"Now, we have to clean the ones who pout their lips. They practically beg for a wooden clothes clamp."
"You mean, me?!"
"No …" he drones out, closing their distance and picking his wife with his arms, carrying her to the bathroom, "I mean, me."
"I want to soak in warm water."
"Yes, My Lady."
"With the lavender scented soap."
"Yes, My Lady."
"And bubbles."
"Yes, My Lady."
"And no Mahendra."
"No! You have to shower with me!"
"Why?"
"Just because."
"Ugh … you'll get naughty and ask for it again," Aruna grumbled.
Hendra cheekily grinned at her.
"We already did it in the car, remember?"
"That was because we missed it last night," Hendra explained, "This is for today's fill."
"There's nothing like that."
"There is!"
At his incessant, Aruna furrowed her brows, "Say's who?"
"Say's me!" he answered in such a flat tone with his serious face.
"You'll ask again tomorrow morning, won't you?"
"Of course, that's my breakfast and that's a must."
"I want to pass for tonight … just this once …"
"I'll be the only one working. My Aruna won't have to do anything. Just lay there and do nothing."
Because apparently, after they did it for the first time, Hendra didn't want to miss even a night to do the deeds. As if he was programmed to do that once a day. More, if they have the chance.
"Do you think I can just lay there and do nothing when you do things to me instead?"
Hendra laughed at how vulgar she was even without saying the exact words. He kissed her lush and polite lips then.
***
There was a shrill and it continued ringing. It came out of a phone. Hendra's phone, to be precise. Aruna woke to hear her husband roused up from sleep and picking up his phone.
"Wait for me, I'll try to be there on time," he said. Hendra bolted up to the bathroom after putting his phone on the nightstand beside their bed.
Aruna blinked the sleep away, staring up at the ceiling high above her. She was startled yet again when Hendra's phone rang, loud as before. Sitting up on the bed, she reached for the phone and yelled to the bathroom's direction, "Babe, you got a call … it keeps ringing, can I pick it?"
There was no reply from him.
Rubbing on her eyes with the back of her hand, Aruna stared at the name displayed on the lit up screen.
Anna.
She didn't know that the person behind that name was. That was why she readily slid her finger on the green icon. Excusing herself because she wanted to know what kind of a woman dared to call her husband this early in the morning. She had to make sure that Hendra didn't play around with other women after he succeeded in his conquest to keep her awake until late night.
[Hadyan, don't forget to–]
[Hendra is in the shower] Aruna cut in before the woman on the other line finished her sentence.
[Who are you?] the voice raised ever so slightly.
[I should be the one asking that. You call Hendra this early] Aruna retorted, more relaxed than the caller.
[His soon to be fiance. Who are you?]
Badump!
Those words made her eyes widen instantly. It felt like being woken up by a bucket of ice cold water. A sudden revelation. The voice belonged to the woman she knew as Nana. Hendra saved her number as Anna.
[I'm his wife]
Even so, Aruna's voice was less arrogant. One could say she was bereft of it. Despite their married status and all the things they did last night, she was not as possessive as the one claiming to be her husband's soon-to-be fiance.
A humorless laugh resounded from the speaker.
[Stop pretending to be his wife, she was long gone. Enough with your lie]
Badump!
[I don't lie] Aruna casually replied, calm despite the spitting accusation.
[Are you even aware of what you said? A prostitute like you dreaming to be his wife, don't make me laugh!]
At her hateful and degrading words, Aruna's throat dried. It was utter drivel, to say such things to the woman who stayed through the night with her own husband.
Unbeknown to Aruna, Nana was not aware that the one speaking by Hendra's phone was his real wife. The young woman who was not used to how the Wenceslas operates. The young woman who was scared to be back in the main house and chose to stay away from Hendra, back then.
[Hendra has no wife!] Nana insisted more forcefully.
[Really now?] Aruna let the woman dump all of her anger.
[Shall I reveal the truth for you?]
Aruna kept silent then.
[Hendra's marriage is on edge. The court already closed the case. It will be finish after his wife sign it]
Badump!
[What did you say?]
[I'm not as meek and weak as her. So, don't you dare bother my soon-to-be fiance again or you'll regret it the rest of your life!]
The call ended.
A bitter taste on Aruna's tongue, mouth dry and her heart felt like it was up in her throat, thrumming in fear and fury.
