What are the O.D.D.s?

CHRISTY

Today is Bali’s 18th birthday –her debut!

We have been anticipating this event for quite some time. There has been a lot of planning involved –mostly behind the scenes which I’ll share in a minute.

The girls and I agreed to meet up at the venue an hour early so we can catch-up and huddle before the big event. But Ethan insisted he’ll fetch me so we can go to the venue together.

When I heard his car pull up, I immediately faced the mirror and grabbed a napkin and dabbed it on my face to wipe some of the sweat. I fixed my up-do hair quickly and gave myself another once-over. I definitely outdid myself today. It’s my first attempt to do my make-up and it wasn’t bad. The off-shoulder sequins dress I got from that fancy store was worth every penny –even for just this night, I think I’ve already reached ROI. I didn’t think green suited me at first but now, I think I should wear this color more often.

Then, I heard a knock on the door. He’s here!

As soon as I opened the door, this gorgeous gentleman greeted me with a peck on the cheek. He was wearing a black suit, with an emerald tie –matching my dress (yes, we talked about it like we’re attending prom). He had a recent haircut –I can tell. A faded cut? Didn’t expect it to suit him so well. And, as usual, he smelled so good. I couldn’t figure out what it was but I could smell him all day –okay scratch that– I don’t want to sound creepy.

“You look immaculate.” He said.

“You don’t look bad yourself.” I replied.

“Are you ready?”

One slight nod was all it took for him to offer his hand. I gladly accepted it as I followed him to his car. Then he webbed his fingers into mine. Gosh! It’s the first time he held my hand like this. Goosebumps instantly creeped in my spine –but in a good way. I held his hand once before, but not like this.

I didn’t realize I was holding my breath from the moment he opened the car door until he walked to the other side and stepped in.

“You know what to do.” He said.

I was in-charge of the music every time I rode with him. So I pulled up my phone to open Spotify and began DJ-ing. I think he tolerates my playlist. But recently, I see him bobbing his head here and there on certain songs. Maybe my vibe is starting to grow on him. Look at me… in my influencer era.

We didn’t talk much during the drive although I caught him stealing glances a couple of times, specifically on two separate occasions we got stopped by a traffic light. I was thinking of teasing him about it but I don’t think I’m ready for his response.

When I checked my watch, we were 10 minutes early from the agreed meet-up time with the girls. We circled a bit and found the perfect parking space which was close to the entrance. As soon as he shifted the gear into park, he moved and rested his right hand on my thigh, and gave it a light squeeze.

“You really look beautiful, Chris. I can’t stop looking at you.”

“Don’t tell me you’re falling for me.” I joked.

Just when I thought the space between us was getting closer, a sudden knock jolted us both. Vivian was standing outside, waving, and welcoming us with an excited look. Ethan immediately pulled his hand back, turned the engine off, and we both stepped out. Vivian’s low voice filled the air, “Christy! Ethan!”

“I saw the car and went right away. I’m so excited!”

I saw Alex and Ely standing at the hotel’s entrance, waving as well. And I thought, wow they are early.

Vivian and I practically ran towards them. I gave them a quick hug and peck on the cheek. I suddenly thought about Ethan, who was slowly walking towards our way. I mouthed, sorry, for leaving him, but he just smiled, signaling he was okay.

Vivian bumped me with her elbow and teased in a whisper, “Can I just say, Ethan is looking fine!” With an emphasis on fine.

“I know.” I admitted.

“What was that?” Ethan asked, “I heard my name.”

We giggled and pretended we were talking about something else.

But I couldn’t stop myself from smiling every time I thought about what Ethan said earlier. And why do I want to rewind the last 10 minutes and see where it could have taken us? What if we had parked a little further? What if Vivian didn’t see us and knock on my door?

While I was in the middle of my thoughts, Alex started calling our attention, “Quick huddle, everyone!”

We focused our attention on hers and waited for her instructions. Since today was Bali’s birthday –just like any other birthday– we planned a surprise. But let’s reserve that story for later.

“Let’s make this quick so we can enjoy the party,” Alex continued.

When we finished our huddle, we decided to approach the usher and asked him to guide us to our seats. As soon as he opened the door to the function room, all of us dropped our jaws. It was breathtaking! The place was huge –probably two-storey high. The light fixtures on the ceilings were three circular rings and a dozen more rings surrounded them.

Eight oval tables were neatly scattered around the room to accommodate all the guests. The place was starting to fill up but there were still quite a number of vacant seats.

This is one of the grandest celebrations I have ever attended and I’m so grateful to be a part of it. The girls and I took our seats. Ethan took a seat beside me, unprompted. Vivian was on the other, then Alex, then Ely. After a few minutes, more familiar faces started to arrive. A lot of them were classmates or org-mates from college.

As I was admiring the place and watching the guests find their tables, I suddenly felt this overwhelming happiness and warmth. I started reminiscing about the past couple of years: how my friends and I spent the majority of our college moments –not just studying (although a big chunk was actually spent there) –but by being hopeless romantics.

So much has happened and it’s just wonderful to witness how this journey led us to where we are right now.

You might be wondering, what exactly happened? Well, no need to wonder for long, I’ll tell you exactly what happened. In more detail than you’d probably expect. On top of that, my friends would probably tell their side of the story as well!

So, grab your popcorn and let’s get started!