He is Enchanted

The Next Morning

Ethan wakes up in his room.

He woke up in surprise, but when he looked at the clock on the wall, it was just past six o'clock, he immediately stroked his chest. 

“I almost died from a heart attack. I thought I was late.”

Ethan took a deep breath, then threw himself back into his bed. He glanced to the side and saw his cell phone on the table, which turn on several times because of an incoming message. It also saw an alarm logo.

That meant the alarm would still go on and wake him up at seven o'clock, then he'd be ready to go to work.

Ethan closed his eyes again, he also pulled the blanket. Ethan intended to go back to sleep, there was still half an hour.

It seemed, as I recall, I was still in Mr. Pearson's car.

"Wait."

Ethan woke up again, feeling even more surprised, his heart that had just rested going crazy again, even his breathing felt heavy.

"No, it's impossible. No!"

Ethan hit himself on the head, he even grabbed his hair.

"What are you thinking, Ethan! That old man carried you up to your room and even changed your clothes. It's impossible. You're crazy."

In the next second, Ethan threw himself back to his bed, then violently grabbed whatever was beside him, until his hand grabbed a pillow. He buried his face in the pillow.

“But it is so romantic!”

But apparently, Roman is not what Ethan thinks. Even though his name is in the word “Romantic”, he is the exact opposite of that word. 

Perhaps what his parents meant was the Roman empire. In Hebrew, his name means strong, powerful. His name is also used to refer to people who descended from Rome, this also fits his name which means a citizen of Rome in Latin. 

Actually in Italian, Roman means Pilgrim to Rome; romantic lover. But it seems that back then his parents didn't find this info, because Ethan only found this info after looking at some webs.

Before anyone asked, Ethan had looked up the meaning of his name on a search engine a few days ago, because he was bored with his office work, the more Ethan do it, the more it piles up.

So, with the hope of his parents, Roman would become a strong person according to his name. 

Not being a romantic lover. 

Ethan found it difficult to breathe, then he roughly threw the pillow against the wall in front of his bed.

He closed his eyes with his lower hand, this gave the same feeling as the pillow earlier, but Ethan could breathe easily.

“What happens then, if he doesn't carry me to my room? Am I going here all by myself?” 

But all Ethan remembered was the dark streets and the sound of car engines.

“This sucks!”

Ethan ruffled his hair. He had been struggling to remember what happened, but his brain kept on visualizing his crazy hallucinations. 

Ethan pursed his lips. "I'd better stop thinking about it." 

But what happened was the opposite, Ethan even threw his shampoo bottle while taking a shower. Made her mother knock on his door a few minutes later, asking what had just happened.

Luckily when Ethan said he accidentally bumped the shampoo bottle, his mother didn't ask any further. 

Even when Ethan met up with the two of them when he want to eat his favorite bread and jam for breakfast. 

His parents weren't in a good mood. At least that's what Ethan could say since they didn't say anything to Ethan.

So after finishing his bread, Ethan left his house in a hurry because his parents' mood seemed to be pushing him to get out of the house immediately, even though it was still too early to leave. 

It's okay, Ethan will stop for a while to grab a coffee then. Because he's too lazy to get to the office too soon.

But while he was waiting for his garage to open automatically. He also saw the Pearsons. 

Ethan forgot that they usually left at this time, while Ethan was still in his room watching the Pearsons leave, eating his bread with his favorite chocolate jam. 

Ethan rushed to open the front gate, then leaned his body against the gate. 

Niall was the first person that sees Ethan, his eyes met with Ethan, he tell it to Miles, who finally shouted making everyone look at Ethan.

"Good morning, Mr. Pearson!" shouted Ethan, which was only answered with a smile from Roman, that old man even preferred to help Miles and Niall get into the car.

That sucks.

"How are you?

"Good."

Roman did it on purpose, Ethan knew deep down he was plotting a very evil plan.

But even so, Ethan stepped foot and approached the family who was starting their car and motorcycle.

He glanced at Liana and smiled at her, then raised his eyebrows when he met Odette's eyes. 

While Roman was in the driver's seat, he hadn't closed the car door yet, and the car's new engine had just started.

Ethan tapped gently on the windshield, and Miles rolled down the windshield, the twins standing in their seats greeting Ethan. Ethan hugged them one by one.

After having a nice conversation with the twins. Ethan looked directly at Roman, waiting for the old man to look back at him, or at least speak first.

