"... And this one?" Jacqueline spoke out, hoping this time her lover could be able to remember.

Michael stared at the photo for some time. His right hand was across the lover's shoulders, "That... uh... that was when we... oh, yes, that was the time I bought you that big white teddy bear?" His last expression came quick and uncertain.

"Come on, Mike! That was almost a year before the photo!" The lady frowned, "What is even the point of keeping all these photos when you can't remember any of them?" She looked at the lover in the eyes, "They are meant to remind us of our greatest moments, my love. This way we can always be part of the greatest times in the present."

Michael changed his position on the couch and sat closer facing her, "Look, pumpkin, there is this thing with men and photos. It is like weddings. We like it, but we simply just can't... connect_"

"Oh, really!"

"Yes, sweetie." Michael gently held her hands, "The greatest moments are the times I am with you in every minute of it. Photos only remind. I don't want to remember but be with you here and always. That is what I treasure."

His words touched and convinced Jacqueline. She softened her frown to a smile.

Michael simply could not deal with pictures and photographs, and every time they opened or put new photos in their album, his heart skipped as he knew reminder questions were to be asked. Questions he usually forgot the answers to, and truly did not understand how.

"My love," He softly ran his fingers against the lover's cheek with a message of love, "Every day I love the new you and not the old you. Know that from today." He leaned in on her contented smile and started kissing her lips. In a moment, it became passionate, leading to touches without their knowledge. Soon, Michael was on top of her. The desire and urge seemed to have blocked their reasoning. It didn't occur the slightest that they talked and agreed not to even touch during that time of the month. A time that defined the feminine gender.

At that particular moment, the house door opened, cutting short the process.

Lei entered the house with a carrier bag at hand and instantly noticed the ongoing that seemed to have stopped. He looked at both the friend and his lover, "I do sit on that couch watching football and news. I can't believe you almost ruined it!"

"Hi, Lei." Jacqueline sat up with an awkward smile and blush.

"Hallo, Jacky." Lei said, and as he proceeded to the kitchen, continued, "I talked to you about that bad boy and what you should do should he control you." He came back to the two, "Why should you then let him do this to you?"

"Actually, it is me who is the bad girl, Lei." Jacqueline looked flustered as she got up from the couch, "I will see you later, my love. I have in fact something to do."

"Wait, wait, wait." Michael got up, too, "I am free. Let's go together."

"No need, sweetie. It's okay." Jacqueline romantically smiled, "It is furthermore a... girly thing."

"Yes, Michael, it is really a girly thing!" Lei stressed his words while giving the friend a hard look and opening a packet of brown cookies in his hand.

Michael sighed and got back on the couch.

His lover pecked him goodbye, waved at Lei, and walked to the door out of the house.

"Mike." Lei stared at the friend after Jacqueline left, "What the hell is wrong with you? You don't show a girl she is everything and mean your life! That is a big-time Achilles heel, you monkey!"

Michael rubbed his face with a chuckle, "Achilles heel! Man, is your vocabulary not getting better day by day or what?" He paused, "If feeling and saying the truth is a weakness, then to damn hell with it! I love Jacky and by showing how much only but makes our love stronger."

"Oh, see who just learned love!" Lei took one cookie and bit it, "Say whatever you like, but when one day your feelings overpower your mind, don't run to me with trouble."

"Okay, let's cut the crap! Enough with the love lecture. I think, or more precisely, know that I can handle my relationship issues." Michael said then sighed, his tone modulated to a soft eve-toned cadence, "Anyway, it was nice of you bumping in. We were totally carried away and almost did it."

"And on the couch!" Lei out cried, "You have a room, for Christ's sake!"

Michael's voice was still even-toned, "I don't mean it like that." He again sighed, "She is at the time of the month and we talked not to even touch."

"You tripping?" Lei looked at him, surprised, "You didn't have any clue that you were encouraging it rather than avoiding it?"

"Encouraging it?"

Lei laughed as he sat close to the friend, "Two people, a man and a woman... actually lovers, are in a house all alone. The radio is off, the TV is off. The only sound around is from their conversation. What do you think might happen when they get bored or run out of topics? Figure that out and I will call you a man." He took the TV remote on the table.

Michael understood the friend. He couldn't see the obvious sense. When lovers are alone in a quiet environment, an urge can be easily triggered, and controlling it can be impossible. He wondered how he possibly missed the reasoning.

