Me and Galina (2nd Edition)

III

His morning started with a groan. Someone’s arm wrapped around his abdomen. Strawberry blonde hair scattered around his shoulder. Nikolas got up, inhaled harder, and stood up to pick up his clothes. After wearing it, he turned around and hissed. The woman was not his fiancée. He blinked his eyes twice and realized that woman was just a hallucination. He walked out of the room and faced Jasper. Jasper was holding his cup of tea. “Good morning, brad! How’s the Frat night?”

“Not good,” Nikolas replied. “Things get tough, you know.” Nikolas walked towards the kitchen and leaned on the table. Jasper noticed his gesture and his expression. He asked. “What’s bothering you, man?” that was filled with concern. He pushed his eyeglasses, placing the mug into the sink.

“Lately, I don’t know. “He replied, folding his arms on his chest. Nikolas stared at the boiling water of the kettle. “I was rejected by the company and I need to find a job for everything.”

“How about online selling?” Jasper’s words made Nikolas switched his gaze towards him. Giving him a questioning look. “What I mean, you must sell your paintings.”

“Silica wants me to find a decent job, maggot!”

“That’s a decent job, Santa Claus!” Jasper slightly raised his voice. “You can’t be so fussy. Be practical, boy!” He poured the milk into the bowl and ate his oatmeal. They’ve been friends since kids. But Jasper did the opposite: He has a job at Netflix as a Team Leader, he never cheats his girlfriend, and he has his own flat. “Look! I started as a janitor, then what?”

Nikolas scratched his head. “I’ll try…”

“Do it before it’s too late.”

He withdraws a higher amount of money from the ATM to buy his art media. Under the scorching sun, Nikolas drove to the art shop at Brixton. A colorful brand name lies on the top of the shop: Gary & Art. He paid for the parking lot, walking into the shop.

A familiar man whose height is taller than him smiled and spoke. “Man! Do you want to vandal again?” it sounds like a mock to Nikolas. Annoyed, he walked straight to the painting department. He saw an empty basket and filled them with brushes, charcoals, paints like acrylic and graphite pencils. His mind keeps telling him to punch that guy. But his hand cannot follow what his mind wants.

When Nikolas went to the counter, he looked around and checked if the man was still there. He’s gone. He came up to the cashier and sheepishly smiled at him. The cashier—the owner of the shop — greeted. “Good morning, I thought you’ll buy some spays but now’s different.” He took all that’s inside the basket, shoved them to scan the bar code, and placed them into the Eco-bag. While waiting, Nikolas viewed the window. Suddenly, a woman popped out of his view, walking in slow motion on the pavement. Her black hair was blown by the wind. Until she glanced at the shop. It was Galina.

“Niko, hey lad.” The cashier patted his shoulders, making Nikolas turned his attention to him. “I haven’t seen you looking at the woman… like that.”

“What do you mean?”

“You supposed to be haughty with women…” He leaned towards Nikolas, giving him a stern eye. “Flirting and chasing women like a fierce lion. But this woman is actually your…”

“What?” Nikolas pushed himself away from his look, frowning.

“Zoo Trainer.” The cashier burst into laugher and guffawed. Nikolas shook his head when everyone in the shop held their gaze towards them. He’s embarrassed. “You can’t even resist her charm, boy.” The chubby cashier sniffed and sighed. “Overwhelmed, huh?”

His phone rang. Nikolas smirked, showing him the pride as hard as a rock. “I can make her fall for me.” His eyebrow raised, making some people disgusted with his aura. Pride. He took out his pocket and read his fiancée’s message. Silica has a routine of sending morning messages every eight o’clock. But now why she sends it at ten?

“By the way, I’m Gary.” The cashier introduced himself. “Who’s that?”

“Silica, my fiancée.”

“Oh… you’re engaged?” Gary stabbed Nikolas’s chest with the bag of art media. Nikolas clutched the bag and chuckled. “Yeah, but it is far from the truth, bro.” He replied, walking towards the exit. After he went out, Garry face-palmed and shook his head. What really happened to this lad? His father worked as a minister, his mother as a teacher. They’re both God-fearing parents… Then why?

Gary looked at the folded newspaper on his office chair. The bold header caught his gaze: Vandalizing at Ilford Church. Then looked at Nikolas, who was placing his things inside the car, and went into the driver’s seat. As he switched on the engine, Nikolas kicked off the gas pedal and drove fast. He played his music louder than his father does.

His phone rang again… in a different ringtone. Nikolas took his phone while driving. This is dangerous. But to him, this is his talent. The talent of multi-tasking skills. When he checked, it was Silica’s caller I.D. shown up on his screen. “Hey, babe.” He answered her call. “Where are you?”

“Hey, bubba! How’s my darling?” she cooed, treating him like a month-old baby. Nikolas groaned silently while stirring the wheel. He made the call speaker louder and shoved his phone in the passenger’s seat. “What’s that?” Silica heard a sound from the other line.

“Nothing… By the way, I’m alright.” He responded, almost yelling to make Silica hear him. “I’m going to the café.”

“Oh! Can we meet?” Her voice beamed with delight. “In which café?”

“Uh…” Nikolas didn’t have plans to meet her. He grew bored at reading her cliché messages. One time, as they’re shopping at Hay’s Galleria, some young woman messes around Nikolas at the shoe department.

Women would rather be attracted to his physique: rhombus jaw-line covered with long stubble and hazel eyes. Making him look like a Calvin Klein model.

Silica gave these girls an enraged look and yelled. “Stay away from my Bubba!” Women were terrified and walked off from Nikolas. For him, jealousy is not beautiful.

