Special Chapter 1: After Party

Tristan clenched his fists as he watched Audrey cupping Shane’s face. He could already guess what would happen next and he didn’t want to wait and witness such a scene unfold before him. He was trying to talk to Audrey again and tell her that he was fine being friends with her but who was he kidding? He wasn’t fine about it but compared to being ignored, he rather stays by her side in hopes she would open up her heart to him one day. However, after what he saw, it seemed impossible for him.

Drawing a deep breath, Tristan relaxed his hands and threw one last glance over the two before turning around to leave. He already said enough and tried his best but Audrey’s mind was made up. He only wished for her to choose the right choice this time and not go through the same pain she suffered.

“Tristan, are you enjoying the party?” Mrs. Vargas who happened to bump into him asked. “Why don’t you try this wine? My husband loved this one. Give it a try,” she said and handed him a glass of wine.

Tristan took it and chugged it down. “Thank you, Mrs. Vargas. Wow! That’s really nice,” he commented. “Can I have another glass?”

The elderly nodded her head and watched him fondly as he drank another glass. “Are you alright? You looked pale.”

“I’m fine,” Tristan said as he put down the glass. “Ah. I have to leave early though. Something came up so… Thanks for inviting me again,” he said and excused himself, not giving the elderly a chance to speak.

“Damn it!” Tristan cursed under his breath as he sat in the driver’s seat of his car. He felt defeated and the disappointment lingered in his chest. “This wouldn’t be so hard if I didn’t meet her again,” he muttered, pursing his lips.

That night, Tristan drove around town until he ran out of gas in front of a bar. With a heavy heart, he got off the car and went inside the bar. The loud music seeped through his ears while the strong scent of alcohol mixed in the air pervaded his nose.

“A glass of whiskey sour for the newcomer,” the bartender said as he pushed a glass of newly made cocktail in front of Tristan. “Let me know if you want more,” he said with a comforting smile.

“Who drinks this?” Tristan mumbled and stared at the glass for a moment before taking it and gulping the liquid down. “Give me more,” he told the bartender who quietly concocted his drink. Tristan started to love the bitter and sour flavor on his tongue. He felt better a little and started talking about his sentiments.

“Why would she choose the same man who hurt her once? She could live a better life with me…” Tristan paused and drank his whiskey sour. “I could make her happier,” he added.

“How could you be so sure about that?” The bartender whom he allowed to talk to him about his problem asked.

“What?”

The bartender gave him another glass of cocktail. “How could you be so sure she’ll be happier with you? You said she chose the same man who hurt her before. If she chose him rather than you, doesn’t it mean because she’s happier with him?”

Tristan was dumbfounded. He shook his head and emptied his glass again. “Why, you say? Just because that damn guy is a bit more handsome than me. She must like handsome guys,” he blurted out. Although Tristan was confident of his looks, he couldn’t deny that Shane was more good-looking. “He’s a famous actor, you see.”

“I see.” The bartender didn’t say anything else and just listened to Tristan’s monologue.

“Damn you, Shane! If you make her cry again, I will come after you.”

The next morning, Tristan woke up in an unfamiliar room. His head was heavy when he tried to get up. “Tsk! Where am I?” He mumbled to himself looking around. Just when he turned to his right, his eyes widened in disbelief. A woman who was wearing nothing was sleeping next to him.

“Who are you?” Tristan exclaimed in surprise. “What are you doing— why are you here?”

Slowly, the woman woke up and their eyes met. “Good morning,” she mumbled and smiled. “How are you feeling? Not good, huh? I’m not surprised at all. After what you did last night—”

“What did I do last night?” Tristan asked in a panic. He couldn’t believe he went out of control after getting drunk.

The woman’s expression darkened. “What? You don’t remember?” She got up from the bed, letting the sheet that only covered her body slip off, leaving her in her birth suit.

“What are you doing?” The woman asked Tristan when the latter averted his gaze. “Are you shy? It’s not like you haven’t seen them last night,” she said and grinned.

“What the heck…” Tristan mumbled as the memories of last night started flashing in. “Tell me we didn’t do it,” he muttered.

The woman raised her eyebrow and sighed. “If that’s what could make you feel better then yes, we didn’t do it.” She smiled as she watched Tristan’s face brighten.

“Aw!” The woman groaned as she pulled a robe from the drawer. “For someone who’s drunk, you could have actually broken my waist, huh?” She commented, smirked, and winked at him before heading into the bathroom.

“Shit!” Tristan fell on his back as he cursed himself, blaming the alcohol for his mindless action.