If my eyes were wide open before, they became even wider when I felt his lips on my hand.
“Samer?” I called his name to make sure, but what if I’m the only one who can hear him because he’s a ghost?
Aren’t there instances when a person’s soul appears when they have something to say and are near death? The man yelped when I suddenly grabbed his fingers and bit them firmly.
“What’s wrong with you?” Samer raised his voice as he tried to take his fingers from under my mouth.
“It’s you!” I said.
“Who else did you think it was? Were you waiting for Brent?” Samer said as if jealous, but before his fake jealousy could escalate, I immediately hugged him tightly and showered him with kisses.
I didn’t care if anyone saw us, and I think Samer felt the same way. He hugged me tightly and returned my kisses. He wouldn’t refuse me, right?
“Are the kids with you?” I asked Samer.
“Nope. They’re still in Hong Kong, and I came home early because I knew you missed me so much,” Samer said.
I raised an eyebrow at his words. Well, he used to be sweet, but what happened that made him even sweeter? Many questions played in my mind, but I didn’t know which one to address first. I was about to speak when a waiter approached us with the food I ordered.
“Join me,” I said to Samer.
“Where?” he asked.
“To Kevin’s place,” I told him, and I couldn’t hide the excitement in my eyes.
“Kevin Park? Your former crush?” he asked.
I just nodded, feeling a bit embarrassed to admit that I once had a crush on Kevin Park.
“He came here and asked for forgiveness, but of course, I turned him away. Then I realized I needed to let go of everything from my past. I should focus on the present to be happier with you,” I said. My explanation was quite long, but it was enough to make Samer smile, even if he didn’t respond.
“If I hadn’t come, who were you supposed to be with? Would you have gone there alone?” Samer asked.
“No. I was with Rhea, but she’s still undecided on what to wear. She said she likes Kevin,” I replied.
“Next time, we’ll visit Kevin or you can just send the food with Rhea. Let’s go home,” Samer said.
I wondered why he seemed so eager to go home immediately. “Now?” I asked.
“Yes, now. Don’t worry; we’ll come back here for the hotel opening,” Samer explained.
“Hmm, okay. Let me tell Rhea. Wait a moment, I’ll call her,” I said to Samer.
I was about to dial Rhea’s number when she entered the restaurant. And she was wearing an outfit that made her look like a wrapped lumpia (spring roll). Rhea was shocked to see Samer with me, and she immediately greeted the CEO of Khalifa Hotel.
“I’m glad you’re here; I have bad news,” I said. Rhea turned pale as she waited for me to tell her the bad news.
“Am I going to be fired from work?” Rhea asked, and Samer and I couldn’t help but laugh at her reaction.
“No, it’s just that… hmm, I need to go with Samer, so can you take this food to Kevin’s place? You can also tell him that I forgive him, it’s just urgent, so can you do it?” I asked Rhea.
“Does that mean I’ll be left here in Stonewick?”
“Just for a few days, and we’ll be back for the hotel opening, okay? Just don’t cause any trouble here in Stonewick,” I instructed Rhea.
“Okay, as long as Kevin will be mine,” Rhea said.
I laughed because even in my dreams, I never dreamed of Kevin. “He’s all yours,” I said.
I was so exhausted when we arrived home. Samer didn’t mention that we would be riding a motorcycle back to the city. At first, we were both excited, but after an hour of riding, both of our backsides were hurting. Honestly, I lost count of how many times we stopped to rest. I wanted to scold Samer, but maybe he didn’t know what the outcome would be when he wanted to try something new.
“Baby, favor please. Can you get me some water from the fridge? My lower back is really hurting,” I asked Samer to get me some water. I knew he was tired too, so I didn’t expect him to follow my request. But when he stood up, he immediately obliged. I guess he was swayed by my sweetness.
When he returned to the living room, he brought two bottled waters. He gave one to me, and we sat side by side on the sofa while finishing the bottled water.
“I feel like I got beaten up by ten people,” Samer complained.
“It’s because of you. Why did you think of riding a motorcycle back to the city? Did you want to torture yourself?” I asked him. I was tired too, but I knew Samer was more exhausted since he was the one driving earlier.
“Is that okay with you?” He replied with a question.
“Of course, as long as it’s with you. In ten minutes, I can give you a massage,” I told him.
“Just a massage? No extra service?” He teased me.
“Oh, are you challenging me?” I teased him back because I knew we were both tired from the trip!
“Why are you grinning like a crazy dog?” Samer asked.
“Nothing, I just thought of something,” I said to him.
“Oh, it seems like you’re planning something bad for me. Stop it now because we’re only having a massage,” he reminded me, but who is he kidding? I can see in his eyes that he also wants something more.
“Even just once, you really don’t want it?” I teased him.
“I can’t, I’m tired,” Samer insisted.
“Then I’ll take care of you,” I promised him.
“Hmmm, I’ll think about it first,” Samer replied. But as soon as I started massaging him, his body immediately reacted. “I thought you said you were tired,” I teased him.
“Because of you,” he blamed me, but I didn’t do anything except massage his tired thighs and legs.
“Ah, so it’s my fault that you’re like this?” I asked him while pointing to the bulge between his thighs. “Well, if I didn’t love you so much, you’d really be in trouble.”
“I love you, baby,” he said with a wink.
I didn’t know if I should be happy with what he did or what, but I got butterflies, I promise. Or maybe it’s just like this when we love someone so much. “You know, if I knew you’d be this sweet, I would have courted you before,” I said.
“Courted? What’s that?”
“Made you my boyfriend, like that.”
“Rhea is such a bad influence on you, you’ve learned all sorts of words. I miss the old Jamie who was shy and reserved, but a bit paranoid,” Samer said.
“I’ve changed, so whether you like it or not, I’m still yours even if I speak like this,” I told Samer.
“Is it true that you regret not flirting with me before?” Samer asked.
“It’s embarrassing to admit, but yes, I really regret it. It’s a waste! We could have been together for a long time,” I said, and I couldn’t help but smile, remembering the day when Samer and I started to change.
“What’s funny? Hey, what’s funny?” Samer repeatedly asked me because I couldn’t stop myself from laughing.
“I just remembered something,” I told him.
“What?” He furrowed his brow while asking me.
“I just remembered the day you first kissed me,” I said to him. “Tell me honestly, Samer. Was there really no malice in what happened between us in the lobby?”
“There was,” his answer was brief but enough for me. “If only Brent hadn’t arrived, I’m sure you would have fallen for me then.”
“But he did arrive and he beat you up in your own hotel lobby,” I said, but he just gave me a stern look. He seemed angry.