CHARLIE

The stars in the night sky had already begun to appear. The penthouse seemed so near up in the sky that it gave the impression that you could reach out and touch them if you jumped off of anything.

As midnight drew closer, the volume of the music that was playing inside increased. Because the penthouse is outfitted with enormous transparent mirror walls, it is possible to see the occupants from the outside.

I stood back and observed the other guests as they danced with one another. Some of them were gathered in the bar, while the others were perched on the edge of the rooftop looking down at the city lights.

There were some other people who seemed to be having a good time with others who I had believed they had just met at the party, and then I noticed Mason taking a drink from each of his closest pals one after the other.

There were guests waiting at the doorway who seemed like they were about to leave the party, but some of them had remained and were becoming rowdier. Just like me and Avery.

We didn't actually get off the sofa, and in fact, Julius didn't really walk away as well. He had simply been standing there next to me drinking.

But a few seconds later, he only said his goodbyes to Avery after exchanging a few brief pleasantries with her before leaving.

"Avery, what was that, huh? Why do you have to make things even more awkward?" I gave Avery a little squeeze on the arm before rising from my seat to take in the sights of the city after dark.

"Oh come on, don't act like you're so bothered by it! I was only kidding around with you!" We had a guffaw together.

Avery handed me another glass of liquor. And while I watched the city lights shine like chunks of the Milky Way, I took a drink from my cup.

"By the way, you two make a really cute couple! It was, undeniable!" She persisted in making fun of me. I just shook my head and then returned to my seat next to her.

And before I could even drink more on my glass, I realized that Julius was on his way back to our seat. And with that, I took another gulp from my beverage. He was coming back with more beverages for us.

"Would it be okay if I came over to hang out with you tonight? There isn't anybody else in this place that I know quite as well as the two of you.” He explained.

After placing a large number of beverages on the table, he proceeded to come over and sit down next to me. Avery chuckled and then just nodded in response to him.

Julius surprised me by moving closer to where I was seated and I felt my heat racing faster than usual.

I was conscious of the fact that Avery was aware of how uncomfortable this situation was for me. I had a feeling that she would come up with something, but I wasn't sure whether it would be humiliating or not.

Even so, I was certain that she would think of something. While I waited, sipped, and savored the flavorful tequila, I gazed at the opulently beautiful pool that was in front of us.

"So, tell us, how have you been all these years, Mr. Ferguson?" Avery's question finally broke the tense stillness that had been there.

"Well, I've been good. The business is doing great. Things have been...” Julius was still talking but Avery cut him off.

"Oh, I see. But what I mean is…” Avery stated and then stared at me. After a few seconds of pause, the next words she uttered were unexpected.

"I just need to know… Have you already tied the knot with someone else or are you dating or something?" Avery’s smirk after her litany was something else.

I gave her a lethal look before pinching her arm to get her attention and then I gave her a lethal look.

The word "What?" escaped her lips, embarrassing me greatly. I couldn't entirely blame her; she was clearly intoxicated. I was also curious about Julius's response, but apprehensive about what he might say.

“Ah, no. Not really. Right now, I am single.” Julius answered with a smile.

The words 'I'm single' lodged a knot in my throat as I heard him utter them for the first time. I sat upright, glancing briefly in his direction.

"Single… can you elaborate, please?" The lips of Avery never really understood when to be quiet.

"Single. And no rings yet. So, I can basically say, I am ready to mingle,” Julius lightly chuckled after he responded.

"How about you guys? Are you married? Or still single?" Julius’ smile didn’t escape from his face as he asked us this question.

“Yes! We are, of course! Charlie is single, she’s also free to mingle!" A straightforward response from Avery, which was somewhat embarrassing. My pupils drew more widely.

"Yeah, right! What she said was true," I reasoned that it would be less humiliating to go along with it, letting out an uncomfortable giggle, rather than confronting the question head-on.

Avery persisted with her inquiries to Julius, undeterred by my feeble attempt to silence her with a gentle cheek squeeze.

During that time, I mostly kept to myself, while Avery and Julius engaged in conversation. They reminisced about our high school experiences, both the good and the bad.

My participation amounted to the occasional comment or nod, merely to show agreement or respond to unrelated questions.

As time passed, I noticed the guests inside gradually dispersing. I ventured indoors to find Mason to bid our goodbye.

Inside, the lights were still flashing rapidly, but the volume of the music was lower than it had been previously.

Inside was a massive dark blue sofa, the kind that appears on the cover of well-known furniture magazines, and that's where I discovered him chatting with Fiona.

I felt it was important to let him know that we would be leaving since Avery is unable to drink any more. I only wanted to also say thank you and wish him again a happy birthday, but I chose not to annoy them while they were engaged in their passionate make-out session.

Both of them seemed to be having a good time but were visibly under the influence of alcohol, exactly like Avery, who was passed out on the sofa in the backyard.

"Gosh, forget it then!" I pondered the situation and then stumbled out of the room.

Even though I was aware that I was intoxicated myself, Avery was the only thing on my mind right now. Similarly, I was not capable of allowing her to drive a vehicle in such condition, nor would I ever do so.

