Embarrassed

Diana’s POV

The next day, I woke up with a headache so violent, it felt like the blood vessels in my temples were going to rip out of my skin.

Wincing at the sour taste of my mouth, I flapped my eyes open and saw Leah sitting on the chair beside my bed.

“Good morning,” She greeted, standing up to grab a packet of tablets which I recognized as aspirin and a bottle of water from the nightstand.

“Good morning,” I replied, massaging the throbbing veins in my temples for some relief, but my effort was futile as the ache only worsened, “Did you sleep here?”

“Yes,” Leah said, her monotonous voice causing my breath to hitch in my throat.

She was clearly mad at me, and honestly, I didn’t blame her.

There was no logical excuse I could possibly give to make her understand why I’d almost kissed her dad last night.

“Okay,” I muttered, before downing an aspirin tablet with some water from the bottle.

Within the next few minutes, the pounding gradually alleviated to a dull pressure while the weird alcohol aftertaste remained.

Sitting beside me on the bed with a plain face that made my heart lurch, Leah asked, “Do you remember anything that happened last night?”

Panic gripped my throat, nearly hindering me from breathing properly as I nodded slowly.

How could I possibly forget my explicit display of idiocy?

From me cupping Benjamin’s face and asking him a bunch of stupid questions to Leah walking in on us before our lips met, horror contorting her face, that was where my memory stopped.

I must have passed out afterward.

“You passed out,” Leah confirmed, chortling, and I felt an immediate sense of reprieve, “It's funny when I think about it now, but last night, it wasn't.”

If that wasn’t confirmation enough that Leah would never support my illicit attraction to Benjamin, I didn’t know what else could be.

On the bright side, she wasn’t mad at me for almost kissing her dad.

“Why did I do that?”I gasped, burying my face in my hands in sheer horror.

Placing her hand on my leg in reassurance, “Look, don’t worry about anything that happened last night, okay? I’m not mad and I know dad isn’t either.”

“Okay,” I fibbed, knowing fully well that I would never allow myself to live this down.

How could I have been so stupid?

What sort of a barbaric demon had possessed me to not only utter those words to him but to also grab his face while I displayed my foolishness?

How was I ever going to face Benjamin now?

“You went to sleep immediately,” Leah divulged, “I even thought you would slip up and reveal who your crush is. You probably thought he was my dad, didn’t you?”

“I don't have one!” I retorted, and my best friend stopped smirking immediately.

“Jeez, calm down, Diana,” She scoffed, “I was just making a joke. You don't have to flip out over something so trivial.”

“You are right, I'm sorry,” I said, guilt tugging at my heartstrings.

Leah wasn't the cause of my misery, so why had I lashed out at her?

“Apology accepted,” She said, collecting the bottle of water and sachet from me, “Now get off your ass and go take a shower or something. I will ask dad to make you his special hangover potion. He's made it thrice for me, I think.”

Wordlessly, I obliged her command, my heart hammering against my ribs violently at the thought of going downstairs to meet Benjamin.

As the showerhead drizzled warm water down my skin, I exhaled heavily, my mind racing with several unhinged thoughts.

Damn that Kylie.

Had she not come to the villa yesterday, I wouldn't have felt inclined to drink.

I would have just had a milkshake or smoothie or even an iced tea.

“Kylie is such a tryhard,” Leah said, as I brushed my hair moments later.

“What did she do again?” I asked, curious.

“Matilda told me that she came by with grilled chicken when we left the house,” Leah divulged, “Can you imagine? She also said Kylie wanted to go upstairs to dad's room but she stopped her and went to get dad.”

Did that mean Benjamin didn't fuck her then?

Had I misunderstood his politeness to her as flirtation?

“She's a relentless harlot,” I spouted, without thinking, and Leah shot me an impressed look.

“You have just described her perfectly,” She replied, and my fear dissipated instantly, “Are you ready? Let's go downstairs.”

Tossing my hair into a ponytail, I replied, “I am now.”

