Meanwhile, Rayne was feeling like a million pieces. Days had passed since their outing at Session, and all she could think about was Harold kissing her on the cheek. There were instances where she would unconsciously touch her cheek and stare into space with Bubbles clawing her arm to get her head out of the clouds.
Rayne was looking at her smartphone where there was a video of a man reading a book to his three cats sleeping in a bassinet while his wife scolded him. Bubbles were on her shoulder, watching along with her. While she loved cat videos, her mind was not on the screen.
Instead, her mind was all over the place, wondering why her neighbor did what he did. Was he being friendly? Brotherly? Was it some impulsive gesture? Was it for a prank on YouTube? She mentally shook her head at the last question, which would be unlike him since he was not mean. What was he thinking kissing her on the cheek?
Would you prefer if he kissed you on the lips? A cheeky voice in her head asked.
Rayne glared at the screen. No! I'm just curious about why he would kiss me, of all women. I mean, we're neighbors and friends. I mean…
"I don't know." She spoke aloud.
"Mrow?" Bubbles looked at her curiously.
"What do you think? Why did Harold kiss me on the cheek?"
"Meow." The cat's eyes widened, as well as his pupils.
"Yeah, I know. He did. Shocker. No, you can't maul him."
Bubbles head-butted her on the mouth. Rayne sputtered out saliva and fur while glaring at her cat. "Seriously?!" She yelled.
Bubbles stared at her, his eyes still wide. She sighed. She was making a mountain out of a molehill about what had happened. Why was she even making a big deal out of it anyway? Was it because she liked him?
It was like she was smacked on the head with a hammer. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. How could she not have realized it sooner? Or was she in denial, then? She was attracted to Harold, not from when she met him, but months after they became friends. She found him handsome and understood why his students were drooling over him, but she did not care. It was his personality that drew her to him.
Rayne wondered if years of being independent had left her starved for company. She came from a loving family, and she has friends, but they were either living in another country or rarely met because life has a way of screwing up plans among friends. The pandemic forced her to retreat further into her shell. She never minded at first, especially since Bubbles was a better companion than any other human. When the quarantine became stricter, she felt she would go insane if she did not leave her place.
Rayne was lonely, even if she denied it so many times.
Harold was the first person she met during this critical time. She relished his company, even if it was annoying at times. Through him, she remembered what it was like to be out with someone eating, shopping, or even having a conversation about anything under the sun.
When she got sick, it was here she realized that being alone was terrifying. She had no idea who to turn to when she would be at the hospital or, in the worst-case scenario, die; no one would know, no one may care, and she would disappear from existence.
How does that song go? No man is an island, and no man stands alone. Rayne was beginning to realize that now.
However, where does Harold stand in her life? A neighbor? Of course. A friend? Definitely. A potential romantic partner? Probably-!
The hell?! She thought. A man like Harold deserves someone better, and that would not be her. Sure, he was being playful, and she noticed he would flirt with her sometimes, but it did not mean he had a thing for her. She had seen how Harold interacted with people. He was generally friendly but detached except with his close friends Jasper and Tracy and sometimes with her.
Rayne guided Bubbles to get off her shoulder until he ended up on her lap. She took him in his arms and hugged him. "Sometimes, we humans can be complicated." She murmured.
Bubbles purred.
"You're a way better companion."
Bubbles rested his head against her chest and kept purring.
The next day, Rayne was looking at a bouquet of pink, yellow, and orange Malaysian mums and a paper bag containing cat toys and treats. "Isn't this too early for Christmas?" She said without thinking.
"Not really, since next month begins the countdown for the holidays," Harold said, giving her a boyish smile that made her heart skip a beat.
"Stop being a wise guy; what's the occasion?"
"Can't I just gift my favorite neighbor?"
"If you mean the only one who tolerates your company, sure." She said as she took the gifts. "Bubbles would be very happy with the treats."
"I'm sure he would be."
"True. Cats taught me that simple things are the most important. You got work today?"
Harold shook his head.
"Since you've been hanging around my doorway, you might as well come in."
Minutes later, Harold watched Bubbles ignoring the catnip mouse and cozied himself inside the paper bag. He was amused that the only thing he could see was the cat's eyes. "You are void." He murmured.
Bubbles stared at him with wide eyes and even more comprehensive pupils. Harold swore the cat was planning to attack him.
Rayne arrived from the kitchen carrying a mug of tea. She handed the cup to him and then briefly glanced at Bubbles, who was now staring at her. "Okay, you look creepy there. Don't move, and I will take a picture."
Unfortunately for her, Bubbles zoomed out of the bag towards the catnip mouse and played with it like there was no tomorrow. "I hate you." She muttered as she threw her phone on the couch. She then plopped next to Harold, who was currently drinking his tea.
Harold, meanwhile, grabbed the remote on the table and turned on the 32-inch flat-screen TV. The logo of Netflix flashed on the screen, and it displayed Rayne's profile, which he opened and was now selecting movies or shows to watch. He ignored everything until he was currently browsing the standup comedy category.
"Huh, that's new. You don't strike me as someone who watches standup." Rayne said.
"I do from time to time. What do you take me for?" Harold said, staring at her in disbelief. "I do have a sense of humor."
"Oh my, my impression of you as a stuffy professor is crumbling."
"Smartass."
Rayne ended up laughing aloud. "Okay, okay, my bad. I could recommend this amazing comedian, Gabriel Iglesias. Here," she said as she scooted closer, snatched the remote from him, and began searching for that particular comedian. "Oh, this one was in 2016, but I haven't seen it yet. You okay with this?"
"Yeah, works for me. Let me make some snacks." Harold said.
Usually, Rayne would protest that he would raid her fridge and create some of the most unusual snacks she had ever eaten. However, he had a way of convincing her for him to use her kitchen. He would return to his condo and make snacks in his kitchen if he found nothing interesting.
Rayne stared after him thoughtfully with a slight frown on her face. When had she given him free rein of her home? She was always the one in control of her place, and she would be the one who would do the cooking and serving her visitors. If she had someone with her in the kitchen, it was mostly to watch her cook while chatting with her. It was rare for anyone to help her, let alone take over her work. Then here comes Harold barreling into her life, nearly taking over most of her daily activities, even feeding Bubbles and playing with him. This was a shock as her cat was relatively reserved towards people, especially strangers. With Harold, Bubbles had become friendly and even affectionate towards him.
As time passed, she got used to his presence, and whenever he was gone, it felt like the light had left her home. She had become almost entirely reliant on him, especially when he cared for her when she got sick with pneumonia.
"Here you go; I hope you don't mind some nachos, bacon, and cheese," Harold said as he put a large bowl of nachos and cheese topped with bacon bits on the glass coffee table. He left again and came back with two cans of orange soda.
"Ooh, I love it." Rayne crooned.
By the time the comedy special began, they were seated very close together, shoulder to shoulder. They were also laughing aloud, and at times Rayne would slap his arm in the funnier parts of the show. Bubbles was a few distances away, curled in a ball and sleeping peacefully.
It was a relaxing time for them, as the American comedian kept dishing out joke after joke. When Gabriel Iglesias was impersonating how a British man would speak while having sex, Rayne was leaning on Harold's shoulder, and her hand was on her mouth, hiding her laughter. She briefly looked up at him and saw a smear of cheese sauce on the side of his mouth.
"One sec, Harold," Rayne said.
"Hmm?" Harold turned to her, looking at her in confusion.
"You got something here," she reached out, wiped the cheese sauce from his mouth, and licked it off from her thumb.
Rayne had no idea what happened next as Harold roughly grabbed her and pulled her close into his arms as he lowered his head and kissed her lips. Hard.