"Hey, Miss Guavez! Let’s go!" I called out to Avery, finding her slumbering on the sofa.

"She had already had too much alcohol. I can drive you home,” Julius stated who I noticed was standing by the side of the pool.

He dropped a cigarette on the ground and carried our pouches on his arm at the same time.

Because I was feeling dizzy, it was difficult for me to focus on him and determine whether or not he was intoxicated.

CHARLIE

“No need, Julius! We can handle it,” I refused with some reluctance. "Give me her pouch so that I can look for her keys and then drive her home," I added and the instant that I finished saying that, I found myself lying on the ground, right next to the swimming pool.

‘Oh, God! Did I just slip or something? What?’ My whole body had the feeling of being numbed.

‘No, I was not inebriated, and there was no way I could have been.’

These ideas rushed into my head as quickly as I felt Julius' hand, and I immediately realized that I needed to take Avery back to my house.

Because I was so lightheaded, I thought for a moment that I was having a hallucination. The first thing that happened was that I found myself on the floor, and the next thing I knew, I was on Julius' arm.

It took me a little time to figure out that he had lifted me up, and that it was indeed true that I had fallen close to the water.

"Are you kidding me?" I asked myself. How did it get to the point that every part of my body felt numb?

But then I was aware of how quickly my heart was thumping. It was so loud that I felt as if I may be jolted out of my body at any moment.

"This won’t do, Charlie. It’s unsafe,” Julius added in a solemn voice, "I'll drive both of you home, and that would be the last time I'll say that."

Julius was serious. He was like a rigorous instructor who gave me directions that were difficult to follow, but I wasn't afraid of him.

His words had such a seductive tone that I couldn't help but feel that it had caused me to flush.

Everything seemed to be out of focus. I felt like I had a snooze. I have no idea where I was or how I got there.

Just now, I saw brief glimpses of Julius' chest, the elevator, the parking lot, and his vehicle.

Later on, I had the impression that we had pulled over to the side of the road. I used a lot of effort to lift my head and turn it toward the window, but I was unsuccessful.

"Are we now in Avery’s place?" I managed to mumble the words. Julius, who was standing next to me, seemed to have heard me and responded.

“Yes. It's a good thing I have an excellent memory because I was able to recall how to drive all the way here.” He explained.

"Really? Why have you... I mean, when did you come…" I was about to ask him but he cut me off.

"I bet you really forgot about the big party that Avery threw in their house during our high school days. You seem to have a poor memory, Charlie,” He chuckled after uttering these words.

So that's how he was able to find out where Avery lived. However, he does have a point. Though it was really hazy, I was able to save the memory of the crazy party that he was referring about.

"Just relax. You need not be concerned about anything. We just dropped her off, she's home safely…” Those were the last things I heard before passing out and losing consciousness.

…..

The following morning, I awoke in one of the most infuriating ways possible: the light was shining through the window directly into my eyes, which caused my eyelids to fly open.

Because my head is hurting so much, I have no recollection of anything that happened after I fell asleep.

"What the bloody hell? Seriously?” I mumbled to myself as I inched my way slowly toward the bed and pushed myself to sit down.

At that point, my eyes were still closed, and the moment I opened them, the realization that I wasn't in my bed caused me to instantly regret doing so. There is no way that this was ever my room.

"No way!" I said due to disbelief. I began stroking my own body irrationally, as if I were a mad person, and then I hurriedly glanced beneath the heavy black blanket.

When I saw that someone had changed my clothes from last night, I let out a gasp. I found myself wearing an oversized white shirt and boxer shorts, definitely not my own clothes.

Someone had taken off the black dress I wore last night. And my mind started to have a race with thoughts like, ‘Who brought me here?’, ‘Is Avery safe?’, ‘What did I do?’ and most importantly, I uttered the last thought in my mind, "Who the hell had the guts to change my clothes?"

“Charlie! What have you done?” I carefully got out of bed and glanced about before deciding to find out what happened.

The room was rather spacious and seemed quite elegant. The bed that I stayed on was so large that it could have easily accommodated six people.

A flat-screen television with a broad screen was mounted on the wall, and there was also a large matte wardrobe and fashionable furnishings. I saw a door and reasoned that it must go to the restroom; so, I made a beeline for it.

However, just as I was about to open the door, I recognized a familiar voice coming from outside the room.

I couldn't wait to find out who it was, but I had to admit that I was already making some educated guesses. I simply was conscious of the fact that I was in denial.

“Damn it, Charlie!” I mumbled as I closed my eyes in disbelief.

CHARLIE

That morning, I thought I was going to lose my jaw when it almost dropped when Julius entered the room.

As he examined me from head to toe and asked, "Are you okay?" I had the sensation that my face was turning red. It was so embarrassing.

"Now you're awake, good morning. Are you feeling alright, Charlotte?" I struggled to even look at him during the party, and today would be no different.

‘It was so embarrassing, Charlotte Caivano!’ I scolded myself silently.

