“Hi, nice to meet you, Ahya,” I smiled and greeted the woman Francis introduced to me as his wife.
“Oh, wow! It’s nice to finally meet you too, Sam!” Ahya replied with a huge grin on her face but it became the opposite of my reaction.
Nice to finally meet you too… six words that made me frowned and ask David in silence but before I could form a question to ask him about it, Ahya started to talk to me again.
“I didn’t know you were this beautiful, I mean, you are more beautiful in person!” She exclaimed that made my frown even deeper.
How could she say those words when it was just the first time we met each other? Or… did someone show her my photo?
“T-Thank you,” I smiled awkwardly.
“Ahm… Ahya, by any chance—” I was ready to ask her what she meant by it but Francis was fast to grab her arms and get her attention.
“Honey, you have to make your words clear because I think you’re confusing Sam.” He said not looking at her but at me.
“Oh, am I?” She asked him confused.
“Yes— ” But even him was interrupted by his wife.
“Thank God, David finally decided to bring you here and introduce you!”
“W-Wait, I’m sorry, but I don’t understand what you mean,” I said shaking my head as it got me even more confused than earlier.
“Hmm… aren’t you David’s girlfriend? You were the one he’s telling me about— his great love as he described!”
My eyes widened as I straightened my back.
“Honey—”
“No, I’m sorry, but I think you got it wrong. I’m not his girlfriend,” As long as I wanted to take that title, well, I have no right because I’m not his girlfriend but an ex-girlfriend.
“What? But I thought…”She paused, her eyes were moving from me to David to her husband and back to me again.
I couldn’t help but smile when I saw how surprised and confused she was at the same time.
“David’s girlfriend is Tanya.” Furrowing her eyebrows, she stared at me. Maybe she was wondering if I was really telling the truth or not. “She works for him as his secretary and as for me… I’m actually his ex-girlfriend.”
“Jeez! No way!” She screamed in surprise. “Are you serious?”
“Yes way, honey! They are really an ex-couple!” Francis explained, placing his arm around Ahya’s shoulder.
“Whoa! I’m impressed, I mean, you guys are incredible! You managed to stand again with each other in one place— wow, just wow?”
“Because they have moved on already,”
“Yeah, I know, maybe that’s why they get along well again, they remain friends! I’m surprised, but are you sure you’re just friends?” She turned to David.
“Honey?”
I couldn’t help but be amazed with her. She’s a straightforward person and maybe that was one of the reasons why Francis fell in love with her and… why he begged to keep what I heard to myself.
“Yes, we’re just friends.” I said glancing in David’s direction and he hesitantly nodded. “He’s already in a relationship,”
“Ahh…” She sighed, grabbing me by the elbow and to my surprise, she whispered in my ear. “But how wish you are his girlfriend and not that Tanya whoever she is!”
“But why? Haven’t you met her yet?”
“Nope, David hasn’t introduced any woman other than you, that’s why I was surprised when you said you’re not his girlfriend!”
“Oww…” The only thing I could reply with a nod and a confused smile.
I turned to David after that conversation and there, I caught him staring at me. And since Francis was now already talking to his wife, I decided to walk in his direction.
“What did she tell you?” He asked calmly.
“Nah!” I shrugged. “She just told me you haven’t introduced Tanya to her and she was wondering why.” I stared at him to see his reaction but he looked away. “Honestly, I’m also getting curious… why haven’t you introduced her yet?”
“Because she’s busy,” he simply replied.
“And you’re not? She is your secretary so, that means you have the same schedules, right?”
“Well… uhm.. she has business, I mean…” I was eagerly waiting for what he would say next but his friend suddenly interrupted him while speaking.
“Guys, let’s go out,” I heard Francis voice behind me. “Sam, I’ll introduce you to the kids,” he grinned.
I raised an eyebrow.
-‘Jeez! Why do I have the feeling that something is off?’- I asked myself in silence but eventually brushed it off when I felt David’s hand on my lower back motioning to leave the room and follow the couple.
When we reached the recreation area at the back of the building, I didn’t expect that even I would also have fun helping the children in the foundation. But I focused on the feeding program where I helped Francis team give food to the children the same as what Ahya’s doing.
It’s already 12:30 in the afternoon when David called my attention. We had just finished serving food and drinks to the children of Faith and Hope foundation and we had forgotten how quickly the time passed.
“Come on, bro, Sam, let’s have lunch together. I know a famous restaurant a few blocks from here.” It was David who grabbed his wife’s hand.
I had a sudden feeling of envy upon seeing their hands intertwined, but I quickly pushed that feeling away and concentrated on the two small hands of my wristwatch. I also didn’t notice the time.
“And it’s on me,” He added grinning.
“Of course, you should pay for what we are having after getting tired of helping you earlier.” David nonchalantly said and I couldn’t help but nudge his side and give him a ‘what are you saying’ look which he just responded with a chuckle.
We went back to Francis office to get our things and prepare for lunch.
But then I suddenly stopped in my tracks when I saw David preparing to take off his doctor’s gown. I hitched my breath as I watched him slowly take it off. How I wished to help him remove that gown like I used to do before when I was waiting for him in his office.
“Sam!”
I flinched in my seat when Ahya suddenly called my name and when I turned to her…
“Are you okay?”
“Y-Yeah, why do you ask?”
“Because I noticed that you’ve been staring at David for a while now,”
-‘Jeez! This woman!’- I clenched my jaws, trying to calm my nerves to deal with the possible embarrassment as all eyes were now on me.
“Yeah, I’m okay, I was just watching David removing his gown and I’m still amazed how carefully he took it off and hung it on the coat’s rack.”
-‘Whew!’- I breathed a sigh of relief when I noticed that I convinced them with my alibi. But somehow it’s true because I’ve been his girlfriend for a couple of year and I witnessed how he did even those simple things carefully and meticulously.
“So, did you miss seeing him like that, I mean, wearing his gown?” I couldn’t help raising an eyebrow when Francis asked me as I didn’t miss the teasing tone in his voice.
“Hmm… kinda,” I shrugged, watching their surprised reaction including David’s. “We’ve been together for two years and I used to help him hang up that coat too before so, maybe it’s normal to remember the old days, right? And I don’t see anything wrong with it.”
And suddenly they all seemed frozen in their spot, well, David was fast to recover as he flashed me a boyish grin after that.
“So, shall we go now?” He asked.
Actually, that question was for everyone, but it seemed like it was only for me, since he was staring at me when he asked it.
“Yup, I suddenly felt hungry,” I nodded with a shrug, reciprocating his smile.
But I don’t know how long we remained staring at each other, we just pulled back to our thoughts when we heard Francis’ voice.
“Eherm! Honey, do you still remember the scent of romance because I can smell it in the air?”
I slowly turned around to the couple’s direction and chuckled when Ahya responded.
“Yeah, me too, but the smell of second chances is stronger!” And they pretended to smell the air as if they could actually smell it.
“Aren’t you going to eat?” David asked them as she motioned for me to get out of the office. “Come on, Sam,”
We didn’t wait for them to respond. David grabbed me by the elbow and whispered…
“Don’t mind them, let’s go,”