1 ONE

I'm not sure I'll be dressed enough to kill but I sure hope it would be enough to knock the air out of a few lungs. But not just any lungs; Jaxon Rivers' would have to be two of them or whatever number of lungs he has. Not my words but Tammy's.

"Do you think we made the right decision picking this dress out, Tams?" I consult Tammy who is running 7mph on the treadmill, panting excessively loud.

She huffs out, "Do you wanna back out?"

Of course, I don't. I have to get Jaxon to fall in love with me again days after confessing to having fallen out of it.

"Of course not."

"Good, then put the dress on."

"I don't know. I think it gives the desperate vibes."

Tammy lets out a mocking chuckle and says in uneven gasps, "Because you are not?"

That is mostly true. I am desperate. We have been dating for three years and just when I thought that Jax would finally slide a rock on it, he breaks up with me. He didn't literally say the words it's over between us or let's end this or anything that plays along the lines of a breakup. It was his sentence structure and tone. His choice of words—. Perhaps I misread it. I totally misread him and that's why I'm doing this tonight. 

I run my fingers through the red silk of the dress lying on the bed. Jaxon's favorite color. I had earlier cringed at how sinfully low it plunges at the front with a slit that corruptly cuts high up my leg. It's insane how costly explicit dresses are.

"Maybe there are other ways of approaching the situation. Like-"

"If you say anything about heartfelt words or a self-written poem, I'm going to slice your fingers and tongue off. We'll see how you'll pull those off," Tammy threatens.

I am appalled. "That's just a morbid thing to say."

"Jesus, Ry. What's so bad about the dress? If you feel he doesn't deserve the effort then don't do it." She's now lowered the speed and is lightly walking on the treadmill.

I pout. "You are only saying that because you don't like him."

"Well, maybe a little but largely because I'm trying to remind you what he said," Tammy explains. Jax did say a lot of things to me that day, "You know, about you not giving him enough of yourself?"

"Oh! That," my voice drowns out as I try to look anywhere but at her.

"Yes, that! Look Ryza, I've been present from the time this relationship started to exist. There's no way this guy can say you don't give him your all," she dabs a snow white towel across her sweaty body and I make a mental note to throw it into the laundry basket otherwise it would never make it.

"I don't know why you don't know this but if it's the right guy, nothing is too much. Wrong never seems wrong. Much never seems much."

"For a person who claims to not care about love, you sure are mawkish about it."

Tammy smiles knowingly. "I might have sneaked your laptop to my bed to watch those K-dramas you have. It gets pretty lonely at times when you have to work all day- especially when you have to work all day."

I watch as she brings out her bottle of homemade carrot and beet juice from the fridge and pulls out her yoga mat from behind it. She sets up station by the floor-to-ceiling window just in time to catch the sunset behind California's skyscrapers. Her uncle who works in real estate helped us get a good apartment, the topmost floor with an amazing view of the city, at a huge discount. There's a heated swimming pool on the roof which Tammy and I get to use mostly on Sundays.  Come to think about it, we are the only ones who ever use the pool since we get to have the key to it. Fair to say we rule the building.

But we tell a totally different story when electricity or water is out. The top floor becomes a damn oven and the stairs...don't even get me started about stairs. The people living on the lower floors suddenly become the lucky bastards.

"So?"

"So what?" I ask confused.

Tammy rolls her eyes dismissively as she crouches into a half-hero fold. I'm so jealous of her flexibility I'm not going to deny it. She aces most advanced yoga poses well while I can only do a child pose, which I'm also not so good at.  One time she and her yoga class went to Napa Valley and she invited me. It was just the right kind of silence and temperature I needed to fall asleep while doing the child pose. Since then she has swore never to invite me to any of their excursions again.

"Is cocky-ass Rivers worth it?" She asks in a labored breath.

"Of course he is. And worth more. I was just thinking what if-"

"Oh, I have a good what-if!, " She's already into an easy seat. " What if you wore the dress and decided to charm someone else instead of Jax?"

I frown. "What? Who?"

"I don't know. Maybe a certain dark-eyed man, who's this tall with dark hair and he happens to be in the same party you are planning to gatecrash..."

I think of the description and a bulb lights in my head.

