A Sulawesi Romance

Chapter 2

A/N: The image above does not belong to me. It belongs to the person who uploaded it on the internet.

Mark's POV

I carefully drove my SUV into the ferry that would bring me to Sulawesi Island where my parent's seaside resort was located. My parents had made me in charge of making sure that food, toiletries and other essential supplies for our tourist villa was in plentiful supply, so twice a month I made a trip to Jakarta and loaded my SUV with the necessary supplies.

The ferry ride took several hours, so by the time I reached the villa it was late evening. I was tired and I was hungry and not in a very good mood.

I parked my SUV at the entrance of the villa instead of in the parking lot on one side of the property because I needed Berkah, our general helper, to help me unload the stuff that I bought from my SUV.

"Berkah!" I called out from the bottom of the stairs leading to the entrance.

I waited a few minutes. When he did not appear, I cupped my hands around my mouth and called out louder, "Berkah! Yoohooo!"

I waited another few minutes. I was starting to get upset. I was tired and I was hungry and thirsty. Why was he making me wait. I did not want to go up the stairs just to go looking for him.

I was gonna call one last time and if he did not appear I was going to go inside and go looking for him and giving him the scolding of his life.

I cupped my hands around my mouth once more.

"Berrrkkkaaahhhhhh!!! Berrr......"

I stopped in the middle of calling out Berkah's name.

Because, there, going down the front steps of the villa was the most stunning, gorgeous looking, melt in the mouth creature, looking at me with an anxious expression on his face.

When he reached me, he started to stammer nervously.

"B... B... Berkah had to go home just after dinner," he explained.

Even before he spoke in Thai, I knew from his looks that he was a Thai like me.

"Who are you?" I asked. I wanted so much to hold him in my arms. I knew for sure that holding him in my arms would melt away my hunger and my thirst.

"I'm Gun. I'm the new assistant general helper," he said.

"Who hired you and when did you get hired?" I asked.

"The owner of this resort hired me just this afternoon," he explained.

No wonder I did not meet him before I left for Jakarta. I always leave before seven in the morning to catch the ferry that leaves Sulawesi for Jakarta.

I held out my hand to Gun.

"I am Mark," I said as he took my extended hand, "I am the son of the owner of this resort."

"My pleasure to meet you, sir," he bowed respectfully while shaking my hand.

"You don't have to call me 'sir'." I said. "I'd be happy to be called Mark."

"Very well, Mark," he said. "What can I do for you in place of Berkah?"

"I need assistance to carry the supplies I brought in my SUV to the supplies room upstairs," I said.

"I will gladly do that for you, sir," he said.

"Mark," I corrected him.

"Oh yes, Mark, sorry," he said.

I unlocked the back of the SUV and we both reached for the same box that was at the very front of the rest of the boxes. My fingers brushed his and I felt some electricity running through my veins. My breathing became uneven as I turned and stared at him, my mouth slightly opened.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, withdrawing his hands from the box.

"I'll take this, you take the other one," I said to him, my voice coming in a breathy whisper.

"Alright," he said, stepping aside to give me space.

I could hear his footsteps behind me as he followed closely with a different box in his arms.

Thankfully the villa front door was the kind that opened automatically upon sensing someone's presence so I did not have to set down the box on the ground before I could open it.

I led the way to the supplies room at the very end of the hallway.

I set down the box on the floor so that I could key in the code.

I turned around to Gun who was standing behind me, the other box still in his arms.

"Do you already know the code to this door?" I asked.

"No, sir," he replied.

"Mark," I corrected him, starting to get upset that he insisted on calling me 'sir'.

"Sorry," he said, looking away from my angry stare.

After I opened the heavy metal door, I stepped aside to let him in first. Then I bent to pick up the box that I had set on the floor and went inside with Gun.

"You can place that box on that shelf at the far corner," I instructed him.

"Very well, s... Mark," he corrected himself just in time. "Here let me take that box from you and place it on top of the one I just placed on the shelf."

His hands went under the box I was holding. His hands covered mine. We stared at each other wide eyed.

"You can let go of the box now, Mark," he said.

I reluctantly let go of the box. I was enjoying the feel of his hands too much.