Before we split up
Chapter - 20th
Ayunda's mood was bad to start the day, Ayunda had to cancel her flight to Jakarta because there was one deal issue that Samudra had violated and they still had not made a scheduled return meeting.
Plus the many problems that occur in the gallery owned by Ayunda.
Nindyra called Ayunda in a panic, telling her that the exhibition schedule that should be two weeks away will be in the title was to retreat because Ayunda was not careful in choosing a contractor who worked on the exhibition stand.
Ayunda spent a full day trying to clean it up. Eleven hours later, he was exhausted both physically and mentally, thus making Ayunda very frustrated.
In the middle of his busy life, Damar suddenly appeared. Her friendly, fun and enlightening personality Ayunda day with funny jokes and BTS concert tickets that they want to see next month in Korea.
Damar Jati is a client who has a special friendship with him for many years, they have the same taste in the world of painting, theater, art, and music. They meet every few months when the man is in Jogja.
Not wanting to disappoint her, Ayunda could not refuse Damar's invitation to leave.
They discussed the issue of the exhibition during the late dinner, they laughed together over coffee and had dessert. Tonight turned out to be fun and enough to take Ayunda's mind off the Ocean, from the fact that he could not get to Jakarta to meet the Ocean, and how bad things are at the moment.
“You look different tonight?" asked Damar, glancing while waiting for the red light.
The drizzle still soaks the city of Jogja, Ayunda shivers, rubbing her upper arms. “Different?”
“Ya" The green light is on, Damar restarts his vehicle, then Damar's hand moves lightly to Ayunda's back “Different in a good sense.”
Ayunda wasn't too sure what made him that way. He did feel different, things had changed in him since the first night with the Ocean, but Ayunda did not expect it to turn out that others could see him.
“Like your smile more loose, you look more happy” Damar shrugs “I like it.”
Damar pulled his vehicle over in front of the Ayunda residence, and then he got out of his car to open the door of Ayunda's car.
"Thank you" Ayunda reached out to shake hands as they used to, but this time when Damar shook her hand, the man did not let go, she said, instead he pulled his hand and then his head looked to the right and to the left like confusion.
Ayunda began to laugh, waiting for what Damar would do, but when he looked into Damar's eyes, Ayunda realized that the man was not playing around.
“I really like it, Ayunda.”
Before Ayunda could protest, Damar kissed her cheeks with one arm holding her back.
Three things attacked Ayunda at the same time. First, he should have known this was going to happen. If his attention is not split between where he is now and where he should be 'in the arms of the Ocean' Ayunda may notice a change in Damar's behavior.
Second, although Damar was an attractive man, the man's kiss made Ayunda completely unaffected. The only response was how much Ayunda wanted to end this physical contact immediately.
And third, they're not both.
One voice broke through the night near them.
“Ayunda.” One word, almost uncontrollable, completely threatened him.
Ayunda froze where he stood, fixated even though he tried to escape. But unlike Damar who quickly responded, Damar immediately released Ayunda while smiling embarrassed because he was caught kissing Ayunda.
“Samudra.” A sense of pleasure catapulted Ayunda's heart once he knew that the Ocean was here, then he felt the impact of fear.
Ocean had just seen another man kiss her, Ocean pulled her gently into his arms as if having Ayunda, and Ayunda did not even refuse.
Her lips were numb, her throat was dry when Ayunda was near the Ocean..
The ocean stood just a few steps away from Damar, his flat gaze and relaxed demeanor were inversely proportional to his twitching jaw muscles.
Ayunda tells her that the kiss was nothing but a misunderstanding from a friend, but now, is not the right time to state that clarification.
With two men standing before Ayunda, one staring expectantly, the other, well, Ayunda did not know what to do when faced with the Ocean's deadly facial expression.
Quickly Ayunda says “Damar, thanks for tonight. Once again, I'm sorry about the exhibition and it looks like we can't go to Korea because my schedule is very busy. I'll call you tomorrow.”
Damar smiled at him, as if his departure this time was ridiculous. Then the man turned his attention back to the Ocean, and frowned before patting his forehead. “Wait a minute, you're Ocean Eagle Ginting, right?”
