HER CONFESSIONS

Chapter 5: that Overnight

I was afraid to move.

I freed my fingers from his hair and slowly pulled myself from his body.

Being with him this close made me rethink my feelings.

Earlier..

I haven't seen Mike for almost a week now.

The last time I saw him was when he had our unexpected dinner at home, and he just left suddenly and did not bother to explain why, leaving me confused. I remember that night only vaguely, and the whole thing did not make any sense to me.

The dates that followed were the same as usual.

I spent most of my days in the office working, from site supervision to designing to admin work. Our week was jampacked and we barely had the time to rest.

It was Friday and I arrived at the office at around eight thirty in the morning carrying my take-out.

Everyone was already inside.

I headed straight to the common pantry we had at the ground floor and prepared my meal.

"So? Any progress?" Louise asked when she saw me moping. She was just a step behind me.

I was preoccupied with my thoughts and did not notice her coming in.

"On what?" I took the food container from the oven, placed it on a plate and sat down to have my breakfast.

She stared at me and paused briefly, waiting for me to respond.

"Nothing" she said with a pouting expression and took a folder from her bag.

"Want some?" I offered.

"Perhaps you should reach out to him this time." she sat down beside me.

"It might do you some good, Jess." she smiled and handed me the plans for the site inspection schedule that day.

"Be ready in ten minutes, okay". She stood up and went upstairs.

I took a spoonful before opening the file folder she handed me. My eyes widened when I saw the logo of the most upscale and exclusive subdivisions in the city.

Northwood Gardens was a gated village and one of the most coveted residential communities in the north.

It was the chosen residence of some of the city's wealthiest because of it's tight security.

Our next client decided to have a meeting there to explain what she wanted for her home, and I have to admit that I was proud of us for this opportunity.

Arguing was never an option, so when Louise offered to drive, I let her because I sucked at directions and it would take us hours to reach our destination.

I took the passenger seat while Louise took the driver's.

Together with my apprentice, Shy, we drove for almost an hour to the village.

Thanks to Waze for providing the best routes, we reached our destination hassle-free.

We were in awe when we saw their black entrance gate.

It was made of wrought iron attached to the white masonry walls, about 3 meters high, built along the perimeter.

"Is this it?" I asked after we had reached the pinned location.

Louise parked the car near the entrance and opened her phone to call someone.

"Okay, we'll just wait here" she said as she ended the call.

The whole community showed old-world elegance because of this luxurious iron main gate design. It offered better visibility of the houses inside while restricting access to pedestrian and vehicle movement.

The gate opened in a swing style when a white Fortuner arrived moments later.

A man in his early twenties, sitting in the passenger seat waved at us, signaling for us to follow them.

"They're late" Louise pointed out.

Upon entering, fancy modern houses lane along the community.

"Woah" we laughed quietly together at Shy's reaction when she saw the houses.

"This is next level art!" she exclaimed.

We passed the community's clubhouse that housed a gym, a court, a pool and a garden that surrounded its manmade lake.

What made this place different from any other community was the lighthouse beside the lake and the butterfly garden at the center of the rotunda accessible to the home owners.

We arrived at the site, two blocks after the clubhouse. Louise parked the car in the shaded area.

There was nothing much to see.

It has uneven terrain-it was sloping. Tall grass and large trees were all over the area.

"Doc Ces won't be joining us for today" the man in longsleeves said after he put his phone down. He moved forward as he spoke.

He handed a portfolio.

"Okay" Louise replied and took the folder from him.

We were somehow sad that our client was unable to meet with us because of an emergency, but we still managed to push through with the meeting.

Her assistant, Joseph, offered to give us a tour.

"Shall we start?" he said and motioned us towards the empty lot.

He started discussing their plans for the area-they wanted to keep the trees and retain the natural slope as much as possible.

"Can we add a pool?" He asked and showed us a picture from the folder he gave us.

After a few hours of discussion, the meeting ended at eleven and we were all starving. The white car, along with its passengers, left immediately after.

"Where do you want to eat?" Louise asked as she started the car.

"Hmmm. You don't have any allergies, right?" I shifted my gaze between the two and they shook their heads.

"I'm craving baked oyster" I replied enthusiastically.

Shy's eyes widened and she nodded.

"And some garlic buttered shrimp" I added.

