CHAPTER 10: WATCH A MOVIE
Marco helped Athena unpack their luggage and change their clothes to walk on the beach.
Marco wore simple blue jeans, a plain white shirt, sunglasses, and a cap, while Athena matched it with denim shorts just slightly above the knee, a cute white top, a hat, and sunglasses up her head. She posed in front of Marco and winked at him. He chuckled and walked closer to her. Marco kissed Athena on the forehead and said in admiration, "beautiful."
She was ecstatic at his remark. "You're handsome yourself," she replied, then gave him a peck on his lips.
"Ready?" He asked. He's hoping she would say 'no' and he would be happy to keep her by himself in their room. Although she's not showing much of her skin, she looks stunning in simple clothing. What more if she dresses up? 'Ugh, he might lock her up in their cabin,' he thought.
"Yes, I am!" She said excitedly. Although she's been living for more than a year in the cabin where the beach is just minutes away by walking, the feeling is different. Maybe because it is public, people are everywhere, and the shops are in one section.
Marco was slightly disappointed with her reply, but he shrugged it off. They have plenty of time for themselves later. He grinned mischievously at the thought.
She was amazed at how the hotel staff respects their guests. Each hotel staff that passed by stopped on their tracks and bowed their heads. She gave them a nod and smiled at them. She admired how the company trained them. 'Hmm... maybe because their guests have special identities, that's why they are more respectful,' she thought.
They walked hand in hand around the beach and entered each souvenir shop they passed by. Athena saw a pair of swan bracelets in blue and pink color. She bought it right away and hid it from Marco. Athena thought of surprising him later when they returned to their hotel room.
Marco saw her smile happily, and he liked seeing her that way. She was carefree and just enjoying everything. In the past, she's been vigilant and did not let her guard down. Until Athena started to trust him little by little, he wondered how she became like that. He can tell that she's been through many hardships, but her innocence about life is still there.
Athena came out of the shop with souvenir bags in both hands. He smiled at her enthusiasm to shop, which is rare.
"Ugh, I'm tired," she complained but still had a smile on her face.
Marco took the bags and carried them in one hand. He squatted and gestured to her to climb on his back. She giggled and climbed on him.
"Love you, babe," she said and gave him a long kiss on his cheek.
"Love you too, babe," he replied with a smirk. He carried her to their room, and he didn't seem tired at all. He put her down on the two-seater couch and sat beside her. He reached for her legs and put them on his lap, massaging them gently.
She looked at him with a gentle smile. She's been through a lot when she joined the organization, especially during her first three years, where she trained hard to enter officially. Every mission is different and complex, but she completed them with flying colors because of her extensive training. But experiencing life outside the organization is new to her, and she's afraid that she won't be able to enjoy it for long.
Athena thought of her mission and promised herself to complete it successfully, like how she did it in the past. So, she decided to be laid-back and have fun while she could before her mission starts because who knows what will happen next?
"Does it still hurt?" He asked in a concerned tone. "Hmm... give me a kiss, and I'll tell you," Athena said naughtily. She repeated what he told her in front of the hotel a while ago. And now it is her turn.
She doesn't need to ask twice because Marco's lips landed on hers as soon as she mentioned it. He kissed her by surprise, which is visible in her almond-shaped eyes, just like what she did to him earlier.
He was about to deepen their kiss when the doorbell rang. He bit Athena's lips lightly before he let go of her.
Athena ran to the bathroom, and Marco was left. He chuckled and walked to the door to open it.
"Sir Marco, these are the food that our new chef made," the manager on duty said. Their boss doesn't visit all the time, so he took this opportunity to get closer to him.
"Hmm..." Marco nodded and held onto the cart. The manager let go of the cart awkwardly.
"Sir, if you need anything, you can call me directly," he said eagerly.
"Coordinate to Anthony," Marco replied and closed the door without waiting for his reply. He then waited for Athena to come out of the bathroom.
Athena was flustered and turned on. She washed her face with cold water to cool down the heat of her body. Marco had set the table when Athena came out. She was embarrassed, but she tried to hide it by giving him a sweet smile. And, of course, it works!
For dinner, they had lemon dill salmon, grilled asparagus, roasted potatoes, tomato soup, and fruit salad. There's a bottle of white wine on the side as well.
The dinner was quiet. From time to time, Athena was glancing at him secretly, which of course, Marco noticed. Marco pours the wine into her glass, half full. He learned a few months back that she doesn't drink. She just had one can of beer that day, and she passed out on him.
Athena took the glass of wine and sipped it to have a taste. It is fruity and light. She took another sip and smiled. "I like it," she said, smiling widely.
"Glad you do," he replied with a proud smile. A light to medium wine is best for beginners like her. That's why he chose that wine, and he's glad that she liked it.
"Let's watch a movie!" She said eagerly. They've been together for a while, but they haven't watched a movie together. When they started dating, they always spent their time on the beach swimming, eating, or just watching the sky at night.
He chuckled at how eager she was. "Okay," he agreed, and they walked to the living room with their wines in their hands.
She turned on the TV and searched for a movie. She's been searching for a while, and it seems that she cannot find the one she likes. He stared at her in amusement when she had just passed all the romance movies and did not even bother to read the plots. He noticed that she only read the stories if the genre is a mystery or action movie. But when she saw the movie Casino Royale, a James Bond series, she looked at him and asked, "Wanna watch it?"
Her tone is not asking him if he wants to watch it too, but it's more like she's telling him that they should watch it. He smiled and nodded. He was astonished to know that his wife is into action movies. He thought he would be stuck watching romance movies with her.