Chapter 13: Friends With Benefits
I must say, I am not having this birthday party again. I have been inside a purple mascot for hours and I am sweaty. Not cute sweaty. Not glow sweaty. Real sweaty. The kind that crawls down your back and sits there. I have been getting all sweaty, which is unusual. I feel like my sweat is going to soak this fucking costume. The inside of it feels damp. Heavy. Every time I move, the fabric sticks to me.
All I have been doing all day is serving drinks to the kids, letting kids touch me, playing with them, doing funny things to entertain them. Tiny hands pulling at me. Sticky fingers pressing into the costume. Someone wiped cake on my leg earlier and laughed. And the so called trio are busy in the living room making fucking videos on TikTok.
Laughing. Redoing takes. Dancing. And I am pissed.
I was standing outside Alpha Leo’s mansion in the garden, and to make it worse, Malo happened to be here. He is playing as the MC for the kids, which is double work for me because he keeps using me throughout the birthday activities. Every game. Every dance. Every announcement.
"Tinky Winky come here."
"Tinky Winky wave."
"Tinky Winky carry the birthday girl."
"Tinky Winky spin."
"Tinky Winky kneel."
I am tired.
My shoulders ache. My back feels stiff. My shirt underneath is soaked and clinging to my skin. Even after removing the mascot head, heat is still trapped inside me. My hair is damp around my edges. I can feel sweat sliding down my neck.
It was nighttime and the party was winding down. The loud music that had been blasting all day finally stopped. The screaming stopped. The sugar rush slowed. Parents came. Cars drove off one by one. All the kids had gone home.
The balloons were half deflated, sagging. Wrapping paper was scattered on the floor. Empty juice boxes everywhere.
The birthday girl was sitting alone on one of the empty chairs.
Small. Quiet.
Her legs swinging slightly above the ground.
Thank goodness I had removed the mascot head, but I was still feeling hot. My skin felt sensitive. My stomach felt strange. Maybe it was hunger. Maybe it was stress. I do not know.
"Hey Dina, everything alright?" I asked, noticing how down she was.
She did not look up immediately.
"No. My dad said he will make it to my birthday party but he didn’t. He is always busy in his labs," she said.
Her voice was steady at first. Like she had practiced saying it before.
"Hey Dina, I am sure your dad will make it. Maybe he is stuck in traffic. Oakland roads are always busy. Even at midnight, the road is still busy."
She shook her head slowly.
"He is not going to come. The last time he came to my birthday party was when I was three, and now I am six. He is not here."
Her lips trembled after that. Silence sat between us.
Then Princess came with her phone. She was video calling.
"Dina, see, I am calling your daddy now. He is going to wish you a happy birthday," she said.
I stood up from the chair without thinking.
The phone rang once. Twice. No answer.
The ringing felt louder than the music from earlier.
Then Dina started crying. Not loud at first. Just small broken sounds. Her face scrunched up. Tears gathered fast.
"He is not going to pick up. He never does," she said as Princess hugged her and petted her back.
Princess pulled her close immediately. No hesitation.
"Hey, it’s alright. Don’t cry. Look, Aunty Princess brought you a present..." Princess said softly, trying to calm her down.
But Dina shook her head harder.
"I don’t want any more presents. I just want my daddy."
Her crying grew louder. Messier. The kind that makes your chest tighten even if you pretend you do not care.
I have never seen Dina cry before. She is always smart and lively. Always correcting people. Always talking big for her age. I never once expected her to look this small.
"Okay then, since it’s your birthday, little one, I am going to take you to Daddy and then beat him up like a piñata."
Dina paused mid cry.
"Really?"
Her voice cracked.
"Yes. Anything for the birthday girl," Princess said as she carried Dina.
Dina wrapped her arms around her neck tightly. Like she was afraid she might disappear too.
"Yo MG, if anyone asks for me, tell them I took Dina to her daddy. And tidy up this place before tomorrow morning," she said while leaving.
Malo, who was cleaning up the garden, nodded his head.
I watched as they both entered a car and drove off.
The headlights disappeared through the gate. The place suddenly felt quiet.
Wow. The Princess is a caring aunty. I did not even realize I was smiling at the scene in front of me.
"Why are you shining your teeth like you won the lottery?" Malo said, now arranging the chairs and tables on one side.
My face dropped immediately.
"No, I am not," I quickly changed my expression. "But it would be nice to win the lottery."
"Yes, everyone wants to win one someday. So I see your hands are free."
"So what?"
"You can help me with picking up the waste."
He handed me a trash bag.
I did not take it.
"No, I am not. It’s your job."
"If you help, I might give you 20% of my earnings for this gig," he said.
He raised one brow like he was doing me a favor.
"Fifty-fifty," I said.
"Come on. I already split my earnings with you once. I am not going to do that again."
"What? When?"
"The day... the other day."
He scratched the back of his neck.
"What are you saying?"
"Nothing," he said, trying not to make eye contact. Suspicious, very suspicious.
Well, I do not care. It is none of my business. I am done with my job here. My back hurts. My legs hurt. I smell like sweat and sugar.
So I should be going home.
"Faye, where is Dina?" Kaye said the moment he came out from the mansion.
"She went to meet her father," I explained.
"Oh."
He looked toward the gate like he expected her to come back immediately.
"Kaye, I have to use the restroom. When I come back, we are leaving."
"Okay."
I quickly rushed in to find the nearest room so I could use the restroom. I have been holding my pee for so long, and any moment now I would not be able to hold it. Each step felt urgent. My stomach felt tight. My thighs pressed together slightly as I walked faster.
Finally, I found a room and relieved myself.
The relief hit instantly.
This house is so big one could get lost in it.
The hallway stretched. Doors everywhere. The lights were dimmer now. Most of the guests were gone. My footsteps sounded louder than usual.
After using the restroom, I traced my way out of the house. I was almost near the exit when I heard soft laughter.
Low. Breathy. I slowed down.
On my way out, I spotted two people making out in a room. Obviously not my business, but the door was slightly open.
"Hey, stop. What if Princess sees us?"
"She won’t. I saw her car drive away. It’s just you and me alone in this mansion."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
Then giggles. Soft kisses. A shuffle.
I froze for a second.
I swear, I did not want to peep, but the door was slightly open, and the voices were familiar.
My brain connected the dots too fast.
Oh my.
Po and Laa-Laa are friends with benefits.
Am I even saying it right? I blinked.
Well, this is not my fucking business. I am out of here before I get myself into a situation I do not like.
