LOVE YOU, UNCLE

“How about it? Are you still mad at me?”

Ghea shook her head. She smiled faintly, then took another spoonful of the big-size Gelato ice cream in front of her. She thought her husband would ‘kidnap’ her and take her to some unknown place.

Instead of being taken to the mall, a shopping center, or an expensive restaurant, Randy brought Ghea to one of his favorite ice cream shops. Whether it was a coincidence or the result of gathering information from someone close to her, after being overwhelmed by anger earlier, Ghea’s emotions were gradually fading.

Every time she felt angry, irritated, or overwhelmed by emotions, Ghea had an effective way to calm herself down: eating ice cream or going to sleep. These two methods had always been her go-to, even into adulthood.

“For this time, Uncle, I forgive you. But don’t think that if you make a mistake again tomorrow or anytime in the future, I’ll forgive you just like that after being bribed with ice cream.”

Randy laughed. Indeed, it was not easy to win over his wife’s heart. Fortunately, he already knew about the ice cream strategy from Mario. And even more fortunate, it worked the first time he tried it. Otherwise, he might have been puzzled about how to keep his wife from getting continuously angry.

“Don’t worry. I promise not to make you wait and get upset like this evening anymore. And if you want to take me out to eat, go for a walk, or anything else in the future, just tell me directly. So I know,” Randy said gently.

“Next time, if it happens again, there won’t be forgiveness for Uncle.”

Randy nodded in agreement. He reached for a handkerchief from his pants pocket and wiped Ghea’s lips, which were smeared with the ice cream she had been eating. “Eating like this is messy.”

Ghea was surprised. Although what Randy did was a common and seemingly trivial gesture, for some reason, she felt that his actions touched her. In all the time she spent with men, Ghea had never received such gentle and caring treatment as Randy showed.

“Realize, Ghea. Be aware. Don’t overthink it. Isn’t this how all Playboys behave?” Ghea murmured in her heart. “Please, don’t fall for the bait. If you get trapped, it’ll be hard to get out.”

“When you’re done with the ice cream, let’s move to another place,” Randy said, making Ghea snap out of her thoughts after being silent for a while.

“Move to where?”

“Find something to eat. You said you were hungry, right? I have a recommendation for a delicious place that you’ll definitely like.”

“Oh, really? Not very convincing,” Ghea replied dismissively. She thought that someone like Randy would eventually take her to dine at a fancy restaurant or a famous place in luxurious hotels.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

However, that assumption turned out to be wrong. After changing locations, instead of going to a luxurious restaurant or café as Ghea imagined, her husband parked the car to stop at a roadside tent selling seafood and other typical evening snacks.

“Are we seriously going to eat here?” Ghea asked incredulously. In her opinion, someone like Randy wouldn’t waste time eating at a roadside stall like this.

“Why not? Don’t you like it? Or do you want to go somewhere else?”

Ghea shook her head. It wasn’t a big deal for her to eat at a roadside stall. She, Denisa, Joshua, and even Mario had often spent time hunting for food from luxurious places to street vendors.

“Not that I don’t like it. I’m just not sure if Uncle eats at a place like this.”

Randy then laughed.

“I actually prefer eating by the roadside, Ghe. Since I often eat standard hotel food, I sometimes get bored. Besides, when it comes to food, I’m not picky. And I genuinely recommend this place because all the food on the menu is delicious. So, you must try it and see for yourself.”

“Well, if Uncle is sure, then let’s eat here.”

Randy smiled broadly, grateful that Ghea approved of the dining place he recommended. Instead of rejecting it or putting on a show like typical rich kids, she didn’t protest at all. In fact, she even doubted herself about whether she could eat at a roadside stall.

“What do you want to order?” Randy asked as they both looked at the menu provided by the stall’s waiter.

“I’ll have the Padang crab with water spinach. What about you, Uncle?”

“I’ll go for calamari and grilled shrimp.”

“Oh, that sounds delicious.”

“Alright, let’s order everything.”

“Not that much, really. I’ll just taste yours, Uncle. Is that okay?”

Randy nodded. While waiting for the food, they engaged in light conversation, mostly revolving around the work Ghea had been doing in the past few days. After about 15 minutes, the ordered food arrived. Ghea looked very enthusiastic, eagerly anticipating the chance to taste the dishes.

“So fragrant,” she exclaimed, then started transferring a piece of crab onto her plate.

Both of them seemed to enjoy the meal that was served. Occasionally, Randy observed how Ghea relished the food on her plate. However, something made him uncomfortable. Since a while ago, his wife seemed to be struggling to eat the crab she had ordered.

“Seems quite troublesome,” he remarked.

“Yeah, it is. Turns out, it’s a hassle to eat crab when you’re really hungry. You’re hungry, but then you have to be patient because you have to open each tough shell one by one.”

Randy then took a bite of the calamari he had spooned earlier. A moment later, he temporarily set aside his plate, then took a crab from Ghea’s plate and helped her open it.

With patience, he peeled off each shell that clung to the crab. Taking the meat, he then set it aside on the edge of the plate for Ghea to easily eat.

“Uncle, you don’t have to bother. I can open it myself,” Ghea said with a slightly uneasy feeling. She felt sorry that her husband had stopped eating just to help her peel the crab.

“It’s okay. You go ahead and eat. There’s only one left, and I’m done with it anyway.”

Ghea complied. It was a relief that her hands didn’t get any dirtier since Randy had helped her open the crab. After finishing peeling the crab, he continued with his meal.

“Do you want to try the calamari and grilled shrimp?” Randy asked when he noticed the crab on Ghea’s plate was almost finished.

“Yes, please… it looks delicious.”

Randy nodded. Instead of allowing Ghea to take the calamari and shrimp from his plate, he took a perfectly peeled shrimp and fed it directly to Ghea without hesitation.

“How is it, tasty?”

With a shy smile, Ghea nodded. She felt a bit awkward for the unusual treatment from her husband.

“Y-yes. It’s delicious. It seems like all the food here is good.”

“In that case, let me help you with the rest. You just finish it and get full.”

“But, Uncle-”

“It’s okay. I’ve already finished eating.”

Ghea couldn’t refuse Randy’s offer. She wondered how to describe her feelings at the moment. One thing was for sure, Randy’s behavior from the beginning seemed to gradually capture her attention.

***