The Summer Of My Life

I woke up to the sound of the alarm, feeling my head spin due to the infernal hangover. Sometimes I still wonder about the purpose of all this, these parties, this wordplay, and attempts to please strangers. I quickly get up, feeling the pressure drop, my hand goes to my forehead in a futile attempt to stop the dizziness. Walking slowly to the bathroom, I feel the weight in my muscles from hours of alcohol-fueled dancing. "You need to get your life together," I say, looking at my reflection in the large bathroom mirror. I rest my hands on the sink, and the marble's chill makes my hairs stand on end. I analyze my face, finding smeared makeup and dark circles around my blue eyes. I undo the braid in my light blonde hair and step into the shower. "Anna? Where are you?" her voice sounds confused. I stick my head out of the shower and call loudly enough for her to hear. I hear the sound of her heels hitting my floor. "Do you often enter other people's houses?" the indignation in my voice is visible. The blonde rolls her brown eyes and leans on the sink. I turn on the shower, and the hot water makes my muscles relax; I couldn't help but sigh with relief. "Don't make a scene; I'm your younger sister!" her voice comes out strident after a sigh. "Fine, fine," I say uninterested. "You've been ignoring our calls for two weeks; Mom and Dad are worried," she huffed furiously. "I came to see if you were dead or something." I can see her stern gaze through the steamed glass. "But by the looks of it, I bet you were at another one of those parties," her sarcastic comment comes after a bitter laugh. "It may not seem like it, but I have a life of my own. Do you think being a model is easy? I go to events because it's my job!" my voice sounds arrogant. I sigh, trying to keep my patience. Sophia sighs; she hated arguments or fights, inheriting our father's temper. The young veterinary student shakes her head in denial and looks at the ceiling, something she always did when she felt like crying. Something was happening to my sister, and for a moment, I felt guilty for not being so present in her life. "You know, Anna, things aren't easy... Grandma, she..." her voice breaks. A long sigh escapes her lips, and a shiver runs through my body. "She's not well. Since Uncle Daniel's death, she's not the same. You know, she became very sad and closed herself off from the world..." she looks at her own reflection in the mirror. "This made us not know much about her health, and now she's very sick." Nausea makes my mouth taste bitter, and my skin tingles. We were very close to Grandma, especially in childhood. But for the past five years, she distanced herself from us. She has avoided us at all costs, doesn't like to talk about Uncle Daniel's tragic death; it's as if she died that day. Knowing that she was sick made my heart ache, and the urge to cry settled in me. "I know it's a lot for you to digest... But I didn't want her to spend her last days alone on that ranch. Even though we visit her, you know it's not enough..." Sophia sighs before looking at me. "She's always been so close to you, whether you like it or not, you're her favorite granddaughter." Sophia walks to the shower door and stares at me for a few seconds; her eyes were teary, and her lips trembling. How could I leave everything behind and stay with Grandma on the ranch? A moral dilemma settled in my mind; I couldn't leave my job without explanations, but I also couldn't let my paternal grandmother die alone. "I... I'll figure something out," my voice comes out more confident than I really felt, and that makes my sister sigh in relief. I step out of the shower and wrap myself in a towel. Sophia smiles shyly at me and kisses my forehead. "Take care, sister... Make sure you don't disappear!" she says before leaving my bathroom. This couldn't be real, Grandma dying? A feeling of despair invades my body, and sobs and tears take over my being. Images of us together in my childhood come to my mind like a movie; the sound of her laughter and lively voice make me smile amid my tears and sobs. I spend hours lost in a nostalgic atmosphere, feeling anger and pain for fate being so unkind. After dressing, I search for plane tickets on the computer. I receive a message from Oliver, my boss, notifying that the agency's driver would soon pick me up for tonight's event. I sigh deeply. With this news, I had completely lost track of time. I look at my phone and see that there's only an hour left. I jump out of bed quickly and run to the closet, thanking mentally for choosing the outfit days before. I put on my black lace lingerie and my tight black dress with long lace sleeves and an open back. I wear my black patent leather pumps and tie my light blonde hair in a bun. I've always been good at doing my makeup; at least I won't spend much time getting ready for the event. I accentuate my eyes with a strong shade and apply a lipstick in the natural color of my lips. I let my hair down, seeing it fall in waves on my shoulders. I spray Chanel No. 5 on my neck and adjust my silver necklace that draws attention to the "V" neckline. I hear the honk, leave the house, and lock the door, leaving the key under the mat. I walk to the blue Nissan Kicks waiting for me and smile at the driver. "Good evening, Ítalo," I say friendly. I get into the back seat and see him smile in the rearview mirror. Igor must be almost my age; he has been my driver at the agency since I joined at 18, always a polite and kind man. "Good to see you again, Mrs. Anna. As always, you look beautiful," he says amiably. I smile in response, and I see him return the gesture. The drive to the restaurant was short, a few blocks from my house. The car stops in front of a Greek-style building; a line was at the door, and well-dressed people entered the restaurant without going through it. Igor opens the door for me to get out, and I give him a smile as thanks; some people look at me, and I feel my cheeks flush. "Anna Morais," I inform the security. He quickly checks the list and makes room for me to enter. "Anna, my love!" Priscila's voice echoes through the hall. I smile to see her coming toward me. Priscila was one of the agency's models, a few years younger than me, but she was like a sister to me. We always exchanged confidences and helped each other in photo shoots and fashion shows. Her black eyes were well-made up, and her straight brown hair hung over her left shoulder. In her hands were two champagne glasses; she offers me one of them, and I accept with a smile. "Mon amour, this is definitely one of the best events I've been to," the Frenchwoman says with her strong accent. "The food is great, the men are handsome, and the atmosphere is gorgeous; I feel like I'm in ancient Greece!" I observe the Greek decoration; it truly takes us straight to ancient Greece. The party was taking place in the restaurant's event hall; many important people were present, singers, actors, influencers. "This place is really beautiful, and it has a good atmosphere," I say, looking around. Priscila smiles at a man who stares at her. Something I admired in my friend was her ease in winning people over; she was always with a new romantic partner. Priscila was quite liberal. "Apparently, you're already having fun," I said, looking at her. "Anna, I don't understand how you don't hook up with anyone at parties; I think you're a total babe," she winks and smiles. "It's a waste to be so conservative when it comes to love." I smile embarrassed. I'm not the kind of person who hooks up with someone at every party; I don't like this casual thing. For me, relationships have to be something more, like in movies, something worth living. "While you wait for your prince charming, I'm going to meet Mr. Charming over there," Priscila says with a smile while maintaining eye contact with the unknown man. The model approaches the mysterious man with a seductive look on her delicate face; he looks at her with desire, and they start talking animatedly. I sit at the bar and watch from a distance as my friend laughs with her companion; I couldn't help but smile seeing her happy. I order a glass of vodka and drink while observing the young couple talk animatedly.