Maya Kim stirred awake to the city lights filtering through the half-drawn curtains. A heavy throb pulsed through her skull. And each beat dragged her further into confusion as she blinked against the unfamiliar luxury around her.
On her elbows, she slowly pushed herself up. Blinking against the dim glow of a chandelier overhead.
The room was immaculate. The ceilings high, with floor-to-ceiling windows, offering a breathtaking skyline. Seated in the center was a sleek marble table, set with unopened bottles of champagne. This wasn't a place she was familiar with, definately not her apartment. Not her world.
Her heart throbbed as realization began to sink in. "Where am I? "
She tried to remember everything that happened last night. But her mind was too busy yet to notice the luxurious business card resting on the drawer beside the bed. But her memories were still scattered pieces. Teasing her with the laughter, flashing lights from camera and paparazzies. The bass of music thrumming in her veins.
Images of people blurred together, all laced with champagne haze and dizzy adrenaline. Her throat felt dry, her limbs were too heavy to move.
Somehow, Maya swayed her legs off the bed, noticing her clothes strewn across the floor. Her heels were seated by the door, and her silver clutch tossed onto the couch. The sparkling dress she had worn was crumpled like discarded starlight. Panic gnawed at her.
"No… no, no. I wouldn't do such a thing… would I?"
The trembling in her hand was evident as she pressed a hand across her forehead, trying to steady her breath. But even through the mist of it all, the touch of her man still lingered on her skin. Like shadows of a fire that had already burned out.
On an impulse, her gaze darted over to the bed. It was then that a figure caught her attention. A man. Broad shoulders, hair tousled, his face hidden in the half-light. Her breathe caught as her pulse hammered so loud it drowned out everything else around.
Who is he?
Finding out wasn't an option right now. She didn't even want to know. All she cared about was getting out of there. Quickly she gathered her things. Dress, bag, her phone and every piece of her until she was at the door. Her heels dangled from her fingers as she tiptoed across the suite.
Suddenly, her phone rang, startling her. She clutched onto it, instantly silencing it as she slipped out into the hallway. Her thoughts were racing with questions she wasn't ready to answer.
Getting to the sidewalk, Maya waved a cab to a halt. Sliding into the backseat as she leaned her head against the window. Justifying her actions, she told herself it was nothing. Just mistake meant to be forgotten. A night of a bad decisions that should be buried and never spoken of again.
Tucking her hair behind her ear, her fingers froze. One side was bare. Her diamond drop earring, her mother's gift for her first red carpet. It was gone.
Her stomach chucked. One earring was with her. The other… then it clicked, it had caught her eye somewhere in that suite. Yes, on the marbled table. A small diamond drop earring.
But it was too late. There was nowhere she was going back in there for it. But then, she needed a good excuse to clear any questions it may raise from her mother.
A sighed, escaped her lips. Resting her back on the seat, she briefly shut her eyes. Recalling how she got herself into this mess.
It all began has an innocent evening.
Earlier that Night;
The party had been exactly the kind she wasn't supposed to attend. Exclusive, intoxicating, glittering with the industry's elite. Maya had no plans of attending, but the invitation had come in through a fellow model. And the temptation was irresistible.
The past weeks had been hectic. From juggling university lectures, to auditions, and then runway shows. Anybody would have craved an escape, so did she. The music was loud. And the drinks, stronger than she intended. For once, she allowed herself the freedom to breathe without the weight of expectations.
It was at that moment, that she saw him.
Not a celebrity she recognized. Not one of the actors or producers she had met on set. But a man whose presence was commanding the room without even trying. His piercing gaze had met hers, across the floor. Steady, and unreadable. Though she told herself she shouldn't. Yet still, she found her steps drifting closer.
Just like that, words blurred into laughter. Laughter into touches. And soon, the party faded into a mist of champagne, and decisions she had never dared to make in her right senses.
The only clear memory she had, was him guiding her out of the crowd. His voice, pressed low against her ear. And the wild flutter it sent through her heart. A warning her instinct hinted, that she was overstepping a line she could never uncross.
Maya rested against the seat as a sigh escaped lips. Her mind racing. She didn't even care to know his name. And now, all she is hoping for, is a vise versa situation.
After a 30mins drive, she pushed through the cab's doors. The early morning air felt like a slap across her face even though the city was just waking. Streets were still quiet, and the sky was still painted in pale hues of lavender and gray. She tugged on her coat tighter, shielding just not herself from the chill. But also, the weight of what she had just done.
Her phone ranged again. This time, she stared at the screen.
Mom: Don't forget, your class is at 10. Also, don't forget to give me a call me. You sound distant these days.
She exhuded, guilt pricking her chest. She was her mother's only child. And still the scholarship student expected to excel at university even while her face was starting to appear on movie posters and magazine covers. And yet here I am, sneaking out of a stranger's bed.
Maya got to her apartment, just the right time when she nedded to switch roles again. Textbooks were piled up, waiting on her desk. Across the couch laid a garment bag from her agency with a note reminding her of the afternoon's photoshoot.
Jina, her friend and roommate, deftly peeked out of the kitchen, hair tied in a messy bun. "You're alive! I thought you bailed on me. Where have you been?"
"Out." Maya muttered, walking past her. She wasn't ready for any more questions.
"Out?" Jina brow arched. "Like… out, out?"
Maya forced a laugh. "You're being overly dramatic. It was just a party."
Jina rolled her eyes, but let it go. "Well, you better shake it off." She said, watching Maya trail off to her room. "Your class is in the next hour. And your agency's driver is picking you up straight after. Two different lives, one Maya. Good luck keeping both of them." She called after her.
Maya closed the bedroom door behind her, pressing her back against it. Two lives. One reckless mistake threatening to unravel them.
She dropped her clutch onto the vanity, pulling out her phone again. Staring at the screen, she thought on calling the hotel to ask about her earring. But her fingers froze over the screen.
"No." Maya said, deciding not. "Better to forget."
She shoved the phone aside, and headed to the washroom.