LOVE YOU, UNCLE

For the past few years, Randy has been living separately from his parents. He deliberately chose to live independently because he didn’t want any interference in anything related to his privacy.

Before getting married, his parents offered a new house for him and his future wife. However, instead of accepting, Randy declined the offer. He thought that the current house he was living in was more than enough for his small family.

After having breakfast and getting ready, Randy wasted no time and took Ghea to his house. Upon arrival, all the dedicated workers gathered to welcome Randy and his wife, including Alvin, Randy’s assistant.

“Welcome, Mr. Randy and Mrs. Ghea.”

Arini, a 45-year-old woman who was the head of the household assistants, warmly greeted her employer. Along with the others, they quickly took all of Randy and his wife’s belongings to be moved to their room.

“Ghea,” Randy called out when they entered the house. “This is Mrs. Arini. She’s the head of the household staff here. You can ask her about all the details of the house. And that,” Randy pointed to another assistant who looked much younger. “Her name is Sandra. She’s specifically here to assist you with anything you need.”

“Welcome, Mrs. Ghea. Nice to meet you. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask me for help,” Sandra greeted warmly and respectfully. Ghea responded with a nod and a friendly smile.

“Nice to meet you all. Thank you so much for the welcome.”

While Randy and Alvin went to his office, Ghea, accompanied by Sandra, headed to the meticulously prepared master bedroom. Upon entering, Ghea was slightly amazed by the minimalist decorations adorned with an all-white color scheme.

“All of Mrs. Ghea’s belongings and necessities are neatly arranged in the wardrobe. But if anything is missing or you need something else, please inform me, ma’am. I’ll fulfill it as soon as possible.”

Ghea nodded, scanning the room before turning her attention back to Sandra, who stood faithfully nearby.

“Thank you very much. But if I may, please don’t call me ‘Mrs.’ It seems like our ages are not that different. Just call me Ghea; it’s fine.”

“Oh, no,” Sandra gently refused. Of course, she didn’t agree with Ghea’s request. How could a household assistant casually address her employer by their first name like a friend? “I can’t, ma’am.”

Ghea sighed. She was really not a fan of all these formalities.

“That’s fine.”

“Don’t, ma’am,” Sandra refused once again. “Or, if calling ‘ma’am’ sounds too old, how about I call you ‘Miss’? Miss Ghea?”

“Not bad,” Ghea nodded in agreement. “From now on, just call me that.”

Sandra smiled, feeling relieved that her offer was immediately accepted by her employer’s wife. However, calling the lady of the house ‘Miss’ alone would surely raise questions later.

“By the way, have you been working here for long?” Ghea asked as she walked around the room.

“Almost three years,” Sandra replied. Unlike the others, she was the most recent addition to Randy’s staff.

“Has Randy always lived alone?”

Suddenly, Ghea wanted to know. In her opinion, with a house the size of a palace and all these facilities, it would be wasteful to live alone.

“I’ve been with Mr. Randy since he lived in an apartment. And when he moved here, he was alone. Usually, his cousin visits every weekend.”

“What about a girlfriend? Does Randy often bring his girlfriend to the house?”

Ghea’s curiosity led to this question. Perhaps she was wondering if her husband had frequently brought other women home, given his playboy reputation and frequent changes of partners.

“Never, Miss Ghea,” Sandra replied confidently, shaking her head.

“Really?”

This time, Sandra nodded.

“Really. So far, Mr. Randy has never brought a woman home. The only woman who has been here is Ms. Celina, his cousin.”

Ghea looked surprised. She threw a scrutinizing look, trying to delve into Sandra’s black eyes to find any hint of dishonesty. However, after careful observation, her new assistant seemed serious and honest in her words.

“Even though we all know Mr. Randy is famous for being a playboy, he’s not that bad,” Sandra added to her previous statement. As if assuring Ghea that what she said was true.

“You’re not getting paid by Randy to speak well of him, are you?” Ghea inquired with narrowed eyes. She was worried that Randy had briefed his staff from the beginning to say good things about him.

