Nick lost the plot about my choice of taking up the contraceptive. We vehemently argued over the rights of my body and the rights of a zygote to have equal opportunity as the living which ended him feeling vexed and didn't talk to me for two days straight.

Nevertheless, our relationship grew rapidly within a couple of months since our mutual exploration that night. Initially it was meant to be only for several occasions but his long hidden desire for me outgrew the cage of his heart that he emotions eventually flourished. So I became what Jessica would call me as Nick's fifth Spice Girl although I'm more appropriately seeing myself as Nick's Camila Cabello post Fifth Harmony. Because I wasn't really his outsourced laid mate, I was in fact an in-house. And I don't think it's possible for me to meet up with the HR guy, updating my JD just to rectify things without getting him flipped. Either that or I'll be in the headlines in his tea sharing session with others.

Some changes would include updates to our schedule by adding in my ovulation and menstrual cycle, 'personal time off' during sparring session or anywhere possible, moving into his apartment on a temporary basis and my full name being called during occasions when he's either extremely angry or horny at me, or both.

Regardless, I finally found someone that I could have a healthy and supportive relationship with without any boundaries. Although I felt privileged, I also felt deprived at the same time because I acknowledge his affection but I lost self-fulfilment, especially towards my religion. Furthermore, some of the codes were violated. How long are we going to keep like this? Does he really want me forever? What happens if I am no longer his majestic creature? What happens if I become sag?

"First of all, I would like to convey my sincere gratitude for your acceptance to grace this afternoon tea despite your tight schedule which mostly involves meetings with a hypothetical Manticore," I began my preamble.

Nick responded with a "hmm," leaned back to his chair, arms crossed, looking rather displeased but somewhat compromised to my invitation.

"Anyways, I expect that you've been briefed by your sexy secretary about–"

"Pulchritudinous," he cut off, pretending to be agitated. "Pulchritudinous assistant. From the top."

"Okay, I've been upgraded," I muttered under my breath and rephrased my lines while struggling to pronounce the word. "I expect that your pulchritudinous assistant has briefed you on the purpose of this meeting. So, let's cut to the chase and get on with it. We're here to remember the birth of the infamous Nick Pholadi and celebrating the completion-slash-submission of his dissertation."

"Thank you but I don't really appreciate celebrations of any sort," Nick responded in a brisk, crisp manner.

"And I appreciate that you finally wanted to come out of the jungle and into the fantasyland," I replied, ignoring his pessimistic remark.

We sat by the window aisle of the main Wonderland area of Richmond Tea Rooms. The tearoom is located at Gay Village within the city centre, where visitors would travel from far to experience its Alice in The Wonderland setting come to life. The arch of flowers greeted us at the reception, leading us into this spacious room with red and black velvet furnishings and its decorative detailing mirroring the theme such as melting clocks, aesthetic chandeliers and portraits of Alice and her Wonderland friends underneath a sashed pink-green canopy made you feel like you've been enticed by the white rabbit to be here. I would usually come here alone whenever I'm feeling fancy for a tea but I finally persuaded Nick to accompany me here out of his will.

"I have a birthday-slash-graduation gift for you," I announced, brandishing a tote sized shopping bag before pulling out a wedding tiara studded with white faux rhinestone crystal and off-white pearls.

"Fuck no, I'm not gonna wear that!" he said coldly, looking at the tiara like looking at his dead victims resuscitated to life.

"You need to respect this royal house. It's your coronation today," I said, pushing my chair back to stand up and raising the tiara in the air with my both hands lowering it towards the top of his head which he dodged away.

"Bite me! Get it off from me!" he grunted.

"Can you be a good sport and stop being grumpy, Sherlock?" I demanded. "Or do you want me to tell that Trixie Mattel waitress you're checking up on her?"

"No, I wasn't!" he snapped, edging away from me.

"But she'll love it if you are," I said cheekily while he continued to glare at me. "Okay, I'll do any three kinds of positions for you. Anything you desire within your greatest imagination."

He continued penetrating his angry eyes at me while weighing the offer in his mind. "Give me that bloody thing!" he snatched the tiara from my hand and placed it sideways on his head. I tried to position the tiara to the centre but he refused. I sat down, feeling content while admiring the tilted diadem on his head making him look sexier.

"You'll be punished hard for this," he said and restlessly looked down, rearranged the orientation of the knife and fork, back and forth. "Are you enjoying this, you cheeky little twit?"

"No, not yet," I said, pulling out my phone to take a few shots of him but he raised his palm towards me, shielding my shutter. "Come on. It'll be something to remember. I won't upload it, I promise."

"I've already tolerated you by agreeing to come here and have me crowned," he said heatedly. "Can you respect my decision not to be photographed, please?"

I lowered my phone, embarrassed by my own action which I unintentionally humiliated him in public like that. I wiped my cheeky smile and looked at him frowning, "Sorry, I got carried away. I shouldn't disrespect you like this. You can take that thing off from your head now."

Seeing the change in my expression, he exhaled and repositioned his crown to the centre. Then he lifted the porcelain teapot and poured out the tea into my cup before pouring into his. I looked at him as he mustered a grin at me. "You expect me to renounce my throne moments after you just crowned me? Are you out of your damn mind?"

I smiled back at him and slotted the phone into my Captain Marvel cross body bag and sipped my tea. "I'm glad I didn't end up with that asshole. God knows what I'll be missing if I do," I spoke.

"Allow it, will you?" he advised, sensing a hint of jealousy in the tone of his voice whenever I talked about Abs. "The more you dwell on it, the more it gets into you."

"Sorry! I just insulted this royal event by talking about something despicable," I flushed and changed the topic. "Speaking of birthdays, it turns out that I'm actually three years older than you. You know that in Malaysia, it is considered disrespectful for you to be rude to me?"

"This is not Malaysia so I can do whatever the hell I want," he replied. "And it's rude to be discussing a person's age in this country."

I was about to argue but I closed my mouth when a drag waitress resembling an English version of Trixie Mattel approached us carrying a 3-tier stand filled with assortment of pastries, cakes and bite size sandwiches before placing it in between us. She glanced at Nick, admiring the beautiful piece that was fixed on his groomed hair.

"Oh, sugar! You look absolutely lush in that. At least better than mine," she complimented, gesturing the tiara on her head.

"He's graduating," I informed her. "But he won't be attending his graduation so we're having his coronation right now, right here."

"Oh, my god! This is an honour!" she exclaimed and turned to Nick. "Tell me any cakes you fancy, love. It's on the house for royals like you."

Nick nodded politely at her before she left. I dragged my glance from her to Nick as I commented, "See, what did I tell you? She's actually hitting on you."

"That's not nice, doing that in your presence," Nick smirked. "You want me to off with her head?"

"No, please don't. I don't want to ruin it," I beamed excitedly.