Chapter 5

Tiffany wakes up, and Mark is not in bed. She gets up and walks into the living room while the boy is still asleep. She walks into Mark's bedroom. He is trying to change into new clothes. Standing there only in his boxers. 'Well, hello, missy.' He welcomes her. 'You have to pay if you want to see more.' Tiffany holds her hand out. 'How about I pay you to keep your underwear on, extra cash if you put on your shirt and pants.' He strolls up to her, with only his boxer on. 'Oh. What use do I have of this great and firm body if I can't share it with another?' Tiffany jeers at him. 'You have a cute and young admirer waiting for you in the living room. I'd say, grab your chance. Got for it. Good luck, ma boys.' Mark is standing exactly in front of her. Way to close. Tiffany can feel his body heat. 'What about you? Do you want to give this body a chance? You'll get addicted to it.' She hit him flat on his chest. The sound is so loud that even Tiffany is surprised.

The boy wakes up and shoots out the sofa. What is that? It makes him think about the bombing from yesterday. He runs to where the sound came from, only to find Tiffany and an almost naked Mark. Tiffany is, fortunately blocking, the view. Tiffany turns around and sees the boy standing, looking at them. Mark places his arms over Tiffany, forcing her to stay like that and block him out. 'Ah, he is here. You have fu..' Mark stops her from talking any further. His hand is covering her mouth. 'Hey kid, go out and buy us something to eat. Now!' He growls at him. The boy disappears like that. Mark forcefully shifts Tiffany around and make her face him again. He grabbed her head with both his hands and made her only look at him. He bends over his body so that he is at the same eye level as hers. 'So you want to say that you feel absolutely nothing looking at me like this?' Tiffany looks him straight in his eyes. 'No. Should I? You narcist.' His eyebrow twitches. He is about to lose it but decides to let her go for now. All he needs to do now is play dirty. Let the game begin.

Tiffany gets on her bike and leaves for school. Today is the day that Tiffany will be running 10 km with her mentor class. The kids are standing in front of the school building, ready to set off.

The first 15 minutes is going great. Some of the boys are running upfront. Tiffany loves to see how energic her class is. Not even the girls are nagging nor complaining to run the 10 km every Monday morning. The first group arrives at school. Mark is waiting for them with cold drinks. He passes it to the boy who recognizes him as the hidden husband of their teacher. Tiffany finally arrives at school. She sees the boys hanging out with Mark. What the hell is he doing here? Mark sees Tiffany and waves at her to come here. He hands her an iced coffee. She, out of reflex, takes the cup away from him. Mark grabs his chance and pulls Tiffany in for a back-hug. She pinches his arm, but Mark does not budge. The students are screaming and whistling out loud. 'Oh, damn, man. Who would have thought that our teacher could score a hunk like him? Says one of the boys. 'She must have done her best because she is way too dense when it comes to relationships.' Another boy nods his head in agreement. 'That's right. The math teacher did his best to flirt with her, but she never got the clue.' One of the girls laughs. 'Lol, That time, when the math teacher tried to get close, and she walked away. He got ignored. But the funny thing is. He is still trying to get her attention. Math teacher doesn't care that she is married.' The boys laugh. Tiffany is unaware that Mr. Lee is chasing after her, and glares at the kids, telling them to shut up, because she knows why Mark is here. 'Can you come with me for a moment?' She asks Mark. 'Why? I see that these kids have some useful information that I have to know of.' Tiffany smiles and talks through her teeth. 'Come with me.' Mark smiles too. But before he leaves. 'I was the one who chased after her. But I agree that she is too clueless about what I feel for her. So you kids have to help me out. Okay.' The kids flash him with thumps up to agree to help him.

'Get out, you bastard. Your purpose here is purely to create chaos. And I'm sure that you'll go after Mr. Lee now that you heard that bullshit the kids just said. It is not true.' Mark pouts his lips. He is thinking with his arms crossing over each other. 'Do I perhaps look like I'm here to play the mischievous jealous husband roll?' Tiffany is getting mad. 'Yes, you are. More like a jealous wife!' Mark is satisfied. 'Great, because I think that, that Mr. Lee is making his way over here. Almost here.' Mark pulls her in and kisses her on her lips. Her class starts to scream and whistle again. 'Nice move, mister husband.' Yells one of the kids.

