When I reached Bram he made me enter the elevator first. Now I knew why he was quiet. Roland called him. I stared at my reflection in the gold interior of the elevator and noticed that Bram was turned to me. When the elevator door opened, I walked out and headed towards our room. I went straight to the bathroom. I was about to close the door when Bram stopped it with his left hand.
“Well?” he asked. He was looking directly at me.
“Well, what?” My eyebrows scrunched together.
Bram gave out a heavy sigh, “We are not going to your brother’s birthday celebration.”
“Okay,” I nodded. Then I tried to push the door again. But Bram held it open.
His lips were pressed together in a thin line, “Are you being sarcastic?”
I rolled my eyes at him and pulled him inside the bathroom, “I desperately wanted a bath! It was scorching hot at the speedway.”
After a moment both of us were naked under the spray of a cold shower. Bram pointed out the sunburnt parts of my skin. Then I realized something.
“Why don’t we have a bath tub?” I asked him as I put soap on his back.
“Do you want a bathtub?” he asked instead of answering my question. He was facing the shower head.
“Um…I’ll think about it,” I answered. I was having second thoughts about the space of our bathroom. Bram turned so he could face me. I looked up to him with raised eyebrows.
“When will you have the bump?” he asked curiously. He removed some of my hair from my chest and he placed it on my back.
I laughed softly, “I’m not sure, maybe in the third month?”
Bram carried me and pinned me to the wall. I wrapped my legs around him and locked my arms on his neck.
“Is it normal for me to think about sex everytime I’m with you?” Bram asked again. I could not help but look into his eyes.
“Yes.” I grinned at him. Then my eyes darted on his facial wound, “Your cut is getting better.” We both stared at the door when we heard a knock.
“It’s me Maria.” We heard her say from outside the door, “Sorry for bothering you. Madam Credence is waiting downstairs.”
Bram and I stared at each other and hurriedly finished our shower. Mama Credence was seated in our white and gold themed living room. Her female assistant was standing to her right. Hand in hand Bram and I walked towards them. Both of our hair were still wet.
I did not bother to blow dry my hair because I did not want to make her wait longer. Bram and I kissed Mama Credence cheeks and we sat on the other long sofa facing her. Bram extended his leg, leaned back on the sofa, and crossed his arms. I did not lean back. I sat with my lower legs crossed because I was wearing a linen dress.
“Your mother invited me to your brother’s birthday party in Baguio,” Mama Credence said. She was looking directly at me.
“We’re not going, mum,” Bram told her.
“I know you’re not going but I’m here because I thought the situation was taken care of, Emma?” Mama Credence gave a questioning look.
“I will call mom…” I stopped mid-sentence because Mama Credence shook her head.
“I need you to visit your mother and personally ask her about…no remind her about what we have talked about before,” Mama Credence said sternly.
I nodded and said, “I’ll visit her tomorrow.”
“Good,” Mama Credence said as she stood up, “I brought you fresh fruits and vegetables. I already gave Maria your menu for this week. I’m going now.”
Bram and I came near her to kiss her goodbye then she left our house. We watched as her car went out of our gate. Bram and I shared a meaningful glance. I shook my head, “I’m going upstairs, I need to call my mom.”
I was on the balcony as I waited for my mom to answer my call. Bram was in our living room, he was watching the replay of the Canadian Grand Prix. I was a bit agitated because my mom was not answering. This was already my third attempt. When mom did not answer again. I sighed and stared at my phone but Bram called me.
“Get back inside,” he said, “Maria called, she said that our dinner is ready.”
This would be our first time eating dinner in our dining area. Maria said that this was styled by Mama Credence. She really liked gold and white. But here in the dining area there was a touch of green. The lining of our six seater glass table was gold but the table mats were green.
I could not stop staring at our modern gold and crystal chandeliers. Each crystal was the shape of a glue stick. Then I looked at my food again and released a long breath.
“What are you thinking?” Bram asked me. He was cutting his chicken.
He was seated in the head seat. And I was seated on his right side. I bit my lower lip, “I was just wondering why my mom is not answering my call.”
“Maybe she’ll call you back when she’s free,” Bram told me then he sipped some water from his emerald colored glass.
I absently looked at my chicken curry and rice. Is it possible that mom was avoiding my call? I shook my head at my thoughts. Mama Credence gave her two months to separate Alicia and my brother.
“Emma?” I heard Bram say.
I looked up to him, “What?”
“I called you three times already,” he said. He looked amused.
I put down my spoon and fork, “I’m sorry, my mind was occupied. What is it?”
“I was asking you if you wanted to go for a late night drive?” Bram said with a grin.
“But you have work tomorrow?” I reminded him.
“So what?” Bram commented, “I’ll bring you to work again tomorrow. Like I said before, I hate Mondays.”
We took the MX-5 and drove inside the vicinity of our village. Then Bram parked at an elevated area where we could see the hills and our house. He turned the engine off and half opened our windows. I glanced at the view and it was so beautiful.
“Do you want to sit on my lap?” Bram asked all of a sudden. I turned to him.
“No,” was my quick reply, “I’m pretty comfortable with my seat.”
He removed his seatbelt, “Come on, Emma.”
I shook my head, “It will be very uncomfortable for both of us.”
“I just want to hold you,” Bram said, then he used his penetrating gaze to me.
I rolled my eyes to him, “Fine!”
I removed my seatbelt and sat on his lap, my back was at his door. I rested my head on Bram’s left shoulder then we both looked down the hills. All we could hear was the sound of crickets. Then Bram cupped my left breast.
“What are you doing?” I asked him.
“Just checking your bra size,” he said. He rested his hand on my breast.
I shook my head with a smile. Then Bram rested his head on my head, “I could not believe that she cheated on me.”