Chapter 43

Updated chapter (a must read)

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Mike and Rainie had time to spend by themselves without any interference from her father nor Ariel or anyone for that matter; they were given complete and total control over their newly found freedom.

“Mike, come here for a second,” Rainie called him from the kitchen.

“Yeah?” Mike sweetly replied as he tucked his arms around her waist.

Peering into the fridge, Rainie winces as says, “Looks like there’s nothing to eat but baking soda and a few eggs.”

“I don’t want to eat that,” Mike cringed slightly, with a smile.

“Well can’t you whip something up? Aren’t you a chef?” Rainie frowned.

“Not out of baking soda and eggs!” he laughed aloud.

“Well what are we going to do for food?” she asked with a pout. “I’m hungry.”

“I don’t know…” Mike shrugged.

“You want to order in then?” she suggested. “It’s our only option since we can’t eat out.”

“Eat in huh?” Mike raised his brow.

Suddenly Mike’s smirk rose and his mischievous grin took Rainie aback.

“What are you thinking?” she asks suspiciously.

“Oh wouldn’t you like to know,” he smiled cheekily.

“That’s why I asked!” she laughed as she poked him on the nose with a finger.

“Close your eyes,” he whispered next to her ear.

“What are you planning to do?” Rainie glared at him with a smirk of her own.

“Oh wouldn’t you like to know,” he replied again.

“That’s why I asked!” she laughed hysterically. “We just had this conversation!”

“Ok, since you’re not patient, I am just going to have to blind fold you,” Mike sighed slyly.

Grabbing the table napkin behind him on the kitchen counter, Mike ties the blindfold tight around Rainie’s eyes, and began to move her forward.

“Where are we headed now?” Rainie said aimlessly. “Are we heading out the door?! Mike, no, we can’t go outside! We’ll get caught!”

“Shhhh!” Mike shushed. “Not if we keep quiet.”

As Mike continues to walk Rainie to their destination, Rainie couldn’t help but submit to him as she let her complete trust of him up to fate. What was he going to do with her?

“Are we there yet?” she asked, still blindfolded.

“Don’t be impatient,” scolded Mike. “Just endure it a bit longer and I promise that you’ll like the surprise.”

“What was that?” she asked as she heard a bell ring from behind her. “Are we going into a restaurant!? Mike you know we’d be caught for good!”

“Shhh!” Mike shushed again. “Careful don’t trip over anything. Ok, now just hold on for a bit longer, I’m just going to head out a bit…”

“Wait you’re leaving me!?” she asked a bit frightened.

“Just for a bit,” he laughed.

“No! C’mon, I’m still blindfolded,” she whined. “Don’t leave me all defenseless like this.”

“Look, I promise nothing will happen to you, just take a seat and don’t say anything,” he reassured as he pushed a chair behind her.

“AH! What was that?!” she shuddered.

“It’s just a chair,” he rolled his eyes. “Just sit down and I’ll be right back.”

As the seconds go by, Rainie grew antsier in anticipation. Suddenly some soft music came in the air and that’s when she realized that perhaps she wasn’t in just any restaurant…

“Mike?” she asked out loud. “Mike, where are you? I’m taking off my blindfold!”

When she heard no response, she proceeded to unknot the cloth until it was loose and she could adjust her eyes back into focus.

“HEY!” Mike suddenly yelled from behind. “NO PEEKING!”

Quickly, before Rainie could lift her eyelids open, Mike straddled the cloth back on.

“Mike I already know where we are,” Rainie sighed. “We’re at your restaurant, so what’s the point in keeping the blindfold on?”

“We’re not at the restaurant,” Mike whispered softly on her ear. “We’re at the beach, can’t you feel the wind?”

“W-what?!” she screamed. “No, I can’t feel anything! I can’t hear the waves or anything? Are we really at the beach?!”

“Sit down, Rainie,” Mike laughed as he sat her back down. “I’m almost done, just relax for a few more minutes and we’ll begin.”

Rainie rubbed her forehead roughly as she contemplated the predicament. The beach? Why would he take her there? It was like inviting the world to watch them reveal their relationship. What was even stranger was that the atmosphere wasn’t beach-like at all; she couldn’t hear the waves, smell the salty air or feel the sand under her feet. What she did notice were the nice aromas coming out of the air; all she knew was food was coming and that was good enough for her.

“Ok, you can look now,” Mike excitedly said, as he undoes the cloth over her eyes.

Blinking and rubbing her eyes open, Rainie looks at the room before her; it was Mike’s restaurant decorated with shells and fish nets with dim lantern lights surrounding the walls. The floor in front of her was candle lit with a spectacular feast beautifully placed. Small rocks were placed all around the room with red and white candles that gave a beach like feel.

“Mike, I can’t believe this…” she beamed as she turned to see him. “…oh no! HAHA! What are you wearing?”

“What, you don’t like it?” he asked with a frown as he spun around. “I happen to think it’s very stylish.”

“You’re wearing a coconut bra and a grass skirt!” she laughed. “Take it off!”

“It’s more fun this way,” Mike winked. “Besides, I’m getting more support on my upper body than I ever have before! But it’s a bit tight.”

“That’s nasty Mike!” she laughed harder.

“I don’t know how you girls do it,” he shook his head. “Bra’s don’t feel good.”

Rainie broke into fits of hysterics as Mike continued to take off the coconuts on his chest. After all this time, she had forgotten how incredibly cute and sweet Mike always was. It had been a while since she saw him like this again; the way he’d always tried to make her smile and laugh till her face hurt. Mike carried her from the chair and set her on the floor where a fake roaring fire was placed as she wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled her nose next to his.

“Thank you for this Mike,” she smiled brightly, making her way to the floor. “Next time I’ll do something for the both of us.”

“Next time,” Mike smirked. “You wear the coconut bra and grass skirt, this thing is killing me!”

“HAHA!” she laughed out loud. “Ah, and you remembered. How come, Mr He, that whenever I’m near water, you are never far behind?”

“Mmhmm,” he proudly hummed. “I’m glad you remembered too. Thanks for being my girlfriend.”

“You should be thankful!” Rainie smiled, trying to contain her laughter. “After everything you put me through.”

Mike made a face by blowing up his cheeks wide while frowning hard which made him look like a little kid. Rainie couldn’t help but roll her eyes and laugh at him, but when he didn’t stop she pushed his face with her hand.

“Stop with the face,” she cringed.

“Not until you say you’re grateful for me being your boyfriend,” he argued back.

“No,” she cheekily refused.

This time he blew his cheeks even further and frowned even harder and he looked as if he was about to explode. Rainie was about to explode herself from a loud chuckle so she took her hands and squished his face so that his cheeks were smashed.

“Now there’s a lovely sight!” she smiled.

“Hey!” he whined. “Off-sh!”

“What I can’t hear you,” she joked. “Your words seem to be SMASHED together.”

“I..SH-AID” he tried to say. “OFF-SH”

“I’m sorry I don’t understand gibberish,” she smugly replied as she continued to squish his face.

“I SHH-AID!” he strained as he pulled Rainie’s hands off his face. “That I love you.”

“…liar!” she laughed as she heard those sweet words come out of his mouth. “You said ‘off-sshh’!”

“So you DO understand gibberish!” Mike pointed out. “HA! My girlfriend understands gibberish!”

“Understand this!” she warned as she tried to smash his face again!

“HEY!” he yelled back.

Mike squirmed at her hands closing in on his face, but instead of smashing his cheeks again, she pulled him in for a kiss.

“Thank you for being my boyfriend,” she shyly added. “Can we eat now? I’m starving!”