Chapter 13

First date. The lunch with Jeremy White was going to be her real first date. Chandra had to keep telling herself to take deep breaths as she stared at herself in the bathroom mirror. She'd just finished braiding her long hair, now resting over her right shoulder. Her face was made up naturally with peachy blush, light smoky eyes, long lashes, and rosy lipstick. She wore a floral summer dress that came down to just above her knees.

She was just finishing washing her hands when Soriya and Dara walked in through the door.

"Ooh-la-la!" Soriya said once she saw Chan. "You look hot."

Chan turned to glare at her sisters. "You're being rude, coming into the bathroom without knocking."

Dara waved. "We knew you'd finished eons ago. You've been in here since quarter past eleven. It's nearly quarter to twelve now. That's half an hour, young lady. Very unlike you to spend so much time in the bathroom. And getting ready for your date!" She ended excitedly.

"You act like it's your date," Chan said, walking out the door.

"Of course it's not our date," Soriya uttered.

Chan shook her head, knowing her sisters would always put their hands into her business, regardless if she liked it or not.

They followed Chan into her bedroom, and the girls crashed onto Chan's new queen-size bed.

"Don't forget to tell us how it goes, yeah?" Dara said.

"Oh my gosh! Look at these," Soriya said, rushing up to a vase of white and blue roses sitting by Chan's dressing table. "Blue roses. Where did you get them?"

"They're outside our section near the waterfall. Well, I think it's our section," Chan said. "I saw them this morning and thought they looked amazing."

Soriya laughed. "What's amazing is"—she picked up a blue rose, snapped off the long stalk, and then inserted it into Chan's braid—"it sits in your hair. There." She stood back and nodded in approval. "It matches your dress. That blue floral."

"I totally agree with that," Dara said, nodding.

"So, kiddo, you're going to have fun. Lunch by the beach with a hot dude," Soriya said, giggling.

"Come on, guys. We don't even know where this is going."

"Where this is going?" Dara uttered in outrage. "Young lady, that man is perfect."

"Besides," Soriya said, "if it doesn't work out, at least you have fun, right?"

Chandra nodded. "Yeah, it's only a first date. Just have fun. Nothing more."

"That's my girl," Dara said.

Chan said, chuckling, "Right now, I feel like you both are older than me."

"In this case, sweetheart, we kind of are," Soriya said.

"Oh?" Chan gave her youngest sister a look. "Well, since when did you start dating?"

"I read lots of online advice about dating and health and all that jazz," Soriya replied. "Just be glad I'm here to give you advice on such important issues."

"Oy! That hurt," Soriya muttered, frowning at her sister. "You're so getting it back," she said, pulling at Dara's shorter hair. Then they both laughed.

The doorbell rang, and Chan jumped. "Shit! He's here," she said.

"I'll get the door," Dara announced.

Chan nodded and ran back into the bathroom.

"Hey, where are you going?"

"To get my phone. I left it in the bathroom. I took it in with me in case Jeremy called to cancel while I got ready."

"You're very pessimistic, my love," Soriya said and gave her sister a peck on the cheek before heading down the stairs to greet their sister's possible future boyfriend.

Chan quickly grabbed her cell and then rushed back into her bedroom to get her satchel and sandals. Once she had the sandals on and her satchel over her shoulder, she headed out the door.

As she came down the stairs, she saw Jeremy talking to her sisters. From behind, he looked damn handsome. He was wearing dark-blue jeans with a polo shirt. Very casual. She wondered if she was a little overdressed for a simple lunch.

He turned the moment Dara said, "Oh, here comes your date."

Jeremy couldn't take his eyes off Chan and grinned widely. "Hey," he greeted her.

"Hi," Chan replied. "I could have met you there, you know."

Jeremy gave her a merry laugh. "Don't be silly. I wanted to come get you. Shall we go?"

Chan nodded.

"Make sure you kids have fun, 'kay?" Soriya said.

Jeremy waved. "Sure will, little lady," he replied as he and Chan walked out the door.

"Who's he calling little lady?" Soriya muttered to Dara, who was grinning and humming to herself.

"You, darling," Dara said.

"I am not a little lady," Soriya snapped.

"Are you kidding?" Dara said. "You're only twenty-one. Still a wee thing compared to us mature adults here."

Soriya said sarcastically, "Yeah, right, sweetheart, at twenty-three?"

They glared at each other for a moment, and then suddenly, they both burst out laughing.

Soriya was still rolling around on the sofa, nursing her stomach from the laughter, when she said, "I know Chan will finally get her happy ending. I just know it. She deserves it after so much has happened."

"Yeah," Dara said. "She will. I still wish we could have done more, though. More importantly, I still wish that bastard Dave would die a horrible death. Sexually harassing our darling Chan for so long. I wish we could have found out sooner. And now he's still stalking her."

"At least we're now in a different country, and furthermore, have sold the house and moved to this beautiful, fancy apartment," Soriya said. "There's no way he's gonna find us here. Or that bitch Lisa, or Amie, of course."

"Yeah!" Dara said, and then they gave each other a high five.