“Why?” Christopher held his head against mine.
“Because I want to be together with the one I love, instead of living out the rest of my life reminiscing the passion we once had. That is why, I refuse to be Lucy, who fell deeply in love and lived in the ghost of her memories.”
I was a simple person after all. Crazy infatuation and enthralling romance were not my thing. I was only looking for a calm and peaceful life—a husband who loved me and had a steady job. We would do house chores together, and quarrel over trifling matters. My husband would then coax me after the fight and we would be all right again. Sometime down the road, we would build a family together, and nurture our child with love.
So, I said, “A simple life is a happy life.”
“You’re way too easy to satisfy, woman. I’d feel really unaccomplished this way. Why do I have to earn so much money if you desire nothing?” Christopher looked frustrated.
“Damn, you rich people!” I gritted my teeth and glared at him. “How rich is your family, exactly? I used to think that the Miller family was rich. They would always organize birthday parties at holiday resorts. I dared not imagine how loaded your family is; it’s just going to come as a shock to me.”
“Hmm, I really can’t answer your question as I’m normally not the one in charge of the finances. My mother is the one to take care of it all, but she’s been trying to get me involved in the matter recently. I rejected her, and she’s still mad at me.”
Christopher cupped his chin and did some calculations in his head. In the end, he concluded, “Anyway, there’s no problem for me to take care of you. Yvonne, you can have meat and mead every single day and I won’t go broke—I can promise you that.”
“What happens if I throw away one drink with every glass I take, and toss one serving away with every serving of meat I eat? Will that work too?” I teased the man.
“Sure, whatever floats your boat.”
I broke into a chuckle. “Christopher, how could you spoil me like that? Are you going to be responsible when I turn into a spoilt brat?”
“Of course I will.”
I turned around and looked at his chiseled side profile, and felt a sudden urge to kiss him. I edged myself close to him, and he was looking straight at me with unblinking eyes. Just when I was close enough, he cupped my cheeks.
The distance between us closed in, and when our lips touched for a passionate exchange, dazzling fireworks lit up the sky on the horizon, each and every one of them brighter than the stars.
“It’s so pretty. Look, Christopher, it’s the fireworks.” I nudged at him and pointed at one of the most splendid fireworks I had ever seen. It was as if they were just blossoming over the top of my head.
Christopher’s face sank as he pursed his lips. “What an untimely display of fireworks.”
Amused by his childish manner, I chortled. “It’s not as if we haven’t kissed before. Let’s enjoy the fireworks first.”
“I’m so glad that you like it. This is the most strategic location to watch the fireworks on this yacht. Mom and Dad initially planned to enjoy the final fireworks show here, but I booked the place ahead for this. Satisfied, m’lady?” Christopher grinned at me.
So he brought me here to enjoy the fireworks. The fireworks show was so mesmerizing that it sent me into a daze. It caught everyone’s attention when it was at its peak, and with the end of the show, gone was the crowd.
Albeit its beautiful nature, fireworks actually reminded me of the unpleasant memory when I was little. I used to hide in the house timidly as I watched Yvette and Crystal running around the house happily whenever there were fireworks. I wanted to go downstairs and join them too, but the fear of being bullied by them and my Dad’s scolding would always deter me from doing so.
I was no longer alone with Christopher, though. My face split into a wide grin as I said, “I’m really happy today. Thank you, Christopher.”
“You’re thanking me again. It looks like you need some more punishment tonight as a reminder for you to behave.” Christopher smiled wickedly.
I knew exactly what was on his mind just by looking at his face. “How did you stop your father and mother from coming up here, exactly? I don’t suppose you told them you wanted to enjoy the fireworks alone, no?”
“Oh, I drilled a hole on the yacht and told them that it was leaking. Then, I came over and plastered over the hole,” Christopher toyed with my hair and said nonchalantly.
