Absinthe

"Stop touching your lips and daydreaming about Jiwoo!"

"Agghhh!" I screamed as I fell off the edge of my bed, startled because Derrick had come into my room uninvited.

"Pathetic," he murmured as he helped me back to my feet. "Where's the remote? You need to see something."

It was a lazy Sunday afternoon, and my nervous system was still on haywire after Jiwoo's gentle kiss. I couldn't do anything, not even get out of bed. I wasn't able to have breakfast or lunch, either, and to think that it was now way past noon.

It hadn't been a sexy kiss. Jiwoo's lips had barely touched mine, and no tongue had been involved. So I couldn't explain why I was still replaying everything in my head over and over.

"What's wrong?" I asked while pointing at the TV remote in response to Derrick's question.

"Eeeeew," Derrick said, covering his nose and mouth. "Did you even brush your teeth?"

I was unable to do that, too.

Derrick turned the TV on and flipped to a local news channel.

"Was there any casualty?" the news anchor asked, clearly worried.

"No, Purina. There were no casualties. Mrs. Gonzales was not injured," replied the field reporter while the camera panned to Faye's Range Rover. The car had minor dents and a cracked windshield. The other car, a Toyota Vios, was totaled beyond salvation.

"And the driver of the other car? Look at that—the damage is something else!"

"Yes, Purina. Eyewitness accounts have confirmed that Mrs. Gonzales' car rammed into the smaller Toyota Vios more than 10 times. Her Range Rover is definitely sturdier, so the smaller car stood no chance."

The camera panned back to the field reporter.

"Mrs. Faye Gonzales, wife of pharmaceutical tycoon Henry Gonzales, was seen slapping and kicking the driver whom we identified as a certain James Marco Rodriguez. We are in the process of obtaining video—"

"Holy hell, what the fuck is happening?" I asked Derrick, suddenly finding the strength and willpower to stand up. "Where's my phone? Let's call Faye right now!"

"Do we know the motive behind what she did?" It was the news anchor once again.

"Witnesses state that they heard Mrs. Gonzales shouting expletives at this James Marco Rodriguez. As of now, we don't really know the background story. Both Mrs. Gonzales and Mr. Rodriguez are in police custody for investigation."

"Thank you very much, Kierran. Viewers, that was Kierran Davila reporting live. Stay tuned for more news in the metro after this break."

"Live?" I asked.

"The live broadcast was yesterday. This was a replay."

Derrick handed over his phone, where a video clip uploaded on Facebook was playing. It was Faye going ballistic on JM, scratching his face, kicking his shins, and slapping the shit out of him. She kept shouting strings of insults, ranging from "pathetic loser" and "gold digger" to "a fucking callboy."

"I can buy you, your family, and this building!" screamed Faye in the video, with the person recording saying Oh my god hysterically.

Derrick and I looked at each other. "You think she's out of jail now?" I asked.

"She was never in jail, idiot," Derrick replied. "The police probably just asked her questions about the whole thing."

"Who's representing her?"

dressed. Let's go to her house

routine and finished preparing to leave in exactly 27 minutes. My skin would surely get back at me

in the kitchen when I exited my bedroom. "Rob's handling the case. He said there's nothing to worry

only imagine what everyone was saying by now: Wealthy pharmaceutical company heiress goes wild, attacks

I'm sure her husband's company has a team of publicists who'll handle

way to the parking lot, my phone rang. It was Jiwoo. "Hi!"

casually. "I baked

said, keeping pace with Derrick as we headed toward

you better contact me soon. I can have them delivered if you're

moment, my stomach growled. Derrick raised an eyebrow

button and turned to Derrick. "Are you hungry, too? Jiwoo said he made something. Wanna go

"Where?"

and I are starving. Where are you now? Is it alright if

said 'your friend,' you weren't talking about that

the other

"Derrick, was it?"

You met him that day you

let's forget about the past. I'm

our route. I'll call you back

help but marvel

fuck," I told Derrick as he started the engine and

mom and

I said.

as your Benz

know that's also a gift

because your performance was outstanding. It's also the same as

was my boss' way of bribing

shit," Derrick said. "He was bribing you so he could use your skills

quiet for a few minutes

our taste in cars is totally masculine," he said with a chuckle. "If

teased. "Straight guys line up to sleep with us,

the road. "Faye's pretty slapping JM the way

"I just hope she didn't land herself in trouble all because of my failed love life. Do you think

shook his head. "Knowing Faye, I

getting more and more scared as I imagined what else Faye could have done that had led to the

tracked JM down and sent in some men to intimidate

something she would do," I said, shuddering at the memory of the video where

boy toy now.

phone and asked him to meet us in front

already standing there when we arrived, handsome in his plain white shirt and faded jeans while carrying a big-ass box filled with God-knows-what. He nodded at

"Hop in!" I said.

as he gave me the box.

back. "Hmmm, that

"Yeah, enjoy!"

aren't you coming with us?" I asked as Jiwoo