41: The Golden Retriever and the Black Cat part 2

Ashmille texted Drino that they need to talk. He called her.

“Hello? We need to talk. This is about the fresh news about you and me. Have you read the news with a headline, "A Fan Turned Threat”? I am not even your fan, much less a threat?”

“Ouch,” Drino muttered.

“Are you okay?”

“Nah, that was my emotions.”

“Huh?”

“Would you meet me at my house today?”

“I thought you were at the hospital?”

“I got myself transferred from the hospital to my house. They said my injuries weren’t severe, so I can be medicated at my house by our family doctor.”

She sighed. Rich people's problems.

“Okay, wait for me until after our office hours. Probably, I’ll be there at 7 PM.”

“Got it.”

After her work, she commuted to Montezales’s residence. Their house’s security let her in. She saw him sitting on a couch in the living room.

“There were many journalists and reporters who went to our house for my testimonies about the case. It’s getting annoying, I couldn’t sleep well. I went to work to avoid them. Is it the same here?”

“Yes, that’s why they got me bodyguards. I thought I could rest here since they were following me at the hospital, but it’s still the same.”

Another rich people’s solution to their rich problems.

He's protected by a personal bodyguard and two more securing his home

“My head aches because of this,” she sat on the couch opposite with Drino.

“I wanna go glamping today for our 8th date. But my parents won’t allow me to go out yet, not without a bodyguard.”

Drino is now required to have at least one bodyguard wherever he goes. This raises concern about how he and Ashmille are going to have an intimate prototype date.

“This is no time for fancy camping.”

“I have an idea. How about we do glamp here?”

“Where is here? Like, here? In your house?”

“Yup”

“This house is not as romantic as going to the countryside for a glamping, but we can do it here.”

“I-I don’t need a romantic glamping. Normal glamping is enough. Besides, your parents must be here. It would be embarrassing if they saw us together.”

“Not at all. I’ll just tell them I’m on a date in this house with the girl I was with during the kidnapping. Then they’ll know what to do.”

“What are they going to do then? Surely, they will scold us for disrespecting them.”

“Quite the contrary. They will book a hotel and leave us to give us some alone time,” he snickered.

“Wha-Stop joking!”

He laughed.

A maid served them snacks and drinks.

“Thank you,” Ashmille said.

“You were so cool,” he murmured.

She frowned, drinking half a glass of fresh orange juice.

“When you clutched Tres’s gun,” he imitates Ashmille’s action scene. “Get down. Drop whatever you’re holding and raise your hands.” He mimics in Ashmille’s voice and tone. “I was like, who is this cool stoic girl?”

“I’ve always been stoic, but I’m not cool. Wait, you remembered the exact lines I said.”

“I’m an actor, remember?” he smirked.

She rolled her eyes.

“You also acted cool… when you grabbed the gun from my hand.”

“You were troubled. You haven’t touched a real gun before?”

“I haven’t. Your intuition is strong; it can be terrifying.”

“I can read between the lines,” he bragged.

“Have you carried a gun?”

“I haven’t, either. But since I’m an actor, if I can’t convince my viewers of the role I portray, then I’m not suited to be an actor.”

He said proudly. Aside from convincing his fans, he also convinced the kidnappers that he could handle a gun and dominate them, which made them obey his commands… for a short time.

“But you’re a romance actor.”

“I might be a better actor doing action scenes instead.”

“Maybe? With that, you don’t need me to be your character partner.”

“I can do both. I can act in action and romantic scenes. Just like this story. A boy and a girl got abducted during their date.”

“You acted like a villain, pretended you could carry a gun, made the kidnappers, gave them kicks and punches… How come there’s nothing you can’t do?”

He chuckled. “I can’t sing and dance. My talent manager said I could have been a good pop idol if they had discovered me in my teens. So I let them hear my voice and started dancing, and then he shrugged off the idea of me being an idol. That's why I don’t upload any videos of me singing and dancing.”

“So, you have videos of you singing and dancing. I’ve heard you singing but not dancing.”

“Ashmille, I’m serious about the glamping. Do you want to spend a night here? I want you to take a rest. My house isn’t gossip and news-proof, but I think it is safer here. I’ll let my parents know so you can be comfortable here.”

“Wouldn’t it be rude to tell your parents to keep them out of their own house?”

“They know me well. They’ve heard from you, too, since college. So, it won’t be a problem. One night won’t hurt. Of course, I’ll ask for your parents’ permission.”

“You don’t have to. I’ll ask instead.”

She contemplated her decision. It makes sense that she is partly Drino’s responsibility because she got dragged into the kidnapping case. Perhaps his actions were a way of comforting her after the stress of the kidnapping and the subsequent media attention. She was exhausted from the lack of sleep, the rumors, and her work. Even at her job, she faced constant questioning from her colleagues.

She’s confused, so she’ll let her parents decide.

“You'll have your own guest room on the ground floor. Female maids are available to help with your clothes and personal items. We have a wide selection of food. Inform your parents that it’s not just the two of us. My driver will take you home tomorrow morning,” he assured her.

Drino read the concerns in her mind. It was a sudden invitation, so she wasn’t prepared for it.

After 5 minutes, her parents responded.

“They agreed,” she said.

“Oh, yeah!”

“Why did they even let their daughter be in a man’s house?” she whispered to herself.

Ashmille, it’s because they’ve known Drino, too, since college, because you talked with them about him.

“They trust me more than you trust me,” he smirked.

“I didn’t agree yet. My parents allowed me, but it doesn’t automatically mean I allow myself.”

“Do you allow yourself?”

“On one condition.”

“And that is?”

“Show me a video of your dancing.”

Drino didn’t flinch. She sat beside him, and he showed his phone with a video of him dancing.

She chuckled.

“Does this mean you’ll spend the night here?”

She frowned. “You weren’t even shy to show that to me? I thought I would embarrass you.”

Her plan failed. She thought that if Drino refused to show a video of himself dancing, she wouldn’t have an overnight glamping at his house.

“Okay, I won.” He stood up enthusiastically. He raised her hands in the air and jumped. “Welcome to Montezales’s abode! Make yourself at home. Aw!”

His stomach and knee hurt. Ashmille held herself from laughing at him.

“From being the girl wearing a red hoodie to a girl wearing a white face mask. You really are a queen of disguise,” Terryl scoffed.

“Terryl!” Drino was surprised. “What are you doing here?”

Ashmille flustered, recalling that this was the boy who confessed his love to her during their thesis presentation day.

“What else? But to check on my friend who got kidnapped and eloped with his girl, Ashmille.”

“How’d you know it was me?” she asked.

“Bingo, caught you!”

She facepalmed. She just confirmed to Terryl that it was indeed her. “We didn’t elope.”

“Kidding, kidding.” He brushed it off. “How bold of you to make love with Ashmille at your parents’ house. I know you’re hiding from the paparazzi outside your house, but your dating game is lame.”

“We’re not dating. And certainly, we’re not having se-argh!” she’s annoyed.

“No need to be shy. We’re not kids, and you’re both consenting adults.”

“Don’t mind him,” Drino told her. “You can remove your face mask. I had our blinds lowered.”

She looked at the glass walls and windows. The blinds were shut to keep their privacy.

Staring at Terryl, she thought she could have a peaceful night. Drino is already loud—adding Terryl makes it double trouble.

She removed her face mask and kept it in her pocket. She tapped her head and put the left side of her hair on her left ear because the face mask messed up her hair.

“Oh, hey, Miss Ashmille.” He clutched her right hand gently. “You’re still as beautiful as ever.” And kissed the back of her hand while closing his eyes.

The glamping night has turned into doomping = doom camping.