Plot: He just wanted to get away for a few months but things were not happening as he liked it. The impossible happened & plans seemed to go his way. It got a little hairy at first but then the Pandemic happened. What do you do when you got locked down with someone you just met?

Warning: If you're sensitive about the word 'fuck', 'shit', 'asshole', 'motherfucker' or any profanity better walk away since I'm going to use them liberally.

Author's Note: This story happened on the day (March 9, 2020) of the Covid-19 lockdown in my country, the Philippines.

Note: Pedro Pascal is my inspiration to write this story. I read it in his voice!

HIDING PLACE FROM HELL

CHAPTER 8

"You know about the Covid-19 virus, right?" She rubbed both hands on her face.

I shrugged. "Yeah, who doesn't?"

"She said we are now on quarantine."

"Us here," I gestured with my glass of water, "or the whole village?"

"No." Her voice shook a little. "Not just the subdivision."

"The city?"

"The whole country..." her voice trailed off.

"What?!" My voice gets rough when I'm agitated and I'm sure I had an epic scowl on my face.

"Oh, my God…" she murmured, head down.

"You're kidding, right?" she shook her head. I put down the glass on the chair and whipped out my iPhone. "I need to check the news."

"Do that later. Come with me." She began marching back where we came from.

"Uh…where?" I stood there dumbfounded and I was doubly dumbfounded when she grabbed my hand and tugged me towards the bedrooms.

"You need to bathe."

"I need to wha…what?" shock made my hand tighten in hers which made her jerk to a stop and almost stumbled against me.

"Yes! You heard me! Where did you fly from?"

"Where? Straight from New York."

"Did you stop by any place where…um, where…uh…" and she blushed! Would you look at that!

"Stop by where?" The bloom on her cheeks was a giveaway. I instantly knew what she was talking about but I kinda want to twist the knife a little bit more, you know what I mean? Payback time! Inside I'm amused as hell but outside I project a look of pure innocence, "what 'place'do you mean?" I'm such a monster. I'm gonna burn in hell but this is worth it.

I see the muscles in her jaw tightening. She just can't say it! Just say it, baby! What kind of culture did I belong to where seeing a woman like her blush was like seeing an endangered species? I tried to recall the last time I've seen one.

She gave me a deep sigh as well as a glare, "Never mind!" then under her breath comes a string of profanity that could either curdle milk or make Samuel L. Jackson's jaw drop. What is this girl?

I just realized that she still holds my hand…or was it we were still holding hands? No matter. I like the feel of her soft small hand in mine. I'm not an idiot to point that out to her.

So, we were still holding hands and I let her tug me again to the right side of the hallway. Damn! I wished she didn't have to let my hand go so soon as she flicked on the lights and opened a louvered cabinet. She filled my arms with two lavender-smelling bath towels, face towels, hand towels...

"You're a large, right?" she looked at me up and down. Madre mia! I wanted to gasp as those eyes made pleasurable stirrings in me where they fell.

Apparently her question is purely rhetorical as she grabbed another fluffy item that looked like a bathrobe and added that to the growing pile.

Oh...now things went immensely happier for me; since some items were placed up on higher shelves and, being a more petite height, she had to reach up on tiptoes which rode her shirt high up.

I stood back to enjoy the view. Well, I could have helped her but it's her fault my arms were full. It's really her fault.

"Come!" she said after she dumped a black drawstring sack on the bathrobe. She filled the small bag with toiletries from another cabinet. I looked at the words on the toiletry sack. Sounds French…must find out what that meant later.

I just followed her back to the 'interrogation' room. "Your room," she gestured to same room where she had me pinned down.

"Okay…"

"Take a bath. Now!"

"Hey…wait!" I moved in her way. "What's going on?"

"They said taking a bath would help prevent the virus from spreading. You came from overseas and…and you also need to quarantine for fourteen days." She pushed me to the bathroom, "Go!" And she left the room.

-o-0-o-

Once I set down the items on the granite counter by the sink I went back to the hallway and grabbed my forgotten wheeled luggage and carryall bag by the door. Her bag tumbled from behind it. I shrugged as I gathered it up, placing it on top of my wheeled suitcase.

This bag must have started it all.

I shook my head when I passed by the wall clock across the dining area, noting the time. This is such a rollercoaster kind of day where so many things happened in such a brief span of time!

Insane? Yes, it is.

I should be freaking out, right? But I'm not. I should. I couldn't wonder what other people would do in my case. All I could do was shake my head as I lift the suitcase up the five steps. It could have been worse. I could have been stuck at the airport. Shit! That would have been miserable! I thought as I park the suitcase with her bag on it by the door of the bath.

Do I give her her bag right now or after I took a bath? Hell, she might need some things from it. I debated a little as I drop my carryall on the bed.

When I was rummaging in her bag at the airport I found the reason why it was so damn heavy; the woman is carrying two thick paperbacks in it! Who does that? One title was from a celebrated sci-fi writer and the other a famed political thriller author. I'm an avid reader myself but my taste comes from another written genre. Still…a woman who reads…

I had a small smile on my lips as I took the black tote bag.

-o-0-o-

She must be in another part of the house; no one answered my knock on the door. It was ajar so I went in. This must be her room, I thought as I walk further in it. But like what I noted before it looked kind of bare. I don't see any personal items lying round. The bed is stripped of sheets and there were no pillows on it. Could it be laundry day today?

The walls were painted cream…or was it beige? Or maybe ivory color? Whatever. It's a much smaller room than mine. The bed is also smaller but could still fit two people…Don't imagine the two of you in it, please!

I liked the color of the wooden blinds in this room. I've no complaint about the room she gave me. I've some dark curtains there with gorgeous wood paneling on the walls. That room she gave me was obviously meant for a masculine occupant.

I placed her bag on the only table near the window. From there I could see the roof of…what is that? I craned my neck to see through the foliage blocking the view. Another house?

It's a gazebo! There was still enough light to see the shimmer of water coming through from the glass or maybe plastic roof. Whoa! Could that be a swimming pool? I smiled so wide and suddenly I wanted to find out where it is. Maybe a dip in the pool first is better than just taking a bath. My bath is okay but it has got no bathtub. I frowned as I mentally picture if I packed some swim shorts or trunks in my suitcase…

I heard a noise as I was almost at the door; it comes from the door between two louvered cabinets. I felt as if I'm being pulled inside that room like what my hand is doing as I tug the knob towards me.

She could be in there, you know.

If she's in there I should turn around and close the door before I got found out. I could. I definitely should. If that were the case, and if, this time, if she puts me in another half-Nelson, it would be entirely my fault. I'll take the blame. I wouldn't struggle. I'll take it like a man. This would also be reason number two why I'd go to hell.

I wanted to see what she's doing. Just a peek.

Jail here I come!

It's her bathroom alright with the pink sink. The noise coming there sounds like…

-o=)O(=-o-