Chapter 1 - Encounter
I don't know about you but I love coffee. I can't go on daily without drinking a single cup of one. With the tough and rough week of work, you really can't say you're still at a good beat of a heart after a week of pure work and stress.
"The same order?" the waiter asked me, not sure if he was about to hand out the café's menu.
I nodded and gave him a smile. The waiter went back to the corner and punched my order through the barista's computer screen.
I can't explain how terrible my day was. In the IT industry it's really hard to catch up, especially if there's already a lot of people who can do the stuff you do. The good thing with the company I am employed now is that we have divided work. Each of us hold a module to work on. If it was all the software in my care, I could have been all drained out today. I remember the time our boss even gave us two to five modules to finish within three weeks. That was the roughest work time I've ever experienced. Imagine depriving yourself of sleep. When you're at work, you usually fall asleep because of fatigue; and when you sleep on your desk, that's going to be your fault if the supervisor would spot you not doing what you're tasked to do. Overtime is necessary in this job if you want to survive.
"Here's you go, White Macchiato," the waiter said and placed the cup of coffee on my table with a tissue wrapped spoon.
"Thanks a lot," I said as I looked at the latte design the barista made. A sunflower.
"Enjoy your coffee, Sir. Keeps you warm on your roughest nights," he continued. I laughed a little, because he is certainly right. Whenever there are problems in my life, coffee helps me relax.
The flower design of late reminded me of a thing during my younger years. I used to buy three flowers during valentine's day and give it to the girl I liked back then. I know it's the typical romantic and sweet thing to do and give to a woman to make her smile. It never went successful for me though. Up to this moment I am a bachelor. When it comes to love, I guess I am one of those people who caught a net of bad luck that makes me the last person they even want to meet or know at all.
When you think about it, maybe there's something I am at fault for. They say that women fall in love into different kinds of things, of different variables that would make the man attractive and let them woo you because of those qualities. I am a simple working man. No qualities that would make me really attractive to a woman's eyes. I don't frequent gyms, nor am I a singer or can even play an instrument. All I do is code. I know that no woman falls for someone who's a 'monster' when it comes to programming. The only time I can brag about it is when someone gets amazed how I made the computer do the things that are impossible to comprehend for a common mind, and create feats that are really awe-inspiring or praiseworthy. When someone compliments me with 'wow, that's really awesome. You create all these great programs on the computer. This would be helpful in the real world'. I reply simply with 'that's what I do'.
I am hopelessly romantic in that sense. But no matter, the memory of all those times I really never had a score with a woman would soon be gone, as I took a sip of my coffee and the flower design got sucked away and entered my mouth.
I remember this woman I fell in love with for four years. When we were in high school, she was my ultimate crush. I think it wasn't even just a crush, I really had the hots for her. I tried everything to woo her but she never gave me any response. I continued courting her during our college years. I guess that was the time I had to surrender everything because it was getting nowhere. When you are not getting an answer anytime soon, you should also know when to give up, so they say. It has been four years for me. If I were to say the reason why I loved her, I really don't know. Her personality in a sense is very warm. She's kind, friendly, sweet but a little predictable on her feelings. She was someone I really liked to see every day and inspired me to at least try something and be good at something.
In a way, I never fantasized about her in bed or anything like that. I never had the thoughts that I was fondling her breasts or kissing her torridly while enjoying the romance of her hands holding me. I was just purely, so into her. If in exaggeration, she was my world.
At first, everything was catastrophic. I thought, why was she not reciprocating my feelings? Am I that so bad of a person she never considered me as a partner? I know that this would be like the rambling of a person who can't accept he is friendzoned, but what can I say? I had to wait for years before even having an answer I never expected I am getting. Since that time I had the fear of risking everything again. I became impatient and held a grudge for long dates.
I imagined a fantasy dream with her. A date with her would be awesome. She is a princess who never saw the vastness of the kingdom, and I am a knight who would her down on the promising rose garden, a horse ride and leave an impression on her face that these are the things she'd get to experience if she is going to be doted on by me. I would kneel before her and kiss her warm hand as I would explain to her how much she means to me. That love and happiness that I only experienced because of her and she is my only one and no one else.
In a world of flowers, lights and smiles, I'd like to take her there for a ride and adventure. If this is what would make everything the time of my life, then I'd cross everything to achieve it.
"Excuse me, can I have the tissue rack on your table? You're not using it now, are you?" a woman's voice broke my imagination. I looked at her and I was not able to explain what she looked like.
"Y-yeah, sure, go ahead," I replied. She grabbed the tissue rack and sat on the table next to me. As she glanced on the outside door, it was there I was able to visualize who she was and what she looked like.
She had this sophisticated fashion. Clothed in red dress and skirt, a teardrop shaped necklace, white complexion, perfect eyebrows, pink kissable lips, blooming eyes and perfectly placed nose. If to say, she has that Nanao Arai smile and the innocent stares of a Jyun Ji Hyun.
I was wondering what she'd use the tissues in there though. She just ordered coffee just like I did.
She looked at me when she saw that I was probably wondering why she took the tissues on my table.
"Oh this one?" she said.
I nodded.
"I'm saving money for something. Can't buy a whole roll. Free tissues!" she laughed. For some reason I did chuckle from that. I thought she was just joking, but she started bagging the tissues secretly.
At first I thought she was crazy, but to be honest, she's rather interesting.
"Seriously? I thought you were just cracking me up," I said softly so any of the waiters and waitresses could hear.
"I'm serious! Besides, no one is using it anyway, so I'll just take them. I'll just have to drink my coffee though. I love the coffee here. Makes me feel calm," she replied. The last statement she told me made me crave information about her.
"You like coffee too? I go here every weekend just for the coffee. Makes me relaxed from all the stress from work," I opened.
She nodded and took another drink of her coffee.
"Can't say if it's the way the barista here brews it or that it doesn't have much sugar. Whatever it is, I never get tired of drinking coffee here."
What an interesting woman. Weird as it may be, I found her interesting just because of her remark about coffee.
"Well I have to admit, the coffee here is indeed special. Found this place when I was with business friends."
"Lyra. My name is Lyra Alurez," she introduced herself. I was not prepared for a longer chat, but I guess I had to go on too.
"Gillean. Gillean Lorenzo," I replied. She smiled at me and told me to just sit next to me. I called the waiter out to say I am changing tables.
"You know what, you said you're saving for something? The coffee is my treat," I offered. She was surprised with what she heard and was probably thinking if I am joking or just purely crazy to offer a random stranger for a treat. She made that unsure face to me.