Their Meeting (5)

After dinner, Ernest ordered the helpers to bring out the drinks and wine glasses. They discarded the left over food on the table and cleared the mess. They changed the food with all kinds of beverages including wines and liquors. Some wanted coffee, while some preferred tea or fruit juice. They all felt cozily at home. Everyone was free to chat and get to socialize with each other around the hall.

Ernest was talking to one of his business clients at the same time, Fem was feeling uneasy infront of Mark. She badly wanted to escape from this stoic man whose hawk-like eyes seem to bore through her soul.

'Why am I forced to entertain this person who has caused me so much pain!?' She thought hard for a reason to flee from him.

"Oh right, I'll get you a drink sir! What do you want? Coffee,? Tea? Or Me?" She said trying to lighten the mood while her mind devised a way to escape at the same time see how he would react to her nonsense.

"Fem, are you teasing me? I'm not in a bar! " He eyed her widely.

"Tch! Well, we are serving different kinds of drinks including wine tonight, sir! Do you intend to get drunk? I know what to give you." She smirked as she stood.

"You're talking like an expert waitress! You should know what I want then!" His eye shifted from her eyes to her chest. He swallowed hard. If only they were alone, he could have grabbed her and pinned her down!

'Shameless!' She screamed in her head.

"Oh well, hmmmm... then maybe ....I'll give you a glass of cold water instead." She said as she turned around towards the row of wine bottles on the table. She grabbed a glass and poured one of the strongest wine into it.

Turning back to him, she saw that he was talking with her boss Ernest already. She inwardly smiled in delight. She proceeded to hand him the glass half filled with wine. He glanced and nooded to her while his eyes were focused at his host. Fem took the opportunity to walk away as quickly as she could. She hurriedly climbed the stairs , skipping every two steps as she always did. She went straight to her bedroom and laid flat on her bed with hands up like that of one who's in surrender. She was too exhausted and her heart was beating erratically. She closed her eyes for a bit to ease and calm her nerves.

The next thing she knew, she was awakened by female voices around her. She slowly opened her eyes to adjust with the bright light to see the two girl helpers seated at the edge of her bed.

"Why are you two here? What's the time now?" She asked. She had drifted to sleep so easily.

"It's already past 11 o'clock. They're still drinking downstairs. Im feeling sleepy already!" Rela complained.

"Me too, my legs are cramping" Julie seconded.

"Wait, have you already eaten dinner?" Fem remembered they were not downstairs during dinner time.

"Of course, maybe we ate much that's why we feel sleepy! Hahaha!" Rela said laughing.

"Why don't we grab a drink to go along with them? " Fem suggested, curious of how these ladies would react.

"Let's do it here in your room. Nobody dares to open here!" Julie agreed with enthusiasm.

...

Within 30 minutes, the three ladies in the room were already in a good foul mood. They were telling childhood memories that kept them laughing as they made comments on each other's memory. They were quick to have drunk two bottles of strong alcoholic content.

"Hmmmm, Fem. How did you get to know that Major General? " Julie suddenly asked.

"Yeah, we're curious! He's so handsome! Oh my! How can we attract one like him? Can you pass him to me?" Rela followed up as she laughed.

"Tsk! Firstly, you have to be a cowboy's daughter. Secondly, you have to work in a bar, Thirdly, you have to be an architect! But don't you dare! He has many first borns already. Do you guys want to bear first borns by him?" Fem's mischievous smile grew wide as she raised her brows swirling her glass with little wine left.

"Oh, so is he married?" Rela clarified.

"Hehhh! Go and ask him yourself! That's none of my business! Don't waste my saliva !" Fem downed her last drop of wine.

Having found the courage due to the effect of wine, Rela stood up and headed to go out. She was in the act of opening the door when there was a gentle knock coming from the other side.

The three girls looked at each other. Fem put her point finger on her lips to hush them from telling anything. She gestured Rela to open the door.

"Bryan! What is it?" Fem asked in daze as the door revealed Bryan's knocking gesture.

"Major Arevalo is looking for you maam Fem. He wants to ask permission from you to go home." Bryan replied.

"Ha ha ha haa haa haa! Ha ha ha haaaaa Ha ha ha haaaaaaaa " Fem suddenly burst out laughing hard until her stomach hurt. She laughed long and hard to the point of becoming teary.

Bryan and the two girls watched her in bewilderment as she laughed out loud, unsure whether to laugh with her or sympathize for having gone mad. They thought she went out of herself.

After she calmed down a bit, she patted her chest as she lightly laughed. "You made me laugh so hard, Bryan! Why on earth would a Major General ask permission from me just to go home? Aren't you supposed to be military minded ? Ha ha ha!!!" she said wiping tears from her eyes.

Unknown to the three ladies, the Major General was standing by the study room next to Fem's room.He asked Bryan to knock the door for him for fear that he may over-invite himself as a guest. He heard how hard Fem laughed and ridiculed Bryan. He twitched a smile and chuckled. 'Her mind works really like her dad!' He thought.

" I don't mean that way madam Fem, maybe he wants to see you before he goes home" Bryan corrected himself.

"Oh oh, that sounds better! Ha ha ha !!! Next time, please state your mind clearly! You don't sound like a military at that" Fem laughed again as she rose up from heading to the door. She felt a dizzy."Where is he? Did he order you to knock on my door? I am not his ...."

As soon as she reached the door, she saw the tall figure appear from the side. He was smiling as he was rubbing his nose with one hand while his other hand was inside his pocket.

"Oh , there you are! Ha ha!" Fem couldn't control her laughter from a while ago.

Mark stared at her as she laughed. His eyes seemed like a bottomless pit that was never full. He looked at the way she laughed as his heart skipped with happiness. 'Finally, I saw her laughing like this!' He mentally checked one of his bucket list.

"Hey! What's funny? Did you drink?" He narrowed his eyes at her.

"Hmmmm... ha ha! What do you think? But this man under your command sounded like an idiot. He makes me laugh!" Fem controlled her laughter which was about to burst out again.

Mark scratched the back of his head. "I'm heading out. Remember, I'll pick you up tomorrow at 11. No more drinking after this. Hmmm?" He said eyeing her like she was a little girl.

"You order me like I'm your little daughter! I'll drink tonight and sleep tomorrow! I'm not going anywhere! Goodbye" She stretched out her hand to the door frame as if blocking someone from entry or exit.

"Don't be stubborn Fem. I'll ask your boss to expel you from his house if you won't come tomorrow!" His threat sounded petty.

"Hahahahah! Funny! Tch! Get lost now! I didn't hear anything! Goodbye!" She withdrew from the door and acted to close it.

"Fem!" Mark tried to reach out one last time.

"Don't be petty Major Arevalo! Goodbye!" Then she closed the door on his face.