Coffee, Tea or Me

-LAIN-   I GROANED inward as I scanned the long queue of people fronting the cashier's booth of one of my favorite fast-food chain. It's Monday. Another fresh start but already, I dreaded the thought of going through the same routine all week without some respite on my busy schedule. Being employed full time as a creative-director-c*m-event- decorator, it was my responsibility to sourced out materials and laborers while planning the needed requirements of an identified venue down from simple to the most extravagant. Most often, time is of the essence and the pressure of beating the deadline kept me working from the broken of a new day to late nights. And today was no exception. The fact is, I am very ready to sleep in a standing position now. If only my mind and body won't yearning for a cup of coffee. As in right now. I sighed heavily. Stifling a yawn, I ended up wrinkling my brow when all of a sudden someone bumped me from behind. I frowned. Irate words were already on the tip of my tongue. "I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to." The man right behind me smiled apologetically which effectively snatched up my timing to say my piece. That sleep-laced deep voice coupled with the dreamy over-all look of his handsome face caught me off-guard. I almost gasped especially when he fleetingly licks his lips. I dare to look straight into his eyes. But it was a mistake. Those deep-set expressive eyes were a trap and stupidly, I was drawn into them without me knowing it. Fine. Fine. Let it snow now in the middle of June and who knows, I might end up in his warm embrace!  I chided myself. Then, earth to myself as the cashier was already trying to catch my attention. When I looked in front, the line was gone and those who were on the back other than the man was impatient already. To save face, I smiled back to the stranger and act as if nothing happened. But my burning face was another story. I took a deep breath and gave my order to the cashier calmly. But my fine hair stood on end signaling that the man behind my back was still looking at me. I kept my eyes on the floor when I passed him by and make a beeline to a vacant table near the window. Fleetingly, I chance a glance at the stranger again. He was still ordering now. He might be almost six feet. A complexion bordered between fair and brown skin. A wide shoulder with limbs tapered to a V. He was muscular as shown by his body fitting maroon polo. And my... What a bum. It occupied his black jeans in all the right places. Obviously, this man has a body-to-die for and a face that could attract the birds to form a line in the wire with just a hint of a smile from him. But before my assessment about him elicited some more 'pogi' points from me, I saw him carrying some of his orders and walk purposely towards me. I furtively stole some glances around if there were actually some vacant seats near me. I may have mistaken his intentions. But unfortunately, every hungry human stomach seemed to choose that same time in that fast-food chain for breakfast, leaving the empty seat in front of me. "Hello again." A shy smile lingered in the corner of his lips. "If it's okay with you, can I share your table?" He looked around to pointedly told me the obvious. I shrugged. Trying not to let him knew that he pick my curiosity. I took a sip of my coffee. "Sure. No problem." "Here. Think you need some toast to go with your coffee." "Hmmm..." I eyed the toast on his plate before looking at him. I wanted to sigh. That face is indeed so handsome. It evoked something in me but I tried to quell it in an instant. I already knew what it was, so, I also think that it is wise to let it go unacknowledged. But damn, I am famished. I picked a piece of what he offered. "Thank you." "It's okay. By the way, I am Dave Fernandez." He offered his right hand. He has long and lean fingers, even his nails were clipped to perfection. His hand is veiny with some fine hairs. A sexy hand. At least, for me. "Lian here. Lian Caridaoan. " I took his hand. But the moment our hands clasped, I was jolted with the intensity of the current that seemed to snatch me up in full attention. In an instant, I looked into his eyes only to gasped when that same intensity also pervaded within its depth. I felt lost especially when he intently seized my eyes. Truth be told: my pulse ran up a mile, the temperature of the air around me crackled with exciting tension. And it felt as if something within me filled. My God, I felt so alive in that instant. Even the sleep that tried to seized me up a while ago had been chased down the door. But in the back of my mind, warning bells were already pealing. Grudgingly, I acknowledged that warning and let his hand go. But he was still holding my hand tightly with that smile that should have been declared as illegal. I faked a cough. "Oh..." He seemed to be jolted with the sudden realization. "Sorry." This time, he flashed an embarrassed smile. I find it cute especially when he tried to contain the spreading color on his cheeks. "Don't be. Seems like you are sleepy, too. It could affect your briskly self in such circumstances. Drink your coffee before it gets cool," I said casually. But deep inside, my senses were getting tickled down to my nerve endings. "Thanks. I need to pull on all-nighters for this weekend. A big project comes up and its presentation needs to beef up well for the pitching tomorrow." I watched him sip his coffee. And looked away in an instant before he caught me doing it. "And I thought I am the only one worrying about doing my best at work to snatch up some bigger projects in the future." "Life's hard. That's a fact. If we do not do our best today, we might find ourselves at the end of the line tomorrow. That won't do for me." I nodded. "You have a point. That's our survival instinct calling our attention to always be on our toes especially in an environment that is too competitive, we like it or not." I