"What do you want?"

Ethan smiled contentedly, then tilted back his head. 

"After work, where are you going?" 

"To my friend's cafe."

"Where's the cafe?"

“Millholm Road number three.”

“You're telling me the address right away?”

Roman just smiled, then he forcefully closed his car window, causing Ethan to step back.

Unfortunately, Liana didn't get to see Ethan who was forced to step back, she thought that their conversation was over, so she immediately drove her car out of the gate, Roman smiled with satisfaction and drove his car out the gate. 

Leaving Ethan grumbling. 

***

Ethan is lucky, he lives in a modern era, because if Ethan lived in old times, in Roman times when Roman was still his age, or at least an era where the internet was not used as much as today. He would be easily tricked by Roman. 

Roman is mentioning the address of a gift shop which was quite large for a gift shop. Ethan had passed by the gift shop several times, the shop was sometimes deserted without visitors, sometimes it was also crowded with visitors.

That kind of store is crowded only when there are certain events, unlike markets or department stores. 

But what made Roman mention that gift shop?

"He doesn't have any specific reason, he always pranks me."

Ethan pursed his lips, all the way from his house to the coffee shop. 

He didn't meet Odette this time, because his regular coffee shop was on another street. 

The coffee shop is owned by his friend, Ethan will stop by for a moment to say hello because it seems they haven't met in person for a long time, because usually only through the chat feature in the game.

Ethan left his gray suit and tie in the car, he stepped out in a white dress shirt.

The condition of the cafe is still empty, maybe most people prefer to use a drive-thru service, rather than having to get out of their car.

So Ethan was immediately been recognize when he entered the coffee shop.

"Ethan!" 

Even his friend noticed Ethan.

"Hey, Duke!"

"Why you're coming here? Is there any problem?"

Ethan walked towards Duke who was now busy with his coffee machine. He put his hands on a table while looking at the menu above the coffee bean holder.

“Yeah, I wanted to get some coffee.”

Duke muttered while wiping the freshly washed glasses. “Iced americano?”

"Yeah, do it as usual."

Duke smiled, then immediately took the tools, Ethan didn't know the name of the tool, which was the tools needed to make his order. 

“By the way, where were you last night? You didn't appear in the group chat."

Ethan widened his eyes, and he tried to avoid Duke's direct gaze. "I'm tired so I sleep early." 

This year is the eighth year of their friendship, of course, Duke knows that Ethan is hiding something.

“You're on a date?”

“I'm at the zoo.”

The duke shouted, then smirked. “So it's like a zoo-date kinda thing, right?”

Ethan clenches his jaw while staring at Duke. "It's not a date, I went with the entire group of a family."

"Your relationship has gone that far?" said the Duke with wide eyes.

"Remember Liana? The girl I told you.”

Duke opened his mouth while nodding his head, trying to remember Ethan's story. Then the Duke stood in front of Ethan, he seemed to be waiting for something.

“So how's your date? You guys are having fun, right?”

Ethan was silent, he went back to his memories. He almost remembered everything; when they enter the zoo and see camels, then how Roman brings up the incident of Ethan watering the plants during the day, then how Roman, who seems to be forced to accompany Odette to take pictures with the talking parrot, eat lunch with Niall, then go see the snake, then looked at each other faces under the blue light of the aquarium.

Duke laughed, his laughter breaking Ethan's thoughts. “According to your face, you must be having a great time with her, right?”

Ethan nodded his head with a smile dancing on his lips. 

It's him actually, but I'm not gonna tell you.

Duke is now pouring his drink into a plastic cup, then sealed it. And showed it to Ethan and gave it to the cashier. 

Ethan walked towards the cashier while taking out his card to pay. 

"I almost forgot." 

Ethan turned his head back to Duke.

"Today Hunter and Emma are here."

Ethan couldn't hide his happiness when Emma's name was mentioned, because he hadn't seen that girl in a long time, even though in high school, they sat next to each other and always went everywhere together, and Ethan was the one who introduced Emma to his current friends.

While Hunter, as his name mean, he and Ethan were in the same horse riding club when they were at university. It had been a long time since they had ridden a horse together.

"And we're planning to meet at lunchtime at the Palm peace mall, are you gonna make it?"

Ethan took his card as well as his drink. "I'll let you know when I get to the office," said Ethan, hurrying to his car.

“Say it in the group chat!”