A parcel

It was cohesion between me and my brush as I add a finishing touch to a painting have been working on for a couple of weeks now. Due to the job that was propelled on me, I'm left with no alternative than to paint only on weekends. Making me a grumpy train wreck.

"Miss April" Suzy barge in with a buzzing excitement.

I averted my attention from my painting to her

She was holding a bouquet of red tulip flowers.

Oh Okay, this is the source of her cheerfulness.

I smiled at her. " Who is the lucky guy?"

She shakes her head

"That's yours, Miss April"

"For me?" I took them from her with a twinge of uncertainty. This is odious, I have never gotten flowers from anyone in my 24 years of existence.

A catcall echoed in the room drawing our attention to my invaders. AJ and Audrey have been here for almost an hour trying to squeeze out juice on how my blind date went. But I'm not indulging them. I'm still pretty mad at them for setting me up.

I rolled my eyes ignoring them.

I fished out the card that was attached to it. My heart flutters with a churn of my tummy reading the message.

<Hey crazy, thanks for making me the luckiest man to dine with a beautiful sunflower pretty dazzling smile>

My face darted into a blushing smile causing my heart to twinge thinking of the amazing dinner I had with him

Have been experiencing practically all cliché feelings in romantic novels. The butterflies in my tummy. The strong overwhelming feeling in my heart when I think of him. This is crazy I'm scared what this will bloom up to be

I was diverted out of my thoughts by Audrey who was standing close to me touching the flower.

"Month just got a billionaire as a boyfriend" she teased.

"He is not my boyfriend!" I protest detesting the taunting look on her face

Well not yet, besides we just had our first date, it's too soon for that title. But what are we then, friends?

Friends don't kiss, my finger unconsciously touches my lips recalling the breathtaking kiss we shared. I suck in a ragging breath.

Audrey snaps her fingers getting me out of my daze

"Jeez April you are so smitten with him"

I brush profusely.

"Aww my buttercup is finally growing up," AJ hugs me from behind.

"You finally met your first love," he said with the twine of excitement on his goofy face.

My face flushed, rubbing my neck, remembering Suzy is still in the room with us, witnessing my friends embarrassing me.

Suzy just smiled. " Miss April I will get this to your room"

She took the flowers from me, slinking out

I turned my attention to my annoying friends.

"You two tormenters, don't you have something doing than to annoy the hell out of me.

"Nope," they said together.

"Audrey don't you have some PI stuff doing"

"Nah, off late my clients are desperate housewives, my job is to spy on their husbands You know the cheating suspicions drama. Bugging the hell out of you is far more interesting than dealing with those desperate women" she said.

Great.

"What about you AJ, no girls to pimp?"

He shrugs "Nope I'm all yours for today"

I rubbed my head in frustration. How am I going to start working on my new Painting with the constant distraction of these two bugs?

"Miss April, this came in for you as well" Suzy was back, holding a box.

I took it from her and opened it. I gasped.

It was a box full of vanilla cupcakes. My heart melts like a puddle.

Another card from him.

<Looking forward to another lovely date with you beautiful. Hope love it.>

My heart jingles a steer of beats at this simple heartwarming act of affection. Is this Mr. Smith I know acting so sweet and thoughtful? It's hard to grasp.

Audrey suddenly took one of the cupcakes.

She took a bite and moan "Hmm this is good"

I offered Suzy one, she declines immediately but finally gave in, after I persistently insisted. She thanked me and resorted to leaving me with these hellhounds.

I finally took an ecstatic bite. It is the best delicious vanilla I have ever tasted.

"You are one lucky girl" Audrey said.

"Why?"

She rolled her eyes. "From the little, I know. This Brad guy has this broody cold cocky image. He is not a Mr nice guy or the romantic type. But hey girl you got him doting on you"

I pressed my lips firmly suppressing a huge smile from dancing on my face.

"He is just cocky sometimes, not scary" the words just abruptly came out. I'm amused at myself. I can't believe I'm defending him. Oh, the table does turn sometimes.

"Hell yeah he is, he fret the shit out of me when we briefly met to help him choose you…" She paused folding her lips nervously.

"Audrey were you about to say something?" I asked.

"Not really, something just crept in mind"

I could sense it as a lie but refrain from pursuing the matter

"So how did you manage to help him with the whole date thing?"

"He wasn't the one who prompt us it was the other Smith. The matchmaker, I think she was the mastermind behind the whole thing" Right, not surprising at all. Veronica will surely be the one to do the interact with my friends. The mighty Mr. Smith never comes down from his high horse to mingle with the common folks. Sometimes I have this silly notion he is allergic to people.

"Enough of talking about the billionaire. Give us the juice we came for" AJ rubbed his palms boyishly in anticipation.

"Fine, it was a nice dinner period"

Audrey snorted with disappointment. " You are so boring, prude"

Her face lighten up with an intrigued look. "Did you guys have sex" she blurted out.

"What, you are insane!"

"You guys live together, that should have happened already."