Damar extended his hand to greet him. “Jati Room. We met at the launch of a condominium project in South Jakarta, three months ago. I didn't recognize you at first.”
Samudra shook Damar's hand, then he took off his hands without incident, and without a word.
Silent, Damar stared confusedly at Ayunda and Samudra. “Samudra?”
“You two have nothing to do, right?” ask Damar.
The lips of the Ocean flashed a wry smile while blatantly embracing Ayunda, she wrapped her arms around Ayunda's shoulders possessively. “Marriage relationship.”
The answer seemed to satisfy and delight Damar, but stung Damar to a stunned silence.
“Fieh. It's worth having the impression of a protective ‘kakak'," said Damar.
A flick of white, neat teeth in the shadows of the night made Ayunda's blood freeze as the smile turned into a grin.
“Like that,” answered Ocean, tone flat. “Only, I'm not her brother.”
Damar stopped his movements, his expression hesitating as he glanced at the two of them. Sculpting and continuing like that, the man guessed the connection between Samudra and Ayunda.
Ayunda was unable to accept the observing gaze, she lowered her head. “One more time, thank you, Damar."
“Ya, of course, Ayunda. I'll call you later.”
A moment later Damar left them and only Samudra and Ayunda remained in the calm cold air on the front porch of Ayunda's house, both staring at the empty street in front of them.
The ocean that first moved, pulled Ayunda's hand and dragged her slowly towards the door.
Ayunda stepped in a drag and her stomach twisted anxiously in the face of the impending confrontation.
“Where's Ayunda key?" ask Samudra's. Ayunda gave the keys to her house without speaking.
"You've changed your attitude about announcing and showing public affection. Is he your new girlfriend?”
Oh, my God, it's already started. First attack from the Ocean. "We're just friends.”
“Actually how many friends like that do you have?” The curvature of the Ocean eyebrow reminds Ayunda of the kiss that Damar gave her earlier.
“Nothing. He never even hinted at interest before, but tonight he said I looked different. I didn't realize that he interpreted my attitude differently because he liked it, but not at all.” Ayunda shook her head, her big brown eyes begging the Ocean to believe. “Mistakes.”
“I understand.” The ocean turned the key to the door of the Ayunda residence.
Ayunda's bright gaze and expression that was shocked by the kiss could explain everything that Ayunda could not say. If only Damar had opened his eyes two-tenths of a second earlier, that man would have seen that as well. But the man was too v*su to get his wish.
Not beautiful at all.
That explains why Samudra didn't throw a huge blow and throw Damar at a nearby wall. Because seeing the response of Ayunda who did not feel interested in Damar.
But what makes the heart of the Ocean sick, like a hammer punch that hit his stomach is why he had to watch it happen. Another man tried to have what had only been his, the Ocean did not like it.
Ayunda is so beautiful and exciting like never before when Samudra first met her.
What Damar said was that Ayunda looked different. Thas right.
Something had changed in Ayunda, as if there was an invisible fortress that Ayunda had previously built and was invisible but could easily be felt, a fortress that had been torn down to make Ayunda approachable, and obtained.
Ayunda. “You're not mad at me?”
“No.” Samudra knew Ayunda had not asked for the kiss and Damar was not a threat at all. “But, I won't lie, seeing another man touch you makes me feel something I don't like. That's why I brought you inside.”
Ayunda pulled her chin, and her voice became quiet. “For you to scold me?”
“No.” Ocean jaws clenched and the sound of breath whistling passed through his teeth. “For when I push you against the wall, before you can take off the jacket, for I must prove to myself that, for now you are still mine, all about you is mine.”
Ayunda's breathing trembled, her pupils widening giving rise to endless temptations. “I'm still yours.”
Not quite. Words alone were not enough, not when Ayunda's hand rubbed the breast of the Ocean, moved to her shoulder and wrapped around her neck to snare her hair. Not when the hips of Ayunda move in the hips of the Ocean, it blatantly invites to give whatever the Ocean wants.
The hand of Samudra clenched to take Ayunda's offer. Claiming, marking, and making sure no one else takes Ayunda but him.
Ayunda again moved her hips and pulled her hair rough.
Yep. Here she is the woman who belongs to the Ocean, teasing her with the things that the Ocean wants.
