PAINT IT RED (MikhAiah)

9: Too Good To Be True

"I never came upon any of my discoveries through the process of rational thinking." —Albert Einstein

***

MIKHA

"You got laid," Jhoanna says as I walk in, holding my coffee that I barely managed to get in time this morning.

I forgot what it was like to lose myself in a woman. And I know I've never lost myself in someone so much as I did last night and this morning. Aiah is the most unexpected surprise of my life.

I keep waiting to find a flaw, but can't seem to find one. No one can be that perfect. Not that I want to jinx it. I also don't want to find out she's married or something. So I'm close to doing the unthinkable, because she has my head all kinds of messed up.

"Maybe," I tell her, smirking when she groans.

"The Ice Princess took you but not me?" she asks as I drop to my desk chair and pull up the databases I need.

"It drives you that crazy she didn't eat up your charm," I drawl.

"There's a reason I'm the face of this department, and it isn't because I'm the best looking—though we both know I am. The point is, girls eat me up. Women, mothers, daughters, aunts, sisters, nieces... We mess up, and I explain it away with a charming smile and an 'aww shucks' sort of attitude while throwing in a deep sense of remorse. Anything and everything will be forgiven if you have the right face. It's the truth. Humans are shallow—all of us. Pardon me for finding it a little suspect that she literally had zero interest in me, yet turns around and sleeps with you."

"I think Mikha is way hotter than you," Maloi chimes in, coming to prop up beside me as Jhoanna scowls at her. "And despite what you think, not all women are that shallow. Most of us find someone attractive if they have the right qualities."

"Bullshit," Jhoanna scoffs. "I've done plenty of research on the matter. I'm not just talking out my ass."

I roll my eyes as they continue to bicker, and I start my search. No marriage certificate. No divorce. No children—not that I'd mind, but I'd still like to know. No...living relatives... Shit.

No one? She has no one at all? I already know she doesn't have any personal social media. Just her business profiles, even though there's no mention of her partner on any of them.

I don't dig any deeper than that. I feel like I've invaded her privacy enough. Everything else needs to be things she tells me when she's ready—like the car accident that scarred her.

It must have been a bad wreck, considering one scar travels from her left hip to her right breast. Another one is on her right side, jagged and large. They're old. I could tell from looking at them.

I should have shown her my scars, but I was too busy exploring her body the rest of the night to give her time to explore mine. Every time she tried, I lost control, feeling her hands on me seemed to turn me into a horny teenager all over again.

"You have serious trust issues," Maloi says, drawing me out of my own head.

I notice Jhoanna is gone, but Maloi is reading the latest search over my shoulder. I close out of it and shrug.

"You had me research her background for priors, and now you're checking her facts?"

She cocks an eyebrow at me.

"Ever met someone too good to be true? I was almost late for work this morning because I couldn't seem to pry myself away from her. She literally has no flaws. She's beautiful, smart, sassy, whimsical, and onboard with my hectic schedule, even though most girls immediately have an issue with it. She hasn't once gotten annoyed with me having to cancel things. I showed up at her place unannounced, and she was twice as perfect as I thought possible. So yeah...I can't help but be worried, because a guy can fall fast for a girl like that."