Love is the Sunshine novel Chapter 186

Bang!

Carla bumped against the table and hit her hip on its edge.

A bottle of a limited edition 1982 Bordeaux red wine fell and rolled to the floor. It broke into a hundred pieces and spilled wine around the area.

When they heard the loud crash, all the patrons in the restaurant raised their heads up to look for the source of the noise and wanted to know what happened.

"I'm sorry, Carla. I just can't do it. How do you unlock this thing?" Terence asked while his fingers fumbled with the lock of the bracelet. He didn't see clearly how Carla was able to lock their bracelets together.

Carla huffed and swatted Terence's fingers away from her bracelet. She reached up to touch the lock and flick it open.

Luckily the bracelet was made with hemp rope and the force didn't tear it apart.

She straightened her posture and discovered she was stained with red wine everywhere, on her hands, her arms, her dress, and her shoes. She tapped her face and felt some streaks of wine on her cheeks and chin. What a mess!

"Oh wow! Your bracelet is so beautiful, Miss. Where did you get it?"

the woman seated at the table beside them asked. The woman's eyes sparkled at the sight of Carla's bracelet. She nudged her boyfriend beside her and pointed to the jewlery.

"Which store did you buy it from? I would love to get one, too!"

The other women patrons heard the woman gush over Carla's bracelet and rushed to her. They ask her the same question and fawn over the bracelet at the same time.

Carla needed to clean herself up before it got more difficult to remove the wine stains but the woman swarmed her and made it impossible for her to get away first. She ended up sharing the address to get them to leave her alone.

They might not be able to find the exact one when they went to the store, though, since it was an antique shop and every product was a one-of-a-kind product.

Johnny wanted to laugh at and tease Carla from his table. But he couldn't do it and shifted his eyes away from Carla and Terence.

He had just witnessed their love for each other first hand and was no longer in the mood to do it.

Terence took off his jacket and placed it on Carla's shoulders. He led her to the toilet so she could clean up. He kissed her on the forehead and whispered in her ear, "I'm so sorry, Carla. That was my fault."

It was his fault. He was the one who placed Carla in this awkward situation.

He reached into his pocket for his handkerchief and wiped away the wine stain on her chin. His other hand caressed her cheek and he gave her a sweet smile.

Carla didn't want to see that same look he always gave her when he messed up. She took the handkerchief from his hand and went straight to the sink. She soaked the handkerchief with cold water and used it to wipe the stains on her face.

"Fine. I'll take your apology. But you're going to face the wall and think what you did," Carla finally said. She held up one finger. "One hour."

Terence was amused at Carla and couldn't help but smile and said, "Okay, sure. I'll do that. One hour."

Terence waited for Carla to change her clothes and walked her out of the bathroom when she was done.

She assumed Terence would take her home but was surprised when he led her back to their table. He told her that what had happened shouldn't stop them from enjoying their meal.

Terence made sure Carla had settled in her seat before he excused himself.

A few minutes later, their waiter came back to their table and handed Carla a bouquet of champagne roses. "Miss Carla, these are for you. From Mr. Terence," said the waiter.

She took the flowers from the waiter and smiled at the sight of the elegant roses. She took a whiff of the fragrant roses and found a card attached to it.

She opened the card and found one phrase written on it, "You're the only one I love."

Out of all the roses, champagne roses were the most elegant and beautifully prepared.

Carla smiled to herself and felt her heart skip a beat. She glanced around the restaurant and found Terence on stage.

Her smile grew bigger when she saw

Terence on the piano. His face glowed as if a halo lit him up from above. And the stage lights highlighted his handsome profile even more.

His long, slender fingers gently tapped the black and white ivory keys of the piano. Beautiful tunes came out as he expertly moved his fingers around the keys.

The beautiful melody touched the hearts of everyone present at that moment. The music soothed their souls as if water flowed beneath them and a cool gentle breeze blew past them.

Carla always believed that men who played the piano were the most handsome.

And, now, while she leaned on the table, her chin on her hands, she gazed at Terence on the stage. He had successfully kept her mesmerized and she couldn't keep her eyes off him.

