~ chapter 07 ~

°Julia °

_____________

Enzo Torres had asked me out.

Okay, Jul get your head straight. He didn't ask you out. He agreed to be your 'plus one' for your best friend's wedding.

I still don't know what happened and how it happened so fast...

One moment, I was trying not to run into him because of 'that night'. And the other moment, he had so blatantly said, "I wouldn't mind!"

What did he even mean by that?

He wouldn't 'mind' being my plus one. As if he was stuck with some oat-bran cookie while he wanted a creamy cupcake.

Ugh... I feel pathetic now.

At that moment, I didn't think about it so much as I was too busy wrapping my head around that entire conversation we had.

I blame Lily!

He surely said yes, just because she made me look like a sad puppy.

I mean why would she use those words "disheartened" and that I was "too shy to ask anyone."

I wasn't shy to ask anyone. I didn't even need a date. I just wanted to go alone. Eat all I can. Walk alone at the beach and then come back and sleep for 2 whole days. Because I've been so busy preparing everything for her since the last 2 weeks.

The wedding is on Friday. Day after tomorrow by night my best friend will be a married woman. It's strange how love works at times. She hated Steven's guts when she first met him at college. Academic rivals they were, like some slow burn Wattpad romance their story progressed into dates, and they found their best friend as well as a lover in each other.

I look up at her from the couch. She has been on that laptop since morning, still in her PJs watching kdrama.

"Are you seriously gonna stay in bed the whole day?" I ask Lily.

"Yep!"

"Did you slip and hit your head somewhere in the bathroom and forgot that you're getting married day after tomorrow?"

"Nope!"

"LILY MARIE CAMPBELL! YOU STOP ANSWERING ME IN A SINGLE WORD!"

She shuts down the laptop at once and sits straight.

"And get out of bed we are going out for lunch and I also need to get my dress from the tailor."

"Yes ma'am." she replies with a gulp, "I honestly should never have told her my middle name..." she mumbles but I can hear it, so I suppress a chuckle and say,

"I heard it. Now get your ass over here and keep your stuff in before we leave for lunch." I say and she follows.

She was leaving one day earlier for Steven's hometown. I had booked her a cab tomorrow morning. I would be going on the wedding day. It's not that far, a hundred something kilometres... a small town near the beach. They had booked a place for the ceremony on the beach itself.

Which reminds me, I'll be travelling by road...with Enzo.

I let out a sigh and reassure myself. It's gonna be okay. Let's not think about how much more I can embarass myself infront of that man.

He didn't ask me about that binocular incident that day. Maybe he forgot, or maybe he didn't notice where my binoculars were pointed at, before I turned it towards him. I've stopped thinking about that night, because I already thought so much, there's nothing else left that I could make of it.

Perks of being an overthinker I think.

"Hey, I'm ready. Let's go, before you start using my teachings at me by being bossy." Lily's voice pulls me out of the Enzo train I was so incessantly riding.

I did not mean that!

...

We had lunch at that Chinese restaurant place that recently opened up. And boy, did I hate it!

"Did they even boil those noodles?" Lily ughs... and I can't help but join her in "ugh"ing some more.

"I guess, that's what happens when you want many customers but you don't know how to handle them conveniently."

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Anyways, we are here." I say pointing at the tailor's shop, "so let's pick up my dress."

"If it was loose, why did you even buy it? I don't understand why you'd buy some outfit that doesn't fit you and then give it for alteration."

"It's called 'good taste' Lily." I open the door and walk in into the shop. "I'd like to get my dress please." I say to the girl at the front counter and hand her my token.

I look back at Lily who stood behind me with a 'oh really' expression.

"I really loved that dress. It has a bit of lace work. It is my favorite lilac shade and it's elegant, which would make me look like a classy maid of honor. And it was not like those other dresses which made me look like I'm the door-girl who stands there with a tray of flowers petals to throw on the guests."

"Fine." she chuckles. "and you deserve it after all the work you've been doing for me. I really made the right choice by making you my maid of honor."

"'choice' really? Thank you for the appreciation but you never had a choice in the first place."

We get my dress and we go home.

The rest of the day we plan how she's gonna give those 'soft smiles' in front of the camera, and not one of those where both her nostrils are flared and all her teeth visible.

...

It's 6 in the morning and I just saw her off. I don't know what I'm gonna do for the rest of the day. I should probably, reply back to all my emails and sleep the entire day off. I'll look fresh tomorrow.

As soon as I get off the elevator, I see Enzo's door opening with him coming out of it in a hurry.

I walk to my door, as he locks his own. Only then, does he notices me. I wave my hand at him and he nods.

"Hey, you look like you're in a hurry. Everything alright?" I try to sound as casual as possible.

"Yes, Miss Mo-," he coughs to correct, "Julia.... I just have an urgent meeting with a patient. His father passed away last night and he needs help."

"I'm sorry for them."

"Oh no, it's fine. But, thank you. Where are you coming back from? It's so early, and I don't think you went on a run wearing those!" he pointed at my teddy bear slipper sandals.

I feel a bit awkward, but don't let it show on my face.

"Ah these are just.." I let out an awkward chuckle and wave off my hand. "I went down to see Lily off to her cab."

"Lily left?" he asks.

"Yes, she needs to go her fiance's hometown for the last day wedding preparations. It's tomorrow, if you haven't forgotten."

"How can I forget it!?" he looks into my eyes straight and I look away.

I've never been good at holding eye contact for long. And to add on that, he makes me nervous just by being around. I could clearly feel my breath stuck in my throat when he took forward a step towards me that day.

"I'm glad, you haven't."

"Ofcourse, I haven't. We have a date."

