Feeling uneasy, Valerie turned her gaze away from Ethan. Even though Ethan was speaking with the boat riders, he couldn't concentrate. “Have you rowed on a boat before?” Valerie was smacked out of her thoughts by James's voice.
Clearing her throat noisily, she replied. “No, I haven't.”
“Really? Well, you're definitely going to enjoy your ride with me. You can also visit the orphanage anytime you feel like.” James smiled calmly.
“Miss old-fashioned!” The tiny voice of Audrey called. She rushed to her, and held her pinky finger with two cones of ice cream that was already melting down.
Valerie smiled warmly, and held her hand. “Audrey, did you really buy this for me?”
“Yes, Miss old-fashioned. Where are you going? Don't you want to ride the boat with daddy and I?” She arched her eyebrows at her. Valerie gulped nervously.
“Uhm… This uncle here is…. I already promised him that I'll ride the boat with him. Don't worry, you can ride with your daddy and Aunt Rebecca. I'll ride with Uncle James” Valerie explained.
Upon hearing that, Audrey frowned. Slowly, she bowed her head. Valerie bent over to her, and kissed her cheeks. “Baby, are you mad at Miss old-fashioned?”
James, who had been watching the drama going on between Valerie and Audrey, chuckled. He couldn't help but wonder who Audrey is to Valerie. He thought.
“Is she her daughter? There's a striking resemblance between them.”
James cleared his throat, and tried touching Audrey's hair, but she slapped his hand off. “Don't you dare touch me. You're taking my Miss old-fashioned away, and you still want to touch me”.
“Miss old-fashioned?” James wondered. Shaking his head, he exhaled deeply and said. “Is she your mother?”
Valerie shook her head, and replied. “She's like a daughter to me. So, yes! She's my daughter.”
Hearing that, Audrey chuckled. She had always wished someone would stand up for her and say that she's her mother. Of course, no one has ever said that, but today her Miss old-fashioned was willing to be her mother. “Uncle hat, are you sure you want to ride the boat with my Miss old-fashioned?”
James smiled again, and nodded his head in agreement. Valerie laughed. “Why do you call him Uncle hat, Audrey?” Valerie mumbled.
Audrey signalled Valerie to come closer, and she did. Audrey whispered into her ear. “That's because he's putting on a hat. He should be Uncle Hat”.
Unable to withstand the laughter, Valerie burst into laughter. “I'm sorry, James” She apologized.
“Hey, you ladies. I can't believe you're already gossiping behind my back. I feel so betrayed” James chuckled. He heard what Audrey told Valerie.
As soon as the laughter died down, Audrey spoke up. “Miss old-fashioned, I think Uncle Hat is really cool. I'll tell daddy to ride with Rebecca. You and I can ride with Uncle Hat, okay?”
Valerie puckered her eyebrows. “Are you sure about that? Your daddy might get mad at us”.
Likewise, Valerie couldn't bring herself to glance at Ethan. Without being told, she knew he would be glaring at her. “Leave that to me.”
Audrey ran towards President Ethan, and tapped him. “Baby, put on the life jacket. We'll ride now.”
“No!”
Confused, President Ethan turned his gaze at her. “Why not?”
“Because Miss old-fashioned and I are riding with Uncle Hat. He's so cool, and he cracks countless jokes. Daddy, he's making Miss old-fashioned and I smile.”
On hearing that, Ethan raged. He concealed the rage with a faint smile. Even his daughter was so interested in the strange man. “Audrey, you would rather not ride with daddy?”
“No, I'll ride with Miss old-fashioned. Daddy, you've always wanted to ride with Rebecca, right?” Audrey ran off to Valerie.
Rebecca was delighted to hear what Audrey had said. She walked to Ethan and linked her arms in his. “Darling, this is the perfect boat ride that I've been waiting for. Don't you want to ride with me?”
President Ethan faked a smile at her, still staring at Valerie, who was chatting heartily with the strange man. “Of course, I think we should ride together.”
Audrey ran back to Valerie and said. “Miss old-fashioned, daddy has agreed. You and me alongside Uncle Hat can ride together”.
“Really? Oh, that's good. Let's go ahead” Valerie smiled as they walked into the boat with James.
Meanwhile, President Ethan and Rebecca, who were all over him, got into their boat. Rebecca was already taking pictures, while Ethan couldn't get his eyes off Valerie's boat.
“Ethan, why do you look so absentminded? You don't even look happy in the pictures that I'm taking?” Rebecca cried out.
Cupping his forehead on his palms, President Ethan sighed. “Rebecca, could you please stop? Hey! Mr. boat rider, get us back to the shore”
A gasp escaped Rebecca's mouth. “What? Ethan, what are you doing?”
“Back to shore now” Ethan sounded so furious. Probably, staring at how Valerie and Audrey were comfortable with the stranger made him feel very uncomfortable.
…
The drive back to Davison's villa was quiet. President Ethan was fuming in annoyance while Audrey was sleeping peacefully in Valerie's arms. Rebecca couldn't help but keep sighing. As for Valerie, she was busy with her cell phone, chatting with James.
“What's with the laughter, Miss Watson?” President Ethan, who couldn't take the chuckles any longer, spoke up.
Valerie gulped hard. “Sorry, Sir”
With a sigh, President Ethan turned his gaze away. What was so special about the stranger that made Valerie and Audrey like him so much? Wasn't he also so nice to them? Why would his daughter choose to ride the boat with the flirtatious man instead of him?
The driver drove into the mansion, and they all got out of the Rolls-Royce. Valerie was carrying Audrey, who she covered with her jacket. She was fast asleep.
Walking into Audrey's room, Valerie dropped her on the bed. She took off her clothes, and changed into her night wear. Covering her with a duvet, she turned the lights off.
She was about to step out of the room when someone stormed in. It was dark, all she saw was the person's shadow. The scent of the person was familiar. Was it President Ethan? Who was it?
The shadow walked closer to her, and she stumbled over a table.