“Cold, Max,” Gabriella moaned as her husband placed a scoop of ice cream over her left button. The woman’s brows furrowed uncomfortably, as her hands clenched into fists.
“Be patient,” the man said before placing the almost frozen container on the table. A second later, instead of cleaning the food that had begun to melt, Max brushed the right button with his tasting organ.
“Are you testing my patience? It’s cold, Max,” Gabriella said before biting her lip. Since her husband was an expert in provoking sighs, she had to be more careful in choosing the time to talk. Otherwise, the man’s instincts would immediately burn.
“To be able to compare, I have to know the original flavor first,” Max chirped, deliberately stalling for time.
“Then hurry up! You’ve tried the original long enough.” Gabriella’s insistence succeeded in making her husband widen in disbelief.
“This is the first time you’ve asked me to rush devouring you, Mrs Evans.”
The woman’s frown instantly turned into regret. “I should just shut up,” she thought, averting her eyes.
However, as soon as the husband freed her body from the cold, a sigh of relief immediately mingled with an expression of satisfaction. Max secretly smiled hearing that.
A few seconds passed, the man had become wilder. Gabriella started to worry if the husband went any further. “Are you done with your experiment?”
Max finally appeared in front of his wife’s eyes. “Yes.”
“So, your curiosity has been cleared?” the woman inquired, expecting a positive answer.
“Yes. The sensation is the same. The presence of ice cream does not matter. The most important thing is you. You are my favorite flavor.”
The woman who didn’t listen to the implied message just nodded and waved her hand. “Then, get out of the way. I want to sleep.” Gabriella shooed away without noticing the mysterious look above her.
“Actually, I’m not done yet. I still have a few more things to try.”
As Max went to get the box of ice cream, the woman sighed in annoyance and asked, “What else do you want to test?”
“Eat this.” The man offered one big mouthful. Gabriella’s eyes automatically narrowed.
“Don’t tell me you want to compare my lips with and without green tea.”
A disdainful laugh suddenly escaped the man’s mouth. “You’re too confident. That’s not what I want to test.”
“So, what?”
Max brought the spoon to Gabriella’s lips. “Eat and swallow this.”
“You didn’t put stimulant in it, did you?” the woman accused as she was slightly traumatized by the magic substance.
“Of course not. You saw for yourself how I unsealed it.”
After pondering for a moment, Gabriella finally carried out the order.
“Have you swallowed?” Max asked as he put the container back on the table.
“Yes. Then, what?” asked the woman who couldn’t hide her curiosity.
The corner of the man’s lips instantly lifted in victory. “I wonder whether the food that has been swallowed, can still be detected by kissing.”
Before Gabriella could protest, Max had already attacked her. In just an instant, the couple officially set the night on fire.
***
“Welcome home, Mr. and Mrs. Evans,” the butler greeted with a bright smile. “This house is really quiet without you two.”
Gabriella, who had just stopped walking, smiled. “It’s impossible, Auntie. There are a lot of people in this house.”
“So stiff. It isn’t that hard replying to small talk from Aunt Minnie,” the man standing next to the woman said.
Without hesitation, Gabriella swung a light punch at the man’s arm. “I was just making small talk too,” she whispered with round eyes and pursed lips.
Watching the sweet couple’s interaction, the butler curled her lips together. “You seem more familiar now. What happened during these two days?”
Max and Gabriella froze in unison.
“Nothing special. Just visiting a few attractions to unwind,” the man replied with a nod from the woman beside him.
“Is it true? Isn’t there anything romantic?” the old woman asked doubtfully.
“No,” the couple answered in unison.
Unexpectedly, Minnie pursed her lips with a mocking expression. “Too bad. I really hope that your honeymoon would go smoothly.”
In an instant, Gabriella’s eyes opened wide. “Honeymoon? We didn’t go for it,” she muttered in surprise. The woman was completely unaware that the CEO grimaced under the bow head.
