Cesilia, from where she stood, watched as Casandra and Alexander walked along the beach, holding hands. Whether Alexander was aware or not, he hadn’t let go of Casandra’s hand since their argument with Kevin just now.
They walked, letting their feet be caressed by the waves, and Cesilia noticed all of this while she was touching up her makeup.
“Sir, isn’t that Madam?” Casandra asked.
“Yes, she might be taking a break,” Alexander replied.
“What if we go over to her?” Casandra suggested.
Alexander shook his head. “Let’s not disturb someone who’s working. Do you want her to scold us in public? You know Cesilia’s temperament; sometimes, she can’t control her emotions even in public.” He warned Casandra to prevent her from getting scolded by Cesilia. He didn’t want to meet his wife just yet, and he was afraid that any conversation might lead to a long argument. That’s what he was avoiding.
“Well, yes, but Madam isn’t that fierce. As far as I know, she’s not like that,” Casandra replied.
“As far as you know, because you only come to the house occasionally. You don’t know Cesilia as a whole,” Alexander tried to scare Casandra away from approaching Cesilia. The truth was, he wasn’t ready to meet his wife just yet, and he wanted to avoid any conversation with her. He feared it might only lead to more arguments.
“Alright then, where do we go next? I’m full, and the sun is getting scorching. Aren’t you afraid of getting tanned?” Casandra asked.
“Do you think I’m afraid of getting tanned?” Alexander retorted. As usual, he always answered a question with another question to find a better answer than the other person.
“No, of course not. How could I think you’re afraid of getting tanned? Look at me; my skin is a little brownish like this. Not as fair as yours. I’m used to the sun, rain, or whatever weather. I won’t be bothered by it. But I am concerned about you. Exposing yourself to the sun occasionally, you might get a headache or a migraine. We’ll be going back to Jakarta the day after tomorrow. I don’t want you to fall sick right away when you start working.”
“Thank you for your concern, but I’m not ready to leave this beach yet. Let’s stay here for a little longer,” Alexander insisted.
“Alright then,” Casandra agreed to follow Alexander’s wishes. However, she remained vigilant in case he got a headache since he was more used to working indoors with air conditioning, unlike her, who worked in the scorching sun and rain while harvesting rice in her village. Casandra had become quite close to Alexander during this time, and she cared for his well-being.
As she was used to the hot sun and rain in her village, any weather didn’t bother her much.
“Do you want a young coconut?” Alexander offered as he spotted a small stall with a young coconut seller. There were no other items on the menu, only neatly arranged young coconuts.
“I’d like one, too,” Casandra released her hand from Alexander’s grip. Honestly, she felt uncomfortable being treated this way. She was also afraid that someone might recognize them together and it could potentially affect Alexander’s career and job.
Casandra was well aware that she was just Alexander’s second wife, paid to bear children for him.
“Come here, Sir! I know how to choose coconuts with sweet water and thick flesh but not hard,” she said, waving her hand to call Alexander over. She couldn’t wait to enjoy the young coconut on the beach.
Alexander smiled, finding Casandra’s presence quite entertaining. It helped ease some of his disappointment with Cesilia. Maybe being close to Casandra wasn’t so bad, but they had to maintain a safe distance, of course.
“Try this one!” Casandra picked up a coconut and handed it to Alexander.
“Are you sure this is good?”
Casandra nodded. “I’m very sure.”
“Alright, then.” Alexander took out a 100, 000 Indonesian rupiah note. “Here’s the deal, if the coconut is indeed good, you can keep all the change for yourself. But if not, it’s off.”
“Of course, I’m sure, because I already know how to identify good coconuts. I’m used to selecting coconuts for young coconut sellers during back in my village. They always ask for my opinion on which trees have coconuts with thick and full flesh.”
“Okay, let’s split it open. I want to see.” Alexander crouched beside Casandra as the seller peeled the coconut open. And indeed, the coconut had thick but tender flesh, with clear and sweet water.
“See? I told you!” Alexander nodded.
“Yes, that means all the change goes to this vendor.” Casandra raised her thumb to Alexander.
Casandra couldn’t help but laugh seeing her employer enjoying the young coconut on the beach while crouching down like that. It was quite funny to her, as she had always seen Alexander as a serious and dignified man. But now he appeared silly.
Cas andra liked this side of Alexander – the caring and roman tic side. It made her appreciate him more, understanding that his stern and grumbling demeanor was just a negative as pect of his personality. Overall, Alexander was a kind, caring, and romantic man.
“Let’s head back to the hotel!” Alexander took Casandra’s hand and held it, while his peripheral vision caught sight of Cesilia approaching them.
Seemingly not noticing his wife approaching, Alexander led Casandra away from there. He didn’t want Cesilia to ruin his improving mood because of Casandra’s company.
Casandra was flustered and wanted to inform Alex ander about Cesilia’s app roach, but he seemed indifferent, as if he didn’t hear or see Cesilia coming after them. She didn’t know what was going through his mind, but one thing was certain – she was pleased that he prioritized her over Cesilia. Could she really do that? Casandra wasn’t sure, but one thing was cl ear – she was happy that Alexander completely ignored Cesilia’s pursuit. To be continue.