Lucia looked at herself in the mirror. She looked stunning in the red dress. Apart form being a little too revealing it was not that bad. Since she had experience in any kind of dress as an actress in her past life she could easily pull off the dress without looking vulguar this time.
Natalia who was hoping to see her uncomfortable and like a cheap woman, was stunned at the girl before her. She looked totally awesome to be honest which was unexpected.
"Am I too pretty?" Lucia looked at Natalia smiling. 'I wanted to see that look..heh' Lucia was smug.
"Yes very pretty." Natalia forced out her compliments as she finished her makeup and dress. Exactly like in her past life she was dressed in a simple cute dress. Lucia once had asked Harith about the tyoe of gilr he liked.
"I like simple and cute girls you see..Makes me wanna protect them and hold them in my arms." He had replied on a sunny afternoon when they were taking a coffee break in a cafe.
'I can clearly see through your actions' Lucia measured her innocent look with mockery flashing in her eyes.
Exactly at seven pm they arrived at the designated bar. They were a liitle late than others who had already arrived and were ordering drinks and foods.
"Yo, the birthday girl is here." Harith was the first one to notice them. "Took you long enough."
The light in the bar was dim so he didn't notice at first but he looked at Lucia as his feet got stuck on the ground.
"Damn girl, you look hot." Harith gave a thumbs up sign as he stared at her.
No wonder people say the dress makes the women . His tone was not flirty but filled with sincerity.
Natalia was jealous when she heard Harith complimenting her looks. She dressed according to his ideal type but he didn't even notice her. Natalia felt sour in her heart.
" Doing her makeup took some time." Natalia butted in their conversations trying to show her presence.
She looked at Harith who was dressed in a white shirt and black pant. He looked sexy and hot as hell. Natalia felt herself getting hot just being near him.
"Hey, you look good. " Harith complimented her but she knew it was just empty words and he just told them for sake of saying them.
'Hold on Natalia, everything will work out.' She convinced herself as she eyes the surrounding people in the bar.
"Are you waiting for someone?" Lucia noticed her gaze and questioned her.
"No, its nothing." Natalia smiled weakly and decided to stop acting suspicious.
"Happy birthday Lucia." Her senior came forward holding a bouquet of flower. He was shameless enough to show himself in front of her no matter how many times she had tried to show she was not interested in him.
Chad was a goofball who really didn't get her and was in cloud nine when she accepted his flowers.
"It was unnecessary but thank you anyway. " Lucia politely handled his wishes hoping he will get her attitude.
"Senior is so thoughtful and loving. Where will you find someone like him." Natalia whispered in her ear half teasing and half serious. "You should date him." She added which sounded more like an order than suggestions.
Lucia looked at her with deep contempt. 'Why is this woman so desperate to hook me up with someone?'
"Happy birthday." Sam who sat their silently finally showed her smile as he gave her a small box wrapped beautifully.
"This is from us." Harith poked his face between them grinning like an idiot.
She opened it and felt overwhelming emotions rush inside her. It was nothing expensive and big but it was something she had wanted for a long time.
"Thank you." She put the silver locker around her neck. In her last life when she was going through financial crisis it had helped her alot but sadly she had to sell it. She was going to cherish it in this life.
Other friends of her also gave out their wishes and gifts. She accepted them with a thankful heart.
A loud and cheerful happy birthday song rang throughout the bar and a girl in red dress who looked enchantingly beautiful smiled showing her pearl teeth.
The other customer present there also hooted and cherred up for her.
" Thank you everyone." Lucia felt a little bit of happiness All this time she had been caught up in her past and sufferings so it helped her take off her mind from them.
While she was busy feeding cakes to everyone a stranger in the dark was looking at her with eyes filled with some really deep and dark intentions. "Red dress!! Exactly to my taste." The man got excited as he peeped at her like a pervert.