Micah Cullen.

"Oh, my God! I can't believe you would say that right now. Micah?!"

"Yeah. Jaxon would surely get jealous seeing you with him."

"They are enemies for god's sake. Like atomic bomb enemies," I reason.

She crouches into Exactly. Jaxon would be mad and don't even get me started on how hot that guy is than your ex."

"No, I'm doing good this for Jaxon," I say in a huff and leave for my room with the dress. The plan is to get there early when Jaxon is still sober. "And Jaxon is not my ex."

He is a sloppy drinker and was probably blubbering shit that day.

"I was just making sure you had a backup plan," Tammy shouts behind me.

I manage to take a shower, change into the slinky dress, and have my makeup done. I managed to suppress all my shy reservations earlier and pushed myself to buy a tube of matte red lipstick. The cashier had given me an odd look but I wouldn't blame her. I only pass by to buy painkillers after a stressful day of work.

But Jax loves a red lip. He never told me openly but just dropped hints which I regrettably never picked up till today.

"Ry, you gotta start leaving now if you want sober balls," Tammy says cheekily.

Finally, I am ready after forty-five minutes. Things better go as planned because this took much more time than usual. Normally, I'd just have to slap powder on my face and two economical spritzes of deodorant and that would be that.

"See?"

"What?"

"Don't deny it. You look empowered in that dress."

I blush. It does look good.

"It fits the occasion. Wish me luck."

I book my usual Uber driver on my street urging him to drive fast. I have always appreciated his chatter while driving but today I'm overly nervous and I just wish he would be quiet. Jax hasn't called or texted me for over a week after questionably breaking up with me. I surely hope he hasn't moved on.

"You look... different today," Connor comments suggestively and I smile hoping to shake him off by being quiet.

"And Jaxon? Is he not picking you up today?"

I sweat. I didn't realize how noticeable we are in everyone's eyes.

I clear my throat hoarsely and lie. "He had to go early but he was here. You just missed him."

"Tsk! Such a shame! I just watched their game this afternoon and wanted to congratulate him on scoring the saving goal that puts us on top of the table. He is a good one that one. Just like our very own Cristiano Ronaldo, don't you think?"

I hadn't even bothered to watch the game or the highlights but the fact that he scored a goal, a saving one for that matter, means that he is in a good mood.

Well, what are the chances that the odds were in my favor?

"Yes, our very own."

"You must be proud."

That I cannot dispute.

"You have no idea."

I am more than grateful when Connor finally drops me off at the event's venue, after a ride full of chatting and nervous laughter.

I brace myself for what is to come. This would be the first time coming here without Jax in hand and God knows I am afraid of any embarrassment that might come from the guards. He might have told the guards that we were no longer together and that they shouldn't let me in.

I bite the bullet and opt to put my optimist glasses on and walk hopeful and proud into Jaxon's arms.

I start climbing the stairs all the while praying that all goes well with each step I take. It has to go well. I need Jaxon, badly.

The guard does let me in with a curt smile and I'm more confident than ever that I will walk out of here with my man in hand. All these are not just coincidences. They are the clues that lead to the treasure which is an arms-wide and smiling Jaxon.

I get more confident with every stride I take closer to the red carpet. Jaxon would have to be somewhere close waiting to go last because he has no date.

Oh Jaxon, I muse, he should just have called.

Nevertheless, I'm still here willing to be the bigger person as suggested by a certain podcast I listen to every morning.

I quickly drown in the throng of reporters who call out on me trying to have me look their way for a photo but I'm focused on one goal.

Find Jaxon and...

What the hell?

°×°×°×°×°×

A/N

Hey, so how was it? I hope you found it interesting as I did. 

I normally have writer's block the moment I have to figure out how to compose chapter one. I'm beyond relieved that I'm done with this one and so now we can flawlessly course through the story. 

So I know you have come across Ryza and not that I'm restricting any of you about pronunciations but here's what. I was writing this chapter and I just felt like she should be /ree-za/ and not /rai-za/ as maybe some of you are pronouncing it. Anyway, this is a democratic space and you are free to choose which one suits you best.

I'm trying to avoid typos by all means so if you met any anywhere you could highlight it and leave a comment.