I giggle at that but look up to see he has a very blatant expression, like he's very serious about it. I suddenly close my mouth and say, "you don't have to call it a date, just because my witch of a best friend persuaded and guilt tripped you into it, by making me look like a lost puppy. We can just go together. We are friends already. We can pretend like we are each other's date. And if somebody asks, we just have to say 'that girl/guy over there is my plus one'. That way, we won't be seen as 'the poor thing'. I don't know why people see other young people without a date in a wedding as a 'poor thing'."

"Pretend?" that's all he took from all, that I just said. He had an expression as if I'm speaking something highly illogical. If I'm not delusional I could say he even was a bit upset to say that word out.

"huh?" I ask confused.

"I meant, why pretend...its actuall-" his phone rings and he excuses himself to answer it.

He returns back from the call not more than 20 seconds later.

"I'm so sorry Julia, but I have to leave." his expressions had changed. Maybe because of his patient, I wonder.

"It's totally fine." I smile at him as he presses the button of the elevator.

"I'll see you tomorrow morning then." he waves his hand goodbye, at me and runs off into the elevator.

I stand there still. Thinking what he meant when he said....no asked, 'why pretend?'.

I should go inside and prepare for tomorrow. Stop overthinking everything Julia. You don't have to always know what they meant and what goes on in their minds. I should really work on that.

I go in and by the time I finish work it's almost 11 at night.

I go out to my balcony and look to my left. Enzo's balcony was empty. It had a plant though. A spider plant, I notice. It's still a small one, but it does look cute and adds to the aesthetics of his balcony when he's absent to do the same.

Okay, I should really stop with these thoughts. I admit he's a sight to my sore eyes. And that he seems sweet. But, what if he just actually seems sweet and decent and like what they say a 'green flag'. And if I really get to know him, what if he turns out to be like another James.

Maybe, I shouldn't judge him before spending more than even 10 minutes with him.

I should bring my binoculars out. It's a starry night indeed, and I think I'd be able to see the Pegasus, if I focus properly with my binoculars.

While watching the stars, I instinctively turn the bino towards my comfort constellation : 'The Ursa Major'.

There it is. Shining bright, just like the first time I ever saw it.

I've seen it a thousand times. I've spend hours looking at it, when the sky was clear. I've spend hours searching for it when the sky was cloudy. I've spend so much time, that I should have gotten tired of it.

They say too much of anything, can make you lose interest. You won't miss it anymore.

I wonder if that applies to somewhere, where you feel at home.

I've spent half of my life looking at that constellation from my balcony, from my roof, laying on the ground, yet everytime it feels like it's what I need at last. Everytime, I search for it even when I don't think of a why! Why that certain group of stars?

But the times I do ask this question, I reach at the same one worded answer.

Mike.

The boy who taught me the art of stargazing. The boy who gave me a way, to see that it was not over. Not yet.

The boy who felt more serene than the night sky. The boy who felt like home, when my own home didn't.

I wonder where he is. I wonder if he's doing okay. I wonder if he's looking at the same constellation from somewhere.

I wish he's happy. Something shone bright where I was pointing my binoculars at. A shooting star.

I let out a deep sigh.

I should go in and sleep.

I look for the water jar on my nightstand and remember that I forgot it in the balcony. It sat there on my balcony and when I picked it up and looked at my left again, I noticed Enzo's balcony had a chair now. And the chair had a book. He had a small hanging lamp just above the chair. I wonder if he's gonna read at night.

I'd be seeing him tomorrow anyways.

I should go in and get some beauty sleep. Can't risk looking like a zombie, beside a date so fine....!!

Chuckling to the idea of being a date to my neighbour with who I haven't spend more than a total of one hour, I fall on my bed, my face slamming against my pillow. And before I could count twenty sheeps, sleep embraced me in it's warm hug.

...

Fuck.. fuck... Fuckk....

I'm so late. Lily's gonna kill me. I panic as I get out of the shower at 8 in the morning.

I put on my robe and start with the makeup. The bell rings while I put on the eyeliner on one eye.

"Coming!" I shout at the door.

I can get it right this time. I focus on the liner and the bell rings again.

Ugh...

Pausing my makeup, I move towards the door. I have my liner done only on a single eye, my hair's a mess and I'm in a freakin' bath robe. But who cares! I'm sure it's only the delivery guy, on the wrong door again.

The bell rings again at the exact moment I open the door.

I wanna shut the damn door again. But I can't on his face.

It's him.

It's Enzo.

Eyes frozen, without a blink I look at him and then my eyes fall on something big.

Nope.

Just something in his hand.

There was a huge bouquet in his right hand and his other hand was placed perfectly inside the pocket of his.... Oooooh...

Ooooohhhh...

He was wearing a tuxedo. If one thought he looked handsome in his work clothes, they must see him in a tuxedo.

"Done staring?" he coughs, with a light twitch on his lips. I'm sure he was so close to smirking at me.

I blink fast a few times. What the fuck was I even thinking. I wasn't sure what to notice anymore.

The huge bouquet of roses, tulips and carnations. All in white, looked like heaven and him in that black tuxedo looked like.... 'I'm gonna go to hell if I go further in my mind'.

He points the bouquet towards me with a smile and I hold it in my hand, clueless. I don't even why!

"What are you doing?" I ask with a confused expression.

"Okay, I'm a bit worried now. But did you forget?"

"Forget what? What's all this?" I point at the huge bouquet of ethereally beautiful white bouquet of flowers in my hand.

"We have a date! Julia."

This time even he can't keep that smirk from forming on his lips as I stand there trying to wake myself from the dream.

But it's not. It's not a dream. He was really here looking like....

well, like he just walked out of a fictional world. The huge bouquet which looked as elegant as a swan was real as well. And I was in my bathrobe, looking like...'me'.

This was happening.

Wait a minute, did he say....

"Wait, what!?"

"We. You and I. We have a date!" he repeats.

...