Jake's gaze was arrested by the slight figure of the house-sitter who opened the gate for his car's entry. He didn't know what had gained his interest. The house-sitter was a diffident young man.
Maybe the way he stared at Jake. Openly admiring. Or maybe the features. The luscious lips and the large eyes shouldn't belong to a man...
"Lilo, come here. Meet my grandson and his fiancee." Grandma Esme made the introduction.
Sonya preened when she was introduced as his fiancee. She was vain and it was evident in her manner. She had creamy skin and voluptuous figure with medium height. Her long hair was bottle blonde and straight as rain. Her bright looks complemented Jake's dark skin and hawk-like features. They looked good as a couple although her lovely face was often marred by a frown and a sour expression. Her photographs as a model were always expressionless with wide eyes.
His grandmother hid her dismay. All of a sudden, Jake saw Sonya's flaws through a magnifying glass.
Lilo didn't look at Jake directly after that. His head remained bowed while he spoke in a low voice. Jake didn't hear what he said.
"Lilo is quite shy but he is industrious and hardworking," Grandma Esme beamed enthusiastically. Her earlier misgivings caused by Jake's fiancee vanished momentarily while enumerating the young house-sitter's merits. "Come inside. Lilo has prepared refreshments."
Jake found himself looking at Lilo while closing the gate. The slight figure was graceful. His movements were like a gazelle. He seemed delicate yet strong. Those gates were made of solid iron but he closed them with no difficulty.
"Servant! Get my bag inside Jake's car!" Sonya suddenly issued an order. "Hurry up!"
Grandma Esme and Ferdie were both embarrassed while Jake's mouth tightened. They all waited for Lilo's reactions.
Lilo ignored the command. He murmured an excuse to Grandma Esme then disappeared through the kitchen.
Ferdie snickered behind his hand. Grandma Esme cleared her throat.
"Er, Jacob--"
"Did you see that, Jake? Did you see that?" Sonya screeched between her white even teeth.
"Kindly get your bag from my car, Sonya," Jake enunciated calmly. "The door is not locked."
Sonya stomped her foot but she saw his seething eyes and changed her mood.
"Oh! Okay!" she said with a saccharine smile.
"Whew!" Ferdie whistled under his breath.
"It's a hot day! Come, let's have a cold drink." Grandma Esme proceeded to pour the drinks on tall glasses.
Jake was about to take the glass from the tray when they heard someone shouting foul language and noises like pounding on wood and glass.
"What the hell--"
Jake had recognized Sonya's angry voice. He rushed outside without a word. Ferdie and Grandma Esme followed closely.
He found Sonya beating against the door of the servants' quarters while screaming expletives. He shook his head while questioning his reasoning on his choice of a fiancee. This woman was crazy!
"Let go of me! I'll scratch his eyes out!" Sonya yelled while Jake tried to stop her violent movements. Ferdie assisted him.
"What is the matter with you?" He asked the wild woman when they were inside the car. "Why did you pick on the house-sitter?"
"My blood boiled at first sight of him!" Sonya fumed callously.
"He's effeminate," Ferdie piped in from the open window. "You shouldn't take any notice of him."
"I don't like the way he looks at my Jake!" she cut in possessively.
"And how did he look at 'your' Jake?" Ferdie asked with a lopsided grin.
"Hungry and devouring! He's a man-eater!"
Jake peculiarly felt excitement. He didn't imagine the way Lilo had stared at him!
"You have a wanton imagination, Sonya. Calm yourself and stay in the car. I'll find Grandma Esme." Jake felt hot and abnormally aroused. He couldn't believe his body's reactions. The luscious lips and the large eyes appeared in front of his mind's eye before he jiggled his head.
"I'll be here," Ferdie said generously with a wink and settled on leaning against the side of the car.
"Lilo has a deep scratch on his right arm." Grandma Esme had a worried expression on her wrinkled face when he found her in the kitchen. She was carrying a first aid kit.
"Sonya did it!"
"He said it is superficial but there is a lot of blood," his grandmother sighed. "We hope he didn't need to go to the hospital."
"What? Let me see to it." Jake was genuinely concerned on Lilo's welfare.
Lilo was reluctant to show his arm when he saw Jake.
"Let Jacob take care of your wound, Lilo. My eyesight cannot see clearly."
Jake washed his arm in the bathroom. Lilo folded his right long sleeve to bare the injured limb. His wound was a deep gash but it had stopped bleeding.
Jake's fingers trembled slightly when he felt the soft skin. A shock of electricity flowed into his arm and surged all over his body.
"How are you feeling, Lilo?" Grandma Esme asked kindly while preparing the antiseptic and gauze.
"I'm fine. It didn't bleed anymore," Lilo mumbled quietly, not looking at Jake.
"Let me, grandma." Jake took the wide gauze after washing his hands with alcohol.
"T-there's no need--" Lilo tried to shy away from him for the second time.
"We must cover the wound. Otherwise, it may bleed again," Jake insisted firmly. He wanted to feel again the electricity surging like tsunami...
Dammit, am I gay? He reacted as though he never felt such silky skin!
Jake bandaged the arm hurriedly then let go as though burned. He couldn't understand what happened to him.
Lilo glanced at him fleetingly. His eyes peeped hungrily before fluttering away reluctantly.
Jake wanted to capture Lilo's chin. He could have imagined the glimpse of hunger yet it was addicting.
And maddening! He was getting mad at himself. What was happening to him? He was confused. He was lost. He didn't know what to think. He moved away from Lilo before his itching fingers touched the rounded chin, which should belong to a woman. Up close, he gazed at the smooth cheeks and sooty eyelashes. Lilo's features were too delicate for a man...
