STATUS: With Benefits Only

Chapter IV: First Kiss

Celestine's POV

"What?! Are you crazy?!"

"Help me, Sash!" I've been asking her for suggestions and help for hundreds of times now after telling her about my plan for Dominique's birthday.

"Celestine, what you're planning to do is too much. Your virginity is at stake here, you really want to give it to him just like that? He doesn't even look at you and you want to give him your v-card? Think twice, Tine, I know you're better than this." Sasha turned her back, went to the kitchen and start cooking our dinner.

"Sash, I'm desperate." 

She paused and looked at me.

"I know this is too much, but I'm desperate to prove to Dominique that his accusations against me are wrong, that I'm not what other people say I am." She shrugged her shoulders and looked at me in the eyes. "Sash, please." I approached her and held both her hands but didn't say anything.

"No matter where you look at it, what you're planning to do is wrong. If your plan did work and something happen to you two, how sure are you that he's going to change? How sure are you that he will never spoke to you the way he did now? Once you give it to him, you can never get it back."

I know that it was uncertain whether Dom's perception about me will change or not. But I don't really care anymore since I had no plan on giving my virginity away to anyone but him.

"Please, just this once. You're the only one I can ask for help with this." I pleaded, If I need to kneel just to make her say yes, I'd really do it.

"But Tine---"

"Please, Sash..." I hold her hand tighter, never giving her a chance to say more. She sighed deeply before blowing an air and look at me in my eyes. There's a seconds of silence before she nodded..

"Yes! Thank you!" I shouted and hugged her.

"I just don't think I can stop you. You'll just do it everytime when you really want something." She said. I just smiled at her widely and quickly kissed her on the cheek.

"You really know me so well," I grinned. She rolled her eyes and continued what she was doing in the kitchen.

That's it! One problem solved, the only thing I need to think about now is how to get close to Dom on his birthday without anyone suspecting.

Should I make him drunk? Should I make him fall asleep using sleeping pills? He needs to be in an altered state because if not, even with just a meter's distance between us, he'll immediately walk away from me. I need to get close to him so I can execute my plan properly.

I may not be as smart as Sasha, but I'm really crafty when it comes to planning things. But when it comes to Dominique, I'm really clueless!

Two days have passed and I'm here now at one of the mansions of the Gutierrez family. Dominique's 22nd birthday party will be held here, where some of our university classmates, as well as some acquaintances from various organizations he's involved in, are invited.

Dom is popular, not just in school but also in elite society.

His 21st birthday party last year was so extravagant and luxurious, he celebrated it on a famous cruise ship.

The theme for tonight is super casual, like a literal party. You don't need to wear a tux or a gown, just wear whatever you want.

I glanced at some of the girls inside, wearing extremely short and tight mini dresses. There are also some girls I passed by who were just wearing bikinis and holding red cups in their hands. I looked outside the mansion and there were a lot of people in the pool area.

"Sash! Tine!" I turned around when I saw Ate Danica in front of us. We immediately approached her and hugged her.

"I'm glad both of you made it!" She shouted because the music was so loud inside their big living room. Dominique hired a professional DJ.

"Wait, I'll call Dom!"

"Oh no, Ate! He might still be busy entertaining his guests." Ate just nodded and smiled at me. Maybe he's busy with other girls.

"Just enjoy yourself, okay? I'll leave you now." She quickly left and passed by both Sasha and me.

Just as I turned my head in another direction, I immediately saw McKenzie at the corner, holding his phone in one hand and a red cup in the other. Two girls suddenly approached him and wanted to talk and introduce themselves.

My eyebrows furrowed when I saw that Makie only gave them a polite smile and walked away. When he lifted his head, our eyes met. His face immediately brightened and he smiled widely upon seeing me."Tine!" he shouted and immediately walked towards me.

"Makie!" He greeted me with a tight hug. "I'm glad you're here. I've been waiting for your reply since earlier." He then turned his attention to Sasha, who was beside us, and hugged her as well.

"Sorry, I haven't checked my phone yet." Makie just nodded at me and smiled.

"It's so noisy here, let's go outside." We agreed with what he said. The music inside was so loud, my heart was almost pounding out of my chest.

When we reached the pool area, we immediately went to a gazebo. Makie took two red cups there and handed one to Sasha and me. The three of us were chatting when Sasha suddenly coughed on the side.

"Are you alright, Nay?" I gently patted her back, she choked on the beer she was drinking.

"It's not your first time drinking, Sash, right?" Makie asked her.

"Yeah, I-I'm fine," Sasha said and coughed again. I looked around and caught a glimpse of Kuya Denver on the side, kissing another girl in a dimly lit place. No wonder poor Sasha choked, she saw something unpleasant.

I glanced at Sasha as she finished a glass of beer and then grabbed another one and drank from it.

"H-Hold on, Nay, take it slow!" Sasha shouldn't get drunk so quickly, it'll ruin my plan if that happens!

