Reiner – My Guy and His Girl

“Every mission has its own danger. We’re not paid the way we’re paid to sit back and relax in safety,”

Charles stated like it was nothing.

“Oh…” I mumbled without bothering to hide my worry and disappointment.

“Don’t worry. I hardly do any work myself anymore. I’m more into managing teams and tasking people with missions now. I’m not as young as I used to be…” Charles said with a relaxed smile.

I wondered just how old he was. He made it sound like he was so old but from what I could tell, he was probably in his early thirties, and he couldn’t possibly be older than 35. Was that considered very old already in this field of work?

“How old are you, Charles?” I asked without thinking.

Shit. I cursed myself as the question slipped carelessly out of my mouth.

“No…sorry. I didn’t mean to pry…” I quickly apologized.

Charles just laughed at me. He seemed to be in a very good mood, and it didn’t seem like anything I said or did would ruin his temper.

“It’s ok. I actually like it that you’re interested in me. I’m 33,” Charles replied openly.

He’s not old at all…

“So, do you think I look older or younger than my actual age?” Charles asked as he peered at my face to judge my reaction.

Would he kill me if I told him that he looked older than his age? That wasn’t true, though. Charles looked very young and also very fit.

“I don’t know…I think you look young,” I mumbled, feeling a little embarrassed to be put on the spot.

“Thanks,” Charles said with a chuckle.

“Natalia!” I heard someone calling my name and quickly realized that the tables were filling up fast around us.

“I have to go now. I’ll talk to you later,” I quickly excused myself.

“Can I drive you back home after work?” Charles asked just as I got up from my seat.

For a moment, I didn’t know how to react to his sudden offer.

“Umm…” I murmured as I hesitated.

I didn’t live at the mansion anymore so it wasn’t a problem, but I wasn’t sure if I would be sending the wrong signal if I accepted his ride home. I knew that he was more than interested in me and I also knew that I was an emotional mess right now. Adding to any more of my problems would just be like committing suicide.

“Don’t worry. I’ll just drive you back,” Charles said as if answering to my worries.

The way he looked at me told me that I could trust him; however, I didn’t trust myself. I bit on my lower lip before nodding at him.

“Ok…thank you,” I said before quickly walking away before he could say anything more.

…

Reiner watched the younger woman at his side as she chatted cheerfully to him about some adventure that she had just been on with her friends. Rachael had her arm around his and he wondered if she had always been this clingy when they were together. Regardless, he decided to let her do whatever she wanted as he listened patiently to whatever she wanted to tell him. It had been a while since they last met, and it was their first time meeting face-to-face since he returned to the island.

It was a Saturday and Reiner glanced up to the second floor where Natalia room was. He wondered if she was home and what she was doing. Is she going to go out later in the day to work at the bar again?

A frown formed between his brows as his eyes lingered longer on the balcony of her bedroom.

“Hey…Knight. Are you even listening?” Rachael asked when she felt that Reiner had lost his focus.

“Yes, I’m listening,” Reiner replied immediately as his eyes left Natalia’s room and shifted back to focus on Rachael’s face.

She’s grown up quite a lot since the last time that he had seen her. Since leaving the island all those years ago, he didn’t come back and haven’t been in contact with Rachael again. Partly, it was because he didn’t want to explain to her why he had decided to break off their engagement. Rachael was very young back then, and honestly, he didn’t think that she understood anything about marriage and what it entailed.

“Should we go back inside?” Reiner suggested as he smiled down at her.

“But the weather is so nice outside today…” Rachael murmured as she pressed her body closer to his arm.

“Dinner will start soon. Let’s not make King angry by making him wait,” Reiner replied flatly.

“Fine…” Rachael said obediently.

Rachael pulled on his hand as she led the way into the mansion as if the house was her own. Reiner could tell that she felt at home here which wasn’t surprising. Rachael spent a lot of time here when she was a kid, and he was younger. He wasn’t sure if she visited his parents often while he was gone but he suspected that that was the case.

One day, he would explain to her why he decided to leave this island and break off the engagement with her. Looking down at her cheerful face as she turned to smile at him, he couldn’t help smiling back at how adorable and pretty his little sister had become. The day he told her the whole truth, probably won’t be today.

“Dinners in the dining room, right?” Rachael asked for confirmation.

“I suppose so…” Reiner replied softly.

Rachael semi-dragged him after her enthusiastically as she led him towards the dining room. It was very close to dinner time now and he wouldn’t be surprised if his parents were already seated at the table waiting for them. He wondered if Natalia has eaten her dinner. Where does she normally eat and who does she eat with? Is she going to have dinner at the bar before she starts working?

“King! Queen! You’re already here,” Rachael’s cheerful greeting snapped him out of his worrisome thoughts.

--To be continued…