A Surprise

Are you going to talk to me again if I tell you I haven't told her?

***

This morning I woke up to the sound of Pedro's message notification. Last night I asked him if he had told Kim that I was in Missouri. And the answer I got this morning was a relief.

I sat on the edge of the bed, stretching. Marco's side of the bed was cold. That meant he'd been up since earlier, and there was no sign of him in the room. The clock still showed eight in the morning. Had Marco left already? Did he leave this early?

I finally just decided to go to the bathroom, clean myself up quickly because today I was going to surprise Kim. I can already imagine how cute Kim's slanted eyes will be when she's bulging with surprise and excitement. She would tease me like crazy and bombard me with questions if I told her what brought me to Missouri again.

While passing by the window, my eyes accidentally caught something. I immediately approached the glass and looked down. There I saw Marco on his morning run with someone. They were both shirtless. I prevented my saliva from dripping. And when they turned the corner, my view was blocked by the wall. I lingered near the back of the window, waiting for a few minutes. My subconscious screamed in pleasure when the two men reappeared from different directions. God, I have to wake up early tomorrow.

On the next lap, Marco stopped. The man he was with also stopped, albeit a little late. He looked back, probably asking why Marco had stopped. Their breathing seemed to be labored from up here. Marco then looked up, his mouth slightly open and his eyes narrowed. And when he caught me watching him, a smirk appeared on his face. The man with him was also about to look up until I hurriedly stepped back. I patted myself on the cheek once then made a small run to the bathroom, took off all my clothes, and walked under the shower.

***

"You said I can go anywhere I want ...." I demanded the promise Marco had made in the limousine yesterday. My gaze falters knowing that there are two men in suits who will follow me on Marco's orders. The two men stood undaunted beside the car. This is too much. I'm just going to see Kim. She would already be surprised enough by the fact that I was in Missouri with my mystery man. There was no need to add to it with two men who would follow me everywhere.

"Indeed. I'm not forbidding you to go anywhere." Marco pulled my waist closer. "But on condition: not alone."

Somehow this made me a little annoyed. I took a step back, disentangling myself from his embrace. "I'm okay."

"That's why I hired them. To make sure you stay okay."

"Marco ...." I whined like a baby, but judging from Marco's unchanging face, it was clear this was going to end the way he wanted. As it usually does. "Fine!"

He then took a step forward, pulled my back and hugged me. His hands ran through my hair, while his lips sought my ear. "This is the best thing I can do right now," he whispered. My hands squeezed his black coat. "I promise in two or three days we'll spend the whole day together."

It was a little difficult, but I finally nodded.

"Good girl." She then pulled away, let me into the car and closed it again.

***

The time when I arrived at Kim's hotel room, the two men in suits had disappeared. This was enough for me to tell them they didn't need to come with me. It made me wonder where they've been.

I immediately went straight to Kim's door. I almost cried the moment I saw her. "Kim!" She opened the door. Her eyes widened. She blinked rapidly and almost staggered backward. I can see the surprise in her expression, her hands reaching to the door frame for balance. "I came!"

"Y-You came," she mumbled. She seemed to have not expected my visit. "How? Wait, what ...?"

"Surprise!"

"Are you real?" She chuckled and gestured for me to enter her apartment. I nodded, trying to ignore her unusual words. I also put down my bag and took off my shoes. The moment I took my shoes off, she dragged me into the living room and threw herself on me. We hugged for a long time. It was a while before she pulled away, sniffing. "Oh my god, this is real." She laughed happily. "I'm so happy to see you."

I squeezed her back. "I am too."

"Tell me everything!"

I chuckled and let her guide me to the sofa. I told her about how I met Marco, what Marco did for me, and everything. Her eyes lit up when I said he was rich.

"Why didn't you tell me about him?"

I smiled. "I knew you would be so excited. You've always wanted to meet a rich man."

"You're right. I do!" she laughed. "Rich men are so fun! They are so generous."

I couldn't help but laugh at her response. It was the same old Kim. Nothing could ever change her. We continued talking for hours, catching up on each other's lives. It was amazing how time flew by, and before I knew it, the sun had already set outside.

"Hey, let's go out for dinner tonight!" Kim suggested, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"I don't know if I can. Marco might be expecting me back soon." I replied, feeling guilty about leaving her alone.

"Oh, come on! He'll understand." Kim pleaded, making puppy eyes at me.

"Okay, fine. Let's go!" I finally gave in, knowing how much this meant to her.

We quickly got ready and left the apartment. Kim took me to this fancy Italian restaurant, and we ordered all our favorite dishes. Everything was perfect, from the food to the atmosphere.

As we were eating, I noticed that Kim kept staring at me and then at something behind me. I turned around and saw Marco standing there, a few feet away from our table. A small smile crept up on his lips as he saw me looking at him. He then walked towards us, pulling out a chair and sitting down beside me.

"Marco, what are you doing here?" I asked, surprised.

"I wanted to join the two of you for dinner," he said, his eyes locking onto mine. "Is that okay?"

Kim's eyes widened as she took in the sight of Marco. I could see her jaw drop and her eyes bulge as she stared at him in disbelief. I couldn't blame her; Marco looked amazing in his suit and his hair was perfectly styled. He looked like he belonged on the cover of fashion magazine.

"Of course, it's okay," I said, trying to steady my breathing. "We were just catching up."

"Good." Marco smiled at me before turning to Kim. "I'm Marco."

"Kim." She replied, still in shock.

***

Hello everyone, sorry for not showing up for months. There are many things going on, especially my health. A few months ago I got a doctor's verdict and they required me to have a surgery. It took me a long time for medical checkups and recovery. And it was really hard for me to manage my time, especially with me also being in college. So, I apologize for making you all worry about my absence.

I will slowly write again and hopefully everything will return to normal. Thank you

0508’23, Anne Joyce