A Tale Beyond Destiny

Chapter 14: A Date? (Caleb)

“You do not have any meeting for the day,” Fabian said to me as soon as he finished telling me what had happened on one of our projects. Of course, I also told him how to solve that not-so serious problem, and instructed him to tell that to the project leader, and now he was just telling me the other things that I needed to do for the whole week, though for the day, just like what he had said, I was already free and could do anything that I wanted. “You just needed to sign some papers, then you are good to go.”

I just nodded my head at him as I reached out for my pen so that I would be able to leave the office early. I did not know why I was so eager to leave, though I guess that what I had planned for the night had something to do with this. I even almost smiled because of that thought, but I stopped myself from doing so because I knew that my nosy secretary would ask me countless questions once again.

I thought that he had already left because I did not hear any noise for a whole minute, but then again, I was wrong, as I heard and felt that someone sat on the chair that was in front of my desk, and I did not have to lift my head to know that it was Fabian. After all, no one would be able to go inside of my office without my consent. I knew that they would be too scared to do that, though I never really knew why they were acting as if I would eat my employees alive.

Maybe it was because of my attitude towards them? I did not really know, because I never really paid any attention to how I treated someone, though it was different for Caliana. Because of her, I was always cautious about how I acted because I really wanted her to be as comfortable as she could and all I knew was that I needed to be at my best whenever I was with her; or maybe should I say she was the only person that could make me treat her differently to other people around me.

“Say,” I heard Fabian say, which made me snap out of my thoughts as I focused my attention on him once again. I lifted my head, slightly, to tell him that I was listening, and I almost regretted that action because of what he had said next. “What about we grab a drink at a bar somewhere? It has been a long time ever since we had done that, you know?” he said as he even nudged at me, but I just focused my attention on signing the papers in front of me. “You can also call him so that we can catch up with our lives.”

That was the moment that I lifted my head to look at him and gave him an expression as if I did not like the slightest idea of getting drunk at the end of the weekdays. “You were saying that as though the two of us were working for different companies,” I told him, as I slightly shook my head before I returned on reading and signing the papers.

“It is not as if I know everything that has been happening to you in the past weeks,” he said, and I knew that he was pointing out that ‘girlfriend’ issue, even though he also said to me that he would let it go, and again, I really doubt that he would be able to do that. “Come on. You should try and get drunk sometimes, you know?” he said as he attempted to make me agree with what he wanted to do. “Above it all, it is the weekend tomorrow, and I know that you do not have anything to do, or maybe, perhaps, you have? But you are not just saying it.”

“No,” I told him as I finally gave him the papers that I finished reading and signing. “No, for the thought of getting drunk until we cannot stand up anymore,” I explained as I looked at him with a serious expression on my face. “And yes, I have a plan for the weekend and I did not want to ruin that plan just because one of my friend wanted to get drunk and deal with a hung over tomorrow.”

His eyes widened in shock because of what I said, and I almost punched myself because I knew that I had just dug my own grave and I knew that he would not stop asking me again, and I certainly did not like the idea of dealing with too many questions that came from him.

“Are you going on a date tonight?” he asked me, as if he could not believe that was what I was about to do. He even tapped the desk between us, so hard that I almost feared that it would break, and I was relieved to say that it did not happen. “Is that what you would do, that was why you had the guts to reject me?” he said as if I had done something so horrible, though I doubt that was indeed that horrifying.

“Yeah, you can call it a date if that is really the case,” I told him, then I turned my focus on my phone as I heard it pinged, indicating that someone had messaged me, and I almost could not stop my smile from coming out when I saw that it was that shop that I went to, earlier this week, and asked them to make me a dress that I knew Caliana would like to wear. “That’s why I cannot come with you,” I trailed off as I focused on replying at that said shop, before I tried to find Caliana’s phone number to call her.

I heard Fabian let out an ‘uh huh’ as if he had figured something out, and that made me focus my attention on him again as I came to a halt while I planned to call Caliana. He had this knowing, but annoying, look on his face that made me want to punch him, but I reconsidered the circumstances, so I just decided that I should just let him go.

“I see,” he said, with a hint of something that I could not really figure out and I never intended to figure out, before he finally stood up from where he sat earlier. “Then I guess that I should invite him so that I would not be lonely later,” he added that made me shook my head, because I knew that he was just trying to make me feel bad, but I was so sure that I did not really felt so bad. “Enjoy your date!” I heard him shouted that made me look at him once again, but then, I saw that he was already going out of my office as he was waving one of his hands.

I laughed as I shook my head, before I mumbled to myself, “Yeah, I will really enjoy this date,” though I frowned when I remembered something. “If I can really call this one because I still do not know if Caliana would agree with me.” And I certainly did not know if she liked this kind of thing, really.

I wanted to surprise her, but I did not know when and how I should start. I wanted to ask her out, but my mind was running too many thoughts and I did not know what I should do. I wanted to do it as coolly as I could, but then again, my heart would start to beat fast whenever I thought of what Caliana would say, and I should point out that most of them were negative ones, even though I already convinced myself that Caliana was not like that woman.

Anyways, I really think that I should do this. After all, I had been preparing for this, all week long, and I certainly did not like the idea of cancelling my plans just because my nervousness, and anxiety, got the better of me. I should act like the strong man that I am, and not like a whiny teenager who did not know how to sort his feelings out; though I guess what has been happening lately, but then again, I was not letting it get the better of me.

I have decided that I should just go normally, just like I always have done in the past, even though whenever I was with Caliana, I could not make my heartbeat slower. It was as if whenever she was around, my heart was going crazy and I could not even do anything about it.

