17 Love Story

Outside of the airport.

The strong sun was burning Selena's skin as she patiently waits for the next taxi to come. She was standing outside of the airport with her two suitcases in the pushcart.

She would have taken a service car but, she doesn't have enough money to rent for a private car. She didn't know that her father had put a limit in her savings account and she just used all her monthly expenses for upgrading her seat.

Her blood was boiling and the burning sunlight ignited her feelings. She wanted to explode but, afraid that people might call a psychiatric hospital to check her in.

She stood still in the same spot for at least an hour. There was not even one taxi, mostly private cars even though she was standing next to a Taxi sign.

She let out a heavy sighed. When a police car suddenly stopped in front of her, Selena lifted her sight from staring on the floor to the driver's direction.

"Are you new here?" the man in a police uniform asked politely.

Selena scanned his face. He had a typical Southeast Asian look, clean-cut black hair, tanned skin, slim body though she also noticed how toned his arms muscles were by the sleeve of his uniform.

(Nah! Not my type) Selena diverted her eyes on her left, watching if there's a taxi coming but, just like earlier, there was nothing.

She let out an animalistic moan while her face wrinkled in irritation. Her high heels are killing her legs but as much as she wanted to wear flat shoes, she can't. The burgundy silk dress she has doesn't look good in flat shoes. So she bares the pain and stood there elegantly.

"I am waiting for my friend and his girlfriend. We can give you a lift if you want," the police spoke in a soft tone.

Daniella has told her before not to get into a stranger's car unless he has a bewitching face.

"It's fine, I can wait for a taxi," she politely declined.

The police looked at her and switched his eyes to the taxi sign.

"You can wait here forever but, taxi is not allowed in here"

"What?" Selena gasped in surprise.

She looked at the taxi sign. It clearly said the word 'Taxi' even though it was painted with graffiti.

"If you checked the other side. The word taxi has been crossed out,"

Selena immediately stretched her neck to peep and when she confirmed that he was telling the truth, she could feel the cramps on her legs throbbing her nerves.

Her shoulder slumped in disappointment. She thought the people that were passing by, staring at her was amused of her looks but, they were actually looking at her like she's a dumb person who could not read a sign.

Anger rushed over her body, the sign was crossed out but not with paint, it was crossed with a marker.

"Did they used a marker to correct this sign?" she absently asked.

The police snickered and nodded.

"The government must not have enough budget to buy a new sign so yeah,"

"Wow! So they just asked a rebellious teenager in the street to paint it huh!" she mumbled in a way that he could hear it.

The man chuckled and went out of the car to open the passenger seat.

Selena sighed, there was nothing else she could do but to climb in.

(Well I am paying tax anyway. I should get used of it) she thought

When the police sat down on the passenger seat, Selena peek at his name tag and found his last name was 'Cruz'.

They were both quiet, Selena just texted Daniella for the plate number of the police car and secretly took a picture of the driver and sent it to her.

They stopped in front of the departure gate. Minutes later the door at the backseat was pulled open and a man in a blue polo and jeans got in and smashed the door closed.

"Easy buddy. I can't have my boss charge me with the damages," the police said.

But the man at the back didn't reply. He had his sight towards the window with gloom expression across his face.

"Where's Tiffany?" the police asked.

Selena creased her brows in confusion. She remembered him mentioning about his friend and his girlfriend but, it was only the man who came in.

"Just drive. Is that your girlfriend?" the man gawked at her.

Selena has suddenly felt tense, the man had a serious expression over his face and it's somehow making her hands shiver.

"I wish but, I can't afford this kind of girlfriend. I think she's a tourist."

"Are you a tourist?" the policeman said as he peeps on her.

"I don't know," she replied.

"What?" the man at the back uttered with amusement.

Selena stared at him through the rear-view mirror. His black eyes which seem so familiar were pulling her senses away. Her sight went to his nose and lowered to his lips.

She unconsciously nibbled on her lips as she stared in his glossy lips.

(Did he use lip-gloss) she asked. As much as she wanted to take her eyes off of his lips, she can't. Her hands were itching to pull him closer. She had never been so struck to anyone in her life and right now, she's acting like a dumb teenager.

Selena blinked when she noticed that the man's brows have suddenly creased. Her face has turned red at the realization that he caught her staring at him.

"I- well, I am not sure if I will stay here or not," she stuttered.

Finding a word to say has never been harder than now.

She swallowed hard and looked back at the road.

"I am Barney Cruz and that freak man at the back is my friend Alejandro," the policeman introduces himself with a big smile on his lips.

"Selena Su," she replied but, her mind started exploding as she reminisced the kid show she used to watch.

(Barney and his friends)

Selena bites her lips to prevent herself from laughing but, her cheeks were blushing.

"It's fine. You can laugh. I don't mind,"

And with that, Selena exploded. She laughed until tears formed in her eyes. Her body shook as let out the laugh she has been holding.

She imagines herself introducing him to her cousin.

(This is Barney and his friends)

"Damn it! Does your mother hated you?" she exclaimed while her hands were slapping his arm repeatedly.

"Are you also punching your boyfriend like this?" Barney asked as he focused his eyes on the road.

Selena's smile has suddenly disappeared. Traveling around for years made her realized how the men flirt and the question he asked was one of them.

"Yes," she replied and handed him the address.

They drove for almost an hour before they arrived at Daniella's new house.

Barney helped her on getting her luggage in the trunk while Alejandro stays inside.

If she didn't saw her uncle Evan outside, struggling to attach signage on a glass wall, she would have thought Barney brought her to a wrong address.

"Thank you for the ride," she politely said while a warm smile was on her lips.

"No problem. See you around," Barney got into the car and drove away.

Selena stood there watching the car disappear. She wonders why Alejandro didn't speak or even said his goodbye but, she had guessed that he's the snob type.

"Who's the man at the backseat. He's charming," Selena almost screamed in surprise when Daniella mumbled it in her ears.

She turned to her with her eyes widened in shock.

"Don't be a mushroom Daniella," her hands on her pounding chest, startled by Daniella's sudden appearance.

"He's Alejandro while the policeman was Barney. They are friends," and once again, the image of the purple dinosaur pop in her mind.

She was laughing as she pushed the door open, leaving Daniella and Evan puzzled by her joke.