They both agreed in unison, so we drove along the coastal road near us to find a seafood restaurant in the area.

We made a stop at Uncle Nicks and decided to have our lunch there. Their staff was very attentive and they offered a wide variety of foods. The menu was easy to figure out, but we never ordered the ones we were craving. It was the seafood hotpot that ended at our table because it was the faster option. The soup was slightly sweet but with a bland side. The seafood that we put in added to the flavor.

"Thanks for the food" Shy said, wiping her lips.

We arrived at the office at around three in the afternoon and spent the remaining hours working. Shy returned to her workstation, while Louise was busy evaluating the accomplishment reports our subcontractors and suppliers had submitted.

"Can you evaluate this for me?" she handed me one of her files, when she saw me clearing my table. We finished them after an hour.

"What's your plan later?" I asked her after handing her the last folder.

"I have to do some grocery shopping" she replied.

"You?" she turned to face me.

"I'm heading home after this."

She raised one eyebrow.

"What?"

"Nothing, Jess. Goodluck." she touched my cheek before leaving for the door.

Just like what I told Louise earlier, I went home from work early.

As I pulled in front of my house, I noticed his car was still covered in his parking lot.

"Is he home?" I kept wondering.

" Maybe he just got home early?"

Before I reached the door, a white Fortuner pulled up in front of his house and got my attention.

From the distance, I saw a petit woman dressed in a nude pullover shell blouse in lightweight fabric and she was walking towards the door entrance carrying a more relaxed handbag in a neutral color in one hand and a paper bag in the other.

I stared at her figure and wondered if it was her.

She glowed like a movie star. Her long auburn hair was in a ponytail and her fine complexion was visible from afar.

I waited for her to enter but no one answered the door.

"I guess Mike's not home" I whispered.

Minutes later, she grabbed her phone as she turned around and headed back to her car.

My eyes widened in shock when I saw a very familiar face.

Did she saw me? I wondered.

What was she doing?

And why didn't Mike open the door?

I shifted my gaze from her car to his windows. What's going on?

It made me wonder, could they be true?

I took my phone the moment I entered the house and searched for her name again. There was no update of them, and she hasn't posted anything.

I stared at her photo. "It was really her".

The cool breeze blew inside my study and it made shiver.

"Will it rain?" I wondered as I stood up and closed all my windows.

That night, I started to crave my mom's version of Chicken Lomi- a popular Filipino meal that is cooked with a variety of thick fresh egg noodles in a thicker broth. The thing about this dish that I appreciate best is that it is quick and simple to prepare, and it makes a great comfort food, perfect for the cold weather.

I opened my refrigerator, took out my ingredients and started cooking the way I remembered it.

I began defrosting the boneless chicken breast I had purchased from the grocery the other day and chopped the carrots, onion, and garlic after.

Thankfully, I still had some Lomi noodles in the cupboard, so I grabbed one bag and blanched it for only one minute in a saucepan of boiling water. I don't like my noodles to be soggy.

I took a separate pan from the cabinet and put it over medium heat to saute my onions, garlic,and my shredded chicken breasts.

I waited for it to turn lightly brown before adding some water to allow it to simmer and the noodles then.

I went back to the cupboard and searched for a pack of crab and corn mix to add flavor to the broth. Luckily, I still have one left.

The texture of the broth is almost identical to egg drop soup, so I took a pack of spoonful of cornstarch and dissolved it in water to thicken the soup even more, and added the raw egg.

I dialed his phone number and began phoning him, but no one answered.

Is he at work?

I took a deep breath, and went towards the window.

I peeked through it and started scanning the house across the street. It did not look like the same house I'd seen for years. The previously boarded-up windows are now open with draperies on each side. I stood mesmerized by the two-story house.

No one seemed to be at home but his car was still in the parking lot. One window caught my glance. There was light inside.

I hurriedly grabbed a bowl and started scooping the broth.

I knocked but no one answered. I tried to open the knob and the door swung open. It wasn't even locked.

Why would he forget to lock his doors?

I tried to swallow as I took another step forward. The house was not like I imagined it to be. He already has a little furniture inside. I searched for his dining table and put the bowl in it. I grabbed the nearest pen and paper I saw on top of the console table by the door, and started writing a note for him.

