Contract Marriage

Chapter Six: Can you hold my hand?

The wind blow her floral dress everywhere in the air. She chose to wear a dress, because she is on a beach. But not just because of that, she wants to get Tio’s attention too. She likes to wear dresses, but she kind of not comfortable to wear it outdoor. People are watching, people can see her wearing the dress. She is not one to draw attention.

“You should have just wear something else.” Tio has noticed her in between, she tried to cover her legs by putting the edge of the dress back in place and how she cutely scowls by herself because of the dress. He can see how uncomfortable she is, but he didn’t say anything and just now speaking about it.

“No, I like it.” She stubbornly said while adjusting the dress, again and again.

“If you say so.” Tio shrugged his shoulders and look back to the street. They walk side by side on the pathway leading them somewhere. That somewhere is not quite clear yet. But they are getting somewhere. They left their room without a place to go. They just wanted to go out and that’s what they are doing.

When Vita asked him to go out, he was shocked. He wouldn’t guess that Vita will ask him that question. And when she hugged him without his consent, he hate it. But at the same time, he like it. He might be a confused man at the moment, but that is because of her, his woman.

They have nowhere in mind, they just continue to walk. Tio hasn’t think of a place where to bring her. To be honest, he wasn’t planning to bring her out if it’s not because of her asking him.

“Look. Can we go there?” Vita pointing at a souvenir store, but more like a table stand with a roof. Grabbing his upper arm, she shake it softly, trying to get his attention which was somewhere else. He looked deep in his thought.

Tio didn’t answer her. But that doesn’t make her stop or just let it go. She grabbed his arm and pull him with her to see the souvenir store.

Vita let go of his arm once they get closer to the store. It’s not a big store with a room. It’s just basically a table with sea related souvenir laying on the table. A product from the sea, like a shell and the other kind.

Vita is mesmerized by them. She never seen something like that back in New York. She barely go out to the beach and really enjoying it.

“Are this made by hand?” She asked the seller.                   

“Yes. All of them are made by hand.” The seller kindly answers and smiling to her.

“Do you want them?” Vita quickly turn her head and see that Tio is standing right behind her. Close but not that close. There’s enough space for a wind to go by in between them. If you can see them, invisible but can be felt.

“I like that one.” She pointed at the necklace made by shell and pearls. It’s beautiful from her perspective, she could have that as a gift from Greece. She can give it to her co-workers back at the office.

Tio take it out of the hanger and handed it to the seller. She is surprised by his action, but she hold herself. She is happy that he is not that cold attitude man from the first time she had been with him. She had seen him soften for her through this honeymoon. As much as she love him this way, she knows he have limit. Limitation of himself. She can understand that, because she have a limitation of herself as well.

Without words exchanged, he pay for it. Taking the gift box, he lead her away from the store.

They started to walk, again walking through the path to nowhere.

Houses of resort, white and blue, houses after houses. The only places, the iconic place, only exist in Greece, at least the original ones. She have seen a replica of a house like this outside of Greece. She saw it on the internet and still thought it was cool. And now she have the chance to be here, it was pretty cool.

Vita feel like she is in heaven. It doesn’t matter if it won’t lasted long, because she already have a taste. She can’t just choose everything because she wanted them. She is not a God and sure is not a fairy.

Hands almost touching, she could feel goosebumps run through her body. Just an almost touched. Their hands is so close to each other, all she wants is to put her hand in his. Slipped them together, perfectly fitted.

“Can you hold my hand?” Her voice is low, asking him in wishful. She want to hold hands with him. So she asked.

Tio stop in his track, head’s turning to Vita, glancing down to his hand which he now noticed very close to hers. He had been avoiding any contact with her since they walk out together from the resort. He's anticipating.

He knows his limit. He can’t stop once he crave for something. And he crave for her after tasting her for the first time. He keep on wanting her again and again. But he knows, he can’t. He just couldn’t. He wouldn’t allowed himself to fall for women, especially her.

All he wants to do is to keep her far away from him, his life. Because, he do bad things.

He wanted to keep her innocents out of his badness. He lives in a life she is not capable of handling once he gone down and dirty.

Call him a monster, he doesn’t care. Call him an angel, he doesn’t care either.

But her hope comes true. He takes her hand, adjusted them together. After that, he look back to the front and begin to walk again.

Their hands hanging in the air. Let the air be the witness of her happiness, for the umpteenth time. She hoped nothing but happiness in her life. Even if it’s a temporary ones.