"Why did you do that? Why not just give him money?" I ask as he leads me into a tiny restaurant with a battered sign "Mark's Barbeque"dangling above the blinds that acts as a door.
"But that wouldn't have solved the problem. He will still be a beggar and struggle to meet ends meet, so I thought I could encourage him." Dionysus smiles, his green eyes deep in thought as we push the thin blind back and step into the insignificant place.
In fact, I had never stepped foot into somewhere as scanty of class in my last two years.
"Hey, Dio!" A burly man emerges from behind the counters, his head is shaved clean and wears an apron. They engulf each other in tight hugs for some time until I pip up, "Hello? I am still here?"
Turns out, the man was on his team in the army three years ago, and quit to open a restaurant but that's all Dionysus said. No denying, I was hurt from his lack of trust. I thought he was going to open up. But hey, I still have a chance.
To my utmost surprise, his ramen was astonishingly seductive. By that, I meant piquantly delicious. And I am in love with him. With his cooking skills. Anyway, do all soldiers possess such great culinary skills?
+++++++++
I stomp up the stairs like a hurricane to the room on the left- Dionysus' room and throw the expensive ebony door open, it hit the wall painfully and 'bounces' back at the impact. I wince, shouldn't be too hasty, but this is seriously important.
But all these were the least of my concerns right now. Because I had a fashion show to run.
Just joking.
I mean, kinda, looking at the man, few droplets of water slide down his excellently-toned eight packs invitingly, fingering out the perfect edges of his muscles. His skin is deeply tanned, I notice a deep scar running down from his left chest down all the way to his abdominal and another one from his left ear down to his back. His shoulder-length black hair is wet and tousled. His grape-green eyes seem shocked, but embarrassment arouses in his eyes immediately together with a deep paint of red on his face and neck. A towel is wrapped around his slim waist (and abs! *whispers*), not-so-generously revealing only his muscular calves.
I gulp loudly. Not even retreating for the door, "Wow, sexy huh?" I force my eyes upon the man, feeling warmth in my cheeks.
"Out! Now." He reaches me quickly, his bath slippers squishing at the force, leaving a trail of water behind. Dionysus bends down to my ears and whispers, "Anyway, you look gorgeous today."
A puff of warm breath massages my delicate ears, I tug at my turtle-neck wool knitted red sweater over a black long sleeve, pulling it over my white winter pants. This is my outfit for my photoshoot just now. I am gorgeous? Really?
Despite hearing it at least ten million times, those praises seemed to not even be a speck of dust compared to his. I don't know why, but it just felt different.
While lost in my mind, he yanks the door open and pushes me out.
"Hey! I have a reason to see you half-naked!"
+
I quickly return back to Earth and push the door open and the urge to regret my choice of words is NON-EXISTENT.
"We have 5 minutes to get ready!" I shove him aside striding into the bedroom and throw set of long sleeves and *cough* black boxers at him. I did not mean to be a creep, but he wears XL size for his *cough again* but anyway, let's move on.
"My manager and brother are coming! You are going to hide and pack your things on another side, and don't come out! I will send dinner up!" I rushed back down- patting my heated cheeks, his boxers bulge seemed so-
Stop, Mel.
We had a deal to not reveal our status of living with each other, he said that it will be unbeneficial for both of us. I cannot have a relationship now, with my job and all, and Dionysus is afraid that his enemies will be harm me.
And I don't think Aunt Leen and Karl will be very happy knowing a man lives with me this very moment.
+
"Aunt Leen, I told you you don't have to come, and even bring this brat along"
"Hey, screw off, I am the same age as you and I am not a brat!"
Aunt Leen ignores him, "I have to pass you your school things anyway, you need a letter for the school for being absent for so long, and I am already guessing your textbooks are rotten by now." I went forward to hug her and kiss her on her cheeks.
"No kissey for me?" Karmen pouts, giving me the big blue puppy eyes.
I roll my eyes, "Wow Karl, haven't grown up, have you?" But peck him on his cheeks anyway.
"Yay, but Aunt Leen got one and she's old," Karl's eyes lit up with excitement, a flicker of emotions in his eyes but maybe I have seen wrongly, and he tugs my sleeves like a monkey swinging on branches.
"Whatever, are you cooking with me?" I roll up my sleeves and grab an apron hanging at the entrance of the kitchen.
"Nope" he pops the 'p' loudly, "I'll just explore your house a bit, it's been long since I have come here."
"Suit yourself, right, if you want me to go to the same school as you, don't enter the room on the left, understood?"
"Kay, Mel."
I squirm a little at how fast he agreed, I was ready to put up a fight.
"I'll just do my work first, don't tire yourself too much." Aunt Leen smiles gently, tipping her head to the sparkling polished white sofa.
"Don't overwork too, Aunt Leen, love you."
+
"What the f*ck?!"
Someone curses loudly, definitely Karl.
My heart skips a beat, an obnoxious feeling crept up, did he-
"Carmelo Ilocia, explain yourself!"
"Carmelo Ilocia!"
"Aunt Leen, look at this!"
A string of thunderous footsteps slams on my mahogany stairs, and his voice got louder and louder.
"Karmen, I swear, stop being so loud for my sake!" I carry a pot of steaming seaweed soup out to settle it on the dining table, managing to keep my cool.
"Carmelo, look at this, what exactly is he?!"
Awkward silence.
"You know, boy, I am not a 'what', I will appreciate if you have some respect." Dionysus scrunches his eyebrows and leans against the stair rails with his right sleeve in Karl's hand.
Obviously Karl must have pulled and dragged him down.
"Gosh, Karl, he's a guest and you know that I don't do relationships." I cover my face guiltily.
"Oh dear, a man in Carmelo Ilocia's house, Mel, this is so risky." Aunt Leen places her laptop on the sofa and comes over, frowning like her daughter was raped or something. But, luckily, she showed no signs of anger.
"Well, do we need to throw him out?" Karl let go of his sleeves, crossing his arms on his chest.
"No, don't worry, I know what I am doing since when am I wrong?" I place a kiss on his cheeks gently, I had realised giving him a kiss had always helped to soothe his anger.
Psst, remedy for cooling mad banshees down.
"Yeah, whatever then." Indeed, Karl's expression softens and drops himself on his seat at the dining table-which was where Dionysus sat every time.
I quirk an eyebrow in his direction, "sorry", he mouths and nods in apology.
That sends a swoon to me, how can he be so apologetic and sincere?
Oh the virtues he possesses are so charming.