Chapter 14 - So Different Yet So Similar

The next morning, everyone was busy. Rai was on the phone most of the time, and Damian was nowhere to be found. I decided to go home for a while to take some clothes.

I returned to Damian’s place just in time to prepare for the party. I was placed in one of the guests’ rooms. The maid had put all of the required stuff in the room. My dress, shoes, earrings, clutch, and a sexy boudoir-type black-with-a-hint-of-gold mask. Was this going to be a masquerade party? I thought as I sat in front of the dressing table so the make-up artist could start her work.

It took me nearly five hours to get ready. The make-up artist put gold, bronze, and black eyeshadows on my eyes with cat-eye eyeliner. Even though I was Indonesian-Chinese, I have huge eyes, so she chose cat-eye make-up with smokey eyes. My big eyes now looked sharper. I had a very thin upper lip; whenever I smiled, my upper lip became a very thin line, so she decided to overdraw my lips to make my lips look fuller. She then asked me to choose between red and nude lipstick since not many people were brave enough to wear red lipstick in Indonesia except for older women. I asked her which would look better, and she said red would look sexier, so I chose the red one.

The make-up artist and hairstylist helped me change into my dress. The hairstylist needed to change my hairstyle after seeing me in my dress. At first, they let my hair fall freely on the back, but because there was nothing at the back of the gown, she decided to style my hair into a slick, high ponytail to showcase my back. They then helped to paste some tapes on the top, the black part of the dress, so that it would stick to my skin; to make sure that it wouldn’t show my breasts whenever I bent down.

I looked at the full-length mirror in the room after donning everything. The make-up artist did a fantastic job. Her make-up made me look somewhat sexy. The dress had been altered to fit me better, and it now hugged my body in all the right places. I couldn't believe it was me looking back from the mirror. I must admit that I looked pretty good. I hoped Rai and Damian liked it.

I thanked the make-up artist and hairstylist and left them to tidy up their equipment. I made my way to the stairs and saw Rai and Damian. I stopped at the top of the staircases before they realized I was done. I took the time to observe them. They were talking to each other, their backs toward me. I still marveled at the sight of them together.

Rai looking elegantly sexy, while Damian, on the other hand, was more of the bad-boy type. Dangerous, but so very sexy. Sexily dangerous if there was such a thing. They really were an angel and a devil. Looking at them together gave me thrilling goosebumps.

Their hair was styled differently than usual. Both had their hair gelled back; Damian’s was neat but somehow messy at the top, while Rai let some strands fall in front of his handsome face. They looked so different yet so similar. So handsome and sexy in their own distinct way.

Both of them were going to be my princes tonight. Wow, how lucky was I? I thought to myself. Bracing myself, hoping I wouldn't embarrass them, I started descending the stairs.

They turned toward me as they heard my heels clicking against the stairs. I looked at Rai. He was smiling broadly at me, eyes shining with so much love and pride. He extended his hand, waiting for me to take it. I smiled shyly back, relieved that he loved how I looked.

I then peeked at Damian. He was gawking at me. I laughed inside, thinking that this was payback time. I took Rai’s hand and turned to Damian. I could see the disbelief in his eyes.

“Do you like what you see?” I teased him. He opened and closed his mouth so many times, but no words came out from that full, kissable lips of his. He was speechless, and I laughed, looking at his reaction.

Somehow, his reaction upon seeing me made me confident. Which woman wouldn’t feel proud and confident if she could make a handsome and sexy man like Damian speechless?

“The devilish Damian, speechless. Really?” I smirked.

Damian composed himself quickly.

“If you are not Rai’s, I’ll take you right here, right now.” He smiled devilishly, teasing me back.

“Fortunately, she’s mine.” Rai grinned devilishly back at Damian.

Normally I would have blushed, but this time I just laughed. Maybe because I knew that they were proud of me and that at least I looked good standing in-between them.

This time neither Damian nor Rai drove. Instead, Damian asked his driver to drive us to the party’s venue. We all got into the back seats, squeezing me in between them.

During the drive, I noticed that Damian was quiet and was eyeing me the whole time.