"Are you sure you're okay, Lilo?" Grandma Esme needed to be reassured before leaving.
"Don't worry, Mrs. Mendez. I am fine. It is just a scratch." Lilo was clearly embarrassed. He didn't glance at Jake again.
"I'm sure, Lilo can take himself to the hospital if there's an infection," he said curtly. He wanted to leave right away.
"Y-yes, Mr. Mendez."
Jake noticed vaguely that the house-sitter always speak low.
"Grandma, I apologize for Sonya." He expressed when they were alone. He went with his grandmother to go to the house.
"Your fiancee must learn how to control herself. I asked Lilo what did he do to Sonya and he said nothing. He was washing at the kitchen sink when Sonya suddenly attacked him."
"I will speak to her." Jake was forced to promise humbly.
"I would appreciate it if your fiancee will not visit here while I'm in Davao," the old woman stated unsmilingly. "Lilo cannot defend himself against her. Your fiancee is a woman and Lilo is a gentleman."
"Yes, Grandma," he agreed seriously. He noted that his grandmother addressed Sonya as his fiancee and not by her name.
"Goodbye for now, Jacob. Please, say my goodbye to your fiancee and to Attorney Borromeo."
"I will. Keep safe. I'll call you tonight." Jake kissed her wrinkled cheek.
For the first time, Grandma Esme lacked enthusiasm. She gave a wan smile.
He was in a pensive mood as he walked to his car. His cellphone vibrated and he fished it out of his breast pocket absently.
"Hello, Ferdie?" he greeted frowningly. "How is Sonya?"
"I called because Sonya, er, persuaded me to drive her. She got impatient--"
"Give me that phone!" Jake heard Sonya's shrill voice. "I know, you're a grandmother's boy! And now, I know that you're a gay lover, Jake!"
"Sorry about that, Jake! I'll call you again! Bye!" Ferdie sounded harassed as he took back the phone.
"Talk some sense into her. I don't want to hear her accusations again," Jake said firmly. "Grandma Esme is not impressed with her."
"I don't care!" Sonya returned wildly at the background. "I don't need a fiance who is under the skirts of his grandmother!"
"Sorry about that again, bro. She will calm down tomorrow. I'll call you again. Bye!" Ferdie cut the connection.
Jake gazed at the horizon broodingly. He was questioning himself how did he get involved with Sonya. He bashed himself mentally because he proposed to her hastily. The charming and sweet-tempered girlfriend had morphed into a money-grabbing and over-possessive fiancee all in one day!
Ferdie knew Sonya and introduced them at a party. Sonya was pretty and popular among the crowd. She made it sure that she remained by his side. After two months of dating, Jake found himself in her bed.
"I'm yours for the taking, Jake. You don't have to wait two months!" Sonya revealed one night.
"Really? I wouldn't dream of taking advantage of you, my sweet." Jake had admired her candidness then. She made him feel so desirable as a lover.
But now, he couldn't help to think cynically that she must be impatient to snare him. She saw his fat bank account first, then the man second.
Jake shook his head. He could sleep in his room here. Maybe, he was in a better frame of mind after a few hours of rest.
"Grandma Esme?"
"Jacob! I thought you've already departed." His grandmother appeared from the kitchen.
"Ferdie drove Sonya to Manila. I think I'd like to rest for a while. What time will you be gone?"
"An hour or two. I have a long list of instructions for Lilo."
"While waiting for you, I'll lie down on my bed. I need some sleep."
"Poor Jacob! Go and rest."
Jake went to his room and instantly fell asleep. He didn't remember unbuttoning his shirt and jeans. He was so tired he was dead to world for several hours. When he opened his eyes, it was dark. He yawned and stretched. He still felt sleepy.
"I'm thirsty," he said while getting up. He walked down the corridor with bleary eyes.
Jake remembered his grandmother when he reached the kitchen. "Grandma?" He called out but got no answer. He pushed the door and saw Lilo walking out the back door. He decided to follow Lilo silently.
The door to the servants' quarters was already locked. Jake hesitated before he knocked on the door.
"Lilo?" His voice sounded husky to his ears. Almost tender... Damn! "Lilo!" He made his tone firm.
"S-sir!" Lilo was framed by a rectangular light from the room. "Y-your grandmother left already. Um, there's food in the kitchen. W-would you like to have dinner?"
Jake didn't answer. His attention was arrested by Lilo's eyes gazing up at him.
"S-sir Jacob?"
"Okay," he agreed brusquely while turning his body away from Lilo. He blinked the bleariness off his eyes.
The cold shower he took didn't help. His body was still hot and horny. He was seeing Lilo's silhouette in his memory. The slim waist and the gently flaring hips looked real inside the gauzy shirt. He shook his head forcefully.
"Dinner is ready, s-sir."
Lilo stood beside the dining table, wearing a thick and checkered polo. His keen gaze couldn't trace the curves he imagined he'd seen under the yellow light in the servants' quarters.
"Thank you. What about you?"
"I've had dinner already--"
His hand snaked to catch Lilo's bandaged arm. "How's the wound?" he asked suddenly.
"Um, it is healing--" Lilo whispered huskily while pulling away clumsily.
"Come, sit with me. Tell me about yourself while I am eating."
They stared at each other before Lilo flicked his eyes downwards. "Y-yes, sir."
Jake felt a surge of satisfaction because he made Lilo tremble. At least, he was not the only one who felt this unhealthy attraction!
And he could almost hear the sneering laughter of the bust of Venus by the hall.