บท 42: Going Home

Tanaga had finished his breakfast and turned his attention to the newspaper when the Captain arrived.

"Good morning, Sir! You asked to see me?" The Captain stood near the table as he greeted Tanaga, waiting for an invitation to sit down.

Tanaga put down his paper and looked at the Captain, his face stern. "Get the yacht ready. I want us to sail right now." Tanaga demanded. It was immediately apparent to the Captain that Tanaga was in a foul mood. You could tell by the tone of his voice that he was upset.

"Sir, the yacht is always ready to sail whenever you are. If you don't mind, Sir, I'll need to know the destination." The Captain replied kindly.

Tanaga's eyes glimmered. "To the Philippines, as soon as possible," he answered decidedly.

The Captain's eyes widened when Tanaga told him where they'd be going, but he said nothing. He quickly said goodbye and went to make preparations. The crew was ecstatic when the Captain informed them that they'd be heading to their homeland.

They would be able to go home and visit their families once they docked. Motivated by good news, the crew happily and quickly prepared to sail. Not long after, they began their voyage.

===

Ashley, still in the lounge, had no idea what was happening throughout the rest of the ship. She was deep in thought about how she could apologize to Tanaga. She was full of remorse for what she'd done, and how she'd reacted. She didn't know what had come over her; she had meant it at all.

She needed to explain it to Tanaga. She's easily taken by surprise as it is, and she hadn't been prepared for the tickling sensation. She doesn't have any experience. She wasn't doing this to him on purpose. She honestly hated the fact that she seemed to keep hitting the most critical and private part of Tanaga's body.

She can't help worrying that Tanaga could be right. As he'd pointed out, what if she caused him to be unable to produce a child? The thought saddened her. She was still contemplating how she was going to apologize to him when the door suddenly opened.

Thinking it would be Tanaga, she conjured the sweetest, most sincere smile she could. When she turned around, prepared to ask for forgiveness, she was disappointed. It was the butler who came in, carrying a tray of food. Her face fell when she realized it wasn't who she'd been expecting.

"Oh, it's you. Good morning! Is Mr. Jones awake yet?" Ashley quickly greeted the butler before asking about Tanaga.

"Good morning to you as well, ma'am. Yes, Mr. Jones is awake. If you don't mind me asking, why are you still calling him Mr. Jones? You're already married." The butler inquired, looking confused.

When she hesitated, he continued. "By the way, I apologize that I didn't wake you last night. You were sleeping so soundly; I thought it best to let you rest. Frankly, I thought you might both appreciate some time alone." The butler said with a frown. Ashley could see that he was genuinely worried.

"Oh, that's alright. Thank you for understanding. Mr. Jones is angry with me. I'm worried that he might change his mind about our arrangement and want to find someone else. If that's what he wants, though, I understand." She confided in the butler, looking down at her shoes.

"Ma'am, don't worry. Mr. Jones isn't one to easily change his mind. Why don't you have some breakfast, and then you can speak with him later." The butler said kindly as he set the tray on the table in front of her. "The chef prepared you a delicious breakfast," he said, trying to entice her.

Ashley looked at the tray. He was right; it did look delicious. Unfortunately, she didn't have an appetite. She was too anxious about what might happen when she spoke to Tanaga later.

The butler felt sorry for her. He could see the sadness in her face and could sense the undeniable worry she felt. He thought it best to leave her alone and let things progress naturally. If he gave her some time to think things over, she would figure out what to do.

The butler excused himself, and she was left alone in the lounge once more. She walked over and stood at the small window. She looked out as she tried to clear her head. As she was gazing out the little round window, she realized they were moving, and she could no longer see the port." I wonder where we're going." She said aloud to herself.

She never imagined that they were headed to her homeland, the Philippines. This was Tanaga's surprise wedding gift to her.

[Hmmm…What kind of gift could Ashley give to Tanaga that would make a good peace offering? Do you think these two ever figure out what they're doing? Keep reading and find out!]