Richard drove his car home that morning while thinking of nothing in particular. He soon arrived at his house and parked the car. He opened the door and went inside.
Nothing changed about the house since he left yesterday morning, not that he was expecting anything to change but he just felt that the familiar feeling of the house was somewhat eerie.
He pulled his shirt off with one fluid move and threw it to the couch with a yawn. His stomach grumbled to show that it hadn't received its due since lunch and it was pissed off. Richard patted his stomach hoping that Lily had prepared something.
Her foods were always so delicious that thinking about it made his mouth water and his stomach grumble violently as if it had a mind of its own.
"Richard, where are you coming from?"
Richard slowly turned to see Lily standing behind him with spatula in her hand. She was glaring at him that if looks could maim then he would really need a wheel chair right now.
Richard traced her arm and saw that the spatula was held threateningly as if she was about to attack him. He smiled wryly and pointed out, "you won't get me with a spatula."
Lily tilted her head sideways in a mocking manner and said, "Yet I could do so with a hand grenade plus it wouldn't be the first time I've kicked your ass."
"That was two years ago and it was a mistake and won't happen again. I promise you won't even touch me." He spoke and motioned for her to come at him.
Lily hissed and pointed the spatula higher, "Tell me where you were or I'll wipe the floor with your face!"
"I'm a grown man, Lily," Richard explained. Honestly he couldn't believe that he was explaining himself to his cook but he also realised that she was his bodyguard and a spy and he had gotten used to the situation long ago. "And I don't need to tell you where I am all the time."
"Oh yeah?" she scoffed, "you got me worried sick. What if something bad happened to you? The only confirmation I had that you were fine was that your Transmitter was online and there was no distress call or hike in heart beat."
Lily and Richard's mother used personalised technology to keep track of him and Richard also wore a small device that could track his heart rate and location while making it possible for him to send a distress call or send a message to Lily but it was only used for emergency and he rarely used. It was the only thing that saved him during his captivity eight months ago.
"At least you know, besides I'm a soldier and a damn good one at that and in the city nothing can happen." He casually sat down on the sofa with his arms spread over the back rest.
Lily was pissed again. She moved closer—too close for comfort. "Your location showed you were still in the city so I began to calm down thinking you're with that pretty lady I met yesterday. So how did it go? Is Priscilla giving you troubles?"
Lily was now bubbling with excitement again but Richard shook his head and said, "I wasn't with Priscilla but Pauline."
He watched as Lily's smile was wiped off and her excitement became deflated like a balloon. She glared at Richard with killing intent now. "You were with that dirty pig?"
Richard jumped up and almost pounced on her. Lily wasn't surprised neither did she flinch. She knew that Richard was protective of Pauline but never would she have thought that he'd want to hit her because of her but she wasn't afraid because she knew that she could hold her own against Richard.
That and the fact that Richard would never hit her no matter what she did or said.
Richard glared at her intently before warning, "don't you ever call her dirty again!"
"Yeah, yeah, she sleeps with everything in trousers so what should I call her?"
"You don't know what she's been through!"
"Fine," Lily raised her arms in surrender, "I'm sorry for insulting her but when compared with Priscilla I just want to kill you right now!"
Richard ignored her snide remark. She paused and went on in an annoyed tone, "you seriously spent the night with Pauline while I was sitting here not able to sleep a wink all night just to worry for you?"
"You didn't have to worry."
"You pathetic old fool," Lily swung the spatula at him but Richard dodged and grabbed it with a fluid motion and disarmed her and then grabbed both her arms in a vice hold.
Lily was further enraged, "why can't you let me win just once?"
"Because," Richard let go of her, "you're slacking in your practice."
"That's because I cook for you all day." She lowered her head.
Richard patted her shoulder and said, "We can train once in a while when I'm home."
"I'll keep that in mind but that doesn't make me happy. For your punishment I won't give you breakfast this morning."
She took the spatula from him and smiled, "I assume you had your fill at Pauline's?"
Richard's stomach grumbled in protest but Lily didn't give any attention to it. She turned around and added, "if only you were with Priscilla last night then I would have fed you silly today but now you've made things complicated for me. What if your mother finds out that you're cheating on Priscilla?"
Richard wanted to answer back but the words sounded heavy. What did she mean by cheat on Priscilla? He sighed and sat down feeling a lot better than before. This was the reason why he entertained Lily.
She just knew how to help him unwind. Though this could be considered a very bad way to do so but he enjoyed coming home and having his cook alias his bodyguard nag at him like a house wife.
He sat down again not minding that he won't be getting any food. After a while he took his bath and changed his clothes before heading off to the military HQ.