Forever Night Stand

Chapter 25 - Mike

3 days in Charlottesville with Rainey and her family I fall deeper and deeper with her. And I also really like her family.

Last night when Rainey was jealous with the waitresses I was (and am still so happy. It means I mean something to her.

And I'm glad I can help her family with John's financial treatment. I want to help them directly but I'm sure Rainey wouldn't let me do that. But now, they have enough money if they need another surgery for John.

We are in the living room packing the paint so we can send it to the buyer later. My phone ping, I look at it. It's my uncle. He loves to collect great paint. So I showed him some of John's work and he wanted to buy one of it.

"Rainey, my uncle wants to buy the paint as well. Can I go to John's room?"

"Sure. You want me to go with you?" Rainey smiles at me.

"Um... Do you think he is fine if I go by myself?"

She shrugs "I think so. Just run if he's not fine" she laughs.

I chuckle and go upstairs. Rainey told me to always knock on the door and wait for 5 seconds before opening it.

I knock. "John, it's me Mike" 1 2 3 4 5. I open the door. "Hey"

John looks at me and smiles. I'm safe.

I come in and sit next to him "you almost done with that one?"

He nods and still continues with his painting. Now it's clearer than yesterday. Yesterday it was just a black color. Now I can see what he is trying to draw. It's night, with a tent and lamp, trees on the side. 2 people in black, shadows. Sit and lean to each other. It's perfect. Actually the petite woman with long hair looks like Rainey. And the man with tousled hair, broad shoulders looks like me. I know it could be anyone, because it's just a shadow... but it really looks like us.

"Hey is that Rainey?" I point on the canvas.

John grins "Leni and Mike" and he confirms what's on my mind. I smiled at him. It's like he gives me an approval stamp. "Thanks John" I tap his shoulder.

He grins "Leni and Mike"

***

We're back in LA. We used Uber to go to Rainey's apartment. And I asked the uber to wait. Need to make sure my girl arrives home safely. And then I went back to my place.

It's a tiring trip but I'm glad I came with her to Charlottesville.

Monday comes. I walk to my office to put my stuff and go to Ethan's floor. He is back from his honeymoon last night. I left the notes for Troy. Telling him to expect me in half an hour.

Rainey just arrived at her desk. She looks so pretty in her lavender dress. If before she often tied her hair up, now she often let it flow down, sometimes curls like most women like to do to their hair, sometimes just straight. Like today it's curls.

She looks up at me. Her eyes twinkle. "Hey" she grins at me. I come to her and without a word I pull her waists and kiss her. She opens her mouth willingly to me.

Ding!

Rainey gasps and pulls back. Her face flush.

"What a hot morning" comes Madeline's voice.

Rainey tries to fix her hair which is nothing to fix. I turn around and find the newlywed look at us with a happy face. Their skin is perfectly tanned. I swear I never saw Ethan with this grinning love sick face before he met Madeline.

"Good morning, newlywed!" I say.

"Good morning Mike" Madeline grins and walks to her table. Even though she is married to Ethan and pregnant with the Hall's heir, she is still working as Ethan's executive assistant until her maternity leaves. And Rainey partly works as her back up and partly works for the Hall Foundation until then and becomes Ethan's fully executive assistant.