Veiled Affection

Chapter Twenty six

Cate has a way of surprising me.

Like that one time we took a stroll outside, and a sudden rainstorm began to wash over us. Instinctively, I put my jacket over my head and took off for a run to the nearest shelter a few meters away from us. I lowered my jacket and turned around, to see Cate still standing in the rain.

''What are you doing? Come here!'' I cried out above the thundering sound of the rain. ''You are going to get a cold!''

She didn't move. Instead, she looked at me and smiled broadly.

''So what!'' She said.

She stretched her arms out on either side of her and tipped her head back, looking up at the sky. I can still vision her standing there, beautiful as she was, when I saw the raindrops kiss every part of her body. She met my eyes again and held her arms out for me.

She surprised me throughout that whole moment, but it wasn't long before my amazement faltered, and I ran towards her. We laughed and held each other as the rain kept pouring down on us, making the cold we ended up having for a week after entirely worth it.

There was also another time when I got home with too much shopping bags from the nearest shopping center, when I was welcomed by her sitting at the kitchen table, behind her laptop. I walked up to her and hugged her from behind.

''Find everything you need?'' She asked.

''More than that," I said.

''It is the danger of shopping.''

''I suppose so,'' I laughed, and kissed her cheek. ''Slide back,'' I whispered in her ear, and she did, still seated on her chair. I went and sat on her lap, putting my hands behind her neck.

''If you could buy anything in that whole mall,'' I said. ''What would you get?''

The moment in which she surprised me was in the answer that she gave. There was no desire to indulge in luxury items. No need for the newest this or that.

She closed her eyes and thought. I watched a smile spread across her face.

''There is this book I meant to buy.'' She said.

''A book?''

''Yes.''

''That's it?''

''That's it.''

I looked at her questionably.

''Interesting...'' I said.

''How's that?''

''I give you all the options, and you choose a book.''

''Which I keep forgetting to buy.''

I stayed silent, taking in every inch of her face, enthralled and amazed, and I found a smile spreading across my face, too.

I later ended up asking which book it was, and a couple days after I went and bought it for her. My reward? A completely worth it round of sex.

Then there was this incident with a cat stuck in a tree. How very ironic.

She and I were on a walk and there we saw the animal, a few branches up, meowing for help. For ten minutes we tried to lur the animal back down, but it didn't work. I grabbed my phone and was about to call the animal ambulance, the local fire department, anyone, really, before she grabbed my arm and stopped me.

''You climb up.'' She said matter-of-factly. I didn't say anything. Instead, I looked at her skeptically, wondering if she was serious or not.

''I am serious,'' She confirmed. ''I have older limbs. You do it.''