Rhoda smiled.
“Huh…What about Ariana?”
“What about her??” Malcolm questioned.
“Uhm… I heard she did’nt recieve anything”
“And why would she? She is’nt part of the gang. She’s just with us cause of the reasons beknown to us”
Rhoda chuckled softly to his response and Malcolm heard it, surely. written by sommy pearl f.
“Why..did you chuckle?” He asked, gently.
“Huh? Uh,,, Not…Nothing” She stuttered.
“Uh, Ok then. What would you like to have?” Malcolm asked.
Rhoda looked at his own glass.
“I’m gonna have what you are drinking”
Malcolm widened his eyes and briefly shook his head.
“I’m not sure you can hold this liquor. It’ll knock you down at a go and I can’t assure you of your consciousness”
Rhoda laughed.
“C’mon, Don’t act like you don’t know me now. I told before. Everything about me changed! I evolved! I smôke bad, drink any f_cking hard liquor except hooch, of course” Rhoda said.
“Hmm…Hooch?” Malcolm raised his brows.
“Yeah. You don’t really know how to handle the drink, likewise. Ah! Malcolm! Remember back then when we were still a part of Leo Da Cruz? You and Gilberto drank a bottle of hooch. Gilberto was still sober but you got drunk and behaved somehow” She laughed, quietly.
Malcolm faked a loud cough.
“I’m sure he rigged his drink”
“Ayy… Don’t act like you don’t know Gilberto too well. He was one of the strongest men we had in the cartel then. Regardless of being a Korean like us. He was really devoted and faithful to our Don, before he passed away” Rhoda sighed.
“Uh…So, what of Gilberto? Did he leave the cartel?”
Rhoda ran her eyes around, nervously.
“…I,,, do…don’t know” She stuttered.
“Okay then” He nodded.
“Let me order yours” He said.
“No” She said, sharply, holding his left wrist which laid on the table.
Malcolm raised his eyes to her.
“Don’t worry. I’m good. I gotta” She hurriedly stood up, taking her bag.
“But why?” He asked, sadly.
“Uh. I just remembered I left the shower on. I really really gotta go. I’m sorry. Bye” She waved and ran off. written by sommy pearl f.
Malcolm sighed deeply and took out a huge cigarette which he lit and began to smoke.
“For once, I just wanted to spend more, quality time with her” He whispered to himself.
Rhoda peeped at Malcolm from where she hid.
She took her gaze and bit on her fingers.
“Assuming, I stayed there with him for a sec more, My darn mouth would have spewed everything” She whispered, and, glanced at him.
“I’m gonna protect you Malcolm” She bit her lower lip in thoughts, before, finally, walking away.
MEANWHILE***
Malcolm exhaled, seeing his empty glass and bottle.
He gave a gesture to the bartender, who obendiently went to him.
“A bottle of hooch” He said.
“Sir??” The bartender asked, with slightly wide eyes.
“You heard me” Malcolm said, coarsely with a serious glare.
“Sure. Sure, Sir” The bartender bowed and rushed to the cellar.
R-BREEDS HOSPITAL**
“Goodness! My body especially my joints is serious aching. Yeah,,, and that’s thanks to that bâstard called Oliver. He can never learn” Cindy groaned, cracking her neck and arms.
“Did I hear you say Oliver?” Someone asked from behind.
Cindy gushed lowly and turned to only see Gina.
“You really scared me and no, I said no such thing as Oliver. Who’s Oliver?” She huffed with an eye roll.
Gina looked deeply at her, suspiciously.
“By the way, I heard about your mum’s lab. My condolences”
Gina frowned.
“And who do you think you are, exactly to send your f_cking condolences! Keep to your self……”
As Gina kept ranting out at Cindy, She suddenlly and unusually spotted someone behind Gina.
The person was ascending the stairs.
“Kev?” She whispered with a smile.
She walked out of Gina, who was still going on and on with her rants.
Gina quickly turned around, stunned.
“Wait. Did she just walk out on me while I was still talking? That…that little rat” She snarled, pointing at Cindy, who, was ascending the stairs.
****
Ariana was really suprised seeing Malcolm walk into the house, really drunk.
“Mister…” Her voice trailed off.
He just walked past her.
“Aren’t you supposed to be in the hospital?” He asked, staggering to his room.
“I was discharged just now. They treated my burns, prescribed medications and gave me ointment too” She responded, followed him, from behind.
Malcolm tiredly laid on the bed after flunging his shoes and jacket away.
Ariana sighed deeply sighed and picked them up.
She was about when he suddenly held her slim hand.
“Huh? You okay?” She quickly turned turned to him.
She saw that, his eyes were still closed.
She bent down, close to him and studied his handsome face from up close.
She couldn’t help but get immersed.
She smiled, watching him.
Malcolm suddenly opened his eyes and shyly, she threw her eyes.
Malcolm looked at her face. He didn’t take his eyes away, nor his hand,,, which rather still held onto her, still.
Malcolm lifted his hand and touched the left side of her face.
“You’re never this shy. So, look at me”
Ariana swallowed nothing down her throat before, She slowly and carefully took her face to him.
Malcolm smmiled, seeing ‘RHODA’ facing him.
He thought it was a bit unusual for her to be there with him at that moment but he really didn’t care.
He touched her face, fondly, drew it towards his own face, and smashed their lips together.