My heart didn't stop pounding as we trekked downstairs, and at one point, I feared I was going to get a panic attack.

We headed straight to the kitchen where Benjamin was already mixing some things into a bowl with a whisk.

My palms turned clammy and I felt my heartbeat in my throat as I regarded him.

But then again, his signature unreadable expression gave nothing away.

“Good morning, girls,” He greeted, then looked at me, “How are you feeling now, Diana?”

Wait, wasn’t he supposed to reprimand me for the mannerless way I’d spoken to him last night?

Was he really being all normal with me?

This wasn’t possibly me hallucinating, was it?

Mustering a calm composure, I replied, “Good morning, Mr Gonzalez. I feel better now, thank you.”

“That's great,” He nodded, then stopped whisking to ask, “Are you allergic to cinnamon?”

“No,” I replied, shaking my head in negation, feeling a tinge of disappointment well up in my throat.

Sure, I was relieved, immensely so, that he wasn’t pissed at me, but deep down, I’d really thought my action last night, would have even the slightest bit of effect on him.

I really had to nip this in the bud before I exposed myself.

“Alright,” He replied, then added a cinnamon stick into the mixture.

“Good morning, dad.” Leah greeted him, as we sat down on the kitchen island.

“Morning, pumpkin.” He replied before whisking everything together until it was a creamy brown frothy mix.

“Dad worked as a bartender in college, so he knows a lot of hangover remedies,” Leah said, “This one he's making consists of eggs, honey, and cinnamon. I thought it was bizarre at first until I tried it.”

“What is she telling you, Diana?” Benjamin asked, and there was something so alluring about the way he said my name that made lust settle deep in my guts.

“She was just telling me about the hangover potion and how you know so much about hangover remedies because you used to be a bartender.” I replied, grateful my voice didn't reveal my illicit desire for him.

“Is that right?” He asked, a beguiling lilt to his voice.

“Shit, I think I left my phone in your room,” Leah said.

“Language, pumpkin,” Benjamin chided her, to which she grinned sheepishly as she stood up.

“Sorry, dad,” Leah said then to me, she added, “I'll be right back.”

After she left, Benjamin poured a copious amount of the mixture into a glass cup then handed it to me.

“Thanks, Mr Gonzalez,” I replied, staring at the mixture which suddenly seemed gooey.

Holding my breath, I closed my eyes, downed it in three gulps, then set the empty glass cup down as the putrid aftertaste kicked in.

Benjamin had his signature unreadable expression rooted to his face as he regarded me.

At that moment, I realized that I'd forgotten to apologize to him for the atrocious behaviour I'd displayed last night.

“I’m sorry about my actions last night, Mr Gonzalez,” I began, “It won't repeat itself again.”

He didn't respond, instead, he walked close to me, his gaze rooted to my lips, causing me to swallow harshly.

What was he doing?

To my utter surprise, he cut some paper towel and stretched it to me, “You got some of it on your mouth.”

“Oh, thanks,” I muttered, a wave of embarrassment rushing over me.

Now, I was getting food all over my mouth like a toddler.

Could this vacation get any better?

Swallowing harshly under Benjamin’s close watch, I dabbed my mouth with the paper towel, willing myself not to look at him, lest I started purring like a cat in heat.

I was further surprised when he held out his hand, “May I?”

Fuck.

I still couldn’t get it off my mouth. Why was I like this?

“Sure,” I nodded, handing him the napkin.

I held my breath as he gripped my shoulder and gently swiped the paper towel over my lower lip, “By the way, you don’t have to apologize about last night because I’m not offended.”

Afterward, he tossed the paper towel into the waste basket and headed out of the kitchen, just as Leah returned.

Thankfully, her eyes were glued to her phone, so she didn’t notice my cheeks which I was certain were now flushed.

“What did I miss?” She asked absentmindedly.

Caressing my shoulder which still bore Benjamin’s touch, albeit faintly, I replied, “Nothing.”