You Like Me, You Like Me Not

Dana is fixing her hair that she put in a fishtail ponytail when she heard a rhythmic knocking on the door.

"A moment, please," she said. Judging by the time it must be Bobby on the door.

Upon opening, she was greeted with Bobby's soft brown eyes, peeking over a bunch of Tsubaki or Japanese Camellia. A wide smile spread over her lips upon seeing the flowers.

"May I come in?"

"Please do!" she said as she accepted the flowers and stepped back to let Bobby in.

"Let me put in a vase before we go out," she said rummaging her cupboard for something she could use as a vase.

"Take your time. Our reservation is not until eight."

She looked at Bobby with puzzlement, with the time.

"There are a lot of reservations I couldn't get an earlier time. But their sushi is top-notch!" he said giving him an okay sign with his fingers.

"Why do you suddenly want to go to a Japanese restaurant. I thought you'd asked me to buy you a meal in the usual hotspot restaurant."

"Hm, I was just thinking that you might be missing Japanese food," he said shrugging his shoulders.

Dana picked up the flowers and brought it to her face, in an attempt to hide the redness of her cheeks.

A Tsubaki is not just a flower you can easily pick up in just any flower shop. Then a meal with her palate in mind. Dana's thinking if she is still misreading Bobby's intention. But then, based on the conversation between the men from the last night party, pursuing a girl is somewhat a game they enjoy. And apparently Bobby and Grand are considered to be the most notorious in their group of friends.

A bitter smile escaped Dana's lips. As her aunt would always say boys will be boys no matter what age they are. It's all fun until you let yourself believe there is more to it.

It irks her thinking about how Grand is supposedly busy preparing for his tournaments but has the time to play around with that girl Li Na.

Her mind was pulled out from her thought of Grand when she heard a camera shutter sound. She caught Bobby, with his camera still midway of taking a photo of her.

"Stop taking my photos when I'm not looking."

She found out about her picture in the coffee shop and some stolen photos of her playing the piano when one time she borrowed Bobby's phone to check Grand's WeChat account.

"You want me to take your photo when you are looking?" Bobby said being naughty.

"You know that's not what I mean," she said faking annoyance. She can't really get annoyed with his adorable smile adorned with those dimples, added his eyes that soften like butter whenever he wants.

This is a man-boy that is damn hard to resist. She knows how Bobby could play the indifferent, cold man then turn into an adorable boy you want to take home in a drop of a hat. A player that already perfected his game.

Luckily Dana is used to men's adoration that a smooth operator like him won't get far. Beside her mind is totally occupied with a certain man. But then, she's in love not dead! And just like any other girl, she loves special attention from a guy. Especially from a fine-looking one!

"All done! We can head out now," she said throwing Bobby a smile.

"Oh wait! The lightning is perfect in the balcony, please take my photo," she said carrying the vase of Tsubaki.

Bobby chuckled in amusement saying, "Typical Dana."

She just playful scrunches her nose as she looked for her phone in her purse.

"We'll be late, let me just used my phone and I'll send you the photos."

She easily agreed without second thoughts.

---

"Why do you keep on looking at your phone?" asked Kai Hern.

"Nothing," he said as he continued twirling his phone. "Just waiting for the artist named Arbiter in Weibo to get permission to use his art."

He's been waiting for Dana's message since he unblocked her last night. It's starting to piss him off that she used to send her messages every day and now there's none. He's thinking if he should send a message first, but then he never replied to any of her messages before.

He still can't understand the last photo she sent him. Looking at it, it's just a waterhole in the ground, it looks familiar but he can't remember why. He chuckled when he realized that Dana's reflection can be seen in the water.

He checked Bobby's WeChat moment to see if he's with Dana but he didn't post any photos. And he doesn't have a plan to ask him directly because if he does, he'd just pissed him off.

---

"Party for two, reservation under Mr. Wu," Bobby said.

"This way, please."

The waitress brought them to a corner table near a fountain. Once they were seated and served some tea, Dana asked Bobby, "Do you like fountains?"

Bobby raised his eyebrows with Dana's sudden question.

"You always get a table near a fountain. Even before in the coffee shop."

"I almost drowned when I was a kid since then, a fountain is the only flowing water I'm not scared of."

"Have you tried overcoming your fear of open water?" she gently asked.

"I'm fine with not liking the water."

"Too bad, I'd have offered to teach you to swim. I'm a gold medalist," she said, smirking.

"If that's the case, I won't mind conquering my trauma. Deal?" he said too seriously that Dana laughed.

Bobby kept on insisting on learning how to swim that Dana is no longer sure if he's just trying to amuse her or he's being serious.

She's having a lot of fun over dinner that Dana forgot the time until their waitress approaches their table and apologizes that they're about to close.

It's the longest time that Dana spent with Bobby and she realized that he's a good conversationalist and quite charming too. To say that she was surprised by the Bobby she was with that night was an understatement. Probably because of her impression that he is just a happy go lucky, pranksters most of the time kind of guy.

When Bobby brought her home Dana asked him if he would like to go up to her place, and Bobby looked at her like she's asking him to stay overnight. Dana threw her head laughing on the passenger seat.

Bobby shakes his head watching her laugh at her heart content.

"Princess don't ask a man to go up to your place at this time of the night."

"I forgot to give you something, just get it and go home." laughter is still visible in her voice.

"Would you like some coffee?" she asked when they reached her place.

"Princess…." Bobby said with a warning.

"Fine! I won't offer you anything. Stand there in the door, and keep it open."

Bobby stood in front of the open door, grinning like an idiot.

"Don't move! I will just get it from the bedroom."

Dana chuckled as she went inside her bedroom to get Bobby's gift. Him, admitting openly that he finds her attractive as a woman tickles her ego.

She picked up a cardboard box and brought it outside to Bobby that just as she said stands in the middle of the door waiting.

She was smiling widely when she handed him the box, but instead of accepting it, Bobby snapped a photo of her.

"Hey! Again with the stolen photos!" annoyed she said.

"It's not stolen, you know I'm taking your photo," he said with an equally wide grin on his face. "What's this?"

"It's your birthday gift! I'd say to have you open it, but then you'll accuse me of seducing you so just go and open it later!" she said laughing, closing the door on his face.

She's about to take off her dress when her phone rang.

"Yes?"

"Thanks for the gift, I'll use it!"

"I'm glad! That's the only thing I can think of that you'll use that I can give you in such short notice. If you want a much better gift, give me one of your boards. I'll sketch any design you want."

"Seriously?! I mean these are already way too cool. Are these stickers all your design?" he asked with such admiration in his voice.

"Yes, some friends back home asked me to do that for their store. Those were just extra pieces. I know it's not much."

"No, I love them!" Bobby quickly said. "I'll take your offer for that design for my board."

"Okay, I'm sleepy now, drive safely good night!"

She ended the call abruptly without waiting for Bobby to speak because she had a feeling he won't let her go and would just continue talking.

Her phone ping for a new message received, she's thinking that it was just Bobby sending random messages again. Hence, she didn't check and just took a shower.

When she's already lying on the bed, ready to sleep she takes a look on her phone expecting a message from Bobby but sees a message from Grand!