Chapter 21 Surprise! Fiorello's Mother Arrived
Outside, the sound of breaking branches brought Maggie and Fiorello back to reality. Fiorello quickly got up, and Maggie hurriedly sat up too, keeping a careful distance between them, which shifted the atmosphere subtly.
Fiorello touched his lips, coughed lightly, and asked somewhat awkwardly, "Why did you wake up?"
With the tension broken, Maggie looked down, fussing with her hair, and said, "I was thirsty, came out for some water."
Her heart raced, her cheeks flushed with heat, and she dared not meet Fiorello's gaze, keeping her head down.
"Oh, let me get it for you."
Fiorello stood up, turned on the light, and poured water for Maggie before handing it back to her.
"Thank you," Maggie said as she took the glass. She quickly drank to calm her nerves and without realizing it, she finished the water in the glass.
"Do you need a refill?"
Fiorello's resonant voice came from above, and Maggie instinctively looked up, locking eyes with his deep gaze, her heart skipping a beat.
Anyone would struggle to keep their composure faced with such a handsome man in the middle of the night.
Fiorello lounged in his loose-fitting pajamas, exuding an air of dignity. His bronzed skin and the glimpse of his chest muscles barely visible at the collar made for an undeniably attractive sight.
Maggie realized her mind was drifting towards thoughts best kept private. She quickly composed herself and hurriedly stood up. “Actually, I'm not thirsty anymore, thank you. I'm going to head back to my room to sleep,” she said.
Pointing toward her bedroom door and looking down with an embarrassed quickness, Maggie rushed to her room and closed the door tightly behind her.
Watching her retreating figure, Fiorello couldn't help the involuntary smile creeping across his lips, touching them as he remembered her taste—sweet, soft... He definitely felt a bit parched.
Fiorello licked his lips and picked up the glass Maggie had just been drinking from. He stood up, walked over to the water dispenser, and poured himself a glass of water.
Inside her room, Maggie patted her burning cheeks, her mind replaying the kiss over and over. It had been her first kiss, after all.
Since getting a marriage certificate, Fiorello had been coming home late, and she had been busy too. They had treated each other with polite distance and hadn't had such an intimate encounter before.
Maggie lay sleepless, tossing and turning in bed. Every time she closed her eyes, Fiorello's image floated in her mind.
"This is maddening," she muttered to the ceiling, pulling the covers over her head and tried counting sheep in an attempt to hypnotize herself to sleep.
That night, she dreamt a winding, passionate dream, startlingly vivid, as if it had truly happened, with the man's breath hot in her ear...
The next day.
Maggie woke up late. By the time she was awake, it was already past nine.
She glanced at the time, hurriedly washed up, got dressed, and when she stepped out of the bedroom, she noticed someone sitting on the living room couch.
"Do you not have work today?" Maggie asked in confusion. Fiorello was usually out the door by this time.
Seeing Fiorello brought back the memory of last night's kiss and the dream that followed, and she felt a bit shy.
"It's Saturday," Fiorello replied, with a laptop on his legs. "I bought breakfast and it's still hot. You should eat it while you can."
Maggie looked at the breakfast table set with donuts, soy milk, and eggs.
"Did you eat already?" she asked.
"Yeah, I ate," Fiorello said. "It's a rare day off. Tonight, I'll join you and we can go to the night market."
He was eager to get to know Maggie more deeply.
"Huh?" Maggie looked slightly surprised.
"Is there anything wrong?" Fiorello asked.
"No." Maggie nodded absently. "Sure, sure."
She just hadn't expected that Fiorello, a corporate white-collar worker, would be willing to go with her to set up a sidewalk stall.
"Eat up," Fiorello said and then lowered his head to continue dealing with the matter at hand.
Maggie glanced at Fiorello. It really was tough working for a big company. Even on his days off, there seemed to be no end to the work.
Maggie sat down to eat her breakfast while Fiorello worked on the side. The house was very quiet. The two did not disturb each other, yet it wasn't awkward.
At that moment, the doorbell rang.
Maggie looked curiously towards the door, about to get up, but Fiorello stood and said, "Keep eating, I'll get the door."
Setting down his laptop, Fiorello got up to open the door, and Maggie continued sitting at the dining table without moving.
Fiorello had only just bought this house and hadn't lived here long, so not many people knew the address. Hearing the doorbell, he had a good guess who it might be.
Sure enough, when Fiorello opened the door, a lady stood there with a warm smile, spreading her arms wide, "Surprise, Fiorello! I came to see my daughter-in-law. Where's my daughter-in-law?"
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