“Well, Silica, I just want to buy some drinks.” He reasoned out. The car parked in front of the café shop. Nikolas reached out his phone when Silica spoke through the line. “Alright, have fun.” She repeated her actions like before. No words like I love you or even goodbye.

“What’s wrong with this gal?” He grumbled, opening his door. “She changed her attitude nowadays.” Nikolas sighed, pushing his phone into his denim pockets. Bubba… it seems childish, isn’t it?.

The smell of strong Americano entered his nostrils as he went inside the shop. A lady in her uniform queued before him. Her blonde hair was wavy and Nikolas stood—three feet—after her. The café was themed, with warm brown-related colors. When the line became smaller and smaller, He turned around when the doorbell rang.

A smile plastered on Galina’s face as she walked. He guessed she was working at a hospital. As Galina noticed he was staring at her chest. She raised her hand and snapped her fingers, making Nikolas blinked and skipped back. “What’s on my chest?” Galina asked.

“I was thinking if you’re working in a medical field.” He responded. Nikolas bit his lip, walking after the fading queue. Galina stood beside him when they both standing before the counter. A young lady greeted them with a smile. “Good noon, sir and ma’am. What do you want?”

Nikolas looked at Galina. She was reading the menu on a blackboard. He felt uneasy as his heart pounded faster. His forehead was dripping with sweat. Nikolas nervously tapped his fingers on the counter. “Choco Mocha with marshmallow tops,” Galina told the cashier. She turned to him and asked. “How about you, Nikolas?”

Niko whipped his head to the menu. What happens to me? Latte has drawn his attention, and he retorted. “Latte… j-just one c-cup p-please.”

Studying his gestures, she raised her eyebrows. “Are you alright?”

“Okay! One cup for a latte and one for mocha, so…” The cashier tries to interrupt the two and touched the monitor’s screen before her. “It’s £18.25 overall.”

“I’ll pay for the order.” When Galina reached into her pockets, Nikolas held her wrist. “No, I’ll pay. Galina.” As his skin touches hers, it sends electricity through his veins. Then his heart banged rapidly. Nikolas paid the order while Galina took the tray with the number tag on it. She drifted towards the empty seat and placed the tray on the coffee table. Nikolas hummed while sitting on the other seat. “So, you’re w-working as a nurse?” He started the conversation. Galina nodded. “Yes, just my first day of work.”

“How about you?” she questioned back. Nikolas swallowed. He was rejected by the company where his fiancée worked. Nikolas felt awkward to say about that situation. Maybe she may laugh at me? Unemployed and stuck at my friend’s house. “Well, I’m trying to pursue my art career.”

“Oh! What type of art? Graphic, traditional, or what?” she bombarded him with her signature curiosity. “Street art? Or tattoo something?”

Nikolas chuckled. The second time, she mentioned tattoos. “Nah, just painting.” Galina paused for a while. Painting? This dude is 6 feet tall with long honey blond hair and several tattoos on his arms and biceps. He looks like a gangster in the black shirt but he only paints? Galina closed her eyes and opened them back. “Are you kidding me?”

“You can’t believe it.” He leaned back in the chair. “Because of my appearance.”

“I didn’t judge you… but I was just surprised”

“It’s alright, never mind.” He assured. I can make her fall for me… but I can’t—

“By the way, I’m from the Philippines.” Galina changed the topic. The server gave them their orders and set the coffee cups on the table. The young male server nodded at Galina and walked off.

“He’s flirting with you, isn’t he?” Nikolas narrowed his eyebrows.

“You’re jealous, huh?” Galina smirked, then took her cup of hot mocha. Nikolas pivoted his gaze towards the window. “Pretty jealous.”

“I’m not.” He denied. Flirting and chasing women like a fierce lion. But this woman is actually your trainer — you can’t even resist her charm. Gary’s words repeated in his mind. Nikolas looked back at Galina and smiled weakly, his dimples plastered on his face. “I noticed that—“

“He’s just smiling at me, Nikolas.” Galina chuckled, scanning his hazel eyes. Those eyes were gorgeously tinted with greenish-brown hues. “I like your eyes, they’re cat-like.” She leaned forward to him and studied his eyes. Nikolas also leaned in to study her black ones. But then he looked at her lips and back into her eyes. The sensation rose as he was about to kiss her…

“Uh, what’s in my eyes, Nikolas?”

He jolted a little and leaned again in his chair. “Well, black o-ones.” He stammered. Nervous was never his friend until he met Galina: one strange kind of woman. “B-black dominant o-ones.”

“Nikolas, you stammered.” Galina widened her eyes in surprise. “Are you alright?” During her high school days, boys would stammer in front of their crushes. Teenage days… “Anyway, how old are you? Like I want to know you exactly…”

“Twenty-nine this December 24th,” Nikolas answered, fidgeting his fingers anxiously.

“Geez… that’s why you’re Nikolas, as in Santa Claus.” Galina giggled. She flashed her teeth with a beautiful smile. Nikolas pictured out the moment she smiled, the way she laughs at his name.

“And… that’s why I paid for your coffee.”

“As your advance Christmas gift for me.” Galina sipped her mocha. The same to her. Nikolas drank his latte. After that, Nikolas wiped his mouth briskly. “How about you, Galina?” he swallowed. “How old are you?”

“Twenty-five years of existence.”

“With no boyfriend or who?”

Galina choked. Is that the reason he’s friendly? What does he want from me? She placed her cup on the table. Nikolas went panicked and gathered all the tissue from the holder, giving the messy tissues to her. Galina breathed and exhaled. “It’s alright, Nikolas.” She stared at his hand with crumpled tissue paper, then glared at him. Nikolas stretched his lips into an awkward smile.

Santa Claus is wasting the tissue paper… making other people stare at them.

“Oh no.”