THEM AND HER FLEETING ROMANCES

Chapter 3

The day's hot yet people are still enjoying their vacations, getting tanned under the sun. But the grin on Ezra' s face was exceptional when his friend, Lyonel, showed up suddenly along with a female he had never seen before.

"You should've told me, if you're going to visit," he said to his friend when they were finally alone. "Your girlfriend?," he added and looked at the way where Sarah vanished to change her clothes into a more appropriate one.

Instead of answering the question, Lyonel looked straight at his friend's face and asked a question of his own. "What do you think of my suit?," he asked seriously.

Ezra laughed at his silly friend. "It looks like a joke."

Compared to the tight suit Lyonel is wearing, Ezra is wearing a loose white shirt that teases the shapes of his fit body.

"But your servers did not offer me clothes to change into."

The friend sighed and tried to control his face muscles to not laugh at Lyonel's predicament. "Don't be sulky," Ezra said. "They are just confused about how to cater to your needs. Anyway, if you need something, you can freely use my things there."

Ezra pointed to the shack that's nearer than the dressing room Sarah was escorted to.

He silently watched Lyonel rise from his seat and walk towards the shack. As a friend, he's been with that pale bastard since their university days. He's reserved before, talking only to a few people then all of a sudden he started dropping his subjects, repeating a year thrice because of his night-outs that keep him high in alcohol and other drugs. Despite all those things, the man seemed to become normal again, thanks to his family's support and of course him — Ezra, the reliable friend. The last time he talked to Lyonel's sister, she informed him that her brother's taking up the brush again to pursue his career in painting.

"Where is he?"

Ezra almost jumped when Sarah suddenly talked beside him in between his wandering thoughts. He did not notice it earlier but the girl has charms that've been hidden by the gloomy dress she's wearing when the two of them come in. However, that's not the case when she changed into a much brighter clothing like the one she's wearing right now.

"Excuse, have you seen Sir L—"

"He's changing."

Sarah glanced at the still bewildered man and tried to understand what he meant as she nod her head.

"Uhm, okay. I see, I see."

"You can sit, if you want to." Ezra offered the chair behind him and shyly walked away. She's — the lady is beautiful but he has no intention to come in between his friend's romance so it's better for her to just sit quietly and wait for Lyonel.

Sarah sat and stared at the door of the shack, waiting for Lyonel to come out. When her eyes got a bit tired, she closed it and glanced at the water that's gently crushing the land. After a few minutes, Lyonel came out, wearing the same white shirt Ezra is wearing, judging from the dolphin logo on it.

"Oh, you wore my uniform?" Ezra asked as he placed down the sizzling seafood on their table.

"Who ordered that?" Lyonel whined to his friend.

"I know what you want, there's no need to go over the menu multiple times. What about you, lady. Is there anything special you want to eat aside from these? Or maybe you don't want seafood."

"Ah, no. I'm fine. T-this is already good."

"Nice. See that?"

Lyonel grimaced at his friend's smug face before taking his own seat, which the latter took as a signal for him to leave.

The two agreed to eat first before they talked. However, their plan wasn't that successful as they thought it would be. There's a dead silence ghosting their table after they finished eating. The tiny noises before coming from their utensils left the space and they are left with nothing. For Sarah, it's hard for her to start a conversation without acting too much like her previous persona, Rai. But for Lyonel, it's the conversation itself that is hard.

How to approach a woman again? He asked himself. He remembered himself during his wasteful days and found that it was easy for him at that time. How come he has no idea for a conversation starter right now?

Gladly, they were saved by a platter of potato chips that was served on purpose by Ezra who sensed the awkward stillness in their table.

The waitress smiled and winked at Lyonel as instructed by his boss.

"I'm sorry for that," he apologized to Sarah as he glanced over her shoulder and pointed at Ezra. "He sometimes does things on his own."

Sarah smiled. "It's fine," she assured him. There's actually no need for him to say sorry but he did.

The conversation went on smoothly after that and they got the chance to introduce themselves again. After hearing that Lyonel is a painter and he's tending to his garden as a hobby, Sarah tried hard not to look suspicious and drank water to ease down her heart that started beating so hard when her turn came.

"I–I'm a writer."

Did she just stutter?

Relax, Sarah, this is nothing. She encouraged herself. You're Rai the Great and you just need to act like a writer now.

In a second, Sarah's action as a writer became fluid. She shyly scratched the tip of her finger nails with one another and gulped her saliva.

"As you know, my mom is the one who arranged everything about this date." She stole a glance at Lyonel before continuing. "Being a writer made me stay inside the comfort of my room every day. Day and night, I can do my job regardless of time and what I wear so I... Hmm, what's my point again? Ah, as a writer, I'm too busy writing, I forgot how to socialize."

Hooh. Nice going, Sarah. She praised herself because she seems like a complete nerd with zero social experience in the way she acted.

"So what are you writing? Where are you getting your ideas?"

Damn. From you?