I had a very strange combination of feelings that night: fear, worry and curiosity. Of the three, worry was the hardest when I heard someone cough. It was from the second floor-coming from his room.

Is he okay?

There was no other sound, but that of my own movement when I headed to the stairs.

The cracking of the thread was very disturbing, my footsteps making echoing sounds.

This was where the trouble began. Nothing could possibly have prepared me for what I witnessed. None of it made sense to me. His world was hidden behind the door. I wanted to shove it open more than anything since it wasn't locked.

"Mike?" I tried knocking but no one answered. I tried knocking again. I could feel that someone was inside because the threshold was cold.

I heard him cough again, so I took a deep breath, acted on my impulse and opened the door.

My heart sunk when I saw him in his bed, and everything inside me came to a halt .

I could tell he was deeply asleep.

He was lying there all covered up with a dull light that came from beside him.

As I reached for the remote beside him to adjust the temperature, I accidently touched his hand and was shocked when I felt him hot. I touched his forehead to examine if he had a fever. He was burning.

The pandemic has caused many people to fear getting a fever, even me.

As I was about to stand up to look for a thermometer and his medicine box, someone grabbed my arm. I looked down and saw him staring at me. He was awake. His eyes were visible because of the lampshade in his room.

He did not say a word, and I could feel the sudden tension in the air.

"I cooked something. I wondered if you wanted so-" I tried to explain but my eyes wanted to flinch.

He pulled me close to him, and the impact caught me by surprise.

He was awake and I could feel his warm skin when I fell on his chest.

He did not say anything and just watched me carefully, reacting with a slight smile.

I felt my heart stop, as if it exploded, then beat again like it never had before.

His chiseled chin was very obvious seeing him close and I noticed his perfect nose.

He brushed my hair from my forehead. That made me feel better.

"I missed you" he said, his eyes staring at mine. I can sense longingness in his tone.

He was peeking from his lashes and his gaze shifted to my lips.

His voice was soft and persuasive. I can feel his heartbeat now.

I closed my eyes and bit my lips hard. His left hand found its way to my face.

He, then, lifted my chin and kissed me tenderly.

I felt his warm lips move against mine.

"Mike" I softly said. I can feel his hot breath in my face and the movements in his chest.

His heartbeat was not normal.

My lips started to move and synced with his. I felt his warm palm when he caressed my neck.

Our kisses became deeper and his breath started to become heavy. I felt his chest against mine.

I freed my fingers from his hair and slowly pulled myself from his body.

"I'm sorry this is wrong", I turned away and pushed him.

Guilt washed over me. I suddenly remembered Frances.

What would she feel if she found out what happened tonight?

"I can't, Mike. I'm sorry", tears started as I remembered her walking away from his door. I could never catch up with her.

I am definitely out of his league.

His forehead creased and his eyebrows pulled together.

"I understand" he said, and sat down. He helped me up and we were both sitting on his bed.

I could see his profile even in the shadow. He was looking at his hands, heads down.

Bothered, he let out a deep sigh and turned to face me.

"Can I taste it?" I looked at him in shock.

"Your food", he corrected, and gave me his soft smile.

I went down to reheat the broth I carried a while ago and gave it to him.

He was already lying down when I entered the room again.

"Mike?" I called.

He opened his eyes and leaned his back on his headboard.

"Here. I also got you some meds", I added.

I sat on his bed facing him and gave him the bowl.

"That was delicious" he said.

"Really?" I asked and he nodded.

He slept so deeply after taking the meds.

The next day...

"Are you even listening?" Louise was agitated.

"I'm sorry. Where are we?" I asked her the moment I snapped out of my trance.

She stared at me.

"Is something bothering you, Jess?" She asked as she moved closer to my table and touched my face.

"You're not sick aren't you?" She asked.

"No" I replied.

I was preoccupied about what happened last night and Louise was waiting for a reasonable explanation.

"I was just thinking about our condo renovation". She did not buy it and continued examining me.

"I swear", I assured her.

"Okay", she turned around and went back to her computer.

"As I was saying, Frances called me last night". Chills suddenly ran through my body and I froze. Does she know? Mike must have tolde her.

"She wanted to ask something."

"About what?" I asked.

Louise turned to look back at me. Her lips were drawn in a straight line.

"Are you guilty of something, Jess?" she asked.