Behind her, at the next table, Johnny cringed. He couldn't bear to see their display of affection. He got up and walked out.

He had always hated Terence. And today, Terence had successfully managed to ruin Johnny's lunch with his theatrics. What a jerk!

Everyone else in the restaurant, however, loved Terence's performance. The place was silent while everyone watched and admired him. Even the ones who had already paid their bills stayed to listen to him. Nobody moved while Terence played.

Some of the patrons took out their phones to record the romantic scene before them, of a handsome boy who took the stage to serenade his beloved.

When Terence finished playing, the patrons stayed in their seats to soak up the emotions they felt during his performance. They kept their eyes on Terence, lost in fantasy.

Terence stood up and took a small bow, which was met with enthusiastic applause. He strode towards Carla, his eyes locked on hers. He bent down and kissed her on the lips.

"Carla, you still have some wine on your mouth. Wipe it up before we go."

Carla lifted her hand to wipe her mouth but found nothing there and realized Terence was teasing her.

She shook her head while Terence lifted her off her chair. She grabbed the roses before Terence pulled her towards the door.

The patrons continued to applaud Terence and some shook his hand as he passed them.

He played the piano even better than a professional pianist, they said.

Terence and Carla closed the door behind them and the sound of the continuous applause followed them to the elevator.

They only ceased to hear the applause when the elevator doors closed. "Wow, that felt like walking the red carpet,"

Carla remarked when they were alone in the elevator. She looked at Terence and gave him a small smile.

"Did you like it?" Terence asked. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him.

Carla grinned for ear to ear and leaned against Terence. Her eyes sparkled as she looked up to him and said, "I love the roses, the music, and, of course, I love you!"

Terence chuckled and tapped Carla's nose. "I'm glad that you loved all of it. I worked hard to make sure you enjoyed it."

When he learned Carla was coming, he began to formulate a plan to make her happy.

Carla didn't like things that screamed luxury. She preferred gifts that had meaning and would touch her heart.

The elevator dinged and the doors opened. They walked out with their arms around each other.

They went straight home and didn't go anywhere else. Terence had already canceled all of his appointments so he could just be with Carla for the rest of the day.

Besides, his Seaview Villa was already a great spot to soak in the amazing view. They didn't need to go anywhere else.

On the top floor of the villa, Terence lounged on his beige sofa that faced the floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out to the sea view.

"Terence, why do you keep staring at me?"

Carla asked. She plucked a piece of grape from the fruit platter on the table in front of them. She threw it in her mouth while she stared at Terence. When they arrived at the villa, Terence freshened up and changed his clothes before he joined Carla on the top floor.

He couldn't believe she was there and couldn't stop staring at her. Terence checked his watch and smirked.

"Didn't you tell me to face the wall for an hour and think about what I did? Well, facing the wall is too boring. That's why I'd rather face you."

'Well, at least, it's not another woman, '

Carla thought to herself. 'Every girl would dream to have Terence stare at her for an hour or even all day.'

Carla plucked another piece of grape and bit into it to cut it in half. She crossed her legs underneath her and faced Terence. "Well, I asked you to face the wall. I mean, do I look like a wall to you?"

Being stared at for a long time made her uncomfortable.

Terence continued to stare at her while he laid down on the sofa. He couldn't move his eyes away from her.

Carla shifted in her seated position. She had been enjoying the fruits but now his stare made her paranoid.

"Fine, you don't have to face the wall. Just stop staring," Carla conceded. His gaze felt like a million ants crawled all over her skin.

Every woman dreamt of a handsome man who couldn't stop staring at her, but it was a different story when they gazed at you for an hour.

Carla felt like such a fool though.

"Of course, you need to punish me. I'll do everything you say since you'll be my future wife," Terence countered. He sat up and checked his watch. "Five minutes have already passed," Terence teased Carla. "Fifty-five more minutes to go."

He brought his fingers to his lips to kiss it and held it against Carla's own lips. He smiled and resumed his position on the sofa, his eyes remained on Carla.