1
Heroina:
Latin. Etymology of the word: Heroine.
Adrienne Miller smiled thoughtfully while sitting in her balcony. She has just finished unpacking her clothes and putting all her furniture in place. Her new apartment is clean, fully decorated and shows every bit of her personality. From every vase, to every painting and every jar. She just loved it.
She was very tired, having spent the rest of the day tidying up and decorating her new haven, but she was contented. She didn’t ask the help of her friends. She employed the services of an interior designer. She gave them a budget and a contemporary theme, and told them that she preferred the colors red, beige, white and brown. She specified for them to use nature and abstract paintings, and elegant, silver and glass vases.
She was quite happy with the results. She intends to have her friends over in the next weeks and she was glad that her interior designer did an amazing job. She paid her a fortune but she thought that she only needed to do it once. And what is an expensive apartment if it didn’t look exactly the way you want it to?
She was able to mortgage her own place. It wasn’t cheap but it was everything she ever wanted. It was in one of those high-end areas in Manhattan, just five blocks from her office. It was an expensive two-bedroom apartment that has a large balcony, a big living room, two en-suite baths and walk-in closets. She placed a table and four steel chairs on the balcony, that has a wonderful view of New York.
The moment her broker showed her the apartment, she knew this is where she would like to live in. It was expensive, but she never indulged in expensive bags, clothes or makeup anyway. One of her dreams was owning her own haven that she couldn’t wait to come home to. A place where she might spend the rest of her life in. And according to her friends, this is where she will weary away her virgin years.
Yes. Adrienne Miller is twenty-five years old and never been touched and infrequently kissed.
She has a boyfriend. Troy. Although they have been together three years, they do not see each other every single day. He is in Medical School with her sister in Massachusetts. She’s working as an editor in New York.
For her, he’s a wonderful guy. Old-fashioned. Gentleman. He never suggested they go to bed together and she was thankful, because she knew that when she does decide to lose her preciously virtue, she wanted it to be very intense. The moment and the person had to be both right. The experience must be unforgettable. She wanted no regrets. She didn’t hold on to it for so long for nothing. She won’t have sex just for the sake of losing her virginity. She wanted it to be electrifying and memorable. She wanted to remember the person and the moment with a smile on her face even when her hair turns gray.
Their parents were friends. They me at a party. Adrienne thought he was cute. During those times, she would prefer devilishly handsome guys. But then she wasn’t really willing to pay the high price of being with one. The last thing she wanted was someone hot, but doesn’t have the hots only for her. Someone who would only fool around with prettier girls. So she settled with safe. Cute. And Troy with his dark blonde hair and dark brown eyes, tan skin and deep dimples on his cheeks was exactly that.
She could remember the many conversations she had with her friends about Troy.
Her best friend, Yuan, once told her, “You should really think better of yourself. I think there are better fishes in the ocean.”
Her friends thought that Troy was too plain and too ‘proper’ for her. They seem to believe that she deserves someone cooler, someone more energetic, and more importantly, someone better looking than Troy. And they always told her that she deserved somebody who has a sense of humor, and just a hint of danger.
She understands them. She never heard Troy tell a joke before. And he can’t seem to tolerate simple deviations in human behavior. Like getting wasted, drinking away all your problems, smoking, mini-skirts or hair highlights. He doesn’t even know that Adrienne herself puffs her problems away with a stick of slim cigarettes.
“He’s like the fireman who will always water your fire!” Her other best friend, Jill said. “You have a wilder spirit than you’d like to admit. Having a guy who puts a stopper to all these flair that you have will not help you spread your wings.”
But Troy was going to be a surgeon one day. Her parents were both doctors. And her sister is going to be one as well. She was the odd one out.
So she figured, if you can’t be one, then marry one.
Her mother was perfectly happy with her relationship with Troy. As far as she could remember, it was the only time she made her happy.
She had a broken relationship with her mother. She never remembered having her love. She grew up with a mother who always takes the side of her elder sister. She grew up trying her best to win her over… even for just once.
