"Mr. Deed!" the doorman called from just outside the door.
Mare and Mikael had dozed off a bit. Their unawake eyes glanced at each other, laughing.
"See what he wants," she replied, kissing his chest.
Angel muttered under his breath and climbed out of the single-person shower. As he exited the bathroom, he grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his torso, while Mare threw on his robe.
"What's the matter?" Mikael asked, opening the door slightly.
"I was worried, sir.
" "What?" the angel asked, barely keeping from bursting into laughter.
"You see. You've been telling me for a long time that you were preparing for the gondola competition.
" "Yes," he confirmed.
"Then why didn't you go? I can't tell you for sure what time it is, but I think it's 3:30. From what I understand, the competition starts at 4:00 PM."
Mikael listened to these words—he practically swallowed them.
"Thank you," he replied as he left, closing the door behind him. Mare had already tossed him some dry clothes from the closet. She was almost fully dressed herself, only missing a dress. Finally, Mare was tying up her hair. Mikael walked over to her and quickly tied it up in a bun.
"I'm not going out like this," she protested.
"Take a brush with you. I'll comb your hair when I get there ."
Still unconvinced, she made a desperate face.
"You look beautiful. Don't worry."
The she-devil smiled and pulled him along. They had already given up closing the door; they had nothing but their clothes anyway.
They quickly ran through the hotel corridor and out the exit door. The doorman waved goodbye. They ran to the edge of town in 15 minutes. Both were incredibly tired, but they managed to arrive five minutes early. Frosty drops were still falling from both of their hair. Mare watched them as Mikael went to register them. The devil combed her small locks back. She laughed to herself. In the time without the angel, she looked around at the couples who had also arrived. Some were nervous, some were love-sick. She sighed with envy at the sincere kisses. Not knowing what to do, she began to walk around the square. From a distance, she spotted the gondolas already prepared. Suddenly, she tripped over a protruding rock. She would have been lying on the ground if it weren't for the handsome man who offered her his hand.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"No, thank you for your concern," she replied.
"It's good that Xavier caught you. What a disaster it would be if you hurt yourself," said a young woman with curly black hair. "I'm Laurene Amor, and this is my husband."
She pointed to her savior.
"Nice to meet you. Marisa Deed. I assume you're participating in the competition, like everyone else here?
" "Yes," Xavier replied. "If I may ask, where's your husband?
" "Um..." she stammered for the first time at the word "husband." "He went to register us. We were a little late.
" Mare slightly adjusted her hair, which kept falling in her face. She felt a little uneasy. She wanted to feel like Mikael's real wife, but she couldn't, and she knew very well why. Her anxious thoughts were interrupted by an angel who ran up behind her and grabbed her by the torso. She squealed softly and laughed.
"You're finally here. I've been waiting.
" "And I was looking for you.
" "Looking for you?" she asked, as if she were unconscious.
"You were supposed to wait for me there."
He pointed to the seat in front of the entrance.
"Sorcia," she said, kissing his forehead. Then she turned to the two young couples. "You meet my husband Mikael."
"Nice to meet you. Laurene Amor and my husband Xavier. We just met Marisa.
" The angel looked at Mare. She always stayed on the sidelines and didn't really try to make new friends. As if to explain herself, the devil replied,
"I tripped over a rock and Mr. Xavier caught me at the last minute. That's how we met.
" "I understand," he replied. He wanted to add something more, but his voice was interrupted by the microphone.
"ATTENTION! ATTENTION! ALL COUPLES ARE WELCOME TO THE FIRST COMPETITION!
" The devil and the angel looked at each other with reproach and anxiety. As if their voices were saying, "Are there more of them?" They hadn't expected more from such a competition. They decided not to worry about it for now.
All the newlyweds, each with a number assigned to them, took their positions. The course consisted of two laps around three blocks. At the end, the couple had to stand in their starting position and kiss, thus announcing their arrival.
"Don't mess it up," she whispered in his ear.
"You tell me not to mess it up, but my hands are shaking terribly."
Mare looked at his hands. They were indeed shaking.
"There's nothing to be afraid of or nervous about. I'm with you..."
At those words, she kissed him on the lips.
"More confident?
" "Yes.
" "That's good," she replied, offering him her hand to help her into the gondola. Sam stood at the bow and picked up an oar.
"GO!" the judge called over the microphone. "READY. GO!"
They took off.
Mikael pushed off quickly, yet gently. The gondola glided through the water. Last night's mini-training had prevented her from tipping over from the start. Ten other pairs, however, didn't start with such momentum. Some even struggled to maintain their balance. Two pairs, however, were rowing evenly with Mr. and Mrs. Deed, including Mr. and Mrs. Amor. Xavier rowed so well, as if he'd been rowing gondolas since childhood.
"Faster," Mare urged. Her voice was confident and firm. The angel wasn't surprised that there wasn't a hint of fear or nervousness in it.
"I'm trying.
" "I don't see," she snapped. "You're strong. Use it.
" "I'm not strong..."
