DISASTER DINNER pt.1

All the memories regarding the Ozza family flashed through my mind.

Jazzlin's parents had divorced since she was ten years old. Jazzlin was also Barra's best friend since they were babies. However, a few years after entering college their relationship didn't improve. Barra must continued his studies outside the city, giving a gap between their relationship.

After the divorce, Jazzlin only lived alone with her mother in this mansion. Her mother was always busy with work, making Jazzlin felt lonely.

I concluded that was the main reason Jazzlin had attempted suicide. I didn't know the real reasons because there wasn't the slightest memory of her suicidal intent.

I was trying to blend in with my surrounding. Trying to be nice to all the maids who had been so friendly since I woke up.

Only one thing that always made me nervous, the presence of Barra. That man really killed me with his heavenly smile. My heart was beating messily, whenever he was around.

Tonight, my mother held a dinner as a form of gratitude that I was still given the chance to live. Sometimes I thought I didn't deserve it when I wasn't even the real Jazzlin.

I was sitting in the living room while eating my favorite cookies. My mother was confused because she said that I usually on diet and never ever touched foods that contain glutten.

Wow, Jazzlin's on her diet? It would be a shame if foods this delicious and expensive weren't consumed. Well, I'm not the type to waste food. Clarissa had always taught me to appreciate what we got.

All the maids were busy preparing preparations for dinner. Decoration had enveloped the main room. It was bedecked in sophisticated blue-pink pastel interior.

The floral decoration literally stole my heart, it looked so ravishingly. Nicely decorated.

I let out an embarassing scream when I felt an arms wrapping around my waist, lifting me into the air, "Put me down!" I glared when I saw it was Barra.

"Put me down, you mother of pearl!" He chuckled as he spinned me a few more times before setting me on my feet.

"Wow, you're so heavy." He literally told me I was fat without actually telling me!

"I hate you." I glared at him, making him bursted out of laughter.

"I know." He smirked.

I ignored him as I was about to take my cookies. Wait a minute...

"Are you looking for this one?" He asked while chewing the one in his mouth.

"Give it back." I growled.

My bad idea came up when I saw him off the guard.

I was about to jump at him. One...Two... I jumped before my count was over.

He was suddenly shocked, clearly he didn't see it coming. My cookies package bounced from his grasp. His arms spontaneously caught me right on my waist. My hands was clinging tightly around his neck. Our eyes locked together.

His eyes widened in surprise and studied my gaze like a riddle. I blinked as my eyes adjusted from his exquisite eyes.

He cleared his throat, "Don't you think it's a bit early to flirt with me, principessa?" As if awoken from his intoxicating gaze, I stared brazenly into his eyes.

What did he say? Flirt? "You're so full of yourself." I glared, "Now let go of me."

"Are you sure?" His eyebrows raised, "If I let go, you'll fall and might hurt your nice ass."

I was getting more furious until he put me down carefully. I sent him my dead glare once more, before leaving him.

Later that night...

I was muttering my favorite song 'Pretty Boy by M2M' as I got dressed up for dinner. I let my long hair down and put a little bit of makeup.

Powder? Got it!

Lip Gloss? On point!

I observed my appearance through the mirror. Jazzlin's beauty was no joke. She surely looked so stunning and mesmerizing.

"Knock knock, can I come in?" She asked as she was opening the door, peeked, then entered.

"You just did it anyway, mom." I grinned.

"Dang! Look at you girl." As the word left her mouth, she immediately covered it with her right hand, "Oopsie, I got carried away. Suddenly I felt nostalgic to my youngself." Her eyes looked far away, remembering the events in the past.

"Tell me what you looked like?" I was getting excited.

"Just like you." She poked my nose, "Young and free." She grinned, "I'll tell you later, but now everyone's waiting for us. Come on." She pulled my hand out of the room. 

A maids were passing by, busy doing their own work. My jaw dropped as I saw downstairs was filled with everyone, they were wearing formal suits.

My anxiety increased at once.

"Mom, I need to use the restroom."

She looked at me in disbelief, before finally let me, "Don't be too long." I nodded mutely, taking the opportunity to escape.

My body trembled as my fingers getting cold. I looked down with my mouth babbling nonsense things. My sweat began to flow because of the anxious that continued to be stuck in my mind.

A soothing and quieting touch was gently laid upon my shoulders, I gasped and looked up.

Barra was in front of me, spreading his devilish smile, "You should be more careful where you step on, principessa." His voice was smoky and thick. 

I was in awe-struck. His manly scent spreaded to my breathing senses, his hair was neatly combed in one direction, looking so dashing in his tuxedo. I got a fever of enthusiasm whenever I was near him. 

"Are you okay?" He gave me his warm gaze of curiousity. 

I let tenderness breathed from me, "I'm good." 

He sighed deeply, suddenly a thought shook him, "Didn't think so." His eyes were full of wondering interest. 

Our conversation was interrupted when a maid came, "Sorry to interrupt your time, but madame asked you two to join the others." 

He smiled politely, "Tell her we're coming." He turned his gaze back to me, "Are you sure you're okay?" He stared dissolve waiting for my response. 

