Joe Quar stared at the picture of Irene intensely since their last encounter. Her face and the sensation of her body had been etched into his memories.
He couldn't control himself from constantly dreaming about her and thinking of her.
She was simply stuck in his heart.
Irene was his first woman. The memories of her couldn't be forgotten easily.
Although he might seem like someone surrounded by many admirers, only his mother knew he had never touched a single woman before.
His younger brother walked in, interrupting his thoughts. "What are you thinking about, bro? What's that dirty smirk on your face? Have you found another chick that caught your eye?" Jhonny whispered playfully in his ear. "Could this be my future sister-in-law?"
"No, Johnny. Mind your business," Joe Quar pushed his brother away with his palm.
Serious matters weren't to be discussed with kids. The woman he was after, Irene, wasn't like the others who followed him around all day, trying to get into his pants.
Irene's face was like a piece of art, radiating everything positive about her. His mother might think it was a lie, but he had been enchanted by Irene.
She was the only woman he had touched in six years. He found Irene fascinating from the moment he saw her on the terrace and decided to talk to her.
He swore it was the best decision of his life.
At first, he enjoyed Irene's company, but who would have thought things would take an unexpected turn?
He wasn't the type of man to act impulsively or force a woman when she wasn't in her senses.
What happened that day still lingered in his mind. After their passionate affair, he felt something was off. Two people couldn't both be drunk at the same time. Why? Because he was a good drinker. The truth became clear when he discovered they had been drugged. His suspicions were confirmed when he saw civilian footage of a maid sprinkling aphrodisiac perfume on the terrace and claiming it was deodorant when confronted.
"Come back to reality," Joe Quar snapped out of his thoughts as his brother waved a hand in front of his face.
Joe frowned, irritation visible on his face. "It seems you need a good lashing for ruining such a beautiful flashback of memories I was having."
He moved to the large window and added, "Dear brother, when it comes to anything related to my feelings, don't mess with me. I'm trying to figure out how to make your future sister-in-law my woman. Do you get it?"
"Oh, is my sister-in-law that beautiful? So enchanting that she made you forget your dear brother? Of course, if she's as beautiful as you say, I'd love to see her for myself," his brother replied, walking over to join him at the window.
Joe turned with a smug smile.
"Indeed, she's beautiful, and you'll be amazed by her beauty."
He showed Jhonny a photo of Irene.
His brother nodded secretly to himself.
Joe wanted him to see the woman who had captured his heart.
...
The chatter of children could be heard across the school grounds. Their laughter was like sweet melodies to anyone's ears.
As Simeon got out of the car, he checked his phone to see if it was the right address. His mother had given him the address because he needed to see Irene and talk to her.
He stared at the school gate, hesitating twice. Should he go inside or not?
He stood there for a moment, then finally decided to go inside. He didn't know how silly he looked as children started murmuring to their friends and parents.
"Mommy, look at how silly that uncle looks standing over there."
"Cindy, look! That uncle looks like a pool man."
Simeon ignored the chatter of the innocent children. He was about to go through the school gate but stopped again.
What if Irene got mad at him for coming without informing her? Would she be very upset and ignore him because he appeared unexpectedly? He didn't want Irene to see him and then frown her beautiful face at him.
His eyes, cold as ice, shifted slightly as he sighed.
"Uncle! Uncle! Hey! How you? Can I sit with you? Please, please, please! I promise I won't be noisy. Okay, maybe just a little noisy, but not too much. You won't even notice me! Well, except when I talk. And maybe when I wiggle. But I won't wiggle too much, I promise. Just... a little wiggle. Can I? Can I, uncle?"
As Simeon stood there, thinking about how to approach his wife, a little girl with soft blond hair ran towards him, her skirt fluttering. She started blabbering at him, and Simeon was caught off guard by this.
Where did such a cute little girl come from? He squatted down, looking at how short she was from his view. "Huh, do you know me? Do I have such an angel for a niece?"
The girl appeared so sweet and cheerful, her two front broken teeth only making her cuter. Simeon stared at her, and her face seemed to remind him of Irene.
Simeon just stood there, searching for Irene, while the little girl jumped up and down. Seeing that the uncle wasn't paying attention to her, she dragged Simeon's attention back to her.
"Uncle, uncle, look at me! Don't look at the pretty auntie. Am I not prettier than the pretty auntie? So, uncle, please look at me!"
Simeon found the little girl quite amusing and cute. With a chuckle, he pinched her cheeks, smiling. "Why should I look at you? You're too cute! My eyes... oh god, I can't look at you."
"Come sit with me," Simeon said finally.
The little girl was so happy that Simeon had invited her to sit that she took a seat beside him. They both sat together.
The little girl looked at Simeon, still smiling. "Uncle, are you looking at that pretty auntie? Are you waiting for her?"