"When are you going to do it?" A message popped up in Natalia's phone as they were toasting their drinks. 'Be patient. There are way too many people here.' Natalia replied the message going tl corner of the table.
'Hurry it up.' The man's urgency could be seen from his messages. Natalia didn't reply in case someone came over to look at her. Acting as if nothing had happened she joined in the fun.
Natalia offered her an alcoholic drink which she politely refused. " You are already 18. If you don't drink now you will never learn." Natalia secretly looked at Chad and made him offer her the glass.
Chad was silent before he finally understood Natalia.
What a good junior. She wants things to work out between us!! Chad smiled like the dork he was and accepted it.
" Lucia..." He called her softly and offered the glass to her. " Just this glass..please accept from me." Chad made a hurt look when Lucia hesitated.
Lucia felt bad for rejecting him in both life and decided to accept just a drink. Little did she know it was the same drink where the white tablet was mixed.
Lucia gulped down the drink in a shot.
She directly rejected the drinks from other since she couldn't handle alcohol well and she learnt it through experience.
Everyone cheered for her first drink as an adult.
It was an hour before ten o'clock. Lucia looked at her watch and decided to leave the party in case her mom got worried.
Sam and Harith also decided to go back now that they had fun already. Sam really didn't enjoy things like this so he was more than happy to go back.
Sam was a light head so he got drunk easily.
Looking at the snoring Sam Harith felt complicated. "Sorry Lucia, seems like I can't drop you off at home.I need to take care of this idioit as first."
Harith supported Sam who was slipping away the moment he loosened his hand.
" I can take care of myself." Lucia looked at the pair before her and for some reason felt they looked extremely good together. Maybe since they are always stuck together she thought it was only natural.
She waved them good night as she prepared to leave as well.
One of the girl present asked her to have a last drink with them before she left. Chad also begged her to stay a little longer since she still had some time before catching bus.
In her last life since she didn't come home for long, her mother came searching for her. Unable to reach Lucia who was drunk that day she had come to pick her up when Harith informed her. Natalia and the others had made her drink several glasses so she was out of her mind and had totally blacked out.
A fight had started in the bar when she bumped into a random stranger. She had been drunk and so was the man. She apologized but was assaulted by the other party who tried misbehaving with her. It was a man with unkempt beard and fat belly so she was disgusted and hit him in the face. Even if he had been a prince charming she would have hit him. People are supposed to be respectful to each other.
" You bitch" The man had turned red in anger and smashed a bottle on her which didn't land on her but on her mother who had just entered the bar to witness a man hitting her.
She couldn't face the scene of her mom lying in the ground with her head bleeding with a piece of glass stuck on her head. Her senses darkened and she fainted only to wake up the next day in hospital with her mom in intensive care unit. Those memory came rushing inside her like a tsunami shaking her heart.
Lucia didn't wanted to worry her mom so she decided to call her. She waved everyone goodbye and walked out the bar in to the well lit street.
'She is all yours now.' Natalia sent the message to the unknown number. The figure rose from the dark corner of the bar and swiftly went out.
'$10000 had been deposited in you account.' A message caught her attention. "Sorry girl but you owe me this." Natalia deleted the contact number and history and joined in the after party with more pleasant mood.
Lucia felt a little dizzy as she was walking. She had only drank one glass so she was confused when she felt her vision getting blurry. She felt funny like when she was drunk. Ignoring it she called her mom.
"Mom, I am out now. I will reach home soon." As she was talking with her she suddenly bumped into someone. She quickly apologized but when she saw the familiar man with unkempt beard and filthy look her mind spinned a total of 180 degree
"You..." Before she could react a hand reached to block her mouth and she lost her consciousness when a smell entered her nose. It was an anaesthesia.
Fate seemed to be toying with her. One way or the other troubles never left her. With these thought each and every of her senses darkened.
"Lu lu???What's wrong?" "Can you hear me?"
Her mother frantically shouted over the phone when she suddnely stopped speaking.
A bad feeling entered her heart.