Magic Ball: the Billionaire in Ranch

43 One Night Stand

Noah couldn’t take-off the thought of Joanna out of his mind. He’d been constantly dozing-off in his office like a love-struck high school student that had been noticed by the popular girl that he likes.

Joanna calls him at night, and Noah gladly accepted the presence before he fell asleep.

In all honesty, Noah was a bit hesitant about what to do about their relationship—in fact, he didn’t want to be in a relationship with her, but Joanna had assured him that she wouldn’t hold a grudge even if they kept it casual. After all, she specifically told Noah that she liked the way he moved with her that night.

Noah didn’t know how the woman managed to keep it in her while saying it to a man who hadn’t been with a woman for years. Joanna said it to him as if she didn’t care if her neighbors were hearing their conversation. Her blush spread all over her nose, her eyelashes fluttering shut in a way that made Noah swallow his own saliva.

The woman was definitely a pro-temptress. She knows her way around boys and that made it all the more tempting since Noah wanted to prove she really does have her ways. The cycle continues until Noah can no longer resist her. And when the time came wherein he and Noah met again, Noah had finally asked if she’d like to go out.

Joanna had a grin that said a lot about her answer before she’d even said it.

And so, the two of them began going out on weekends, and if they can still manage to see each other on a weekday, Noah would have the initiative to pick her up and have a nice dinner at a fancy restaurant, or wherever his girl preferred to dine.

That night after they went home from dining out at a restaurant that has an overlooking view atop a fifty-story leveled building, Noah immediately laid down on his sofa.

The cushion flopped and he almost sighed with the comfort it brought him.

Turning, he inhaled the scent of the pillows that he sent to be dry cleaned the other day. It smelled of lavender and clean soap—just like his mother’s garden back in Knox City.

Noah wondered when he’d be able to bring his family to America again. He kind of misses them more often than he should have.

Brice had always been with him when no one is around to come to hang out, but now that he’d already gotten himself a wife, Noah couldn’t take it to himself to call out the guy for dinner.

Noah shrugged inwardly.

At least he had Joanna now. They can go to certain places and have all the delicious meals they’d like to eat. It can be salads, crabs, steaks—anything she’d like, Noah’s sure he can give.

So far, Joanna had only requested to eat in fancy restaurants with formal dining, but Noah had always insisted that she tell what she wants so that he can give her some sort of a present.

As he turned to the other side of the sofa, something hard hit his stomach.

Noah groaned and immediately had his hands roam the place.

He grabbed something square and kind of solid—

When he looked at what it was, his eyes widened at the crack his remote had acquired.

“Out of all the things I could’ve laid on,” he sighed and ran a hand through his sleek, brown hair, his fingers untangling the strands of hair that had overlapped with each other.

Taking his mind off the crack of the remote, Noah pressed its green button that indicated he’d open that television.

His thumbed pressed it softly, and then the television showed a channel that features monkeys.

The last time Noah had watched animals inside a TV screen, he ended up buying a lot of horses in the following month.

Now, Noah felt the same glimmer he had when he beheld the monkey being thought by its trainer.

The little monkey sat on the trainer’s shoulder, and it just stood there without trying to escape.

Noah squinted his eyes to see if the monkey had a leash on it—something that made the owner confident that even if the monkey tried to make for a run, the trainer would just pull its leash or something.

But, Noah sighed again in relief. He didn’t see any leash attached to the monkey that could possibly be held against the poor guy when he’d decided to set himself from the hands of these humans that aimed to cage them forever in this godforsaken zoo.

Noah watched how the monkey made tricks with his hands and feet. Then, Noah noticed how the monkey had been very obeying with the trainer’s commands.

The guilt resurfaced on Noah’s chest.

What if the monkey had been like that because the trainer had secretly enforced something brutal to him while they train for their shows?

Noah hoped that wasn’t the case.

The following day, Noah had, once again, had Brice look for a particular store or land that sells monkeys.

Upon his request, Brice had his eyebrows scrunched.

He told Noah that monkeys aren’t pets—and they’re meant to live in the wild—it’s natural that the monkeys live in the wild, in the forest, in thick trees—and if Noah is planning on getting one, he should be fully prepared for the causes and of course, cost it would likely do.

Noah reasoned out that the monkey wasn’t entirely for him—it was for Joanna, a girl he’d started dating. Of course, Brice had been too shocked to counter him.

When the time came when he’s able to bring home the pet monkey he bought, Noah had him made his own house. Though if he was going to give to Joannas a gift, he’d probably have to move the house to her apartment.

Noah felt the excitement rushing through him as he beheld the small monkey on his lap.

It was so quiet the entire ride home, and now, it had climbed up and down at Noah when he left it on the sofa.

There was a left-over pizza that Noah left the other night. And even though this might sound strange, Noah had the urge to name the monkey Pizza.

“You like that name?” he said as the monkey’s eyes sparkled like it had understood what he had just said.

Noah nodded in agreement as if he’d said it in a language the monkeys will understand, “Pizza it is!” he said he lifted the monkey in the air.

The following day, Noah brought the monkey over to Joanna’s place.

He had a smile plastered on his face when he pressed the doorbell on Joanna’s door.

When the woman opened it, her eyes going back and forth to Noah, a bouquet at hand, and a cage on the other.

The monkey made a sound that made Joanna jerk away from it.

“Uhm, what the hell is that?” her eyebrows lifted a bit.

Noah closed her apartment’s door and set the cage down. Then, he removed the cloth that he surrounded it into, “Ta-dah!” he spread his arms as if it was the best thing in the whole wide world.

Joanna took a sharp intake of breath. “Monkey?”

Noah wagged his eyebrows, “Yes, and I bought the little man to be your present from me.”

For a while, Joanna wasn’t able to find the strength she needed.

“Noah, why?”

“Why not?” Noah countered, his expression growing confused.

Joanna sighed and had a portion of her hair scratched a little. “Present, huh?”

Noah approached her and took in her palms, “You don’t like it…?”

Joanna couldn’t look at him in the eyes as she said, “I don’t, and I’m sorry. I’m not accepting that—” she stopped midway and stared at the monkey with disgust, “I’m not taking it. And it’s final.”

“What?” Michael almost dropped the phone on his hand. His face turned into a blank expression.

Noah had a cigarette on his mouth as they sat on a wooden chair at seven in the morning. The two had decided to hang out in the mornings instead of the afternoon.

“Are you saying me that—?”

Noah rolled his eyes, “Yes, I am dating someone.” He’d wanted to keep the secret as much as possible, but Noah thinks there was no point in hiding their relationship.

Michael hummed in response. He took his mug’s handle and brought its contents near Michael’s nose. The aroma must have smelled really good since Michael pretty much had an overreaction spread all over his face.

“I—I didn’t know,” was all he managed to say.

“I haven’t told anyone yet,” Noah declared. “And if the word comes out, that meant it’ll all come back to you.”

Michael raised both of his hands like he was surrendering to a police officer, “Of course. The secret’s safe with me, oh holy Noah.”

The people around them glanced at Michael’s, and Noah had to slam his hands down the table so as to not get any further attention.

“What the hell?” Noah exclaimed. “Keep your voice down, idiot.”

Michael gave a guilty smile, “Sorry. Just got too excited by the fact that you have a girlfriend now.”

Noah nodded, but Michael immediately noticed that he wasn’t too happy about it.

“Something wrong?” his friend inquired.