But she never did. Not even when she got into the best schools in the country. Not even when she graduated with honors.
Her mother said… oh right, she said, “It’s not a difficult course.”
She has a double degree in journalism and mass communications. She has a talent for writing. She was the only one in her family who has the knack for it. Her sister couldn’t put a paragraph together. Her mother couldn’t understand the context of metaphors. She thinks that her father barely has a sense of humor.
In fact, during that party where she met Troy, her mother was excited to introduce him to Kimberly. But it was she who took home the trophy. She didn’t even know what she did. She just stood there, looking bored.
But Troy couldn’t seem to take his eyes off her. He tried to strike a conversation with her. He tried medical terms, she didn’t know any. He tried sports, she doesn’t play one. Then he mentioned CSI. Ahh… they have something in common after all. But while she dwelt on the action, he dwelt on the technicality of the show. He said that some scenes seemed too sophisticated to happen in real life. She bit her tongue to keep herself from retorting, That’s why it’s a television drama, not a reality show, in front of her mother.
Her first reaction was Duh! You think too much! Her impression of him was that, he’s a dork and a nerd, who thought he is above everybody intellectually, and he has the need to prove it all the time, in every conversation and every topic he discusses with strangers.
But her mother must have really liked Troy, that it doesn’t matter which daughter he asked out. At first, she didn’t know what her mother saw in him. But she was too bent up on pleasing her that soon, she found herself enjoying Troy’s company.
Since she worked in New York, she doesn’t see much of Troy. They often talk on the phone, but they only see each other once a month, sometimes, once in two months.
At first, she thought their setup was going to drive her insane with misery or boredom and that she couldn’t wait another day to finally see him again. But she was surprised that she was still completely functional even when he wasn’t around. The phone calls and video chats they have are enough to make her feel secured with their relationship.
What else could I ask for? She thought. He loves me. I love him. I have a great job, a nice apartment, and my friends are enough to drive me crazy on a daily basis. Plus, my mother has never been happier with me.
That was enough for her. She’s sure when the time is right, maybe Troy would propose to her. And she would happily give away her virginity to him on their wedding night. What could be more perfect than that?
She realized, maybe she just isn’t like Jill or the other girls she has met, who were enjoying sex and sleeping with men on the second date. Maybe she is old-fashioned and would rather wait and save herself for the right man at the right time or for marriage. Her friends may think this is hypocrisy, or sour-grapping. But what can she do? She is dead curious about sex. But she couldn’t get how a guy can make her lose her sense of morality and make her succumb to a moment of intense passion.
And the all-too-formal dinner dates she had with Troy, coupled with topics such as HIV, teenage pregnancy, and abortion, just don’t help set the mood for lovemaking. And she’ll be damned if she’s the one to make the first move towards intimacy.
Her life is perfect. True, there may be much more she could do with it. But she’s still young. Getting this fancy apartment is the first step in asserting her independence and making her parents feel that she is making a good life for herself, particularly because they aren’t really fond of her chosen career.
Troy thought the same. He doesn’t always approve of her job. For him, it’s not challenging enough to be called a profession. But she loves her job, and she’s good at it.
She took a deep breath. She was happy ten minutes ago. Now, she thought about how her parents and Troy see her, and she suddenly felt glum. Even if she showed them her A-list worthy apartment now, she doubts that they would approve. Maybe her mother will think it’s a waste of money. True, it’s a huge dent on her monthly savings, but she never really did anything outrageous and risky in her entire life.
Her mother doesn’t exactly approve of New York, either. She thought it was too temporary. And if one is thinking of having a family, New York is not really an option.
She stepped of her balcony and stared at her New York view. Then her eyes drifted to her neighbor’s balcony on her right. She hasn’t met them yet.
She is sharing a bedroom wall with her neighbor. Not only that, her bedroom window is parallel to theirs and there’s a huge platform connecting them. She remembered that she needs to keep her windows locked all the time. Otherwise, if the person next door is a psycho, she’s going to be the easiest target. And that was the only think she didn’t like about her apartment.
