"You've got a nice balcony here," Adrian glanced out at Mia's balcony while holding a screwdriver and a wrench. In front of him stood a two door wardrobe that was just newly fixed.
The balcony wasn't much, barely big enough for a small table and two chairs. In one corner, a few empty pots sat scattered waiting for new life to be planted. The flooring was a mix of faded tiles and slightly uneven. The view overlooked the quiet residential street below and rows of brick buildings. In the evenings like this, the glow of streetlights gave the surroundings a golden hue.
"Yeah, it's just too empty," Mia said while looking at her balcony. She laid sideways on her bed and propped her head up with her arm. The curve of her waist was accentuated by the way her figure melted into the plush bedding and the strap of her top slid slightly off her shoulder.
Adrian wiped sweat off his forehead with the back of his arm while squatting down to tighten the final screws.
"Done," he said with a small smile while pushing himself up to stand. His breath was still heavy with exhaustion and his hands clutching both tools.
"Thank you." Mia's lips curled into a teasing smile. She patted the spot on the bed next to her. "You can take a break here."
Adrian laughed softly, shaking his head as he stretched his arms overhead. "I promised my aunt I'd come see her this evening. I can't miss it this time."
He stepped closer and gently reached out to cup Mia's face. He leaned down before placing a lingering kiss on her forehead.
Mia frowned, sitting up with a huff. "Yeah… but—"
"I'll see you again tomorrow," Adrian interrupted gently then pecking her cheek before stepping toward the door.
When the door clicked shut, Mia flopped back onto her bed groaning into her pillow.
Adrian could hear her groaning from outside the door that made him stifle a laugh. He glanced at his watch and sighed because it was almost 7pm already. He had promised his aunt he'd join the family dinner tonight.
Adrian rushed down the hallway and grabbed his motorcycle.
He reached the estate with a massive gate that creaked open slowly as the security guard gave him a quick nod. Adrian drove up and stopped in front of the house entrance. He swung off the motorcycle and left the keys for the security to take care of it. Without wasting a second, he jogged up inside the house and rushed to the dining room before a sudden voice called out behind him.
"Adrian Berren."
A woman in her fifties smoking a pipe while sitting on a couch in the familiar grandeur of the living room of the house. The high ceiling adorned with moldings and walls painted in a deep warm ivory. Heavy velvet drapes framed the tall windows pooling slightly on the polished mahogany floors and a grand chandelier hung in the center of the room. She looked into Adrian's eyes seriously.
"Aunt Sophia."
"You missed the dinner," Sophia said. A glass of wine sat on the small side table next to her and her pipe momentarily set aside.
"Yeah, I was fixing something," Adrian rubbed the back of his neck.
"Fixing something again," Sophia repeated with a sigh.
"You're mature enough now," She continued. "You need to stop playing around."
"I'm not playing around."
"Doing something that doesn't generate money is playing around." She leaned forward slightly.
"But—" Adrian gripped the edge of a chair and comfortably sat down. "There's still Audrey. She can take over."
Sophia raised an eyebrow at him. Audrey, his younger cousin, was undoubtedly brilliant. A top student with book smarts and confidence, she was everything a leader needed to be. She would be perfect for the job.
"Audrey is a qualified person, I won't deny that," Sophia said. "But you are the right person to do this, Adrian. It's time you take responsibility for the business your parents left you. James and I are old enough now. We're ready to retire."
Adrian fell silent and stared at the floor. His parents had died when he was just 15 and left him their construction company. Aunt Sophia and Uncle James had taken over because he'd been too young to handle it. And while they had spoiled him over the years and let him live comfortably from the profits of the company, he'd never once thought about taking it back. Nor did he accept their money anymore once he moved out and started a simple life.
"Adrian," Sophia continued. "Someday you'll meet a woman you love. Don't you want to give her a good life? Don't you want to make her happy?"
Her words hit him like a stone. Mia.
Her laughter, her teasing glances, the way her eyes sparkled all flashed through his mind in an instant. Adrian had always been content to enjoy his quiet life, spending his days crafting things with his hands building, fixing, creating. But now with Mia in his life, didn't he want to give her more? To make her happy?
"....."
"I'll think about it, Aunt Sophia," he finally said.
⊱ — ⊰
"Ughhh, he's so dumb!" Mia growled the next day the moment she laid eyes on Jessia.
"What's wrong with Adrian again?" Jessia asked with mock exasperation while leaning over her cubicle with a teasing smirk. "Adrian this, Adrian that. I swear since you got this new boyfriend, he's all you talk about."
"You know!" Mia started her nagging. "When I said, please fix my wardrobe, I didn't actually mean please fix my wardrobe!"
Jessia burst into laughter. "What an innocent guy!"
Mia frowned and her cheeks turning pink as she shuffled the papers aggressively.
Jessia watched her with an honest smile and said, "But, Mia, this is the first time you've been in a relationship for five months already."
Mia paused and blushing slightly as she murmured, "Yes. This one is going to be my husband."
Jessia gawked at her. "What? No way. That's too fast! How do you even decide something like that?"
"There comes a time when you see someone and think, Okay, this is my husband. It's just it… you know."
"Nonsense," Jessia shaking her head and chuckling.
Adrian wasn't just a guy to Mia. He was different. A real gentleman, thoughtful, patient, and kind in ways she had never known. He knew how she liked her tea, always warmed her hands when they were cold and listened carefully to stories she thought no one cared about. It was as if for the first time, she had broken free from the cycle of bad luck and heartbreak.
With him, it felt like she could spend her life forever. There was a quiet ease in his presence as if time slowed when they were together. Just the way he looked at her was enough to make her heart feel at home.
"Next week's my birthday, you know." Mia murmured almost to herself. "I'm not sure how to spend it with Adrian."
Jessia gave her a nudge on the arm. "Tell him! He might prepare a special gift for you."
Mia shook her head lightly. "I kinda… don't want to expect anything from him." She sounded almost as if she was trying to convince herself.
"I just want to spend the day with him. That's enough to make me happy."