My Heart Is Yours

Chapter 82

They joined their team that evening for dinner. They had stayed in Richard's room the whole day, only getting room service when they got hungry. Marc's team already left earlier so Martin insisted that they come out of hiding. Their team gave out a cheer of hoots and whistles as they approached their table holding hands, their fingers intertwined.

After settling down and giving their orders, the whole team started planning for Ardee's farewell/promotion party as well as a welcoming for Patricia who will be replacing her. Sam and Jerald were suggesting locations while Martin thought of the pros and cons of the place. Maine and Richard were giving comments every so often while the rest laughed off the more outrageous suggestions. Their food arrived but the conversations continue, only stopping when Richard's phone alarmed for Maine's meds.

"How do you manage to keep the alarm on time, Jase?" Sam inquired. "We're always out of the country."

"I keep my phone on Manila time now," he explained after Maine take her meds. "My watch is the one I adjust to the timezones."

Maine couldn't help the blush that formed on her face upon hearing what Richard had been doing for her. He makes all the minute adjustments in his life to make sure that she was always included. She reached for the hand that was on his lap and gave it a squeeze. Richard turned to look at her and smiled.

"Aww..." Valeen gushed at Richard's attentiveness and turned to her boyfriend. "That is so sweet! I wish you're half as concerned of me as Jase is with Maine."

"Jase," Jerald said in mock pleading. "Can you tone down on the perfect boyfriend image? We're having a hard time reaching your standards."

"Je's right, Cap," George added with a smirk. "You've started to become the standard. You're making the rest of us look bad."

"How do I make you look bad exactly?" Richard asked as he switched his plate with Maine's when he saw that her serving of meat was smaller than his.

"There!" Sam exclaimed loudly that everyone at the table was startled. "Right there. See what you did there? Come on, Jase. Have a heart! Who still does that?"

"I do?" Richard replied with a confused look on his face, like what he did was nothing special.

"Oh, stop it," Martin scolded them. "It is not Jason's fault that his parents brought him up right. Ladies, I advise you not to settle. And gentlemen, step up and grow some balls. Don't blame Jason for doing a good job in his relationship. And Jase, don't mind them. They're just envious of you."

"Well I actually do envy them," Valeen sighed as she leaned her head on Jerald's shoulder. "Babe, I know you can do better."

"You want what I've ordered, don't you?" Jerald said with a pout.

Valeen just looked at him and batted her eyelash, then gave her sweetest smile.

"Then why did you order that instead of what I'd order?"

"It looked good in the picture," Valeen replied in a pout.

Jerald sighed and took Valeen's plate and gave her his order instead. He then looked at Richard who was attending to Maine and said, "you owe me a steak dinner one of these days, Jase."

"Leave me out of this," Richard smirked. "I'm eating in peace."

"God help me when Patty joins us on the next rotation," Sam muttered with a smile.

The rest of the team laughed at Jerald's misery. Dinner continued with light conversations and teasing between the two pairs of couples present. Every so often, they would return to making plans for Ardee's promotion and farewell party, slowly finalizing it until dinner ended. They left together from the resto and walked the short distance back to their hotel.

"Night swimming anyone?" Tom suggested as they got nearer the hotel entrance. "They said that the pool is open until 3am. Or we could head to the beach."

Richard felt Maine stiffen when Tom mentioned swimming. When he turned to look, there was fear in her eyes.

"Maine?" He stopped and pulled her back with him. He heard the rest of their team agreeing to the plan and were excited to hit the hotel pool.

"I think I'll pass," she whispered.

"Why?"

"I - " she sighed and shook her head.

Richard's brows were furrowed with worry. But he waited patiently for her to continue. He kept her hand on hers, never letting go even as she tried to pry them away.

Maine sighed again and couldn't look at Richard's face. She was just embarrassed about a secret she'd kept for years. She took a deep breath, let it out slowly and whispered, "I can't swim."

Richard just smiled at her revelation. He pulled her to him in an embrace to reassure her, "don't worry about it. You could just join the girls as they wade by the pool. The guys will be the only ones who would actually be swimming. Besides, I know for a fact that there is one other person who couldn't swim in our team."

"Who?"

"Sam," he chuckled as he recalled an incident where they'd find out about his secret. "We were trying to teach him but he never did learn."

Maine sighed in relief as Martin called out for them to hurry. She smiled as Richard once more held her hand and walked towards the hotel entrance. Martin waited for them and instructed them to meet back on the pool area in 15minutes or he would go upstairs and drag them back down. They both laughed at the threat but took Martin's word seriously.

On their way back to their hotel room, Maine asked, "can you teach me how to swim?"

Richard smiled and replied, "I thought you'd never asked."