CHAPTER 25: DOUBLE DARE

Louis rolled over to the other side of the bed only to feel it empty. He slowly and sleepily opened his eyes. “Jess?”

No answer. He tiredly pulled himself up and looked around the room. Her clothes and his clothes were still strewn all over the place as a result of last night. He smiled as he recalled it. He grinned to himself. That was some night!

He threw off the covers and wandered about the room, naked, looking for his underwear. At that exact moment, Jessica chose to burst into the room.

“Breakfast is rea…” she stopped halfway through her sentence and stared at him, or rather at that region between his belly and legs. “Mmm…” she mumbled.

Louis, having been caught by surprise, just stood there grinning at her sheepishly. “Did you say breakfast was ready?”

Jessica smiled mischievously at him. “I think I prefer breakfast in bed,” she said as she walked up to him, wrapped her arms around his neck and planted a kiss on his lips. Louis laughed, grabbed her waist and they both tumbled back into bed.

Later as they were snuggling up to each other, Louis let out a slight chuckle.

“What?” Jessica asked suspiciously.

“I like how we’re getting to know each other better,” Louis chortled.

Jessica laughed. “Hmm…I definitely have to agree to that…”

Just then, they heard the door outside slam shut. “Who could that be?” Louis muttered as he nudged Jessica’s neck with his chin.

“Who else lives here besides me, stupid,” Jess teased as she playfully pinched his nose.

It didn’t take long for them both to jump to the same conclusion.

“Looks like Flora got lucky last night,” Louis chortled. “Way to go, Bowie.”

Jessica poked him in the belly. “Hey, what do you mean she got lucky. It was Bowie who got lucky, just like how you got lucky last night,” she grinned.

“Oh, really?” Louis feigned surprise.

“Yes, really,” replied Jessica with certain smugness.

“Well, let’s just see who’s the lucky one, shall we?” Louis chuckled as he rolled over, pinning Jessica down under him and started tickling her all over.

Flora walked pass Jessica’s bedroom and heard the screams and laughter coming from within. She stopped and stood outside, a smile slowly coming to her face as a plan started to form in her mind. Louis was merely a distraction, she remembered what Jess had told her. Flora was damned if she believed her friend.

By the time Jessica got into work, it was almost noon. She walked in just as Karen walked out.

“Hello Jess,” Karen greeted her. “I look forward to working with your agency,” she said as she shook her hand.

“Err…yea,” Jess replied, dumbfounded. “We look forward to working with you too.”

When Karen had left, Jess rushed into Flora’s office. “I just saw Karen Chan and she said something about working with us? What was that all about?” she blabbered away excitedly.

Flora waved a file in front of her flustered friend. “We got the contract,” she smiled.

“No shiiit! You serious?!” Jessica shrieked.

Then she frowned. “How come? What did you do?” she asked Flora suspiciously.

Flora grinned. “I’m just a damn good negotiator.”

“You bloody well are! Shit, think of all that money…we’ve got to celebrate!” Jessica shrieked again. “Oh, and we’ve got to celebrate about you and Bowie too. How was it, eh?” she asked impishly.

Flora frowned. “Bowie and me? Last night? What are you going on about?”

“Don’t play dumb,” Jessica scowled. “You didn’t get back till this morning. I heard you.”

Flora nodded slowly, finally understanding what her friend was on about. So, Jess thought she had spent the night with Bowie, an evil grin formed on Flora’s lips. “Nothing happened with Bowie last night…”

Jessica rolled her eyes in disbelief. “Yea…right. You guys talked till morning…” she said cynically.

“I didn’t say that…” Flora smiled. “Did I even say I was with him last night?” she said watching the reaction on Jessica’s face.

Jessica gaped at her. “What do you mean? We saw you go out with Bowie…Who did you spend the night with then?”

“I went out with Bowie, correct. We caught a movie and had dinner after. Then we came home and we said goodbye at the door,” Flora explained.

Jessica blinked her eyes several times. “Then…but…this morning…We heard you come in…”

“Oh, you were right,” Flora nodded. “I didn’t spend the night at home…” She was enjoying watching the confusion on Jessica's face.

Jessica frowned. “Damn it, can you just tell me?!” she yelled in frustration.

Flora just smiled and pretended to get back to the paperwork in front of her. Jessica pounded her fists in front of her friend and slammed shut all the files Flora was looking at.

Meanwhile in another part of the city…

Louis slapped his friend on the back. “All right, man! Some night you had last night, eh?”

Bowie looked at him in puzzlement.

“Don’t pretend. Jess and I only heard Flora come in this morning,” he grinned.

Bowie continued to give Louis a I-don’t-know-what-you’re-talking-about look. “What are you talking about?” he asked.

Louis sighed. “You and Flora, you know. Happy, happy…no get home till morning-morning,” he chuckled.

“Flora didn’t get home till the morning?” Bowie frowned.

Louis nudged his friend. “How was she, eh?” he asked with a mischievous look in his eye.

“Are you going to tell me or are you just going to sit there smirking?” Jess sighed.

Flora smirked all right. She watched her friend pace up and down as she tried to get it out of her. Finally Flora decided she had tortured Jess long enough.

“I was with Karen,” she finally revealed.

Jessica gaped at her again. This was too much. So many surprises – no, make that shocks – in a day. “Karen?! As in Karen, Karen Chan?”

Flora nodded with a smile.

“Oh my god!” Jessica exclaimed. “Don’t tell me you really, actually did IT with her?”

Flora again just smiled, not offering anything further.

“And that was why we got the contract?” Jessica gasped.

“No way!” Louis exclaimed. “I don’t believe this!”

Bowie just stared into space with a lost look on his face.

“Hey man,” Louis suddenly realised how downcast his friend looked. “I’m sorry. I seriously thought you guys were together last night. I didn’t know.”

Bowie shook his head forlornly.

“Shit!” Louis swore and quietly blew his breath. “If she wasn’t with you last night, who was she with?” he echoed Bowie’s exact thoughts.

“Karen. Karen Chan,” Jessica repeated over and over again. She was having trouble digesting this news her friend had just told her. “Wow…” She shook her head and stared at Flora. Then she grinned. “I take my hat off to you, Flora Lau. Jeez…I never thought you’d do it…” Jess looked at the smirking Flora. “How was it?” she asked impishly.

Flora still didn’t answer. All she did was smile. She didn’t have to say anything. Jessica was jumping to all sorts of conclusions on her own.

“Arghhh!” Jess screamed. “You’re driving me crazy – “

She pretended to pull at her own hair. “ – okay, okay. You win…” Jess sank into the sofa in Flora’s office. “All right, I remembered our little wager. What is it you want?”

This was it, Flora smirked. This was what she had been waiting for. This was payback time. Flora got up slowly and pretended to arrange the papers on her desk, taking her time to answer Jessica. Jessica looked at Flora expectantly.

“So, what is it? That Patek Phillipe watch you’ve been eyeing?” she sighed.

“You know…” Flora finally opened her mouth to say something. “I could forget all about the wager. I don’t mind…” she smiled.

But Jessica never noticed nor suspected what Flora had up her sleeve. She brushed off Flora’s remark. “A bet’s a bet and I lost.”

Flora grinned. She had known her friend would say those exact words. She was just too predictable. “You sure?” Flora asked again, giving Jessica another chance to pull out before she dropped the bomb on her.

Jess nodded. “C’mon, give it to me,” she sighed and wondered how big a dent this was going to put in her pocket.

“Okieee…” Flora smirked. “Listen carefully then…” Flora gazed fixedly at her friend. “…I want…Louis.”