Chapter 11: Peradventure

Pete watched the ocean waves from the window of his hotel room. The waves of the azure beauty reminded him of something quite turbulent he had seen recently — Dark brown eyes with undulating and conflicting emotions as they stared at him.

And like the ocean constantly stirring the desire to plumb its depth to discover its mystery, he found a connection with her eyes, and he wondered what mystery they might be cloaking.

Every expression that had flickered through her eyes was still etched in his mind, and he knew he wouldn't be able to get it out of his head soon.

Pete's gaze was still combing around the resort when he caught sight of two ladies pulling their luggage towards a cab parked at the hotel's front entrance.

Even with her back turned to him, he recognized her. Her wavy, honey-brown hair was so difficult to forget. His fingers still tingled at the memory of the soft texture of her hair when it brushed against his hand.

She looked slightly different in her faded jeans and black shirt — but no less seductive than in a dress. Her body could clearly not be tamed or hidden away by something drab if that was what she was aiming for.

Pete, strangely couldn't tear his eyes away from her. He wanted to see her face one more time.

He caught a glimpse of her heart-shaped face as she boarded the car after her friend, and he had to admit she still looked just as beautiful.

"I didn't see her at the beach yesterday." A lighter flicked behind his ears, and he turned to find Christopher holding a cigarette between his lips and flicking his lighter to light it up while his eyes stared at her.

He glanced at the door as he wondered when and how Christopher had stepped into his room without his notice. But that shouldn't be a strange affair. He reasoned to himself.

The man has always done what he likes.

He turned to him with mock irritation. "Good morning to you too." He hissed and returned his eyes to the cab now heading out of the resort. "And who the hell employed you to keep tabs on guests?" He lifted a curious brow and took a quick glance at him.

Christopher wryly scoffed. "I was keeping tabs on you. Your eyes kept wandering." He casually replied. A knock came at the door, and he tossed a glance at it.

"You should answer that." He sauntered towards the sofa and plonked himself on it, puffing the smoke of his cigarette into the air.

Pete irritably glared at him before turning towards the door when another knock rapped on it. "Come in." He said, and Stellan walked into the room.

"Good morning, Pete. Chris." Stella greeted, wearing a polite smile on his face, his gaze shifting between his irritated-looking friend and the indifferent-looking one.

"Good morning, Stellan." Pete politely greeted and glanced at Christopher, who was pouring himself a drink while holding his cigarette between his fingers.

"You do see how human beings behave, right? They knock and greet."

"I never told you I was human." Christopher nonchalantly replied and glanced at Stellan. "Did you bring the documents?" He asked, and Stellan readily handed over some sheaf of papers and passed an extra copy to Pete, who had an incredulous gaze targeted at Chris.

Stellan tried not to chuckle at Pete's exasperated look. Exasperation was the expected effect when dealing with Christopher.

He lowered himself onto the couch opposite Christopher, and Pete joined him.

"You know we could have postponed this meeting till next week, right? I still don't see the reason for the rush." Pete said, flipping open the documents.

"You don't see the reason because you're already feeling comfortable with your money. But as for me, I'm not. I need more money, and I also have to fly back soon." Stellan readily replied, and Pete's brows narrowed with surprise.

"You're leaving again?" Pete questioned, utterly surprised to hear that.

Stellan had been away for the last seven years. And by 'away,' he meant unnecessary thousands of miles.

He barely visited even though everyone he considered family lived in Newfaux, but he chose to live far away like a fugitive.

Pete had assumed Stellan agreeing to attend his cousin's wedding and even bringing work with him — which, of course, they could have easily attended via a virtual meeting —might be Stellan considering moving back home, thereby using work as an excuse. But it seemed that wasn't the case. He was wrong.

Pete sat up and looked at Stellan. "Don't you think it's time to reconsider moving back here? Everyone is here except you. And It's that time of the year; Chris will be making that trip of his soon, so there'll be no one to chill with." 'Again.' He added in his head while staring at Christopher, who seemed too focused on the document in his hand, his face showing no interest in what they were saying, but Pete was certain he could hear them.

Stellan stole a glance at Christopher, and he chuckled at the impassive look he had come to master in the last two decades.

But it wasn't just his face that was impassive; his heart also was.

Stellan turned to Pete. "I'm sure it's not that bad. Your family is large and noisy enough to keep you entertained." That he was certain of, and even Pete couldn't argue that. His family was fairly large, and they all had a close-knit relationship, especially with his little nieces and nephews, but even with that, he still missed hanging out with his childhood friends.

He missed the Friday night out and the gym workout sessions. He'd simply say he missed his friends.

Pete hissed. "But you guys are my friends. There's a difference between friends and family." He said, looking from Chris to Stellan.

"Sometimes, I want to be away from family and hang out, and I'm supposed to do that with you guys." He complained in a tone that said he shouldn't be reminding them that.

Stellan almost chuckled at his whining. "But Chris is here most of the time." He reminded him.

"Yeah, lifting skirts and being a sugar daddy to college girls." He irritably hissed, giving Christopher a disgusted look.

Stellan couldn't help but chuckle. He found Pete's whining amusing. He could tell the man was bored. Really bored.

But why?

Maybe it was that stage of life people attain, and they slowly begin to realize they might be missing something important in their life, and in Pete's case, he could guess what it was.

Companionship. An intimate relationship.

"Maybe what you need is a stable companionship." Stellan reasoned out, earning him a confused look from Pete.

"Like a wife, you mean?" Pete cocked a brow and asked.

"No, a pet." Christopher sarcastically replied, making Pete glare at him. His intrusive reply was unnecessary.

"Yes, like a wife," Stellan answered. "Someone you'd always want to come home to and have fun spending your time with. Someone that's not your girlfriend, Gina Wilmort." He pointedly said, and Pete's countenance changed at the mention of his girlfriend.

He had been in what people would normally call a 'relationship' with his so-called girlfriend for the past two and half years, but what he actually had with her wasn't what he would call a relationship.

In their two years of dating, he had felt frustrated and drained trying to make things work.

She was barely there. She never answers or returns his calls, and on those rare occasions when she answers the phone, she's always brief and eager to go away from the phone.

Several times, he'd travel to her, wherever that may be, to spend some time with her, but every time she'd stand him up, and it was becoming tiring. He had liked her from the beginning, and he wouldn't say he hated her now, but he was exhausted.

He could have long ended things with her, but he wasn't one to end a relationship without putting in all his efforts and trying his best to savor what he had. But now, it was beginning to seem he was forcing it, and that wasn't what he wanted for himself.

He'd never force himself on anybody, especially not when it came to his emotions.

So very clearly, he understood what Stellan was trying to say.

If he truly wanted to settle down, it had to be someone who would always be available for him, physically and emotionally. Someone who'd value and love him just as much as he did them.

He'd want to be with someone, wherever he was, all he'd desire and think about was to go home and be with her. But it was just unfortunate that he has never really been lucky with love.

And maybe he never will.

But, peradventure, the universe decides to smile at him and give him that one person he desires; he'd never let her go. That he was certain of.

He sighed and lowered his gaze to the document in his hand. "Maybe you're right." He dully said and tried to focus on the document he had to sign.