My Sweetheart

“One part is mine,” Joseph laughed in the face of Kathy’s expression.

Kathy shrugged. Getting out of bed, the two of them sat at the table. Joseph poured her soup, and added condiments for her, his ministrations precise and gentle. Kathy was at a loss. One day he’d treat another woman like this. The thought wrenched at her.

Impulsively she asked, “Hasn’t Grandfather pushed you to remarry?” She remembered that when she’d become part of their household, Grandfather had been quite nervous about their marriage.

“He hasn’t been around, so no.”

“Oh.”

“You really want me to remarry?” he feigned hurt.

She furrowed her brow. “Not really.”

“Why?”

“No reason,” Kathy replied, and left it at that. The thought of him marrying another woman was torture for her.

“If you don’t want me to, I won’t,” he told her seriously.

Hearing this, she looked up, unable to hide her surprise. “It’s your affair, not mine,” she said evenly, concealing her joy.

“Is that so?” Joseph asked, giving her a long hard look.

Kathy felt she could hide nothing from him. “Of course it is. Or else what?” she countered.

He laughed lowly. “I don’t want to hurt my ex-wife.”

“You won’t,” she insisted.

He stayed with her till that evening, to the point where she asked him, “Won’t you go home?”

“Won’t you be scared here all alone?” The room was VIP, quite large,

“No.”

I’ll go.” With that,

face crumpled. Just the sight of him walking

tracks,

she forced herself

you company here, how will you make it up to me?” he asked, bending at the waist till they

figure enchanted her. She swallowed hard, her face turning red. He was enticing her

right. How?” he asked

she stared. What had she gotten herself into? “Well, of course you…” But before she could finish, a searing kiss had covered her lips, a familiar scent filling her nose. Her eyes went wide in shock. He settled her against the

long anyway. Breathing deeply, she forced herself to say, “Get

He didn’t even look, just went to sit on the sofa and said deeply, “Since your getting hurt involves me, I’ll stay with

tense atmosphere permeated the room, yet even so, she gradually drifted to sleep.

Seeing Joseph, he stopped short.

your being here is

Kathy’s friend, while you’re her

Kathy mention Bertie as a friend. At this, Bertie’s complexion

countered Bertie, sitting on an opposite end of the sofa.

want to open her eyes. Yet

you want to stay with you?” Joseph

Opening her eyes to see both handsome men, she felt prickles along her

Get some rest.” Joseph stood

Sternly Kathy said, “Bertie,

don’t want to

she couldn’t fall asleep. All she could think of was Joseph’s kiss, and the infatuation it instilled

Joseph leaned against the wall, watching Bertie exit. Bertie asked with

you very interested in