It was too humiliating to find myself wasted in his room. Unbelievable! This whole thing was a dream. Me? What would Julius feel and think about me? Was he disappointed or what?

‘Absolutely unbelievable! Yes, it was just a dream. A dream, Charlie!’

"You could look at him because you were just dreaming, Charlie! Come one!" I silently muttered to myself before he could say anything else.

I even hushed to myself as I inhaled deeply and looked him square in the eyes as I took a deep breath. I was anxious, but it didn't really matter because this was just a dream.

This whole thing was just a fantasy. I'm not sure what prompted me to approach him and place my hand on his chest, but I did so slowly after making my way toward him.

“Yes, self! This was nothing more than a dream, albeit a very pleasant one. What a nice…” I was about to caress him in his chest but he suddenly grabbed my hands.

He leaned closer to my face, and said, "Charlie? Are you sleepwalking? You are not dreaming. This is not a dream, Charlotte."

The instant that I caught a whiff of his freshly brushed teeth and felt his hand on mine, it became my turning point.

My pupils dilated, and I beseeched each and every god and goddess in the universe to tear a hole in the earth and simply take me away. ‘What s mess you are, Charlie!’

"Charlotte, I am real. I'm sorry, I know that the fact that I took you to my place has left you in a state of disbelief. But I didn't mean to hurt you in any way…" I was unable to hear the other words he had said, nor utter a word or move.

"I drove to your house last night, but..." He hesitated, uncertain whether to continue. As he released his grip on my hand, a strange sensation lingered.

"There was a 'For Sale' sign on your front yard. So I thought you had moved and I don’t know where to send you back," he said, and I continued to stare blankly at him. Still, I am speechless.

"I tried to wake you up last night, but you were too drunk. So, I thought it would be safer to bring you here," he explained.

"Don't worry, we took Avery home safely. I considered taking you to her place, but she was more intoxicated than you. I thought she had fallen asleep and you both wouldn't be able to take care of each other." I nodded in response and sat on the bed.

"Thank you, but what happened after that? Did we–" I was at a loss for the appropriate expression to use.

Just the thought that something might have taken place between Julius and I brought on a flush of feverish feeling throughout my body.

"I-I mean… Ah, was there something that took place… b-between us like–"

"No, we didn't. I mean –" The awkwardness that he felt was evident in his voice. After a moment of pause, he continued with a smile.

"There's absolutely nothing for you to be concerned about, Charlie. I went to another room to sleep. Although my home is large, I offered you the use of the bed in mine because I believe it to be the most comfortable of all the beds in this house.”

"O-Okay… B-But... how come my clothes… how did I change them?" I made an effort to look at him, but he seemed more interested in looking away than I was.

"I asked a housemaid to change your clothes, Charlie," He paused for a moment before drawing nearer to the enormous matte wardrobe.

"I didn't see anything. Don't think about it too much. You don’t have to feel embarrassed."

As he uttered those words, I felt an even deeper sense of shame.

Why did I imagine that Julius would do anything unkind? Was I trembling with fear or shyness? Perhaps I was lost in a delusion that I could captivate him. That we slept together and made passionate love. My imagination ran wild, and I blushed, feeling as if Julius could hear my thoughts.

Julius was standing in front of his enormous closet when he reached inside and took a fancy paper bag out.

"Here," he said, handing the bag to me. Before continuing, he paused for a moment so that we could look each other in the eye for a split second before demanding that I inspect the bag. “Open it!”

"Brand new clothes? Why? I mean what for?” I asked, puzzled.

"I bought them because you threw up on your dress last night so I asked the housemaid to wash it and it was still wet," he replied, flashing a reassuring smile.

"You didn't have to, but thank you," I said, returning his smile. "I really need to take a shower now."

"Sure, please feel free to use my bathroom to take a relaxing shower. I'll just wait for you in the basement for now.” Again, there was that very alluring quality to his tone of voice.

When Julius left the room, it gave me the biggest grin I could muster. I eagerly emptied the paper bag containing the new clothes onto his bed, where I then selected the item that I thought would look the best on me.

I chose a simple dress with a beautiful iridescent color, and after that I went to his bathroom, which smelled strongly of mint.

My body was gently massaged by the warm water from the shower as a plethora of random thoughts raced through my head at the same time. I found myself asking a lot of "what if" questions.

My voice could be heard reverberating throughout the roomy bathroom as I wished to myself that I could recall everything that had taken place.

What would happen if I turned down Avery's invitation to attend the party? What if I hadn't met Julius? What if we had made love last night? Would it be the best experience of my life?

“What if…”

Right after I got out of the shower, I fixed myself and have a bit of makeover. I couldn't wait to get downstairs.

Due to the fact that Julius’ home was so sizable, it took me a few minutes before I finally located him preparing food in the well-organized and spacious kitchen.

I stood in the threshold of the kitchen and observed him as he flipped some eggs and bacon in the pan.

“Wow!” I silently muttered.

Lost in a daydream, I tilted my head, admiring him. I envisioned him as my husband, experiencing these romantic moments every day.