“You really do like what you see, don’t you, Damian?” I teased him again.

“Ahhh..” He said while turning his head around to look outside the window. I could see him blushing, and I laughed again. How could someone as handsome and hot as him blush by seeing someone like me? He looked so adorable that I couldn’t help pinching his cheeks.

He looked shocked at my sudden action but didn't stop me. He was too cute at the moment that I kept pinching his cheeks until Rai stopped me.

“Just admit it, Damian. My princess looks gorgeous and hot tonight.” Rai said, grinning and kissing my lips lightly so as not to smudge my lipstick.

“We are nearing the hotel, guys. Be ready. Rai, you better keep an eye on her the whole time. She’s going to cause a riot.” Damian instead said, changing the topic.

“Why would I cause a riot?” I asked, curious.

Damian raised his eyebrow at me and shared a look with Rai.

“Don’t worry, Damian. You will be there with us. You will help me, won’t you?” Rai asked as he pulled me closer to him.

“Help you with what?” I was confused by their words.

“Keeping an eye on you,” Rai said.

“Why would I need you guys to keep an eye on me? I can take care of myself, you know. I’m a big girl.” I said to both of them.

“Actually, you are tiny, Kat. Very tiny.” Damian changed to his usual self and smirked. Rai laughed at Damian’s words.

I punched them, and as usual, they just laughed at me.

“You know what I meant.” I pouted, and they grinned at me.

“Rai, Damian, why did you guys button up your shirts?” I asked them as I noticed them wearing their shirt differently from when they were trying them on. Their shirts were buttoned up, leaving only the top two buttons unfastened rather than four. They still looked hot, though.

“I don’t want to show them my bandage, Princess,” Rai told me.

“Oh.. I’m sorry,” I apologized to him as I remembered his wound.

“It’s alright, Princess,” he assured me as he caressed my cheek.

“Hmm.. what about you, Damian?” I turned to look at him.

“I don’t like people looking at my body,” he said as he shrugged. He was speaking as though it wasn’t something important, but I could see a certain emotion flashing through his gorgeous cognac eyes.

“But I don’t mind if you see my body, Kat,” he continued while flashing me a wicked smile.

I blushed when I realized his words.

“Do you want to see my body, Kat? Hmm? I can show you.” He asked again. His long and slender fingers darted toward his buttons and started to unfasten another button.

“Stop it!” I punched him and quickly turned to Rai.

“Rai, your friend is teasing me,” I buried my head in the crook of his neck, not wanting them to see my crimson face.

“Stop teasing my princess, Damian,” Rai said, but he was laughing too! I hit him instead.

“Ah, that’s too bad. You are the only girl I allow to ogle my body, Kat. Are you sure you want to decline the invitation?” Damian laughed as he was saying that sentence.

“Rai, your friend is shameless,” I groaned as I felt my cheeks turn hotter.

“Well, the invitation will last a lifetime. Just ask me if you want to see my body,” Damian teased me again.

That time, I turned toward Damian and hit him repeatedly.

“Stop. Teasing. Me. Stop teasing me. Stop teasing me,” I hit him non-stop as I said those words.

They laughed at me as Rai caught my wrists to stop me from punching Damian and held me from behind.

“Damian, you are shameless!” I exclaimed.

Suddenly his arms snaked around my waist and pulled me to him so that my body collided with his hard chest, knocking the breath out of me.

“I’m shameless only for you,” He whispered wickedly. Our faces were so near each other that I could feel his hot breath against my lips.

“Shameless!” I exclaimed again as I pushed his chest and turned toward Rai.

“Rai, Damian is trying to kill me,” I pretended to whine while my heart was racing after what had happened; his nearness nearly undid me.

“Sorry, Kat. I didn’t know I could affect you that much to the point of killing you,” Damian teased me again as he laughed.

I turned toward him again and started punching him with no mercy. My whole face was going to explode from his teasing.

Damian and Rai laughed as they tried to stop me from hitting Damian.

With Damian being himself again, the air around us changed. We joked the rest of the way until we reached the five-star hotel where the party was held.