Mark runs away before Tiffany can grab him. Mark wants to put Tiffany in an awkward situation just to see what she'll do. Mr. Lee comes and stands next to her. Miss Tiffany, can you please keep your class under control? They are disturbing my class. And, can we please keep our love-life outside these walls? The kids are running lose like dogs without a leash.' If he thinks that Tiffany will stay still after his last sentence, he is dead wrong. 'I agree with you, Mr. Lee, but can we contain ourselves and not name the kids like that? Calling them dogs is inappropriate within these walls. Don't worry. I'll tell my husband not to come here during school hours.' Mark was on cloud nine. That's her girl.

Her class is having a blast. The handsome husband, kissing the wife in front of a creepy teacher and running off to hide behind the wall. 'I love you too, Tiffany. See you at home tonight.' He yells and vanishes in thin air. Her mentor class again encouraging them as they are clapping in unison.

Tiffany comes back home. She makes herself a hot coffee. Mark did say that he would bring the boy back home. Luckily, she has some time alone. She misses being alone. Ever since their big fight, he kept sticking to her. It's been three days, and she is exhausted. But still. He is wounded right now for saving a life. Tiffany lays on the sofa. His house is so empty that it feels so sad to look at these bare walls. So she decides to go out and buy house plants.

It is evening. Mark finally arrives and is standing in front of the front door. He bought a purse for Tiffany. She is going to love it. He prepares himself and unlocks the door, finding Tiffany engaged between the plants. 'Where did you get those things from? I'm allergic to plants.' He complains. Tiffany looks him with glitters in her eyes. 'You do?' She picks up the largest plant and walks over to where Mark is standing. Mark takes the opportunity to hold on to Tiffany as he kisses her. Tiffany steps back. 'You con artist. Just you wait. I'm going to bury you alive one day.' Mark shakes his head. 'No, you won't. Here, I got you a present.' He passes the shopping bag to Tiffany. She peeks in the bag and sees a pink-colored purse. 'Now, you don't have to use your chest as a purse.' Tiffany finds it amusing. 'That was only one time. Do you think that I don't have any bags or purses? But thanks for the purse. Free stuff is the best.'

The living room is full of green plants. It looks more lively like this. Tiffany is satisfied, but Mark is looking disturbed. Tiffany stares at him. 'You don't like it?' Mark shakes his head. 'It's not that I don't like it. I'm not used to things like this. I never had living things at my house. I don't like to take care of anything but me.' Tiffany judges him. 'You are such a narcist. No wonder you are single. You'll probably die alone in some corner. No one will notice that you are gone.' Mark touches the plant. It's soft. He would have never thought that a day like this would come. A plant in his house. Not even in his dream. 'I'm keeping low-profile.' He murmurs.

'Hm. Did you say anything?' Tiffany comes closer to him. She hears him say something. 'No, nothing.' But then, Tiffany reminds herself. 'Sit, you big douche. We gotta talk.' Mark looks in surprise. 'Is it about what happened at school? I won't do it again. I promise.' Tiffany does not believe his words. The moment he sees another chance, he'll do it again. 'No. It's about the whole hotel, bomb, and the rescue thingy. What was that? It looks like it was not your first time.' Mark knew that Tiffany would ask him about yesterday. He scratches his neck. 'I don't wanna tell you.' He says casually. 'Tiffany kicks his ankle and pinches his inner thigh with all her might. Damn, that hurts. Mark slaps her hand and rubs on the painful area. 'What was that all for? It hurts like hell.' He snaps at her. 'You almost died! What do you mean, you don't want to tell me? Stop being a little kid! If you don't tell me. I'll make sure that the whole world knows that you are infertile.' He laughs out loud. 'So you wanna keep me for yourself? You naughty girl.' Tiffany is getting mad. 'So, your manhood is not that important to you?' He shakes his head and smiles. 'Than I'll tell everyone that you own a gun and kill people.' He shakes his head again. 'They won't believe you.' She closes her eyes for a few seconds. 'If you don't confess. I'll leave this house. And I mean it.' His face hardens. Bingo!

