Chapter six

He drove into the compound with her, helping her out of the car and guiding her gently to her room. He laid her down on the bed, and she murmured, tossing restlessly. With a sigh, Jimmy settled beside her, carefully removing her heels before covering her with a blanket. He sat there for a moment, watching her, his fingers softly caressing her hair. Eventually, he turned off the lights and slipped out of the room, shutting the door quietly behind him.

The next morning, Susan stirred awake, a dull ache throbbing in her head. She groaned softly as she sat upright, struggling to piece together the events of the previous night. Slowly, she managed to swing her legs over the side of the bed and make her way to the door. Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Jimmy was busy preparing breakfast. He emerged just as she began to descend the staircase, her quiet groans catching his attention.

“You’re awake,” he said. He hurried to assist her, guiding her to the dining table and offering her a cup of black tea. “This should help with your hangover.”

“Jimmy, what are you doing here so early in the morning?” she asked, settling into her seat and taking a cautious sip of the tea.

“Well, I didn’t come in this morning,” he replied. “I brought you home from the clubhouse last night.”

“It was you?” she asked, her eyes widening in realization.

“Yeah, you were quite the drunkard,” he teased.

“I’m sorry. I must have inconvenienced you. I hope I didn’t make a scene.”

“No, you didn’t,” he reassured her.

“Thank you,” she said.

“You’re welcome. Look, I made breakfast. You should eat.”

“Hm, it smells wonderful,” she remarked, taking a forkful of the scrambled eggs and savoring the taste. “This is amazing.”

“How is it?” he inquired.

“Great! You’re a good cook,” she complimented, and he sat down to join her, the two of them enjoying the meal together.

Later that afternoon, Jimmy returned home after spending some time with Susan. As he entered the room, he was surprised to find Taylor seated on the couch, engrossed in conversation with his mother.

“Taylor!” he called, and they both turned to him.

“Jimmy!” She rushed into his arms. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

“What’s going on? You didn’t tell me you were coming,” he said, pulling back to look at her.

“She was worried, son. You didn’t answer your phone last night until this morning,” Mirabel chimed in.

“What happened? Where were you?” Taylor asked, jimmy shifted from her to sit on the couch.

“I was with a family friend,” he replied.

“Who?” Mirabel pressed.

“Aunt Susan. She got drunk at the bar, and luckily, I was there to take her home,” he explained. Mirabel was surprise, while Taylor looked bewildered.

“Hope she didn’t get hurt? Is she okay?” Mirabel asked, concerned.

“Yes, Mom. I stayed over to take care of her, but she’s fine now,” he assured her.

“Good. I’ll go call her now,” she said, rising from her seat. “She’s never gone to the bar before, let alone gotten herself drunk,” she added, leaving them to their conversation.

“Was that why you didn’t answer your phone?” Taylor asked.

“It was on mute, and I didn’t realize. Sorry about that,” he replied, feeling a twinge of guilt.

“It’s fine. I was really worried. I’m just glad nothing happened to you,” she said, moving closer and resting her head on his arm. “I miss you,” she murmured, and Jimmy let out a soft sigh, the warmth of her presence enveloping him.

Hours later, Taylor sat on the bed in Jimmy's room, engrossed in her phone as Jimmy rummaged through his closet.

“Jimmy, did you hear about the festival at the amusement park this friday? Tickets are already on sale… look.” She held up her phone, eager for his reaction. Jimmy leaned in for a closer look.

“Oh, I see,” he replied.

“What do you think? Should we buy the tickets and go together? It’ll be so much fun!” She said excitedly.

“Um, I don’t think I’ll be available for that. I’ll pass,” he said, the weight of his words settling between them.

“Oh, come on! This only happens once in a blue moon,” she urged, her enthusiasm dimming slightly.

“I thought you mentioned you’d be on vacation with your parents this friday. How would you make it to the festival?” he countered.

“That’s true, but I could always cancel the trip,” she suggested.

“You don’t have to. You told me this trip is important, so don’t miss it,” he replied.