"Look, Mike, avoiding it will be going out to movies- like you always do, walking in the park, doing project works and something you both enjoy, or anything but chilling in a quiet place all alone or having privacy. Such places will always encourage it." Lei said then pressed the power button on the remote.

Michael looked informed with the message. He knew the importance of Lei in his life, "You are right. I guess I wasn't thinking of any of that. Sometimes my feelings towards her block my reasoning."

"Exactly what I just said earlier." Lei informed, "Feelings and emotions overriding your thinking. But that is natural. Consider using rubber just like the other times when it happens. Alternatively, use contraceptives. She will be safe."

"I want to be certain, certain about it, Lei. It terrifies me if one day she pops out that she is expecting. I mean, at this stage where both of us are in the middle of making our future. That will be a total catastrophe." Michael spoke out his worst fear in his relationship, "That is why the option of chilling sounds more important than the others. Next time I will make sure we are always occupied so that our feelings don't easily block our reasoning." He said and started walking to the kitchen, leaving Lei scrolling through the TV channels.

"By the way, I need your help." Lei said loud enough, "I met Katelyn during shopping. An awesome coincidence it was! We talked a little until the point where I asked for the number, but the girl was a solid rock on it."

Michael came back to the living room with a packet of his favorite crisps, "After the story of this chick, you thought she was simply going to say; please write it down, it is 55250?"

"No, but I was hoping she would say; it is 55250, and please don't forget it, because I am certain she feels the same way I feel about her. But she said I hustle the number. Can you believe it?"

Michael laughed, biting a crisp from the packet.

"You do this..." Lei said, "Get to your tip tat tat stuff and get me the number."

Lei and all that knew Michael was aware of his capabilities, brilliance, skills and intelligence in computing activities. He was one of the top superior beasts, if not the best, in the software engineering field, and had stunned the minds of many with his cleverness and ingenuity.

He expertly understood programming, software application and data usage and control. He had created dozens of programs and softwares that universally functioned as bugs, viruses, applications and data codes. These programs and softwares enabled and gave him absolute power over data processing and information in any given online operating system. His unique skills also enabled him hack any system and cause data breaching, retrieval, manipulation, transmission or application failures, system crash, or complete control of the system in whichever way he pleased. These skills, combined with the immediate and astute approach to situational problems and solutions whenever need be, not only made him a remarkable genius but also a nerd stellar and a dangerous person in the computing field.

"No problem with that.” He casually said, “But first, do the simple part. If it bounces, I will step in as the final man."

Lei turned to him, inquisitive, "What kind of a simple part am I to do here? This is a work of only the final man."

"Oh, the simple part may even be harder, who knows?" Michael jested, "Let me take you through it step by step and real slow." He bit another crisp, "First, there is this social media site in the internet called Facebook. A good creative and inventive work that young billionaire came up with. It is meant to, or its sole purpose is to socialize people and_"

"Michael, seriously?" A whiff of irritation came on Lei's expression.

"Okay, let me then skip to the last step." Glee was on Michael's face, "In this Facebook, somebody can put all the personal information about them, including the name, address and contact information. Figure out what I mean and I will call you a man."

"If only, and I repeat, ONLY, you are smart as I think you are, you will know that spyware can be installed in someone's phone in a remote location simply by calling it. This girl is smart enough to know of such security measures. I am pretty sure of that."

"In that case, then, I will do the job, but in exchange for something."

"Since when do we do that?"

"Since any moment I please upon, and I am now." Michael presumed a stringent tone, "You will do my part in shopping for three... oh, not three but five consecutive times, or else I will mess everything about you two through online. You know how good I am, so, I assure you, when I will be done, you and her will be no more than beasts."

Lei appeared humble with a calm look of apology, "Okay, Mike, if this is about earlier in the morning then I am sorry. I take it back and_"

"The woman of the house... in a man way! It must have felt good, you monkey. But guess what? It is now my time to feel the same." Michael said with an I-am-the-boss smile on his face.

"And you really think I won't also get you?"

"I will be prepared."

"Even if it is making you the real woman of the house in never a man way?"

"Lei, I will be prepared."

"Very well, then." Lei turned to the screen and crossed his legs on the house table, "God have mercy when my time comes."