The Educator

Elliot and I return to the suite at around one in the morning. We already had a few drinks throughout the night. Elliot takes the room in the first floor. He undresses and fails to notice that his door has a crack just enough for me to see. Of course, I didn’t watch and just passed by him. I walk up to my room and sit myself in front of the vanity. I put my hair up and start removing my make-up before I take hot bath. I pull out my bath essentials from my bag, scrubs, foams, butters, bath oils, salts and of course my lotion. I fill up the bathtub with hot water while I pour in my bath salts and bath foam to create bubbles. I also pulled out some candles from smelt.ph. They’re a small business based in my hometown, the Philippines. I take my clothes off and wear my robe. I pull out my phone from my bag and check messages at I remove my make-up and wait for the tub to fill up. Suddenly, there’s an incoming call from my mother. I slide the screen of my phone and answer, “Hi!”

She looks down at the phone with her face crooked, “Am I on now?” I hear someone’s voice in the background, probably my bother teaching her how to FaceTime.

“Yes. You’re on now, mom. I could hear you clearly” I say

“Oh okay, good! How have been my darling?” she asks. I could not see her face though and it was dark, looks like her phone is up against her ear.

“It’s all good. Elliot’s pretty great as well. He’s such a gentleman” I tell my mom, “he even left me his credit card for me to use because he had a meeting today and though I might need to buy something” I add.

She laughs “What did you buy with his card then?”

I roll my eyes and laugh “I didn’t use it. I told him I’d wait ‘till he was with me so that my shopping wouldn’t be limited to the limit of his card” I joke. I stand and switch off the hot water and switch on the cold water, sot that the temperature will be balanced. I put my hair down and start combing it until the tangles are brushed out. I put my hair in a tight bun now and pull a few strands on the side of my face for tendrils. I don’t know I do it but I just do and then I add more bath salts to the tub.

“When are you coming home?” she asks me. Her screen still dark. My mom’s not that old but she acts like it.

“I think we’ll be staying here for two weeks so you know just in time before school starts” I tell her.

“Have you seen the condo you’ll be staying at?”

I sigh “No. Not yet. But when we get back, we’ll be talking with the architect for the house. Elliot said I should make the decision so that I could really feel like it’s my home”

Then my mother’s face appears on the screen “That’s good to know. Well, I just wanted to see how you’re doing. Keep safe, darling. Be home soon. Your siblings are doing good here” she tells me.

feet in the tub to check the temperature of the water. Once I felt like the temperature of

away, “Uhm I just wanted to ask if wanted to come down and discuss with the architect what the

giggled, “Elliot, you can look. You

me

“Fine. What time

the AM in New York now so

and liquid body wash. I start scrubbing myself lightly and when I finish, I scram my body butter and shave my legs. Shaving your legs while soaking in warm water helps in opening the pores and shaving closer to the roots. I drain the tub and rinse myself with warm water, making sure that the suds in the intimate parts are gone. I start massaging myself with the coconut bath oil and rinse myself one last time before

Elliot says and he looks up at me when he

screen. “Hi! I assume you’re going to be the architect?” I smile. From my peripherals, I could see Elliot just looking at me and smiling. I glance at him and removes his eyes from looking

his throat, “Mark, this is Eli, my wife. She will be taking a look at the prints and let you know if

Eli! It’s nice to finally meet you. I’m Mark and I am a close friend of Elliot.

silent and I look at him, “You

was just something to help me relax and

Mark, “So, Mark. What do you

good for ten people. The theater room will look exactly like a movie theater, a snack bar, popcorn maker, movie posters and ten reclining chairs. The first floor will contain a dinning table good for twenty people and a large kitchen with everything

the design, I could tell our families will be over most of the

not like

it just seems like we’re always going

spaces for when we have guests and this way, we can invite guests

“Mark would it possible to add some sort of mini library at our individual offices?”

problem”