Chapter 7: Rolf

Another boring seminar in Seattle. I used to assist them to fill in the endless hours of my empty days.

I loved the thought that Rain was at home waiting for me. I looked forward to seeing her every day, I loved being with her, having her in his arms, kissing her ... She made me feel things I hadn’t felt in my whole life.

Rain was changing me for the better. Everything about her was sunny and light. Every morning, when I woke up, she was the first thing I thought of, and she was my last thought when I fall asleep holding her in my arms.

I was falling badly for Rain.

My heart was beating fast when I finally got home. I opened the front door and I came to an abrupt halt as my brain registered the sight.

Rain was dancing in the arms of another man. In my living room. In my house.

The jealousy that suddenly burst up was so fiery that I was taken completely by surprise. On some level, I knew my feelings were unreasonable, but I couldn’t help them.

Rain’s eyes flew open.

“Rolf!” she exclaimed happily, as she broke from her male companion and skipped over to me, giving me a big hug.

I was stiff beneath her arms. She hugged me harder and gave me a quick kiss on the lips. “You’re home early.”

Noticing the severe look on my face, she immediately came crashing down from her dancing high.

“It’s eight pm exactly,” I said coldly, my eyes never leaving her male companion’s face. “I am Rolf, nice to meet you,” I said formally, as I gazed at him icily.

The guy took my hand and gave it one firm shake.

“Lukas.”

“Lukas, huh?” I turned my head to look at Rain. “You didn’t tell me we were going to have visitors.”

Rain pressed her lips together. “Lukas called me and told me he was in the area, so we gathered to catch up, and we lost the track of time. I am sorry.”

Lukas glanced at his phone and rubbed the back of his neck, clearly uncomfortable. “Well, I’ll be going. It was good catching up with you Rain, I’ll see myself out.”

He gave us a final wave and hurried to the door, opening it without a look back.

“Bye Lukas,” Rain said, raising a hand as the door closed.

She tried to ignore the tension in the room as she turned to me and said with forced excitement in her voice. “Are you hungry? Dinner is ready. Why don’t you go change, and I’ll bring our plates to the table.”

She headed to the kitchen without waiting for an answer, hoping that the meal could change the tone of the evening. She hummed along to the music on the radio while she prepared our plates.

“Are you hungry? I made you one of your favorite meals.”

She put her hand on top of mine and rubbed it gently. “Let’s have dinner,” she said, smiling fully as she stood up, pulling me towards the dining room.

“I can’t, Rain. I need a moment.” I squeezed her hand. I had knots in my stomach.

I sighed, a dull ache pulsating at my temples. The combination of a long day at the seminar and the scene with Lukas was a potent headache waiting to happen.

I just wanted to lie down and go to sleep. I went to the bedroom and lay back against the pillow and closed my eyes, sighing as the throbbing decreased slowly. I wasn’t sure how long I lay that way before a knock on the door roused me.

“Can I come in?” Rain asked, her voice laced with uncertainty.

I lifted my heavy lids. “Yes, of course, you can. I’m just really knackered.”

“Are you hungry?” She lifted a tray with a plate of food. The aroma of the food wafted over to me, and my stomach grumbled in response. “I am hungry, actually.”

She walked gingerly toward the bed, putting the tray down as she climbed next to me. “Here,” she said, handing me a cloth napkin.

The salmon with mango salsa looked fantastic with its vibrant pink, yellow, and green colors hinting at the flavor sensations to come.