He does not want her to leave him and disappear. Not when he found someone that he can live and die for. 'Don't.' Nothing else came out of his mouth. He looks at her as if he is in pain. Tiffany feels her heart beating faster. She somehow wants to hug him so that his pain goes away but remains at her place. A moment past away. He slowly shifts his body towards Tiffany. 'Only on one condition, and I'll tell you. You have to be with me until the day I die.' Tiffany looks confused. Die? Is he ill? 'Don't tell me that you are terminally ill, and what yesterday happened is just a thingy on your bucket list?' Mark has to laugh. He has been laughing so much because of her. It feels so good. He doesn't want to lose all of this. The joy he felt for over for the past few hours makes him greedy. So much that he'll do anything to keep it all. 'I want you to give me an answer to my question. You have time until tomorrow afternoon. I'll come and pick you up from school. Your answer depends on if we'll forget about this short conversation and live as if nothing has ever happened, or you surrender yourself to me. That's all I can say for now. I'm sorry.' He gets up and leaves her in the living room. Tiffany feels strange. She has a funny feeling inside her. The way he walks away is making her sad.

Mark falls on his bed. Only a second passes by, and he gets up because he feels suffocating. Mark opens the sliding door to the balcony. He leans against the balustrade. Tiffany barges in and sees him standing on the balcony. She tiptoed her way over to him and squeezing her tiny body between Mark and the glass railing. He meets her eyes. She slaps his cheeks with both of her palms. Locks his head between her small hands, to make him forcefully look only at her. He is stunned by her action. 'Are you running away, you pussy? Where is the man who merciless grabbed me by my throat and almost killed me? Ran into a building after a bombing took place to save another life? Faught with a man that had a knife? You first-class trash.' She kisses him. 'I hate you. Kissing you is so disgusting. Yuk.' She sticks out her tongue. Mark has no other choice but to chuckle at her as he hugs her back in a reply. Mark's big body leans on her tiny body that presses her against the railing. She cannot carry him any longer and manages to hit him a few times on his back. 'You are too heavy, do you know that? So back-off, Shrek.' Mark lets her go and suddenly bends down through his knees. He grabs Tiffany and raises her to put her on the railing. She automatically hugs him to prevent herself from falling down the balcony. 'These feelings will be your daily life from now on. But I promise you that if you trust me with your life, I'll give my whole life to you until the day I die.' Tiffany is taken back by his behavior and his words. She pins his face against her chest. Mark has difficulties breathing. He manages to pop out his head between her arms and chest and look up to find her giggling at him. 'If people knew the real us. They'd think that we are mentally ill. First fighting to the dead and now this.' She also wraps him with her legs. 'But can you put me down? It is fun and all, but I'm beginning to get dizzy right now.' Mark moves her away from the railing but did not let her go. He steps inside the room and lays her on his bed.

'We should sleep. It's going to be a long day tomorrow.' He comes down and lays next to her in bed. Tiffany turns to him and comes closer. 'We should change your bandage first.' She grabs his shirt and pulls it up, gently removed the bandage. 'Let it air out until I come back. She leaves the room to go and get a new bandage. It is already looking good. His flesh does not seem shredded anymore. 'I'm impressed. Your wound is healing fast. Your monstrous body has its benefits.' She covers the wound. 'Of course. The man in front of you is not an ordinary human. You can't get anyone better than me. I'll let you have a taste of this monstrous body if you can handle it.' Tiffany lays back on the bed. 'No, thank you, big brother. I'm fine.' Mark makes a sour face. Calling him a big brother is not fine. Tiffany throws her arm and her leg carefully over his body. 'Let's sleep. I'm tired.'

'Can I kiss you good night?' He asks. Tiffany does not answer him. He turns his face to her and touches her lips tenderly. His hand finds its way of going under her t-shirt. Tiffany pinches his hand and moves back. 'Keep it clean you, opportunist. You are my monster-sized body pillow for tonight. Close your eyes and sleep. If not, then get out.' Mark feels like a lost puppy. If not for his wound, he'd already have made her his woman.