Mare looked at him in disbelief and replied,
"Where did you get those muscles?" she said with half-closed eyes. "When you became human, it's like you left all your abilities in your old body. It's not really like that. You've been training for a long time. Damn it, now's not the time to talk! I want that apartment, and I'll get it! Row!
" The angel laughed aloud. Sometimes he preferred her when she was angry. She looked so sweet then. It both comforted him and amused him.
"You're dead," she said aloud with a hint of terror.
"That's only on shore. I love you, Mare. Or rather, Marisa."
Mare looked at him, almost falling out of the boat. He made a stunning impression on her. Love gave him wings in that moment. He sped up as fast as he could. Rowing became incredibly easy for him now. It went smoothly and efficiently. He didn't even realize when they were five minutes ahead of their number one enemies. Mare squealed with joy.
"One more lap, my love, and you're already happy?
" "You can ruin anyone's mood!" she said with playful anger. "It's ONLY one lap."
They were as happy as children. The Italians looked at them as if they were two madmen. The others, at a young couple madly in love.
The second lap, as Mikael had suspected, didn't go so well. However, even now they were overtaking all the couples, though it was clear that some were getting closer. Within a few minutes, Mikael was already in front of the starting point. He elegantly landed and shook hands with his "wife" in a gentlemanly manner. Everyone began to applaud the winners.
"Do you really love me?
" "Angels don't lie," he replied, kissing her.
"THE FIRST COMPETITION IS BEHIND US!" the judge exclaimed.
"We'll have to work a bit harder for our apartment after all," Mikael said, disappointed.
"Stop, this could be fun.
" "It depends on the questions they ask.
" "No matter what they ask, I'll answer them anyway. I've known you very well since childhood.
" "And we haven't kept anything from each other since then?"
Mare hesitated. She often kept many secrets from the angel. However, upon reflection, she realized that these were just the number of victims she'd been hiding from him to avoid upsetting him. That was all. "No, that's not all," one thing flashed through her mind, something she'd only been hiding for a few days.
In the second competition, they were supposed to demonstrate their combined culinary skills. Mare got goosebumps at the thought of cooking. "As the Italians always say, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. I hope they're right," she thought with a slight sinking feeling. She couldn't cook or prepare any dishes. Mikael had been in charge of the meals all these days. She was just the princess, who had everything handed to her.
Five couples qualified for the next competition: Mr. and Mrs. Deed, Amor, and Mr. and Mrs. Cotugno, Fabiani, and Ross.
The cooking wasn't as bad as Mare had thought. There was no baking or boiling required. She smiled ironically when she saw only fruits and vegetables in front of her, fit for consumption without cooking. She began playing with cream, jams, and alcohol. She placed a sliced pineapple in one bowl, then covered it with cream and poured wine over it.
"What kind of papyrus is that?" Mikael asked.
"Good papyrus," she replied.
"I won't eat it.
" "You don't have to. The judges will eat it."
Mikael looked in their direction. They were elderly people.
"You're still pulling pranks on them in your old age.
" "At most.
" Mare giggled.The second competition ended very quickly. The judges seemed to like Mare's dish. Unfortunately, they didn't receive the highest score. It went to Mr. and Mrs. Cotugno. This left only three couples remaining in the final two competitions: Mare and Mikael, and, hot on their heels, Cotugno and Amor. The next competition required some movement. It was simply a popular balloon dance, to which they were to dance a tango. They didn't do too badly. Only Mr. and Mrs. Amor's balloon popped out at the end, causing them to be thrown out and unable to continue.
After this penultimate competition, Mare approached Laurene, who was sitting alone on a bench.
"You're sitting alone. Where's Xavier?
" He went to get something to drink.
"Mikael too," Mare said with a smile. "You did great. You were right on our heels.
" "You think so?
" "Of course. Honestly, I'd prefer it if you were competing with us in the semifinals. I don't know the Cotugnos at all."
"It's not about the acquaintances, Mariso.
" "Yes, I know," she replied through a laugh that was already bordering on pain (she was consciously comforting the other person).
"I'll keep my fingers crossed for you now.
" "It'll be useful.
" "What? Are you afraid you won't answer the same way as Mikael?
" "Is this some kind of test now?" Mare asked worriedly.
"Yes. Didn't you know?
" "Honestly, I didn't know there would be any other competitions besides the gondolas."
They both laughed. The devil felt as if she had a friend she could tell and confide in, yet it was only an acquaintance.
"Maybe we'll continue our friendship after the competition?" she asked.
"Of course. It's always nice to meet someone new, right?
" "Yes," Mare replied, the tightness in her heart already unbearable. "Can I ask you something, Laurene?"
"Sure.
" "Can you go get my husband? I'm not feeling well.
" "Are you in pain?
" "Just go get him," she said through her teeth.
Laurene, very concerned about Mare's health, quickly ran to the refreshment stand. She found her husband and Mikael chatting with Mr. and Mrs. Cotugno. She stopped beside him and whispered,
"Marisa isn't feeling well. She asks you to come over."