“I do get paid well. But, I’m not paid that much to say only good things about all the workers here.”

From the door, Randy suddenly appeared. It was unclear how long he had been there. Or perhaps, Randy had been listening to Ghea and Sandra’s conversation all along.

“Sorry, Mr.,” Sandra said with a lowered face as the homeowner entered and approached.

“It’s okay. Now you can leave.”

Sandra nodded obediently. Instantly complying with the order to leave, she closed the bedroom door tightly. Leaving Randy and Ghea, who might want to have a private conversation.

“As I said from the beginning. Even if I’m a playboy, I’m not that bad, let alone playing with women. So, you’re lucky to be married to me.”

Ghea rolled her eyes, displaying a look of boredom. She was not interested in listening to Randy bragging about himself. If there were a special award for the most self-confident person in the world, Randy might be nominated or even win in that category.

“Actually, it’s Uncle who should be grateful because I, as a limited edition, finally agreed to be matched with an old man like him.”

“Old man? How dare you!” protested Randy, offended. “Besides, I’m the one who chose you to be my wife. If I wanted to, I could have chosen someone else yesterday.”

“Oh, sorry, sorry, Uncle. Even though I was chosen from several candidates, I could have rejected you yesterday. Moreover, outside there are richer, more handsome men, and definitely many of the same age.”

“So, why did you accept my proposal? Because you were enchanted?”

“Geez!” Ghea rolled her eyes again. “Just so you know, I accepted Uncle because of pity.”

Randy grumbled in annoyance. For God’s sake, it took a lot of energy to argue with his wife. Whatever he said, Ghea always had a response or a defense.

“Enough… enough… let’s change the topic. Anyway, from now on, you’ll live here, in this room, with me.”

“What?!”

Actually, Ghea shouldn’t be surprised. Married couples everywhere sleep in the same room, right? It’s just that, is she seriously going to sleep in the same room with Randy forever? On their first night together, Ghea had to compromise and sleep on the sofa. Who knows what will happen to her body if she has to spend every night sleeping on the sofa continuously.

“Why? Don’t you agree to sleep in the same room with me? Don’t you want to sleep cuddled up with your own husband?”

“Not interested and don’t want to,” Ghea replied confidently. “Why not give me my own room? I really don’t like sharing a room with others, Uncle.”

“Hey, Princess. Please understand this well. I am your husband, not someone else. Where have you ever heard of a married couple sleeping separately? Don’t watch too many soap operas or read love novels! Moreover, it’s as if I’m spreading a rare disease that you refuse to sleep in the same room with me.”

Randy squinted his eyes. Taking a step forward, he deliberately approached Ghea. Making his wife retreat until she had to lean against the bedroom wall.

“But seriously, am I going to sleep on the sofa every night, Uncle? That’s so mean!” Ghea muttered while gazing at Randy’s face. Her attitude seemed cautious, fearing that her husband might do something unexpected.

“Who told you to sleep on the sofa? That bed, as big as a dangdut stage, you can use it to roll around, somersault, cartwheel. Why choose to sleep on the sofa?”

“The problem is, no one can guarantee that you won’t do anything funny. Don’t forget, we both made an agreement.”

“Even if I do something funny, what’s the problem? Aren’t you my wife? Whether I touch, kiss, hug, or invite you to —”

Before Randy could finish his sentence, Ghea covered his mouth with one hand.

“No need to be so talkative, okay?”

“You’re really weird,” Randy said after successfully removing Ghea’s hand from his mouth. “You’re making so many conditions even after getting married.”

A moment later, Randy deliberately moved his face forward, teasingly. As if he enjoyed seeing his wife feeling embarrassed.

“Don’t get too close, Uncle,” Ghea warned when her husband’s face was only a few centimeters away from hers. This naturally made Ghea feel short of breath.

“I’ll make sure you’ll be the one begging to be touched by me later.”

“That’s not possible, and it will never happen!” Ghea shook her head repeatedly.

“Let’s prove it later. Whether you or I will be tempted first.”All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.