1 The Bet

"Hi, I am Angel! I…" The woman's provocative sweet smile was frozen as she was cut by the man's arctic voice.

"No. I am not interested in you and leave me out of your business." The man emotionlessly replied without even taking a glance at her.

'What? How dare you! As if that I really like to know you! If not just for my friends dare I wouldn't be here giving you my rare sweet.. Wait, the dare! I can't lose on you! My honey Romeo and my honor will be at stake! You can't resist me! No! You must not reject me! You must not ruin my reputation!'

Angel looked at her giggling friends sitting at corner of the café, three tables opposite to the man's table where she went by. Her friends were wearing their teasing smiles toward them, as if they were watching a suspense romantic comedy movie, waiting for the one of a kind scene to happen between a lovable princess and a detestable prince.

"Sweetie. Be a man." Arranging her fallen hair unto her left ear, throwing it to her back and revealing her long seamless neck and her picture-perfect collar bone which was enough to show her model-like features.

'This is so humiliating, you bastard are so lucky for letting me do this, just to please a man for the first time! Just for you!'

"I am just trying to be friendly here." Giving her sweetest smile that showed off her dimples, innocent and sweet.

The man in a perfectly fitted suit with smart built turned to her in his glaring brownish eyes. For a moment, their eyes met.

'Why do you have that look? Your eyes speak for a thousand loneliness. You are making me sad.'

The man noticed her staring at him with a glimpse of sadness. Then, his cold face changed as his lips curved vibrantly and his eyes spoke brightly.

"Thanks but No." He said before putting back his intense attention to his laptop.

Angel was still stunned. She was dumbfounded by what she had witnessed. The man's yearning eyes were piercing her heart, making her heart skipped a beat. She felt like the man deserved and needed her hug the most in the world. She had never met a man who was this agonizing to watch, like he seemed to be hiding in his dark world with his instant smile.

She gave her friends a worried face. And they gave her their faces of triumph! No doubt that her expression is a winning piece for them.

'Why would I be feeling pity for him? Pity on me if I won't lure him that enough! You can't fool me with your acts! And you can't definitely stop me from getting your number! Urgh! Why am I putting myself into this hot seat! Stupid dare! I shouldn't have tried to prove my beauty by bewitching to this extent! I am simply alluring. I am the one to be chased for and not the later.'

"You are unbelievable!" She irritatingly uttered before seated on the chair next to the man, picked the cup of hazelnut flavored milk tea, sipped with intentional resounding noise that broke the moment of silence in their table.

The man gave him a disappointed devil look, ready to kill the unbelievable woman who was drinking his favorite milk tea, the last hazelnut milk tea served for the day. He even bought that five times its original prize from a young boy who ordered it first than him for its last serving of the day, because he wanted it so badly. He was about to call the waiter for the manager's attention when he heard a soft and feminine voice.

"Michael."

Michael traced the voice and saw the same woman who drank his milk tea.

"How?.. Who are you?"

He was stunned that the woman knew his first name but it sounded good to his ears. It has been a while since he last heard someone called him in that way. He felt like being with his family, being with his bestfriend, being loved, being himself.

Then, Angel curved her lips into its biggest smile.

"Lucky guess! I am really good at guessing!" She was really amazed as she guessed the man's name right without her noticing that she's smiling genuinely in front of him.

"Guess?" Michael got confused.

"You are really Michael!" She laughed and tried to tease him. "Michael! Michael!"

He was pissed and called the waiter's attention which made Angel got quiet and frozen.

"I need to talk to your manager." He ordered.

The waiter was hesistant but went to tell the manager.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Angel was alarmed while putting the empty plastic cup on the table.

"Trying to get rid of you! I should have done this earlier!"He was calm but with deadly glares.

"Wait! This is so humiliating! Is it my fault that I have guessed your name right from the four letters you have in your name tag?" She tried to answer calmly, not to make any scene. Her father will surely get her indefinitely grounded if she'll get into trouble for the third time.

Michael looked on the name tag "Mich" in his chest with disbelief. He forgot to take off the name tag from the team building he went off earlier. He tried to put it on and be on the activity so that his employees will be focusing on strengthening their relationship with each other and be more productive in the company for the making of their 10 th year anniversary magazine. He tried but he ended immediately landing on the café for an escape.

Then, he took the name tag and threw it on the floor.

"Well! You drank my favorite milk tea and bothered me! Can't you afford to buy your own? Is that what you need from me?" He was furious now. Good thing, he still managed to control his rage within the two of them.

Angel's friends were really amazed at the scene of the two having a lover's quarrel like a thing.

"I need your number!" Angel boldly replied him with an innocent smile.

"What? Are you crazy?" He uttered in disbelief.

'Huh! Don't get me wrong stupid! I am not into you. You wished! Once I get your number, I am done with you! The dare is done as well.'

"Here, kindly write your number here and I will pay you your milk tea! Thirty times more!" She sweetly handed him a piece of paper.

"Thirty times?" He was having a doubt of the woman's offer. But he thought about it and realized that it was not a bad offer at all. He will be busy for the coming days and getting out from the job to come to the café for his milk tea will not be that easy.

'This is a good opportunity.' He thought with a smirk on his lips.

"Yes! Indeed thirty times!" She proudly exclaimed it to him. 'Finally getting him with this milk tea thing. Huh! What a childish man! Thirty times your ass!'

Then the manager came with the waiter and interrupted her thoughts.

"Yes sir, may I help you?" The manager politely asked.

" I am sorry, it is just a misunderstanding. I thought she is harassing me. She just badly wanted my number. But thanks. " he grinned , then write something on the piece of paper.

The manager and the waiter were both astounded to what he said and chuckled upon looking into the woman before leaving.

After writing, Michael folded the paper, stood up and got his things, then left.

The piece of paper was left on the table while Angel was still in the middle of getting herself from the pieces of the embarassing situation.