_How cocky, saying things like that_
Hendra suddenly stepped out of the bathroom with a towel hanging by his hips. He paced to their wardrobe, shaking the water out of his hair with another towel on his shoulders. He faltered when his wife glared at him. Did he do something wrong?
He looked down on his body. Nope. Nothing wrong there. Still looking good as ever, he thought, furrowing his brows in confusion.
The young woman in front of him was bubbling in anger. Rudely throwing an innocent pillow that was on her lap seconds ago. Pushing away the blanket from her legs, then stomping heavily to the bathroom. Of course, she purposely bumped into him on the way, making him stagger back in surprise.
Bang!
Another innocent object was slammed shut.
"Why is she suddenly upset?" Hendra muttered to himself, still drying his hair without having any idea of what was going on with his wife. He soon became aware that the hairdryer was still inside the drawer in the bathroom.
"Why are you locking the door?" Hendra knocked.
"DON'T YOU DARE COME IN HERE!"
The sudden loud yell shocked him. Even divided by the locked door, she was exceptionally straddling. As much as he wanted to, he wouldn't break through the door.
"Was my performance last night not good enough?" because apparently, that was the only thing he could think about at the moment, "I thought I was doing well? I mean, you're even asking me to cuddle you to sleep."
Still, there was no reply. Was last night really that bad? Or, did he do something in his sleep to warrant this sudden fury?
Blue eyes staring at the door handle, Hendra tried again in a much soothing voice, "Honey, I just want to get the hair dryer."
"WHY ARE YOU BOTHERING ME IN SHOWER?!" she shouted again, as if she was being possessed.
"Why are you being angry at me?" hufting, Hendra must be content with drying his hair with a towel.
Opening their wardrobe, his hands were busy choosing a suit while his mind still mulled over her anger, "PMS? Nah, it's not her time yet. Was she exhausted after last night?"
Taking out a shirt, he slipped his arms to the sleeves and started buttoning up, sighing in disappointment, "Maybe I should restrain myself a little bit. Ugh, I already did, though," of course, he made the wrong assumption again. Not that he noticed.
"Is she pregnant?!"
Where did that thought come from? He didn't know. He freaked out internally. But his mind supplied that there was no theory of such a thing.
"Was there?" he wondered again, grumbling to himself as he pulled up his pants and wearing the complementary leather belt.
He turned his head when the door was slammed open. The wife who drove his mind crazy this early in the morning was now stomping his way. Harshly pulling the wardrobe door, her face was of that wretched witch who was hatefully cursing her neighbors.
"There's no nice clothes in my wardrobe!"
Since when did she care about her appearance, anyway? Hendra was silent, puzzled by her sudden change of character.
"From now on, I will take full advantage of that platinum card you gave me!"
Silence again. Hendra merely stared at her, not uttering any words. According to an article he read after searching it on Google, an angry woman should be left alone and not be answered back.
So, he could only grumble in his mind.
_That's what I have wanted you to do since the start. How could you didn't do that before? Please, we are married and I'm rich as heck. You're the one who refused it_
He deadpanned in his head, still staring at his wife in reality.
In her fuming, Aruna slipped out of her towel, letting it fall to the floor. For once, she shamelessly stood there and put on each article of her clothes before Hendra. Making him speechless and wide eyed, swallowing his saliva while trying to smoothly wear his suit jacket.
"Hon–"
Hendra halted by the sharp glare sent by his wife who now was done putting on her jeans and t-shirt.
"I swear, what is it with you now?" Hendra muttered again, breathing out a heavy sigh as he watched his wife headed to the makeup desk. Again, not forgetting to bump his slumping shoulder along the way.
"My makeup is also far too standard. I want to buy one with a brand like that woman, who is it again? The one who's always with you?" she snidely remarked.
"I'm glad that you want to dress up for me. I'm sure you'd be more beautiful," carefully, Hendra took a seat beside his wife.
"Oh, I remember her name … Nanah! Sukinah!" she rumbled out.
Hendra couldn't help the laughter that burst out of his mouth. Hunching over while holding his stomach, shoulders shaking. So, that was what the cause of her sudden fury, he thought, was just being jealous of Nana.
"Why are you laughing? There's nothing funny here!" Aruna snapped.
"You become more adorable when being angry like this."
"What do you want to say? Do I look like a clown to you?"
"No, I didn't mean it like that, oh God …"