"Damn, this party sucks," I heard her mumble after she drank another glass. "Wait, I need to pee," she said and walked away from us. We tried calling her, but she didn't look back.

Damn it! What do we do now?

I slapped my forehead while watching Sasha walking by the pool and grabbing another red cup. It seems like I can't rely on Sasha at this moment. I'm sure she'll get drunk right away because of what she saw.

I can't blame her though, she's head over heels in love with Kuya Denver. The moment she laid her eyes on Tito Darius' eldest son, Kuya Denver automatically captured Sasha's attention in an instant. Since then, she kept mentioning Kuya.

"Is she alright?" Makie asked me on the side. I immediately looked at him and gave a small smile.

"Yes, she's going to be fine. Let's just leave her alone for now," I told him.

"By the way, why did you avoid those pretty girls earlier? Don't they fit your taste?" I grinned at him and took a sip of my drink.

"Oh, that? It's not like that. Let's just say I'm not interested in mingling with other girls," he said and took a drink too.

"Why? Do you already have a girlfriend?" He shook his head and smiled. With Mckenzie's glow up, he doesn't have a girlfriend?

"Not even in the States? Not even a fling?" He shook his head again, causing my eyebrows to meet. That's weird. Maybe it's just not a priority for Makie right now. He still looks so innocent in my eyes, even though we're the same age. He still looks 16 to me.

"What about a kiss? Impossible that you haven't kissed a girl yet."

"I never had my first kiss yet." My eyes widened.

"Are you serious, Mckenzie?!" He nodded and chuckled softly. Oh my god! With how handsome my friend is, he hasn't had one?!

"You should have your first kiss tonight!" I exclaimed excitedly. "Come on." I took his hand, and we entered the mansion together where many people were already drinking. It's almost 9 pm in the evening, so it's normal.

Ate Danny's living room turned into something like a club with the number of people, some were vaping on the side, while others were wearing neon lights as jewelry or bracelets since it was dark inside.

"Have another drink, Makie! You should get wasted tonight!" I shouted at him, and we cheered. We both finished a glass of alcohol and danced in the crowd. The music was so loud, and it was really crowded inside.

I completely forgot about my plan with Dominique, I haven't seen him since earlier. I wonder where that man went. It's fine, I'll help Makie have his first kiss first before I focus on my plan.

I still have the whole night to do it.

We've had several glasses already, and I could feel the heat in my neck. I'm a bit tipsy. But it's okay, I can still walk straight. The important thing is not to get drunk.

I looked around, searching for a beautiful girl who would be perfect for Makie.

"Hey! What about her?" I pointed to a girl with short hair and a sexy figure dancing not far away. I've noticed her stealing glances at Mckenzie.

"No, I don't like her!" Makie shouted at me. Damn it! This guy is so picky! Looks like he's going to stress me out tonight. I ran my fingers through my hair; it's getting really hot in here. I can feel small beads of sweat forming on my forehead.“I guess we should get out of here, Tine!” My eyes were fixed on a tall and handsome guy holding a red cup not far away, talking to a girl.

It’s Dominique!

“Tine!” Makie grabbed my arm and I turned to look at him. I didn't know he had been saying something earlier.

“The moment the beat drops, you should kiss the person in front of you! Are you ready?!” People suddenly shouted as the DJ spoke. Huh? What did he say? Wait, where's Dominique? He suddenly disappeared again!

“In 3, 2, 1!” The beat suddenly drops and the blinding lights went black. I couldn't see anything!

I quickly felt my face, hoping that Makie was still there. Because of seeing Dominique earlier, I suddenly lost myself for a moment and became anxious.

"Mckenzie, where are yo— " Suddenly someone held my waist and kissed me on the lips. I was surprised by how fast it happened, and at that moment, I was thrown off balance where I stood.

I felt very soft lips touching mine. The kiss was so light. It wasn't the forceful kiss that I was used to. I suddenly became accustomed to the rhythm of the kiss, as if I didn't want to let go of his embrace and just drown in his lips.

“I like you, Celestine, I like you a lot. Why not me instead?" he said in the midst of our kiss. He tightened his hold on my waist.

It wasn't just a simple kiss, it's a torrid one!

I suddenly snapped back to reality and pushed Mckenzie away. I couldn't believe what I had done, I let him kiss me. It can't be, this can't happen.

"C-Celestine, I'm—"

"That shouldn't have happened, Makie," I said to him. The warmth I had felt earlier because of alcohol suddenly disappeared. Because of Mckenzie kissing me, I suddenly woke up.

"I'm sorry, Celestine, wait!" I suddenly turned around and left the crowd. I heard Makie shouting my name, but I didn't look back.

What kind of friend am I? I let Mckenzie give me his first kiss. I don't deserve his kiss! Why, Makie? Out of all the girls out there, why did you choose to want me?

I shook my head and went up to the second floor of the mansion. I didn't want to see Makie for now, I'm the one feeling embarrassed about what happened earlier.