I let out a sigh as I stood up from my seat, and went out of my office. I greeted Fabian, who was still at his desk but was not doing anything, and he just nodded his head at me and wished me luck once again, which made me shake my head, before I finally entered the elevator on the floor. I even looked at the time, and smiled to myself when I saw that there was enough time for me to prepare myself, and Caliana, for our dinner later.

When I reached the underground parking lot of my company building, I immediately took out my phone and my car keys as I went to the place where I left my car that morning. It did not take me that long to find my car, and as I went inside of it, I immediately dialed Caliana’s number, as I decided that I should call her first before I went on my way.

“Hello?” Caliana immediately greeted me as soon as she answered the call. It did not even take a single ring before she picked it up, and somehow, it was enough for my lips to show a huge grin. “Caleb?” she even called my name as if she was unsure why I was calling her at that time of the day.

“Hey!” I greeted her, and I almost cringed because of how it sounded. It was almost like I could not control my excitement, which was somehow true, but I would never admit that, and it almost sounded like I had been waiting for this time to come, which is, again, the truth, but I did not want to admit. “I just want to ask if you are doing something right now?” I asked, as I hesitated a bit because I was still not ready for the dinner that I have set earlier.

The other line went silent for a moment, and I heard that Caliana let out a thoughtful hum as if she was thinking, and that made me smile even more. I patiently waited for her to talk, and when she finally did, I could not contain my laugh.

“I am not doing anything, besides scrolling through my phone, and I am getting bored right now as I saw the same thing over and over again,” I heard her say, and I laughed because she did not even bother to hide that she was indeed complaining about her phone. “I thought that I will be entertained with this, but as the time goes by, I am already getting bored with scrolling!” she even said that made me laugh even more.

She continued to complain, and I just continued to laugh, and hum, and make comments from time to time, and then, suddenly, both of us got quiet as if we could not come up with another topic anymore. And I heard her sigh with a rustling in the background as if she was moving from where she was sitting.

“Anyways,” she said, that made me hum once again to tell her that I was still listening. “Why did you call?” she asked me, which made me realize, and made me almost curse at myself, as I almost forgot that I called her because I wanted to ask her out for a dinner. “And do not bother on lying to me, because you know? I can easily tell that you are not telling the truth.”

I laughed once again when I heard her say that, as I answered her, “I will never lie to you, you know?” but then I heard her snort as if she was not buying that, as she started to list out the things that I had lied to her these past few days. I laughed once again because of that, before I finally said, in a serious tone, “I swear that I will not lie to you, this time.”

The other line went silent for a few minutes, and I almost thought that Caliana had already ended the line, by accident, just like how she always had done these past few days. I even remembered the first time that it happened because I got really worried about her, and I almost could not stop myself from pinching her cheeks because of how adorable she was, as she admitted that she did not know that the line got cut off because she clicked the end call button by accident.

I smiled and shook my head because of that thought, then I returned my attention to Caliana once again. Of course, I first checked if she accidentally clicked the button, again, but it was not the case and that made me frown.

I was about to call her name, but then again, I heard her sigh as she asked me, “Then I guess that you should say it now or I might end the call again.” The seriousness that we had earlier suddenly disappeared when I heard her joking about her own mistakes, and I did not miss how she giggled because of that.

Then, suddenly, I got the courage to ask her out for dinner, and I did not miss that chance because I knew that if I did not do it now, I would just be a coward and I would never be able to ask her for a dinner in a fancy restaurant which I had already booked when this week had started.

“Actually...” I trailed off, but then again, I decided that I should just go with it and be a man and ask her that question. “I wanted to invite you for a dinner tonight?” I asked her, still unsure, and still nervous because I did not know what she would say. “I actually booked a dinner for two in a restaurant and I wanted to invite you there, if you will agree that is.” I let out a short, but awkward, laugh because of the sudden fast beating of my heart and I could not help but to think of too many thoughts because of Caliana’s sudden silence.

I did not know how long she had been so quiet, but I knew that it was one of the nerve-wrecking and the longest seconds of my life. I knew that it may sound so absurd, but my mind and my heart could not calm down, and the racing thoughts inside of my head did not help either, and her silence made me even more nervous.

But then, when I heard Caliana answer me with a short, “Alright,” I almost could not stop myself from shouting out loud. I almost could not control the sudden excitement that I felt, but I tried to stop myself because I saw that some of my employees started to go out of the building and were finding their car so that they would be able to go home.

“Then I guess that I will go home now?” I asked her as the sudden burst of my emotion had finally calmed down, a little because I was still thrilled about what was about to happen. “So that we can both go to the restaurant.” I almost laughed because of how s*lly my words were, but I stopped myself as I tried to calm down, a little.

“Alright,” she said without a second thought, and I broke out into a grin when I heard the excitement in her voice. “Then I guess that I should just prepare myself while you are driving on the way home.”

I almost agreed with her, but then, I suddenly remembered the dress that I needed to pick up, just for her to wear on this occasion. “I remembered something,” I said, and I heard that the rustling on the other line had stopped, indicating that Caliana stopped moving just to hear what I was about to say.

“What is it?” she asked me, curiosity was very evident in her voice.

“I bought a dress for you this week, and I think that it would be great if you would wear it for our dinner tonight,” I said, and I almost cringed when I heard that my voice became so hesitant all over again. “If you wanted to wear it, that is.”

“Of course I will wear it,” she answered me without even thinking twice and that made me smile once more. “Then I guess that I shall wait for you to return so that I can tell if the dress fits for me or not?”

“Yeah,” I told her as I nodded my head. “That sounds like a plan.”

I heard Caliana giggle again, before she said to me, “Then, see you later?”

That made me nod my head once again as I answered her, “Yeah, see you later.”