“Are you feeling hot? It’s burning this morning. I’d better take a shower,” Max said changing the subject. Without stalling for time, he entered, leaving his wife blinking in confusion.
“Why does he suddenly leave? How impolite,” Gabriella muttered as she watched her husband walk away.
A second later, Gabriella turned to Minnie, about to ask how she was. However, upon seeing the butler’s crooked smile, her intentions changed.
“Why are you looking at me like that, Auntie?” Gabriella asked, arching her eyebrows high.
“As it turns out, Mr. Max didn’t tell you the truth?” The old woman’s inquiry caused even greater confusion.
“The truth?”
Without giving an answer, Minnie walked towards the sofa. Gabriella followed with furrowed brows. When they were already sitting there, the butler suddenly grabbed the lady’s hand and patted it.
“I am very grateful and happy that Mr. Max has finally found his true love.”
Gabriella spontaneously frowned and shook her head in disbelief. “What do you mean, Auntie?”
“Yesterday was not just a tour, Madam. It was a honeymoon that Mr. Max prepared for you,” Minnie explained, successfully surprising Gabriella.
“It must be a joke. Max couldn’t possibly think of such a thing, especially for me,” the woman objected as she couldn’t believe that her husband was actually paying attention to her.
“I’m not lying. Yesterday morning, Mister suddenly contacted me. He asked about the things women like.”
Gabriella’s brow furrowed deeper. “Why did he ask that?” she muttered faintly.
After a breath, she turned back to the butler. “But, Max didn’t give me anything.”
The old woman shook her head with a wise smile. “That’s because I suggested him to give you unforgettable memories. A good memory is the best gift in the world. It will remain forever in heart and mind.”
For a moment, Gabriella was unable to respond. Her brain was too busy digesting Minnie’s words and matching it with yesterday’s experience.
“Max took me to the flower garden. We had ice cream, then visited the museum. We also went shopping and had noodles. Is that what Aunt meant as a memory designed by Max?” she thought with tilting head. Doubt had weighed on her brain.
Suddenly, the butler patted the back of her hand again, reclaiming the attention that had been distracted.
“Mr. Max said that he wanted to give you a honeymoon. Although it’s a little late, he really hopes it will be memorable. So, did he manage to instill a good memory in your mind, Mrs. Evans?”
Looking at Minnie’s sincere smile, Gabriella suddenly felt guilty. She still doubted the old man’s words.
“I don’t know. Yesterday was a nice day, but it didn’t feel like a honeymoon for me,” she said in a low voice.
Receiving such a response, Minnie was only able to let out a long breath. She realized that the young lady was still unaware of her husband’s feelings, and even of her own.
“Don’t close your heart too tightly, Madam. Truth doesn’t always ring the bell when it comes.”
After saying those incomprehensible lines, the butler got up from the sofa and curled her lips. “I have to get back to work. Lunch will be available in a few minutes. You can clean up first,” Minnie said back in duty mode.
Gabriella was forced to nod. She couldn’t possibly hinder other people’s work just to clear up her confusion.
“Thank you, Auntie.” That was all she could say.
As the butler left, Gabriella sighed and lowered her tense shoulders. The old woman’s words were still ringing in her ears, leaving a heavy burden that was difficult for common sense to accept.
“Why does Auntie think that Max loves me? That’s absolutely impossible,” the woman mumbled, shaking her head in disbelief. “None of me meets Max’s ideal criteria. So, there’s no reason for him to like me.”
A second later, Gabriella looked down at her fingers which were no longer shaking violently. Unfortunately, she was still not aware that her husband had erased most of her worries. What she noticed were wounds, something that reminded her of the man’s anger.
“A man will not be rude to the one he loves. So it’s clear that Max doesn’t love me. Auntie must have guessed wrong,” the woman concluded with a confident nod.
“Max can’t possibly have a crush on a weak, spoiled, and troublesome woman like me.”