chapter 34

"What are you doing here?" she asked giggling.

"Thought you'd be up for a beach walk." he said putting his hand in his pockets and shrugging.

He looked ravishing in his white knitted sweater, blue denim jeans, white sneakers and messy hair. Three rings on his left hand and Ailee's bracelet on his right. Casually sexy.

"Ofcourse. It's been so long since we did that"

she said and started working faster.

He just stood there watching her do her night routine.

" Do you want to?" she asked gesturing towards the few products sprawled on the counter.

" No thanks ma'am"

" Okay" she said opening a packet of face mask.

"Sit" she said holding his hand and taking him to to the counter.

He did obediently and waited for her to do whatever the fuck she was doing.

She came stood between his legs and gently laid the wet mask on his face and he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"It'll make you feel better" she said and put one on her face as well.

"I look fucking stupid" he mumbled.

"No you don't. You look absolutely adorable" she said and snapped his pictures and some mirror selfies of both of them.

After a few minutes she removed their masks and applied moisturizer on his face.

He sighed at the relaxing feeling of her soft hands massaging his face and her sweet scent filling up his mind.

They went in her closet and he made her wear a thick jacket and scarf because it was cold outside and it will be colder at the beach.

"I will meet you outside" she said and pecked his lips and went out her room.

He nodded and left through the balcony. There was a huge tree with many branches right outside making it easier for him to climb up and down.

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"Lily?" She froze and slowly turned around. She was almost at the door.

"Where are you going at this time?" her father asked.

"A-a walk?" she said but it came out as a question because she wasn't sure it would be a good idea to tell him the truth or not.

"I thought we had a big lawn for that." he said and stood right in front of her.

"Uhh- I wanted to go to the beach." she said slowly. She couldn't bring herself to lie to her father.

"Alright my child, but alone?" he asked worriedly.

"Uh-mmm"

" Come I'll take you. Let's have a father and daughter moment. I have been so busy recently I couldn't give you much time." He said and started walking towards the garage.

"Yes alright wait for me I'll bring some snacks."

He nodded and she ran back inside pulling out her phone.

"Hmm" he said after picking up the phone.

"I can't- papa and me- We-"

"Shh baby calm down. Breathe" She nodded and took deep breaths while he counted one, two, three.

"Papa is taking me to the beach. I'm sorry. I want to spend some time with him too, Can you meet us there?"

"Its alright Coco you have nothing to apologise for, hmm?"

"Yes"

" Okay go now"

She grabbed a few packets of chips, 4 cans of coke and ofcourse chocolates and went to her papa who was waiting for her in the car.

"So I've heard you have been going out a lot" he started the conversation.

"Yes I made some new friends." she said shyly smiling.

"You did? That's great news" he said patting her head.

She nodded and bit her chocolate.

"When are you inviting them to our place then?"

"Soon I think" she said after thinking about it for a minute.

"hmm alright"

"What about office?" he asked after a few minutes of silence.

"I want to do it online but I will visit frequently"

"That's good"

They reached and got outside. Ailee wrapped herself around her father's arm and walked around for some time talking about all the silly things she used to do in her childhood before catching the sight of her another favourite man.

She gasped seeing little Doodle also strolling behind him trying to keep up whith his long legs.

She giggled quietly at their cuteness and waited for her papa to notice them as well which he did very soon considering they were the only people there except for one more couple.

"Mr Laurent" Xavier said first.

"Mr Romano" They shook hands and Calvin smiled warmly.

"I never thought I'd bump into you on a beach"

"Yeah I don't exactly look like a beach guy" he said with a ghost of a smile just so he doesn't come off as rude or cold.

He gotta impress his father-in-law afterall.

They were interrupted by the loud laughters of Ailee who was attacked by Doodle. She lied on the sand with the puppy on top of her licking and snuggling her aggressively.

The father and the boyfriend duo smiled at them and watched her stand up chuckling and dusting herself off.

"He-he's cute" she said blushing profusely when she realised they both were staring at her.

"Mhmm his name's Doodle" he said looking at Mr Laurent and he raised an eyebrow in return prolly not expecting him to own a cute puppy too.

"Can I borrow him for sometime?" she asked, her eyes twinkling.

He simply nodded and she ran off to the front with Doodle hot on her tail.

Mr Laurent chuckled and shook his head at her behavior.

"Come let's sit" he offered and they both sat down on the nearby bench.

"How are you Romano? It must be hard to be all by yourself" he asked testing the waters.

