Chapter 5 – Drugged

Terra “Terra,” came an unfamiliar voice. It took me a few seconds to register the man’s voice, but when I did, I finally let out a sigh of relief. “Diego,” I laughed, trying to ease the awkward tension rising in my chest. “What are you doing here?” “Well, I came back to visit the States. Why didn’t you tell me you guys had returned?” “Hehe… it was an abrupt move. I didn’t really get the chance to say goodbye. I’m sorry.” We were never that close to begin with, so I didn’t think to reach out in the first place. That was my fault. “No problem. But hey, it’s such a coincidence to run into you here. Are you from around here?” he asked. “Yes, this is my hometown,” I replied. “Wow, I didn’t know you lived here. Another coincidence? I don’t think so,” he said with a cheerful grin. “Well… I’ve always been here,” I said, feeling a bit awkward under his gaze. “Anyway, we should—” “Terra…!” Before he could finish, Clorinde’s voice cut through the conversation. She came running over, breathless, stopping right in front of us with a hand on her chest. “God, it was so hard to find you,” she said between heavy breaths. But then her eyes landed on Mason—and she froze, before flashing a flirtatious smile. “Well, well… who’s this? Your boyfriend?” “No, Clorinde. This is my friend Diego Chamberlain. Diego, my best friend Clorinde Snow.” “Hey, nice to meet you.” She stepped forward confidently. “Clorinde Snow, age twenty-six, verified lawyer, into drama but never the center of it. Status: single.” She extended her hand with a dazzling smile. I grabbed her arm and pulled her aside, whispering, “What are you doing? Trying to audition for The Bachelorette?” “Nice gals finish last. This is my chance to go out with a pretty boy, and I’m not missing out on it,” she replied, flashing Diego a dazzling smile. “Don’t mind her—she can be a bit crazy sometimes,” I said awkwardly. “No problem.” Diego chuckled. “Diego Chamberlain, male, age twenty-six, certified journalist, single and definitely looking. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He played along with her joke, and the two burst into laughter like old friends. Without waiting for an invitation, Diego tagged along on our shopping spree. He and Clorinde hit it off almost immediately, tossing jokes back and forth like a tennis match. Honestly, they looked kind of cute together. Maybe if Diego stuck around, she’d finally stop drooling over my brothers. “Hey Terra,” Diego said later, “I’m hanging out with some friends tonight. You and Clorinde should come.” “Yes, we’ll be there,” Clorinde answered before I could even open my mouth to decline. “Awesome! I got to go, but I’ll catch you guys later tonight. Make yourselves pretty!” Diego winked and took off, leaving me to frown at the overly excited woman next to me. “Why did you agree to go without asking me first?” “It’s been forever since we partied together! Come on, don’t make me go into the wolf den alone,” she said, pulling the puppy-dog eyes—and just like that, I caved. “Fine. But you’ve got two hours. After that, we’re out of there. I don’t want to be out late.” She nodded eagerly. “Hehe, two hours is more than enough time for me to charm the man.” She spun around dramatically. “Let’s go find me a dress!” “No, I’m going home. The kids are tired.” I pointed to Linney and Lynette, both of whom were slowly falling asleep. “Help me get them to the car, then you’re on your own.” She frowned, clearly disappointed, but she knew my kids were the top priority—so she didn’t argue. After we strapped the little ones in, I waved goodbye to Clorinde and drove home. Later that night As I was getting ready for the meet-up tonight, Linney came into the bedroom and sat on the bed. His eyebrows were furrowed, lips turned down, and arms crossed tightly across his chest. “Mommy, you look ugly,” Linney said, a shadow passing over his eyes. “Really? I think I look pretty good,” I replied, checking myself in the mirror. Linney turned away dramatically. For a moment, I actually saw him sitting there. With one blink the image disappeared. I wished it was that easy to forget. I sighed, turning off the image in my head and focusing on what my son had to say. “What’s wrong?” I asked, genuinely curious. “I don’t like Diego,” he said, his tone thick with disgust. “Why?” I asked. I wasn’t sure if a child could have a solid reason for disliking someone, but I gave him the benefit of the doubt. