LOVE AFFAIR [03]

Chapter 31.

CHAPTER 31: Mikey

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"Got a gift for you, sweetheart," Michael spoke casually, holding an envelope in one hand and a bouquet in another. He watched as Chloe wiped her hands upon her skirt before turning to face him.

Upon glancing at the letter between his fingers, she rolled her eyes almost playfully, "oh, goodie, another letter. You seem to have a lot of these. Must've had a lot to say."

The man chuckled lightly, handing over the flowers and the letter, "hey, behave."

"You know I'm kidding," she muttered in response as she allowed herself to be enveloped into Michael's arms. The smile on her face made her light up even more, though that's how it appeared to the man, "thank you for the flowers. What're you doing here anyway?"

"I was wondering if you had a response...you know, to my question—" the woman turned round to cast him a weary look because she had thought about it...for the past twenty-four hours. There was never a time she'd lost sleep over something until she met Michael. Just yesterday after he left her place, her eagle eyes managed to spot a grey hair forming upon her head.

'I'm fucking twenty five' she had told herself that evening after plucking it out. So now she was wary, extremely wary of the stress she was putting herself under.

"Fine, I'll go with you," she spoke simply before perking up at the sound of the doorbell, "only because I feel bad—also, how many time have you come to my house this past week alone? You don't think people are starting to get suspicious on your whereabouts?"

Michael had grown up to be extremely good at avoiding the paparazzi that he could consider it an Olympic sport. When he was a kid, there were adults around to hide him, but once he grew up, he had to become creative. With the help of a few university friends—who scarily looked like him facing away—he got away with sneaking around without ever drawing suspicion onto himself.

The man simply shrugged as the woman went over to answer the door. Outside, Stephanie stood, glancing round before Chloe welcomed her in. In return, she smiled at her until her eyes landed upon Michael and that same smile curled into a smirk, "well, look who it is. Does that mean this thing is back on or..."

"Don't answer her question," Michael snapped quickly as Chloe glanced back to give the man an incredulous look.

"Okay, okay, Christ."

Stephanie chuckled in response, making her way over to Chloe's kitchen table where she placed her purse. The two looked as the woman turned back to face them, "oh, perhaps I struck a nerve. Michael, be a dear and just ask the poor girl out. Otherwise, I might even pick her up myself."

"In your dreams, Martins." he scoffed, jealousy running through his veins as he threw an arm over Chloe's shoulders. The action alone shouldn't have omitted such an emotion to the woman and yet her cheeks had grown flushed at the sentiment, "don't you have somewhere to be?"

She'd just arrived not even ten minutes prior and yet Michael's eagerness to have her sent off had Chloe being stuck in quite the awkward predicament. Stephanie managed to shrug the man off and they went over the detailing of the painting whilst Michael sat on Chloe's wooden floors with her kittens circling around him.