"I am." My voice trailed off vaguely. His gaze was searching my face, realizing I was hiding something. My mood yielded, "I'm just not a fan of crowds." 

"If you say so." I guess his curiosity was quenched when his hand was reaching mine, "We're on the same path then." I was getting hugely nervous, looking at our hands clasped together. It felt like home. 

"Wait, where are we going?" My troubled spirit took over myself, "Are we going to run away?" 

"What do you think?" He smirked as he was leading the way.

My soul was screaming triumphantly, but my mother's face appeared in my mind, "Wait, my mom made this dinner for me. Then what's the use of me being absent?" He kept walking, leading my hand, "Barra? Do you hear me or not?" 

"Shoot! What's the point of this dinner when you're not comfortable and not enjoying it?" My thoughts galloped at his words. 

"I don't care about myself, but mom! She prepared this all for me, how can I—" His lips parted in a good-humored smile. My speech faltered, "Why are you smiling?" 

"You keep on babbling like a stray puppy." His eyes danced with admiration. 

My mind was dazed. Did he just call me a puppy? "So now I'm a puppy? Then what are you? Lamb?" I snickered. 

He chortled, "Lamb sounds good to me, but I prefer a lion." The nerve of him! 

"You're such a dreamboat but annoying as hell!" I exclaimed. 

"So you find me attractive?" He said with a cocky grin. 

Shit, I got it wrong, "I take my word back." 

"The 'annoying' part?" He teased me. 

He absolutely had an easy way to piss me off, "Let me correct it, annoying as hell becoming hot as hell." He smiled, smugly. 

"Sorry, madame called you once again to join immediately." It was the second time the maid came back.

He was noticing a bitterness crept into my face, suddenly asked, "Could you please tell madame that young lady can't come? And, she's with me."

The maid nodded, "And, please tell my driver to bring my car to the back door." The maid nodded again then left. 

"Come on, principessa." He took my hand.

I had given up, just followed him instead of being a dead fish in a crowd. We exited through the back door just as the black SUV pulled over. He took the steering wheel when the driver got out, "Thank you." He muttered. "C'mon, get in." He reminded me when I hadn't get in yet.

I hop in, "Ready to go?" He smirked. I clicked my seatbelt as I nodded.

He was getting ready to drive without wearing a seat belt, Oh my Goodness! I wasn't looking to die at least until now, "Wear your seatbelt, silly." I said in irritation.

He rolled his eyes but he did it. "Yes, your highness."

I turned on the radio just as Usher's song, DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love, blast. 

"Great song." He commented when I was just humming. It was the first time I heard that song. You know, I just rose from the dead a few days ago, "So what are we going to eat?" 

I shrugged, "How's about KFC? I've been craving fried chicken like crazy." 

"Cool." He replied simply. I was enjoying the night view through the glass. Quite a lot had changed over the past five years. Of course! Now 2010 not 2005 anymore dummy! I grumbled to myself. 

I felt the car moving slower in the middle of the road, immediately looked at him and asked, "Is this just my feeling or is this car going really slow?"

I heard he was cursing beneath his breath, "I guess the car broke down." 

"Woah, can you just stop messing with me?" I panicked.

After some distance the car started to literally slow down before finally coming to a complete stop. We were in the middle of nowhere with a dark night, "See? I'm not messing with you." 

"Then do something about it!" I couldn't possibly get out of the car. I didn't even know where we were. Bloody hell! I had died five years ago and things had been changing in the past few years.

"Wait here, let me check." He was opening the door then stepped out. 

I didn't know whether I could calm down or not as I kept watching him through the windshield.

He looked so leniency. Could he really fix it? His forehead frowned and his mouth twisted. It was obvious he couldn't fix it.

I was breathing hard when he came back again. 

His eyes flashed something, "I can't fix it." He paused, "I feel like it's getting worse when I tried to fix it my way." He shrugged, innocently. 

Fear overtook my face, "You gotta be kidding me."

"I wish I am." He sat back, looking at me, "And I'm not bringing my phone."

"Isn't a phone important for a businessman like you? Jeez, how can you leave your phone?" I said, biting my nail afraid of the dark night.

He rested his hands on his lap, "I have no idea we're gonna hang out. So I didn't bring my phone with me."

I sighed, "Do you know where we are?" He nodded. "Do you want to walk?"

"What if a bear chases us?" He asked in a deadpan voice, making me rolled my eyes.

At first, we decided to take a cab, sadly not a single cab had passed. There was no other choice but to walk.

We got out of the car, "Let's just go home." I said in a slightly disappointed tone that I wouldn't get my fried chicken.

"Umm— principessa?" I ignored him and kept walking as he was just following me from behind.

I didn't know how long we had been walking, "Principessa?"

I grumbled, "What the heck?" When I was about to turning around, a building was standing firmly beside me. I stunned, "Why didn't I realize that we had already passed the place?"

He chuckled, "Let's go inside." I tee-heed and swatted his shoulder in embarassment for disappointed of nothing.