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “There’s something about his eyes—and the way he fake-smiles—that rubs me the wrong way. Can you stay home tonight?” he asked innocently. But I didn’t miss the concern in his voice. “Come here,” I said, and he crawled into my arms. “Mommy will only be there to make sure Aunt Clorinde’s okay, then I’ll come right back. Okay?” “You said two hours. You promised?” he asked. “Promised.” I hadn’t realized he’d overheard the conversation between me and Clorinde. My son pulled out his iPad and set a timer for exactly two hours. “Promise to be home by 10:18,” he demanded. “You’re a smart little boy. I promise,” I said with a smile. He slid off my lap and planted himself on the bed, arms crossed like a tiny guardian. “I’ll be right here waiting for you.” “Sure, but don’t forget to wash up while you wait, okay?” He nodded solemnly. “Good boy. I love you.” I gave him a gentle kiss on the forehead before heading out. “I’m a man!” he shouted after me. I chuckled all the way to the door. Before leaving, I told Mom and Dad to keep a close eye on the kids. Dad didn’t want me to go, but just like I had promised Linney, I promised him the same thing—to be home by 10:18. He huffed and puffed but, in the end, decided to let me go anyway. “Eeeehhh!! We’re here! How do I look?” Clorinde squealed, turning to the mirror to double, triple, and quadruple check herself. “You look ravishing, my friend,” I said, eyeing her outfit. “But aren’t you a little… exposed?” She cleared her throat and gave me a look like I’d just asked why the chicken crossed the road. (Answer: to get to the other side. Obviously.) “You can be the little nun who studies the Bible at church school. But tonight, I’m the sexy devil dressed to impress,” she declared, striking a dramatic pose. “If this is what it takes to get Diego on his knees worshiping me, then so be it. Nice girls finish last—remember that.” With that, she strutted out of the car, full of confidence and chaos. I sighed. “Whatever makes you happy,” I said before following her inside. After being stopped to check our IDs, we entered and quickly found Diego’s table. He sat with one other person, whom I assumed was the friend he had mentioned earlier. But I could’ve sworn he said friends—or maybe it was just my imagination. “Hey, so glad you guys could join us,” Diego greeted. “Awesome—sorry we were late,” I replied. “And what might the reason be?” he asked with a teasing smile. “I was getting prettied up. How do I look?” Clorinde turned and posed from side to side. “You look amazing,” Diego complimented. “Pretty enough for you to forgive us?” Clorinde asked, holding nothing back. “How could I be angry at such a beautiful lady?” Diego replied with a wink. “Yeah!” Clorinde chimed excitedly. “Oh, meet my friend, Dylan. Dylan—this is Terra and Clorinde,” Diego finally introduced. Clorinde picked up a shot glass and handed one to me. “Cheers to new friends!” she announced before downing the whole thing. After the initial greeting, I sat at the table with my phone in hand, checking iMessages every two minutes. Clorinde, on the other hand, let loose—taking shot after shot with Dylan. By 9:39, she and Dylan had already disappeared onto the dance floor, leaving just me and Diego at the table. “Excuse me, I need to use the bathroom,” I said, getting up and walking away. While in there, I got a text from Linney. Lin: Mommy, where are you? Terra: Here. But Aunt Clorinde and I are about to head back. Don’t worry. Terra: Where is Lynette? Lin: Here. He then forwarded me a photo of my daughter, sleeping with her mouth wide open and a string of drool running down her cheek. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Lin: I miss you, Mommy. I love you. Come back quickly. Terra: I’ll be there soon. I love you more. I left the bathroom feeling touched and happy to have such a caring son. But I frowned when I returned to see a round of twelve shots Diego had ordered while I was gone. “Why did you order so much? Clorinde and I were about to leave,” I asked, confused. “This is for me, Dylan, and our other friend. Don’t worry about it.” I nodded. “One shot before you go?” he offered, handing me a glass. “No, I shouldn’t. I’m driving.” “Come on, just one shot. You’ve barely touched anything on the table. One won’t get you drunk.” I hesitated, but eventually took the shot from him. “To old and new friends,” he said, raising his glass. “To old and new friends,” I echoed, and we drank. “We’ve got to go. Thanks for the treat,” I said, getting to my feet. “Terra, wait…” Diego grabbed my arm, but I quickly pulled away. “Can we talk about us?” he asked. I sat back down, hesitant, but willing to listen. “What is there to talk about?” “You know how I feel about you, right?” he said, staring down at the table. Even though I couldn’t see his eyes, I already knew. I’d known for a long time. Diego liked me—but I’d never responded, never acknowledged it, hoping he’d move on quietly. “Diego, I appreciate your feelings, but I…” I paused. My vision blurred. “…don’t…” Everything around me began to spin. My grip on the edge of the table weakened. I looked up at him, and he was staring back at me. “You…” I tried to finish the sentence, but the words wouldn’t come. My limbs felt heavy. My body slumped forward. The last thing I saw before darkness claimed me was Diego’s smile—not warm or friendly, but sinister. And suddenly, my son’s voice echoed in my mind: There’s something about that smile I don’t like. Now I understood, but it was too late.