WRITTEN BY:
Forever_Rimaine
(this is a sequel to Agape from the Home compilation)
JUNE 2044
She wraps her arms around him possessively, turning his face to her to get his full attention. He smiles naughtily, sneaking a kiss on her lips but turns back his attention to the game he is watching. She playfully slaps him and pouts.
"Is this the kind of quality time I'm supposed to expect from you once we're married?"
He laughed, indulgent of her pettiness. "Keep it up hon, and we'll be sounding like an old married couple even before were married."
"But we need to be together and have time only for each other, Den. It's called quality time."
"Reigne, quality time is what we make of it. There are no hard and fast rules on how to spend quality time. Sometimes Granda and I just sit together watching the game silently, we don't talk, but we both enjoy that quiet time together merely by basking in each other's presence. That is also quality time."
"Hon, you're comparing me to an old man. That's different from the kind of relationship we have. Of course quiet time would be enough for both of you. But for us, we have to work hard to make the relationship last. You need to anticipate my needs the way I would anticipate yours. I once answered a quiz in Cosmo---"
"Arghhh. You and your cosmo quizzes. Honey, those quizzes are just for fun, you don't take them seriously. Don't believe everything you read. And don't belittle my relationship with Granda. I owe the man everything."
"We still haven't discussed what to do with him, Den. I mean, do you really want him to live with us once we get married? We should be starting our life together, just the two of us."
Alden suddenly lost his good mood. He gave her his full attention, his eyes intently gazing at her.
"Reigne, you always knew how to get my attention. Well now you have it. Look, you have so many rules that I just let go off, because I indulge you. But taking care of my grandfather is non-negotiable. I will never leave him in a nursing home, nor will I allow him to live alone. We can just break off the engagement if you want."
He stood up ready to leave but Reigne blocked the door. She smiled at him sweetly, caressing his cheek.
"How easy for you to get all riled up over your grandfather. Honey, I was just teasing you. You're right, I just wanted to get your attention. Now that I have it, all is well." She slowly unbuttoned her shirt, showing off her lacy underwear.
"Remember this, sweetie? I'm wearing your favorite.......come get me." She smiles as she casually drops her shirt on the settee. Never one to back off from an invitation like this, Alden smiles and follows her to the bedroom.
-----
Nicomaine gazed at the house in front of her, admiring the colonial lines of the white structure. The house was atypical to the kind of houses in this street, where most properties boasted of the modern wood, glass and steel design, with security wiring traversing through the tops of the concrete walls.
This house was all white, with beautifully intricate grillwork on the windows, a wide lawn and old-fashioned driveway. Although it had the same concrete walls to keep the privacy of the owners, the gate was the same intricate grillwork design on the windows and could give outsiders a peek at what lay beneath the concrete walls.
She rang the bell and waited, smoothing the creases on her white unifom and patting her neat hair bun in place. A uniformed maid opened the gate upon seeing her ID and ushered her into the patio. It was a beautiful spot of the house, easily what she would consider a favorite spot. There was a beautiful oak table good for seating six people, with equally gorgeous oak chairs neatly tucked close to the table's sides.
A shelf of books was in one corner, a mix of novels and photo albums, some dating back to the previous century, judging by the yellowing cover of the white canvas binding. There was a soft, inviting couch by the wide window, underneath it was a soft area rug and center table. A few meters away was a small concrete structure, almost like a playhouse. She wanted to explore it if not for a voice that interrupted her musings.
"Hi."
It was a soft and pleasant masculine voice, and she turned slowly to seek its owner. He was tall, an inch shy of six feet, fair-skinned but tanned, looking like he came from a beach holiday. The tan suited his handsome face, which boasted of dreamy eyes with long thick lashes, an aristocratic nose, lips that needed a license for being deadly gorgeous, a stubborn chin with a cleft. He smiled, revealing a deep dimple in his left cheek.
"Will I pass your scrutiny?" He asked teasingly.
"Oh my goodness, so sorry for staring. This will sound like such a cliché but you look so familiar."
She did look familiar herself, although he couldn't place where they met. She had caramel soft doe eyes with elegantly arched eyebrows, long and thick fringes of lashes that made her eyes look mysteriously exotic. Her luscious lips were dewy and full, the deep cleft on her chin gave her face a pert character. Her white uniform fit her shapely slimness well, and when she suddenly smiled he swore his heart fluttered.
"You feel it too, don't you? Like we've met before."
"Yes......weird. Anyway, I'm Alden Richard Faulkerson. You can call me Den for short." He extends his hand as she introduces herself.
"Nice to meet you, Den. My name is Nicomaine Capili. You can call me Maine, for short."
Maine's hand is engulfed in his large one, long and tapered fingers, wrap around her soft and graceful hand. As palm touches palm, warmth travels like a telegraph in opposite directions, jolting them both into something they do not fully understand. They look at each other, hands held captive of each other, like magnets of opposite poles drawing together.
Maine is first to break contact as she notices his face getting too near hers. She slowly extricates her hand, bending a little backwards, as his face hovers over hers.
"You have such captivating eyes Maine. Do you realize your eyes have little dark brown flecks in them?" He peers into them and lowers his gaze to her lips, as she self-consciously bites into her lower lip and looks away. She clears her throat to speak.
"Could you please tell me more about the patient?"
"Oh....sorry. Have a seat, Maine. I will get Granda."
"Granda?"
"My grandfather. When I was small, I couldn't pronounce grandad and instead called him Granda. The monicker stuck. Wait here, ok?"
He jogged away, and Maine sat down to fan herself. Goodness, what a Greek god of a man! His physique was absolutely Men's Health magazine material, long legs and nice tush too. Ha, Nicomaine, careful. You're here to work and not flirt.
Alden was back, with his Granda Teddy, a gentle-looking man of about 80. His hair was all white, his face still handsome with a few lines on his forehead and the corners of his eyes. He was thin and frail-looking, but his eyes twinkled and he was smiling.
"Maine, this is Granda Teddy. Do not be deceived by his looks, he is not the cute gentle old man he seems. He's a tiger, this one."
Alden lovingly runs a hand over his Granda's head, and stoops to kiss the his Granda. The gesture is not lost on Maine, she feels an emotional pull at the scene. Granda looks at Alden and then at Maine, smiling.
"Full circle," He said, nodding. "Thank you for fulfilling your promise, son. You finally found her."
"Granda, do not scare Maine with your cryptic talk. Maine, don't mind him, he sometimes rambles but he's not crazy."
"Look at her, Richard. She's the spitting image of your mom."
"Ok Granda, I will take you back to your room before you freak out Maine for real."