"Yeah but it is all I've ever been doing so it doesn't matter, I'm surprisingly doing happy" he said turning his head forward by the end of the sentence.

Mr Laurent's eyes softened. He is around his son's age but so much more responsible and mature.

"I should send Alex to work with you. That boy is always out for fun" he said laughing.

"Hmm I will not go easy on him though" he replied.

"I know that is why I'm seriously considering it."

"He is always welcome"

"Thank you and you're always welcome at our home you know whenever you feel like or when times are hard. But beware of the creatures residing in it. I don't know how I managed to score all the craziest ones except for her" he said pointing at Ailee with his chin.

"Yeah I saw" he said nodding as well.

"All my children are precious to me but Lily- She is the most..... how do I say it..... Very close to my heart. She is the youngest and her arrival was totally unplanned you know" he said and laughed.

" She is a premature baby so she was raised with extra care from every one of us. She would always stay by my side until recently when I expanded the business and got busier." he said with a sad smile on his face looking at her trying so hard to build something from the sand.

Xavier didn't know why he was telling him all that but he was greatly interested in it as long as it concerns his little piece of chocolate.

They both sat in silence until a panting Ailee came and joined them.

"Snacks?" she asked no one in general.

Tearing a packet of chips she put it on the bench and sat on the sand and immediately Doodle came and settled himself on her lap.

"He seems to have grown comfortable with you" Mr Laurent said picking up one chip and putting it in his mouth.

"Yeah he does" Xavier said instead.

"Yes very much. Can you bring him to our house on the weekend?" she asked not at all pretending to not know him.

Mr Laurent was surprised at her bravery but then smiled.

"I will"

"Hmm you can bring your friend too. He is a funny one"

Ailee nodded her head enthusiastically.

"Luka, yes he is. Always getting on my nerves" he said with a small smile.

"How was the party for you Romano?"

Xavier licked his lips and his eyes shone in mischief looking at her watching him with big doe eyes.

" Very beautiful and food was.... delicious as well"

" I'm glad you liked it."

Suddenly Doodle ran somewhere far and Ailee followed behind calling out his name.

" Wait- Lily-" Mr Laurent couldn't complete his sentence and she was already a few feet away from them.

" I'll check on them don't worry" Xavier said and jogged to the place where they were running.

"Stop running beautiful or I'll throw you over my shoulder and take you to your father" he said catching up with them and pulling her back holding her wrist.

She bumped hard with his chest and pouted rubbing her forehead because he didn't even budge from the impact.

"You didn't tell me you had Doodle with you in the car. Poor baby must've waited alone in the car."

" It was a surprise and maybe because you wouldn't have looked my way if this little shit would've been there with us."

"I know you love him just as much as I do. I see his cute zebra pattern onesie and the collar of his name with your address around his neck good sir, which I don't remember buying"

" No Luka got it" he replied looking far away.

" Mhmm" she mocked him and smiled.

"You're the best. I'm sooooo so proud of you" she said and pulled him down to place a soft kiss on his forehead.

"Come on your father's waiting" he said holding her hand and started walking.

His heart was beating rapidly. This girl brings so much meaning to those itsy bitsy words and he finds it difficult to process them in the right way. Hence his lack of response.

"Wait Doodle" she said and picked him up in her arms.

"Now let's go" she said and pinched his cheek with her one free hand.

As they were nearing the bench her father was sitting on she got nervous

"Can he see us?"

"Can you see his face?" he asked in return.

"N... no?"

"Then he can't see you either" she nodded. It was almost pitch black out there so it does makes sense.

Xavier pulled his hand out of hers just before stepping in front of him.

"Oh Lily don't run off like that. It's very dangerous" Mr Romano said pulling her to his side.

She nodded smiling sheepishly and started eating the chips with the drink that she left here before running off.

They talked for a while and then bid their goodbyes.

"Bye I'll see you soon Doodly Boodly boy." she said kissing him one last time.

"It was nice meeting you Mr Romano." she said and mouthed him a 'thank you'

He smiled and nodded.

Then Mr Laurent gave him a firm hug and patted his back in a fatherly manner.

"You're welcome in our home any time. We love guests" he said smiling warmly at him and left wishing him a goodnight.

He was caught by surprise at that statement. Wasn't his daughter enough to make him feel all mushy that now he is also looking at him with that warm and concerned eyes.

Again his own father somewhat cared for him but he was never there. Always gone for months with no prior notice.

Doodle bit his jeans getting his attention and barked.

"Come on boy, Mama's gone home too" he said and picked him up and left the place.

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