard. "Oh my gosh, so stupid. De Luna, that's a blessing."

He just stared at Kyle. Blessing. Yes, grace! Yes, it is bad to refuse grace! But this grace will give her heart attaks. Gracious. "Why? It's not bad to refuse grace once."

"Stupid, blessings like that only come once!" Her friend Tina couldn't understand her. She just sighed and continued drinking wine. She wasn't too drunk but the amount of she thinking turn her into one.

When she got home she just threw himself on the bed. She could not feel her own body. She pout her lips as Madame Madelle's offer comes to her mind again.

She wants it. She really does. Especially Madame Madelle was right in what she said. She has a crush for him before and even now. Who doesn't. Successful in the young age, besides being handsome, he's smart. Family oriented and really well known. She knew she wasn't the only one who liked Denver Ybarra. She only wonder why Madame Madelle choose her. Why her?

It's not that she underestimates herself but there are women out there who are more successful than Sandra. Children of well-known and famous people of the town. There is someone even better than her. She is beautiful, but not confident.

But why him? She got weakly shocked by the flick of her vein in her head. "It's just coffee." She pouted her lips even more before she decided to shower.

THE next day, she received a letter from the CEO of the Ybarra Construction Firm. The letter is about inviting her for a dinner since she's their future daughter-in-law. "What is this? What should I do now?

She laid the envelope on her desk and took the sketch pad to design new dresses. She just pours all the problems and questions in her mind with her designs. Her being a fashion designer is thankfully fun and unaffected.

"De Luna, Sandra." Tina entered his office. She's still wearing a shade even inside her office.

"Oh, I thought you were going back now?" Tina laughed at her.

"No, Sandra. I'll correct all your stupidity first."

"There we go again."

"Bestie, don't you want me to help you anymore? Idiot, who else will like you if you're a aged next year. Sandra De Luna, you're already thirty-one. It's good that Madame Madelle still wants you even though you're already thirty. "What if you're in forty? Do you think someone will still want you? You're about to menopause." She pulled Tina's hair. Tina just laughed out loud.

"Oh, oh, wait. Ouch! De Luna!"

"WHAT, Mom?!" Denver lightly slapped his forehead.

"Denver, especially since you're getting married next week, we want you to not know your bride, do we? So I'll invite her for dinner tomorrow night. You'll come, Denver."

No, he's not going. No! It's frustrating! "Don't give me that face, Denver."

"But, Mom! Why all of a sudden. I'm still on my 30's. I can also find a woman I would like to marry. Mom, come on!"

"That's it, Denver! You're thirty! You're off the calendar! Where are you going to find a woman to marry? When are you going to find that woman to marry? How long are we going to wait for your Dad? My son. It's you. You're all we care about!"

"Mom, if I'm the one you're worried about. Let me do things like this. Mom, this is my life. You can interfere with my work, correct my mistake. Mom, don't do this." His mother looked at him intently.

"You will come tomorrow. Try not to show up, Denver. Just try." His mother turned her back on him and then left his office. He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. He closed his fist tightly. This is not what he wants. Just over and over. How long will they understand he doesn't like it?

He slam the table loudly. "I won't come." For what else?

"IS that okay? Isn't it too revealing and my shoulder?" Disgusted Tina curls Sandra's hair. Earlier complaint complaint. She's going deaf.

"What? You've been asking that for how many minutes already? Hello, go ahead! Change if I only hear complaints from you. Why you said you don't want to come, but you're going to come!" Sandra calmed herself. Of course, why is she panicking? Why ?! Why?! Because her future husband just invited her to dinner!

"Hayst! What's that?! I thought he didn't want to get married, then why is he texting me to come!" She received a text from Denver this morning, preceded by his Mother telling her to come for dinner at Casa Ybarra. Sounds rich. Well, they are really rich. She don't have nothingvto say about how rich they are

"You know what, I feel like you really are meant to Denver. Isn't it? That's how it is when it's a fairy tale. Is that the choosy one, the indenial one. Perfect match I guess. But, ehem, you just liked him before, your future husband tomorrow. "

Future husband? She looked in the mirror. Her make up is light. Pink shade of lipstick. Just a little color on her eyelid. Her natural beauty is expossed. Back then he only dreamed of Denver. Back then he was like a cloud in the sky, hard to reach if you didn't have wings. Now, the clouds that he was trying to reach, she can reach it now.

'Dear Lord. I hope my decision was right. I will follow what my heart say. I hope this is right. Lord, if this decision of mine is not right, while it is still early, stop me. Stop my heart.'

"SANDRA, my darling!" Madame Madelle greeted him with a hug. She was wearing only a simple Blue Dress, a simple watch and a messy bun. "You look stunning." Madame compliments him.

"Thank you very much, Madame Madelle."

"Oh, hija. No need to call me Madame." Sandra smiled.

"All right, Ma'am." Madame Madelle laughed. They went to the dinning area together. Her husband, Sir Anthony Ybarra, was already at the table. He was wearing a formal suit. When his eyes went to Sandra, he stood up and smiled at her.

"Sandra De Luna, sir." She politely introduced himself. The couple looked at each other and then smiled at her.

"I am Anthony Ybarra." Said the old man. The CEO of Ybarra Construction Firm. She only saw him before in tabloids but she can see him in person.

"Nice to meet you in person, Sir Ybarra." He is in his mid-sixty. Even though the couple is old they look like very young and like teenagers. They are clingy.

"Let's sit down, hija. We'll just wait for Denver for a moment." Sandra rested deeply. This was the first time she would see Denver in person again, she was so nervous until twelve o'clock at night and they couldn't wait for the young man.

The couple apologized to Sandra. Sandra with a broken heart just smiled at them. "It's okay Sir, Ma'am."

What if they are married? She's afraid that things may get worse in the future, hopefully not. She sighed and got out of the car that had taken her to her house.

'Denver is against this marriage, what else can I expect?'