“I guess you’re right,” she said, her voice tinged with sadness. “I just hope it can be postponed.” she slid off the bed and wrapped her arms around him from behind, feeling the warmth of his presence as he continued to sort through his clothes. He sighed, caught off guard by her embrace.

“Taylor…”

“I was thinking, since I’ll be away for three days without seeing you, why not make the most of our time now?” she suggested, turning him to face her and draping her arms around his neck.

“Taylor…”

“Shh!” she interrupted, her fingers tracing along his body. “It’s just going to be us, all alone, and no one will interrupt us.” Her gentle advances were intoxicating.

“Taylor, I don’t think this is the best time for this,” he protested, though his resolve was wavering.

“It’s not like it’s our first time. It’s been so long… please, let me have a taste of you again.” She began to undo his buttons, the air thickened with the promise of romance.

Their lips met softly, and they surrendered to the moment, Jimmy guiding her to the bed, kissing and caressing her with increasing fervor. Just as Taylor began to remove her clothes, with Jimmy assisting her, he suddenly froze, a fleeting thought of Susan flashing through his mind.

“Jimmy, what’s wrong?” she asked, sensing his hesitation.

“Um, Taylor, maybe not today,” he said, standing abruptly, picking up his shirt from the floor, and leaving the room. Taylor was left speechless, the warmth of their moment evaporating like mist.

♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Days later, Susan was immersed in her work when a gentle knock resonated through her office door. Without lifting her gaze from her laptop, she invited the visitor to enter. Jimmy stepped inside, one hand concealed behind his back as he approached her.

“Hi, Aunt Susan,” he greeted with a smile, causing her to look up in surprise.

“Jimmy! What a delightful surprise,” she replied, returning his smile.

“Yes,” he said, moving closer and leaning against the table beside her.

“What brings you here?” she inquired.

“Well, I came to ask you out since it’s your closing hour,” he explained, and Susan glanced at the clock, realizing time had slipped away.

“Oh, I didn’t realize it was that late already.”

“So, shall we?” he prompted.

“Wait, what outing are you referring to?” she asked.

“This!” he exclaimed, revealing two tickets from behind his back. “These are tickets to the amusement park festival tonight, and I’d love for us to go together.”

“Oh, I’ve heard about it… but I thought it was mostly for couples and families,” she remarked.

“True, but you could be either of those,” he teased playfully.

“Did your girlfriend bail on you, leaving you no choice but to come to me?” she quipped, laughter dancing in her voice.

“No, I genuinely want to go to the festival with you to make up for all the years we’ve missed,” he said earnestly.

“Okay, you’ve got a point there,” she conceded, rising to shut her laptop as he helped her with her bag. “Thank you.” Together, they exited the office.

Some minutes later, they arrived at the amusement park, a dazzling spectacle of lights twinkling against the night sky. The park buzzed with activity, filled with people from various cities—couples and families alike. As Jimmy and Susan approached the open gate, his cell phone vibrated.

“Er, excuse me for a moment,” he said, pulling his phone from his pocket. Seeing it was Taylor calling, he sighed and stepped aside to answer. “Hey, Taylor.”

“Hi, Jimmy. I just wanted to let you know that my trip with my parents got canceled and has been postponed until next week,” Taylor informed him from the other end.

“Oh, really? Why’s that?”

“Something about the weather, but we can still get the tickets and go to the festival together.”

“Um, Taylor,” he glanced over at Susan, who stood waiting. “I don’t think that’s possible anymore, but I promise to make it up to you by taking you to the cinema to watch a movie. How does that sound?”

“Okay, if that’s what you want. That’ll be fun. Bye!” she replied before they hung up. Jimmy quickly returned to Susan.

“Sorry for keeping you waiting,” he said.

“It’s fine. Didn’t your family come with you?” Susan asked as they began walking inside.

“No, but I told them I was going with you,” he confessed, taking her hand unexpectedly, catching her off guard and they hurried into the park.

Meanwhile, Anna and Ruby observed them from a distance, puzzled by the identity of the girl accompanying Jimmy instead of Taylor.