The next day we both were traveling in my car. Arsenio was driving us to his so-called surprising place. My windows were rolled down and the wind was caressing my face, more like slapping my face but in a good way.
I felt carefree after a long time. I forgot about my work-stress, and all that mattered now was this moment. When closer we get to our destination, our surroundings became greener and fresher.
The air became pure. The sky was blinded by towering trees like Douglas firs, mountain hemlock, and Alaskan yellow cedar, and so on.
There were many trees and it was a sight to be held from your boring and busy city life. There was no pollution, everything looked clean and fresh.
It looked like we had entered some forest range. I was wondering, what kind of surprise was waiting for me.
"Out, with your surprise, already!" I demanded him and waited in anticipation for his response. I couldn't hold in my excitement anymore which made him chuckle.
"We are almost there. You can see it for yourself." He tilted his head in my direction and gave me a lopsided grin.
After a few minutes passed by, we entered the Mt. Rainier national park. I had heard about this place but I never visited it due to my busy working schedule. This place was not too far away from Seattle and it was home to wide varieties of flora and fauna.
I felt like I was in some movie set. It was beautiful. I turned to Arsenio and he was looking at me expectantly for my reaction.
"It is beautiful, Arsenio. Thank you." I told him and hugged him without warning, which made him stiffen in my arms but he released a sigh of relief and relaxed in my embrace.
He wrapped his muscular arms around me. I was totally drowned in his arms. He smelled like citrus and manly. It was so comforting to hug him.
"I am glad that you liked this place." He murmured against my hair without releasing me from his embrace.
"Are you serious? I love this place." I pulled away from him and grinned up at him with excitement.
"Let's explore further then." He suggested and I nodded at him in agreement.
We were in a much-secluded place at Mt. Rainier. There were no tourists here. I didn't know how he got permission in this secluded area, but I really appreciate his effort.
The wind, the atmosphere, the soil, everything in this place was such therapy to my stressful life.
Arsenio set his basket near a beautiful meadow which gave us the perfect view of the mountain and a lake that was located closer to it.
The sun was rising behind the mountain, giving us a beautiful view of the golden hue of the mountain and lake. It looked magical. Arsenio took me earlier here, but I had no idea it was to witness this beautiful sight.
At first, I was not ready to leave my bed. Because Sunday was my only day off and it was the only day where I could escape the clutches of my demanding boss. All I wanted to do was to stay in my bed and sleep.
But this place was worth everything. Today the climate was also a little warmer, comparing to the usual weather. I took a gulp of the fresh air and closed my eyes in genuine bliss.
"How did you know this place?" I asked him, who was setting a blanket on the ground.
"A colleague of mine took his girlfriend here two days ago and he never stopped talking about this place. So I thought of taking you here since we haven't talked to each other for a long while." He shrugged casually.
Did that mean that he was interested in me?
Was I reading too much into his simple gesture?
"All set. Now, come, sit and enjoy your time." He gestured towards the blanket and our picnic basket with a proud smile which made me chuckle at him.
We both sat beside each other and ate our sandwiches while enjoying the view in front of us. I felt like, I was in the countryside, even though I had never visited the countryside.
He was very thoughtful of me. He was very caring and he was the only companion I have, after a very long time. Deep down, I knew that it was one of the main reasons why I decided to let him stay with me.
I didn't have many friends in my high school and college. I was so busy focusing on my grades and part-time jobs, because, after my parents' death I didn't want my granny to think of me as a burden.
After her death, I didn't have anyone to rely upon. I had to work harder to pay for my college tuition. That was the time, where I met Jake; he was my escape from reality. After my final year of college, everything went down the drain with him.
I was so used to being alone all my life that I forgot how it feels when someone cares for me. I never knew how it feels to be surrounded by a large family. Many people think that I was a workaholic, shy, and awkward at speaking because of my lack of interaction with people.
But the truth was, my work keeps me busy, it never made me feel lonely. It never allowed my mind to wander off to the pathetic side of my life.
When my parents died, my relatives didn't want to get themselves involved with me because they thought that I was going to be an additional burden on their plate. I had few friends during my college days but I was not in touch with them anymore.
I looked at Arsenio, his gaze was focused in front of him. The golden rays of sunshine made his golden locks stand out. His emerald green eyes almost looked translucent.
There was a five O'clock shadow, growing on his face. He looked like some heavenly being, like an angel. No wonder, he was a Demigod, he was the son of Eros, the god of love.
He got a job and a place to stay, now. But he decided to visit me on his weekend, even though he had to spend his night on the floor, he stayed in my life. He decided to stay when everyone left me.
"I know, I am irresistible, but staring at someone for too long is rude, you know?" he told me all of a sudden which made my eyes widen with shock. His voice was deep and husky like music. I thought he didn't notice me.
My face flushed with embarrassment. I turned away from him and focused in front of me. He chuckled at my expense and turned his head to me.
"Awe! Don't be shy, you can stare at me all you want." He teased me and pinched my cheek which made me swat his hands with a squeak. He boomed with laughter, the corners of his eyes crinkled. He looked so carefree and playful.
I stood up from my place and crossed my arms in front of my chest in defiance and glared at him. He too stood up in front of me but his laughter never died down, if anything, it became louder and hilarious.
"S... haha…sorry, sorry." He apologized in between in his laugh. He stood straighter and wiped away his fake tears dramatically, I rolled my eyes at him.
"Are you done laughing?" I asked him with a scowl.
"Are you mad because you couldn't stare at me for so long?" he teased further.
"Kitten," he added on his second thought. It was the name he gave me when we were complete, strangers. I blushed at his statement.
God! Why was I behaving like a schoolgirl? I was twenty-four years, grown woman for Pete's sake.
"Don't call me that," I told him with a frown but deep down I like it. I like everything about him.
"What are you talking about…Kitten?" he mocked me.
I took the water bottle from the basket and tried to splash the water on him but he noticed my intention and dodged the water. He ran away from me with a mocking smile on his face. I chased after him like a madwoman.
"Stop!" I yelled at him and ran behind him.
"Try to catch me, Kitten!" he yelled back at me.
He was running backward but he was so fast and smooth on his legs. He didn't even break a sweat while I was panting already.
"Arsenio!" I called his name, frustratingly, and stopped chasing after him. I knew that I was not going to catch him anytime soon. He too stopped running and looked at my sour expression.
"Jeez, woman, I am just teasing you." He raised his hands in mock surrender, but his taunting smirk was still intact on his face.