dared to finally look at him again this time. "If you don't mind my asking, what's work are you in?" "A project engineer and an all-around design consultant when the need arises, " he answered without fanfare. "DMC Developers." "Wow. I almost know that it also goes with a hefty salary." He opens his mouth to talk. "No, don't answer. Big companies like yours always try to attract talented individuals in their fold with many benefits, too. I heard that sometimes, those prized talents were also offered a partnership when the time comes." "Seems you know something about the company I am working for. Hmmm... " "Not that much. I just heard it in passing just last week. We are the one who managed your company's event during the opening of your new main office in Taguig." "Funny, I do not even bump into you there. And yet, here we are." "We don't mingle while doing the job. I was there to make sure that things run smoothly. In the back, of course. " "Hmmm..." He looked at me thoughtfully, as if regarding me under the microscope. I couldn't help myself but be self-conscious in an instant. "D-do I have something in my face? Rheum perhaps?" I touched the corner of my eyes. Duh, did I stammered just now? He smiled, instead and shook his head a bit. "Just a thought occurred in my head. Got a weekend off?" "Why?" A ripple of excitement bubbled in my consciousness again just the thought of spending more time with him. Obviously, those warning bells earlier only added some excitement within me instead of quelling me to put up my defenses immediately. Like what I did to those who tried to come afore intent on letting me agreed for some kind of exclusivity or casual relationship. Somehow, my repelling instinct has yet to work against Dave. "You might consider coming with me up north. Site visit but the majority of it will be spending on the beach or visiting something that worth our time." "Ilocos Region?" I perked up more. "Cagayan Valley. Claveria, to be exact." My eyes have gone wide. "Are you kidding me? Because that is my hometown!" "No way." "Well, you are in luck. I've been planning to go home for some time now. I might join you if my schedules' clear." "Shoot!" His smile on his face reflected a little kid who was excited to receive a gift on Christmas eve. It warmed me up. "Here." I offered him my phone. "I need your number. I do not count the chances of meeting you again like this unless fate actually let us be." "Sure. That is so thoughtful of you to think it first." He gave me a wink. My God, I could melt like ice cream if I let it happen. But then again, the first impression always sticks at best. I cannot afford to act as some kind of stupid prick when things seem to click naturally between us. To think that we just actually met some minutes ago! Well, I'll be damned if I won't seize this moment in a way that does not necessarily come off as cheap. After this, I might be smiling like a lunatic for a week. Char! "There you go." I got back my phone from him. "May I have your number, too, please. With too many people calling me all day, I sometimes do not entertain unknown numbers." "Too bad for those ladies who wanted you to be their textmate or callmate anonymously, perhaps." "Well... I'm not interested." That was too quick a response from him that causes me to look up at him immediately. My, my, my... What's with this man now? My curiosity welled up. "Oh... But..." He cut me off by signaling a zipping gesture through his mouth before he leaned over and looked at me intently again. "Read and comprehend what I am saying to you now." He dramatically sighed in between. "I. Am. Not. Interested." While he was talking, I also watched how his lips formed those words he uttered. Each inflection seems to penetrate my consciousness in an erotic way. Will that make me shameless? I don't know. I had at least the decency to look away when he trained his eyes at me pointedly then.  Thankfully, my order arrived on time before he could ask me some questions that may be proved embarrassing to both of us if I tactlessly answer it. Well, not when I was in this state of sleepiness. It was not every day that I got to meet a guy that picks my interest. Better to downplay that s****l attraction and acted as nothing goes between us though I know that there was definitely some attraction lingered around us. Well, okay, I need to clarify that one since it was me who felt that way. Who knows what was actually in his head. He might be friendly or act like one. Or something in between. So better to be careful now, Self. I busied myself with my phone. "I'm calling you now. Fool proofing is the name of the game. I do not know if I am just dumb, but I have this aberration with numbers. I could hate Mathematics entirely saved for the needed basic operations." "And to think that I deal with it every day." He looked at his phone when I finally connected with him. "Lucky you for being patient with it." I killed off my phone after a few rings. "My school credentials tell you the truth about what I am saying. I barely managed not to flank any subjects that dealt with numbers." "To be fair, I admit that I am not good with subjects that are wordy. I flanked in English in high school, you know. What saved me were those creative projects that I enjoyed doing it." "Funny. But that's where my highest grades belong." "Thankfully, I was sent overseas for two years. In England. I could converse well with the English medium now. But I do hate writing so much with it." "Well...yeah. Things changed. We might be faking it in the beginning. But eventually, we learn to accept and thrive within it." "There are things that, while we hate it, they are a necessary evil, too. You need to deal with it if you really wanted to survive." "Right!" I nodded so vigorously without him knowing that at that point, his 'page' points rode high up my scale. Knowing that I knew something in me was hooked up with this man. Am I in the dangerous ground now?