Chapter 15
1536 Words
{VICTORIA}
"GOOD morning, wifey"
I was so startled that I pushed Jackson away from me. I had just opened my eyes and he was already in front of me. He didn't smell of alcohol, contrary to what I expected.
"Wait, why are you up so early? You were really drunk last night. Don't you have a hangover or something?" I asked, puzzled. I was already sitting on the bed.
He chuckled lightly. "I wasn't too drunk last night. Alcohol makes me sleepy right away. But I'm fully aware of my surroundings," he said cheerfully.
I glanced at his lips. s**t! Look somewhere else, Victoria! Not there!
I avoided looking at Jackson's face because I could only remember what we did last night. He said he was aware of his surroundings. So does that mean—
"It's a shame we didn't finish what we started last night, I really couldn't stay awake any longer. I'm sorry if I left you hanging—
"Don't continue! I'm not listening! I don't know what you're talking about! Blahblablah!" I interrupted him and covered both my ears with my hands.
I quickly got off my bed and left the room without looking at Jackson's face. That guy is really annoying! All he does is tease me.
I went straight to the kitchen to have breakfast. I found Dad, Samantha, and Demi already eating. They immediately looked at me as they sensed my presence.
"You're up, my daughter. Sit next to Demi and I'll prepare your coffee," Dad greeted me, making me smile as I followed what he said.
I ran my fingers through Demi's perfectly straight hair. She inherited her hair from her father. Mine, on the other hand, is a bit curly.
"Mom, where is Daddy Jackson?" She innocently asked me while chewing a piece of bread.
"Don't speak when your mouth is full, baby," I advised her, which she acknowledged with a nod.
"Okay, Mom," she replied. I tightly close my eyes. I had just told her not to speak with her mouth full, but she still didn't follow.
"Daddy Jackson is here!" Someone spoke from behind. I stiffened in my seat.
As Jackson approached Demi, I averted my gaze. I felt a mix of embarrassment and annoyance towards him because of what happened last night. I didn't know how to face him.
Dad handed me the coffee. From my side view, I saw that Jackson was about to make his own coffee, but Dad insisted on doing it for him. That's just how Dad is, he's overly affectionate with people close to him.
"You're a hard drinker. Those two, they still haven't woken up. Well, they do wake up just to throw up and complain about their headaches," Samantha remarked to Jackson.
I heard Jackson laugh. I restrained myself from looking in his direction. Only Demi was between us.
"Not really, I didn't drink too much because I was already dozing off last night while we were drinking," Holden admitted.
Shit! I almost forgot. I remember that I am trying to change his t-shirt. So he was really aware of what I was doing. He might be thinking that I'm taking advantage of him last night. It's really frustrating!
"Do you two have a problem?" Dad asked, exchanging doubtful looks between Jackson and me.
I immediately shook my head. But it seemed like Dad didn't quite believe me.
"Yeah, it seems like there's something between you two. Did something happen last night?" Samantha added, observing us.
"Nothing happened between us last night," I almost shout it. Wait! That might be overreacting. They might suspect I'm being defensive even though it's the truth. Yeah, the truth that I'm being defensive.
Dad and Samantha exchanged looks, both grinning. I furrowed my brow even more and shook my head at them.
"Nothing really happened between us, believe me," I insisted.
"Daddy Jackson, what is Mommy saying?" I heard Demi ask Jackson. I quickly shut my mouth. I almost forgot that my daughter was with us. It's a good thing we didn't mention any unpleasant words.
JACKSON zipped up the back of my gown. Tonight is the night of the ball at Chicory. Chicory is a modern event venue located in the French Quarter here in New Orleans. It prides itself on its contemporary design and world-class facilities, providing an elegant and unique experience for special occasions. Chicory is a perfect venue for weddings, receptions, and various gatherings.
Earlier, we couldn't wait for my two siblings to wake up. After breakfast, we already bid goodbye to Dad, as tonight is the very night of the ball we'll be attending.
Jackson held my hand, and we both faced the large full-length mirror in our hotel room. I already had makeup on my face, and my hair was styled. Jackson had brought in a skilled makeup artist to do both Demi's and my makeup. He, on the other hand, didn't put anything on his face and hair. He already looked perfectly handsome with his natural look. I also didn't want him to draw unnecessary attention from other women if he looked even more polished.
"I hope this night would end well," I couldn't help but express, while gazing at our beautiful reflections in the mirror. I hope we can always be like this. Happy, and if problems arise, they won't be so serious that they could potentially ruin the relationship we've built.
Jackson turned me to face him. "Just trust me, you'll have fun. And I'm not gonna leave you behind tonight," he said with a smile, now holding both of my hands.
Why do I feel like this? It's like I'm on the verge of tears for reasons I can't quite grasp. Maybe I'm just overwhelmed by how Jackson has been keeping me company and treating me.
"We should go now," he added, then he assisted me in leaving our hotel room towards the elevator. As far as I know, Mr. Francesco is already in the lobby with Demi.
I walked a bit slowly because of my 3-inch heels and my violet sandals. I tend to look a bit short when I'm with Jackson, even though I'm actually quite tall, so I wore heels. I stand at 5'9". It's just that Jackson is really tall, standing at 6'6".
When we reached the ground floor, Demi eagerly held the hem of my gown. She was in awe while looking at what I was wearing.
"You look very beautiful, Mom. You look like a princess and Daddy Jackson was your prince," Demi exclaimed, clapping her hands.
Jackson lifted her up and planted a sweet kiss on my daughter's forehead. Then I saw Demi return his kiss by pecking him on the left cheek, and she giggled afterward. Just seeing them like that seemed to completely erase the fatigue I had been feeling from all the things I did throughout the day.
We exited the hotel lobby and found a Porsche Panamera waiting outside. Just looking at it made me almost dizzy with how impeccably clean it was. The beauty of this car was truly striking.
"Wow, our car looks amazing," Demi exclaimed.
We got inside, accompanied by a female driver. She would also be keeping an eye on Demi at the event. There's a designated area for kids and a ball pit where she would take Demi and watch over her. When Demi is with us, Jackson, and Mr. Francesco, it's hard for us to socialize with people, and she might get lost in the bustling main ballroom.
I am confident in entrusting my child to Ms. Halsey. She has been Mr. Francesco's employee for a long time, and she's said to be the closest to the children among his staff. Moreover, she's skilled in defense tactics, so I'm sure about my child's safety under her care.
Our trip only lasted a few minutes. Our car stopped in the middle, and as we stepped out, we were met with blinding flashes from countless cameras held by paparazzi. We didn't pay them any attention and proceeded straight inside. We left Demi in the car because Ms. Halsey still needed to park the car before they would head to the area designated for the attending children.
My hands were entwined with Jackson's left arm the whole time. Mr. Francesco bid us goodbye, saying he would go ahead of us. When we finally entered, I was amazed by what I saw. People here looked like princesses and princes, while some of the women were wearing quite daring outfits. I kept an eye on Jackson's gaze. If he makes one wrong look, I might leave him alone here. Or I might just dug out his eyes.
"Why are you looking at me that way? I haven't done anything yet, but it seems like I've done something wrong based on the way you're looking at me," Jackson pointed out, his gaze meeting mine.
"Just make sure you don't get caught looking at other women, because I don't know what I might do to you," I warned him.
But instead of being afraid, his smile widened even further. "My eyes are only for you and on you," he whispered to me.
- Writer
