Tina was sprawled on her bed, gossiping on the phone with her best friend, spilling the latest on her tangled affair with Phillip.
Her friend teased, "Aren't you about to get engaged to Alfred? What's all this mess about?"
Tina was at a loss herself.
Phillip always had a way of unsettling her, inch by inch prying into the steadfast foundations of her heart.
"It's like having a lover, I guess," she declared brazenly. "After all, marriage is pretty much about doing your own thing, right? Might as well have my fun with Phillip."
Her friend gave her a virtual thumbs-up. "Making Phillip your lover? Girl, you really dare to dream."
Tina buried her face in her pillow. "But I really like him, what can I do?"
Phillip had just stepped out of the conference room when his assistant handed him his phone: "Your mother's calling."
Without breaking stride, he answered, knowing Jennifer wouldn't be wordy. She cut straight to the chase, "Heard from Penelope she saw you and Tina at the hospital this morning. What's that about?" "She fell into the water, caught a bit of a cold," Phillip replied.
Jennifer was curious about when they had reconnected but hearing someone approach him for business, she held back.
"Go on with your work; I'll have some chicken soup sent over to help her recover."
After hanging up, Phillip dove back into work, his afternoon split into endless halves of busyness.
Tina, after taking her cold medicine, dozed off for most of the afternoon. Waking up, she heard voices in the distance.
Phillip was back, inquiring about her condition from the housekeeper in the living room.
"She spent the afternoon in the study, and then took a nap. Hasn't woken up yet," the housekeeper said.
"Did her fever break?" Phillip asked.
"Still a bit of a low fever when she checked before sleeping."
As they spoke, Tina, in her pajamas and slippers, sleepily wandered out to him and wrapped her arms around his waist.
The housekeeper discreetly exited, and Phillip guided Tina to the couch, checking her forehead for fever.
Tina obediently sat, but Phillip, concerned about her temperature, decided to fetch a thermometer. Tina, however, pulled him back down beside her, climbing onto his lap.
"Let's check that fever first," Phillip tried to reason, attempting to disentangle from her embrace.
"I'm burning up," she whispered, her fingers deftly working on his suit buttons and loosening his tie.
Phillip caught her wandering hands, "Stop that."
But the fever seemed to fuel her boldness, making her clingy and passionate, like molasses sticking to him. When he restrained her hands, she leaned in for a kiss.
"Kiss me."
Her lips, tender and inviting, hovered just shy of his, the warmth of her breath tantalizingly close as she looked up at him, "Babe, kiss me."
She knew exactly how to entice him, playing the seductress despite it being her first love, making even a composed man like Phillip utterly defenseless.
Eventually, he gave in, embracing her in a kiss that felt all too right in the privacy of their home.
Until the doorbell rang, Tina reluctantly withdrawing from their embrace.
The housekeeper, hearing the bell, was about to answer it but retreated upon seeing the intimate scene in the living room.
Jennifer's voice came through the intercom, "Phillip, you home?"
Tina froze, pulling her hands from beneath Phillip's shirt in panic.
The idea of being caught mid-flirt by his mother was terrifying.
Phillip gently set her aside, as Tina, like a mistress being caught mid-act, frantically sought a hiding spot.
"Where do I hide?"
"She knows you're here," Phillip's words shattered her slim hopes.
He tidied his attire before answering the door.
As Jennifer entered, Tina sat on the couch with the innocence of a schoolgirl, hands on her knees, the picture of propriety.
Jennifer handed over a thermos of
Ine
chicken soup she'd brought, the
warmth of home in a bowl. Tina thanked her, the act of drinking the soup bridging the awkward silence.
"How did you manage to catch a cold?" Jennifer inquired with concern.
"Got caught in a draft," Tina improvised.
The mismatched stories made Jennifer pause, "Phillip mentioned you fell into the water."
Ah, if only the truth wasn't so embarrassing. Tina glanced at Phillip, surprised he'd shared even that much with his mother.
"After the fall, there was the draft," she quickly covered.
"Seems like the weather's been
tricky lately you young folks need to be more careful; getting sick is no joke," Jennifer chided gently, then added "Phillip's been swamped with work It's hard for him to look after you properly."
Tina caught the hint, "I'm feeling better today, so I won't trouble Phillip anymore. I'll head over to a friend's later."
Phillip gave her a look, "You're not well yet. Stay put until you're better."
In front of elders, Tina knew better than to argue, even as she played the part of the uninvited guest with nowhere else to turn.
"Your engagement might be off, but
you're still family. Our home is your
งอน!
home, especially when you're not feeling well. No need for hotels," Jennifer assured, the warmth in her words wrapping around Tinadike a
blanket.
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