Mikael nodded and went where he had left Mare. Mr. and Mrs. Amor followed him. They stopped in front of the devil. She was sitting, pressing her left side tightly. When Mikael crouched down beside her, she jumped into his arms and burst into tears.
"Stop crying," he ordered. "It's too much for one day."
His voice was firm. However, the devil didn't stop crying.
"I'm sorry, we'd like to be alone for a moment.
" "Sure, we'll let you know when the next competition starts.
" "Thanks, Xavier."
When no one was around, Mikael turned to Mare.
"Tell me what's going on.
" "Why do I have to be a devil?"
"Oh my, because you are, Mare
." "But I don't want to be a devil anymore. I have no friends, no husband, no love. Nothing."
At these words, she burst into tears. The angel didn't know what to say anymore.
"Mare...
" "Do you think I was truly a bad person on Earth? Do you think I really was?
" "I don't know. I had a choice. That's all I remember. I knew I couldn't be a devil because I wouldn't be able to stand it. I don't know, it's just that being a devil was destined for you.
" "But I don't want to
." You sound like a little child.
"I'm still a child, really. I only came of age a year ago.
" "And just so you know, so am I," he replied, mocking her. "Understand, I want what's best for you. That's why you have to hit me and abuse me to make you feel good.
" "But I don't want to.
" "Stop!" he shouted.
The devil got scared. She knew Mikael was serious, but she'd had enough. She sniffed again and wiped her tears. But no smile appeared on her face.
"You'll feel better tomorrow," he said through his teeth.
"How do you know?
" "I suppose so. Come on, we'll find Mr. and Mrs. Amor now."
They didn't have to look far. Mr. and Mrs. Amor met them, announcing the start of another round. They had to answer 15 questions. Each question was worth 2 points. This could earn them 30 points. Mr. and Mrs. Cotugno had 41 points, while Mr. and Mrs. Deed had a slight lead of 4 points. The judges looked at Mare as she took her seat. Her cheeks were red and her eyes were flushed with tears. However, her expression said, "It's okay, we can begin." In truth, she was afraid of Mikael's speculation. "After all, I can't really love him."
The first round of questions began. Each pair had to write the same thing on their boards, but neither could see what the other was writing. As Mare had initially assured Mikael, she hadn't done badly out of a possible 10; 9 were good. They knew each other too well to make any more mistakes on this test. There were only five questions left. The Cotugnos answered each one easily. Just like before.
"I don't like this couple. They're too perfect," Mikael thought.
The opponents already had a certain 71 points. If Mikael and Mare didn't answer two questions correctly, they were eliminated. If they answered even one incorrectly, it would be a draw. Mare's hands began to sweat with excitement. She relaxed a little when they had secured those 8 points. They both waited for the final one.
"Did you," the presenter began, "Ms. Marisa, cheat on your husband with another man?"
Mare hesitated before writing "YES" on the card. Mikael, on the other hand, immediately wrote "no" on it and showed it to the audience. Mare, on the other hand, was wondering what to write.
"I see you're still thinking. "
Mikael snorted.
Finally, Mare showed the card, on which "NO" was written in large letters.
"This way we can announce the Deeds as winners!" the presenter exclaimed joyfully. "You get a cash prize along with a house with a garden."
The devil couldn't believe it. She leaned against the table where she was sitting. The angel, on the other hand, walked up to her and spun her around.
"Yahoo, we have an apartment!" he cried.
"Really?" she asked, a little dazed.
"Really, my dear, really!"
Mikael kissed her, and she woke up.
"How did you know to write "no"?
"I knew you wouldn't tell the truth," he replied simply.
The devil slapped him on the head. She had already begun to hope he trusted her.
Less than an hour had passed when they arrived with their belongings at their new home. It was a two-story, single-family home. Perfect for a devil. Mr. and Mrs. Amor had also arrived with Mr. and Mrs. Deed. Mikael and Mare were eager to celebrate this day with someone they knew. They wouldn't sign the ownership papers until the next day. That evening, they tried to unwind after the nightmarish competition. Mikael bought two bottles of wine on the way. They stayed in the main room downstairs until five in the morning. At six, they went to bed. Mr. and Mrs. Deed were given a room downstairs, and the angel carried Mare in his arms to any room upstairs.
"You're drunk," he replied, staring into her eyes. "You know tomorrow's Sunday?"
"So what if I'm drunk, so what if tomorrow's Sunday?
" "So what if we don't have to go to school. The principal would probably beat us if we showed up like this."
Mare laughed mockingly. She couldn't see anything. The world swirled around her in a variety of colors.
"I'm sleepy," she said quietly. "Carry me to bed.
" "I'm doing just that," he replied, opening the bedroom door.
"Will you cuddle me?" she said even more quietly.
"Yes," he whispered, placing her on the bed. He then lay down and embraced the devil. She snuggled in and fell asleep instantly. The angel kissed her forehead and began stroking her hair until he himself fell asleep.
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