Strawberry Kisses

Stranded

A warm feeling crept from her ears, gradually making its way to her face. When he smirked, the insides of tasted like day-old soda crackers. She must get away from him now. The man is wreaking havoc to her senses in uncomfortable levels.

“Why are you here in this weather?” he asked, letting her go. Sandy sighed with relief the moment she regained a comfortable proximity from the man.

“It has nothing to do with you,” she retorted.

With a flip of her hair she turned away from him and sauntered towards the taxi bay. But Gio was unfazed by her display of attitude. Instead, he followed closely behind.

“You’re not expecting for a taxi to show up, do you?”

“Hope is never ending, Mr. Kwon.”

“I see you’re a positive woman, Miss Park. But, I don’t think it’s useful in this situation.”

She whirled around to face him, opening to say something but stopped. It it better to ignore the man. That way, he would shut up and not bother her. Gio Kwon has the talent to raise her hackles in seconds flat. So, no. She’s not talking to him.

A gust of wind blew, sending chills all over her body. Damn, she forgot her drenched state like an alley cat. She missed her warm bed.

“Hey, why don’t you go back inside? It’s warmer in there.” Gio’s voice sliced through her reverie.

“No. I need to change out of these wet clothes. I need to get home,” she mumbled in response not bothering if he hears her or not.

The cold must have numbed her brain. What happened to no talking to him?

“That’s impossible at the moment. You knew no train is leaving for the city.”

“I am not talking about the city, dimwit. I grew up in this area, we have a house half an hour from here.”

Gio smiled. “Why didn’t you say so? I could give you a ride,” he said, eyebrows twitching. Sandy shook her head, pretending to have misheard him. Gio is not the man who does things unless it benefits him.

“What, you don’t believe me?” A bemused smile flashed on Gio’s features.

“I believe you. And I believe you won’t offer to give me a ride, in this weather, without gaining something in return.”

Sandy’s eyes narrowed. “So what do you want?”

“I like you, you’re quick to pick up,” he said, earning eye rolls from Sandy.

He jammed both hands inside his coat pockets. “I’ll give you a ride and you’ll give me a warm place to stay for the night.”

“Absolutely not. You might be a psycho. I don’t want to wake to my butchered self the next day.”

His head c****d to the side, never losing his smile. “Is that so? That’s the best excuse you can come up with?”

“I don’t care what you think, Mr. Kwon. The answer is no.”

“All right, what about calling your friend? You can tell her you’re with me. Tell her to call the police tomorrow if she heard nothing from you by six o’clock in the morning. Do whatever you want, I don’t care. As long as you give me what I need.”

Call Bommi and tell her she’s with a man? No! She’d just wish her luck and all. Bommi had been trying to set her up in blind date since forever. Sandy bit on her lip. So when Gio squeezed her arm, she jumped like a scared rabbit. “What the eff!”

An annoyed scowl distorted his face. “Stop over thinking. You’re hurting yourself.”

True enough, she noticed a burning sensation on her lip. She winced from the blooming pain the moment she noticed the damage.

“Here, use this.” He produced a pristine white hanky from his pockets. Sandy stared at it like it’s poisonous, not moving at all. Gio’s patience snapped. He dabbed the handkerchief on her bleeding lip while the woman remained frozen and wide eyed with the contact.

“I-I can do it myself. T-thank you,” she mumbled before snatching the handkerchief from him and turned her back.

“So, what’s your answer? At this rate this storm is going, we’ll both freeze into human-shaped popsicles by midnight.”

Sandy weighed all her limited options. Nana’s house has four bedrooms, it is large enough for both of them. All she had to do is lock herself in her room and pretend Gio’s not there. Yes, she can do that. Shoving the insufferable man deep down the recesses of her mind for twelve hours is a piece of strawberry cake. She squeezed her eyes shut, hammering her decisions.

“All right. But first, let’s drop by that convenience store before this storm gets worst. The cupboards at home are empty.” Sandy pointed to a store across the hotel.

“No problem. Come on, let’s go.”

They were one of the last shoppers. The staff were already preparing to close the store when they got there. They store staff gave them five minutes to grab whatever they need. Sandy stopped in her tracks.

“Go go get food to tide us over until tomorrow, I’ll find the batteries, flashlights and whatnot.”

“Why should I?”

“Because I don’t know what you like or don't like to eat,” she snapped. “I’m not picky, I’m not sure about you.”

He conceded, eyes dancing with amusement

“Okay. You cook, I pay.”

“Done. And while you’re at it, grab a bag or two of organic potato chips.”

Gio’s perfect eyebrow arched in question but Sandy ignored him. Without another glance, she sauntered towards the aisle on their left. Minutes later, Gio’s car was braving the downpour. They tucked their purchases at the backseat. The car stereo was on, tuned to the local radio station in Sandy’s insistence.

“We’ll never know if the roads are still passable,” she reasoned. Gio found out it’s kinder for his sanity not to argue with the spitfire of a woman by his side.

They made it to her grandmother’s charming two-storey house in one hour instead of thirty minutes. Trimmed bushes and grass on the small lawn speaks regular care. A rose trellis shelters the short path walk to the front door, ending three to four steps away from the open porch.

A hammock hangs limp on the left, swaying, pushed by the wind. The white paint on the boards and walls looked fresh, no dust or cobwebs accumulated on the windows. No holes on the gutters either.

“I’ll go in first, you wait here while I open the garage door.” Sandy’s hand grabbed the door knob.

“Okay.”

It didn’t take her long to accomplish her aim. In less than five minutes, Gio’s car is in the garage. Sandy flipped on the lights as the garage door closes. Her wristwatch now screams two o’clock.

“Don’t forget the groceries. I’m thinking of preparing an early dinner while we still have power. The local electric company cuts the power during storms as strong as this one. It is part of their standard operating procedure during storms.”

“I agree. I’m starving,” he quipped. She motioned for him to follow her. Gio did so with no complaints.

“A cleaner comes on so don’t worry about dust motes and what not. You can choose from any of the two guest rooms we have. Extra blankets and pillows you’ll find in the closet, towels too.” Sandy paused, “Kitchen on the left. I’ll go get a bath fir---” Sandy screamed.

A clap of thunder followed by darkness made her jump and grab on the nearest thing her hands could find. It was Gio’s she found. Sandy forgot pride and everything else as rain pounded on the glass panes of the windows as she clung to him as if her life depended on it. Her fears robbed her of reason, unable to let go.

Sandy’s not even aware how tight her hold on him was. Sandy just stood there transfixed, face buried on his left shoulder. She felt his fingers pry her own loose, but she held on. The booming sound of her heartbeat made her deaf to whatever he was trying to say.

“Hey,” he whispered in her ear. That made her open her eyes and looked at him. Shadows created rises and dips on his face, provided by what little light pierced through the darkness of the storm clouds and sheets of rain.

“I-I’m sorry.” She couldn’t stop shivering. Her muscles quivered as if they have minds of their own.

“Let go,” he commanded. His voice was devoid of any emotion.

Sandy disentangled herself from him, a little reluctant. But then, thunder boomed again. Sandy screamed for the second time, covering her ears. Thunder and the dark is the combo she couldn’t stand the most. She can never be sure how she heard the man sigh amidst the turmoil inside her.

An arm draped around her shoulders, securing her to his side. Confused, he looked at him. “Let’s find your kitchen first, this thing is heavy,” he showed the groceries on his other arm, “then let’s go to your room, you need to change.”

“W-what?”

“Kitchen, then your room? If you need my help in the bathroom, I’m volunteering.”

With just that, she forgot her fear and punched his chest. He answered her with an amused chuckle.

(Next update is in two days)