Henry considered not taking the call. He sighed and finally picked it up. “Adrian" “I don’t know what’s more disappointing, the fact that you haven’t been taking any of my calls or that you are clothed in the bedroom" Henry rolled his eyes. “Adrian, how are you?” “Let’s address the issues I have raised...by the way I am fine” He responded. “I need to get wine" he muttered to himself. Adrian stood to his feet. Henry shielded his eyes with his hand. “Why are you unclad Adrian?” “Chill Henry. This is the closest to a perfect male body you will ever see...” Henry shook his head. “Do you get the joke?” Adrian asked. “Adrian...” “My body is the perfect male body because you don’t have a perfect...” “Adrian, yea, yea, I got it” Henry replied. “I don’t need you to explain" Adrian burst into laughter and returned with a bottle of wine and a glass. He poured a little for himself. “Why haven’t you been taking my calls?” “This" Henry answered without a second thought. “All of this” Ad
He took small hesitant steps towards his father’s room. He knocked and almost immediately it opened up, a maid led him through. “Your father is waiting for you on the balcony” She handed him a glass of champagne. He walked to the balcony and just like she said, his father was waiting for him there. “If your room was on the top floor I would be worried about you throwing me off the balcony to my death...Cheers Father" he said in a mocking tone of voice, they clinked their glasses. Allen let out a dry chuckle. “Should I be worried father?” Allen turned to look at him, he stared at him for a while, “You are so distrusting of people it is a good quality...” “You can’t blame me Allen, years of living with you all as a family can do that to any man...” he emptied the contents of his champagne over the rail, “One can never be too careful...” Allen said nothing. Henry grabbed the bottle of champagne beside his father and another glass and poured himself a new glass. “You can never be
She had on a yellow flowery sundress and brown ankle boots to match. She slipped on a denim-cropped Jean jacket. Her long blonde curls cascaded down her back framing her cute face. She grabbed her brown sling bag and turned around excitedly. “I am ready" she announced. Henry was laid back. His lips curved in a smile when she turned around to show him her dress. He had on black denim trousers and a plain white polo that clung tightly to his perfect body, and a pair of white sneakers. “What do you think?” she asked. He leaned backwards, his hands behind his head. “You truly don’t want to know what I think" She playfully rolled her eyes. “If I didn’t, then I wouldn’t ask” “I am thinking a lot of nasty dirty things that if I tell you will have you red...exactly like this" he pointed at her. She had turned bright red with embarrassment. He got to his feet and took her hand in his, he played with her fingers for a while before placing a kiss on the back of her hand. “Perfect is an inade
They made a short stop to get a delicious meal together. After which they shopped in a local market. “I think I am killing this straw hat" she announced. She had bought it from one of the shops. “To be fair you will kill in everything...” She chuckled. “And nothing" he added. She looked away. There was no denying there was a drastic change in the dynamics of their relationship during this trip. A lot had happened, she couldn’t keep track of any of it. It was almost like she was never in control in the first place. She had introduced herself as Henry’s girlfriend to his whole family, an act she had not stopped to thoroughly think about neither had they had the time to talk about it. They had shared their first kiss on this trip, one that had rocked her whole world. Heck, she had been on the verge of giving this man her virginity, out in the open, on the beach of all places like it was scrap she was tossing out without a second thought, with no care in the world. The truth was if sh
Mary looked at every one of her family to the stranger seated around the table. She gingerly placed the napkin on her thigh and dramatically cleared her throat. “It is our last family dinner and our last night on this vacation...” Everyone stopped eating to listen to her. Her eyes were fixated on Henry. “I hope you all are on your best behaviour this night” Henry sighed internally and went back to his meal. Ashley stared at Henry from the corner of her eye, there was something off about his mood since the time they went out. He had suddenly grown somewhat cold. He was still nice to her and never made her feel uncomfortable but he was not as attentive as he used to be. There was a bit of wariness about him with her like he was trying to protect himself. Mr Allen used his fork to clink his glass. “I have an important announcement to make after dinner, there will be a small party after dinner, a celebration of some sort, of course only close-knit family...”. Ashley sighed, she had s
Mary stared at Allen with her mouth open. Arnold sat reclined on his chair, a glass of wine to his lips. Ashley stared at Henry all the while, her eyes never leaving his face. Henry for some reason had a laid-back and calm expression like his father had not just dropped an announcement that would greatly impact his life. Allen’s face was stoic as he watched all of them. Eric was fuming with anger, he frantically ran his fingers through his hair. “I won’t have it Father, I won’t!” he shouted in anger. “I clearly said my decision should not be met with any form of opposition...” “I do not give a fuck about what you said!” Eric retorted. he was visibly shaking with anger. “Eric!” Mary screamed. “Will you take it easy" “Don’t try to calm me or anything Mother, what do you have to say about what he has done...” he leaned towards her. “Does Henry truly deserve any of this, does the outsider deserve anything?” She looked away. “You know what's even funnier at this moment?” Arnold asked
Ashley hurried so she could walk side by side with him. She interlocked her fingers in hers. “Henry...” “Ash I am truly sorry you had to witness all of this, that you had to see me like this...” She stopped and cupped his face. “Henry you have nothing to be sorry for. I want to see you, I want to see all of you" He swallowed deeply and managed a small smile, “Thank you for staying by my side through it all, words cannot truly convey how grateful I am" She nodded, her eyes searched his eyes. He was hiding away his emotions, from his family, even from her. She didn’t know how to make him open up to her. She slipped her hand in his as they walked to their room. As soon as they entered, she turned around to him. “Henry you know you don’t have to be...” He was looking away, his lips quivering, although he covered his mouth, she could see the tear stains on his face. “Henry" she ran towards him. “I am so sorry," he said to her. “I don’t want you to see me like this, you didn’t have t
Henry went back to his normal activities as soon as they got home. It was all work for him, it didn’t sit well with Ashley at all. There were a lot of unsaid things between them. Things had been different with them, there was no denying, no pretending. Maybe the whole idea was to pretend they were in a relationship on the trip but it was more than that, anyone could see it. They shared a kiss a couple of times when no one was watching. They lived like an actual couple. Not a word was spoken about their time on the trip when they got back and it worried her. Ashley of course understood he was still hurting after the revelation but the day when they left he had seemed cheerful like he had completely forgotten about the previous day. She was rocking Asher to sleep in her arms, she peered at the staircase waiting patiently for him. Not long after she saw him descending the staircase. “Hen...Henry” It felt weird to call him by his name now that he was back to being uptight with her. “As