But hopefully, her neighbors will be nice. She always thought it would be great to invite and be invited over for dinners.
She scanned the steel chairs and glass table on the balcony beside hers. It is almost the same as hers. Good to know that she and her neighbor had the same taste. Only theirs were steel black. Hers was white.
She noticed an abandoned bottle of Heineken and an ashtray half full of cigarette butts.
She guesses that her neighbor wasn’t a family. Therefore, no kids. No babies. Not that she doesn’t like kids. It’s just that it’s good to know that no one will complain if she holds parties or let her friends sleepover and Yuan decides to play Betty Davies Eyes over and over again.
She put out her cigarette and went back inside. She has just taken one step into her room when she caught something out of the corner of her eye.
Her neighbor stepped out to his balcony. She was staring at a perfectly and gorgeously tanned torso with the perfect set of abs. His body was muscular, but they weren’t bulging.
He seemed lost in his thoughts, staring at the New York city view, with a cigarette on hand. He was wearing only a pair of faded jeans. His hair was jet black and even from afar, she can see that his eyes were framed by long dark lashes.
Suddenly, her breath caught in her throat.
It can’t be! She thought, her heart pounding wildly in her chest now.
She knows him. He was… the city’s most wanted bachelor, also known as the city’s most notorious playboy.
Justin Adams.
He was the prodigal heir of Adams Industries. His father was a steel and mining magnate. Their family is filthy rich but instead of living in the shadows of his father, he was determined to draw his own map, his own future. He graduated with a double degree in Harvard, straight As, but made his father quite mad when he announced that he won’t work for their company right away. Not only that, he spent a lot of working on his hobby, photography.
He works as a freelance photographer for the magazine she is working for. That’s how she knew him. He was a celebrity in Blush. There is not a single girl in her office who does not fancy herself in love with him… well maybe just her.
She finds him intriguing, yes. But she doesn’t understand what the fuss was really about. She thought those girls were overreacting. Even her best friend Jill couldn’t stop talking about him… like he is God’s gift to women… or finally there was one guy worthy of being called one.
She hid behind her balcony door, hoping that he doesn’t turn around and find her staring at him. As she stared at his profile, she drew a deep breath.
Okay. He really isn’t bad. No! She mustn’t kid herself. He is as handsome as the devil himself. Although, she can’t really say for sure without looking through his eyes, which were often covered by a pair of pitch black shades. But right now, staring at his profile alone, along with the toned muscles and the perfect set of abs… she thought that the fuss could actually be worth it after all.
He stood in his balcony and made some calls. He looked quite serious although she couldn’t hear what he was saying. After a few minutes, he put out his light and went inside his apartment. She followed him with her eyes and looked over her window. He put on a white shirt, grabbed his leather jacket and then went off.
She smiled to herself. Maybe her apartment has one more interesting thing about it.
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Okay!
So this chapter and the next ones may be a bit boring. Sorry. But I got to start somewhere and introduce the character/s.
This story may be familiar to some. I wrote this like almost ten years ago. I was a lot younger and less mature then.
But you know what, I've got a confession to make. If there is one guy that I love more than I love Ryder Van Woodsen and Travis Cross, it's gotta be Justin Adams. Let's just say that he's probably The Original. He is sort of the basis of all my male characters to date. So, if you read this, you might think that he has all their charms, and unfortunately, all their flaws.
This story is less dramatic than the two others I wrote, but I love this simply because it was one of the first love stories I have written and I just keep coming back to this two's love story. I probably read this book a hundred times.
And now, I decided to replot it. So to those who actually were able to read this beforehand, you just might be surprised how much change I will make on this story. It will have all the elements that I love, but I thought I give it a little bit more kick, now that I'm older! :D
Bear with me. Again, please don't compare to the other two novels I've written. Read this with an empty cup and give Justin and Adrienne a chance to grow into you.
Thank you for reading! xoxo!