"You have a dirty nasty corrupted mind, Audrey. Besides who does have sex on a first date"

"We did" Audrey admitted

"wait what, yucks!"

"You are such a prude, this is so normal, it happens, having sex with AJ a total stranger back then was awesome and fun," she said smiling goofily at AJ.

"Yeah that was one crazy sex" He winks at her

I covered my face with my palms feeling so uncomfortable.

"Gosh, guys I'm not interested in hearing your bizarre sex escapades. Stop eye fucking each other and get a room, but not here in my studio"

They burst into a peal of hysterical laughter making me look like a clown for their amusement.

I was so cross with them.

"We were just toiling with you prude. You should have seen the look on your face. That was hilarious"

I shook my head cursing, fucking crazy whack jobs.

"Are you sure nothing happened between you two?" AJ asked

"No" I nonchalantly said but my flushed face gave me away.

"Aww it did happen, your face tells it all." Audrey teased

"Yeah we kiss, happy"

"Oh my goodness, buttercup you just had your first kiss" AJ exclaimed. His fingers spread out on his chest like a fan.

"No, sorry to inform you that wasn't my first kiss"

He frowns.

"Really?"

"Yeah, I had my first kiss way back in college with a guy I don't remember," I said not ready to go into details with them.

The guy was my tutor, one evening after a tutorial session, we decided to watch a bunch of romantic movies together. We got lost in the moment and it just happened. It was so alienated and awkward. I never spoke to the guy after that. I was too embarrassed to do so.

"Wow this is astonishing, You never told me this" AJ said

I wanted to tell him it happen during the years he decided to disappear from my life. But I constrained myself from saying that, causing an emotional strain between us that I'm so not ready for.

They started whispering something. I'm sure that got something to do with me.

"What is that about?"

"We made a bet"

"I don't think you want to know," AJ told me.

"Just spill the beans out"

"I made a bet with AJ that it will take less than a month for you to lose your V-card, to that hot billionaire"

"Nah it will take more than one month or two," AJ said in disagreement.

That was the final straw. I'm done tolerating this two.

"Alright, I have had enough of you two, I got work to do"

I nudge them out

"I was about to bolt anyway, my phone is buzzing with desperate housewife number two calling me for my daily report. See yah " she hugs me walking out of the door.

"I guess I have to go too," AJ said with a pout

He gave me a peck on my cheek following suit after Audrey.

I shut the door with relief. Thank God, I can now concentrate on my painting.

***

The concentration on my painting didn't pull through, I was rather busily doodling. When I say doodling I meant I was sketching the face of a certain handsome fellow rather than starting up a fresh new painting.

So I gave up and retire to my fortress to continue with the doodling.

I scooted my phone from the bed headboard trying to find a distraction. A message from an unknown number pops out on the screen. It gave me chills.

Unknown numbers freak me out.

I opened up the message to read.

Hey crazy, sorry for going MIA after our date. I had to go on an emergency business trip to Tokyo. Missing you already. Looking forward to our next date when I return.

My heart thuds, reading the message over and over again. He misses me….. that all my mind could register.

I quickly saved the number. Thinking of how to reply. What to say.

My mind was reeled up. I keep deleting messages after typing. I finally resort to a simple message that will be uncomplicated for me.

I sent a reply:

Thanks for the flowers and cupcakes loved the cupcakes especially! Missing you too.

I laid back down on the bed with my eyes closed waiting for the beeping sound of a message.

I got disappointed he didn't reply must be in a meeting by now. My face draw into discontent

Wasn't I supposed to accompany him to Tokyo? I'm his secretary.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door.

"Miss April" It was Suzy.

"Come in Suzy"

"Sorry to disturb you, another parcel came in for you."

My face ached into a frown, another gift?

I took it from her grasp.

"Thanks, Suzy"

"Miss April what will you like for dinner?"

"Uh, I think I will order rather pizza"

She nods, closing the door behind her.

I quickly unwrapped the parcel.

I found a brown envelope.

I opened up the seal. And scoop my hand for the content.

I was taken back, a sudden chill of coldness hit the amber of my core. I was staring at the photos of my mother.

I may not have ever met my mother but I stumbled upon photos of her stock away in my grandma's basement, some years ago.

Her face has been printed in my memory since then.

My eyes went glassy with tears, going through them

One caught my eyes, The place looked like La Blanca restaurant.

I checked for the date. It was a recent picture taking just last night

My adrenaline skyrocketed.

We were at the same place at the exact time! Our path could have crossed. Could she have recognized or acknowledged me as her daughter?

I can't believe we are in the same City.

There was this heavy feeling in my stomach, My mind went fuzzy.

I clutched my chest trying to control the rapid increase of my breath lest I start experiencing a panic attack.

A photo fell out. I crouch down to pick it up.

My muscles tighten, my neck went stiff. My hands were shaking trying to grip firmly to the photo.

It was another photo of my mother with a little boy who has her raven dark hair and the same set of grey eyes.

I have a half-brother!