Lucia
1451 Words
Gavin’s new home is just a few steps away from the town center. It is a modern building with a very minimalistic design. It suits his taste, although having Aya with him would still beat every luxury he could have. He took a deep sigh thinking how Aya took a big part of his life in an instant.
It was effortless on Aya’s part; she did not have to do anything and the cold-hearted and picky Gavin fell head over heels. Maybe it is true that love at first sight could exist. Funny that not long ago all he cared about was getting by. Now he is focused on bettering himself, and how he will be able to show it to the world that he deserves Aya.
He cleaned up his office and staff’s house. The setup is very similar to Aya’s store and home. Maybe the entire town center is planned like this; it is a combination of commercial and residential living. Perfect for lonely people like him.
His back ached after that meticulous cleaning he just did. Gavin took a well deserved hot shower to soothe his aching muscles. He set foot in the town center looking for a bookstore and he luckily found one just a block away from his office.
Gavin browsed for books that might help him with his new job. He does not want to look like a dummy in front of his new business coach. Gavin is smart, borderline genius when it comes to his ability to learn new things. He can easily understand concepts, principles and the likes. It is just a shame that he was never able to show this intelligence, as brawns were all he needed back then to survive.
Gavin has this weird ability with numbers. He cannot put it quite in words to explain it to anyone, but he feels an affinity for numbers and equations. Gavin can easily decode equations with the little knowledge and theories he knows.
He went back to his new house and was in a rush to open his new books. He turned page after page not keeping track of time. Gavin instantaneously fell asleep with a book on his face.
The next day, he woke up at the sound of his alarm clock. Yes, he went to the devices section in the store and did not buy his own cell phone, instead he bought some old school technologies like this digital alarm clock that does nothing except tell time and set off the alarm.
He explored the existing sales terminal in the office; he was able to figure out how to set up his store’s inventory. Gavin also sorted his list of suppliers that were already there. He figured that it just needed some fine tuning so he can access the data smoother.
“Knock, knock,”
Gavin heard the knock as he took a sip of his hot coffee. He opened the door, and it was an unfamiliar woman in the doorway. “Are you the coach, Steven hired?” He reluctantly asked the woman.
She smiled and extended her hand. “Lucia, I am your business coach. You must be Gavin, my student.”
Gavin smiled back and accepted her hand. He led her to the office. Lucia bought a laptop and some books. It surprised her to see some books on Gavin’s desk. “Oh, I see that you like reading.” She commented as she sat on the chair.
“Hmm, yeah sort of.” Gavin answered briefly. He went over to the window to open it fully. The sun shone brightly that morning he wanted to let in some natural light. Lucia, on the other hand, prepared her materials for Gavin.
He also made a cup of coffee for Lucia. "warm up for a long day ahead," Gavin thought as he was stirring the coffee.
“Shall we start?” Gavin asked Lucia.
“Whenever you’re ready.” She responded with a smile. Steven booked Lucia to teach him for a month. Lucia leaves in another state and flew all the way to Hudson just for this coaching. She is a smart woman and a lovely one at that.
Lucia wore a black pencil-cut skirt with a satiny black spaghetti strap top. She perfectly paired her outfit with a pair of black pumps. Her long red hair was curled softly; it absolutely complements her round face.
The two went on directly on the task at hand. They wasted no time, as Gavin had a lot to learn. Gavin has never been this focused on something in his life. Maturity is dawning on him and he has no clue about how he is slowly changing.
Gavin looked at the wall clock in the office and saw that it was already half past noon. “Oh, sh*t! I’m sorry, Lucia. I lost track of time. What do you want for lunch?” He asked Lucia who was laughing at him.
“I’m having what you are having. I had a heavy breakfast. I’m not yet starving, so don’t worry too much about me.” She answered.
Gavin invited Lucia to the ramen house across the street. Lucia instantly agreed even if her outfit does not suit the small food stall on the street.
The owner readily recognized Gavin. “What are you having today, sir?” she asked him.
“I’ll have what I had yesterday, Miss.” Gavin politely answered.
“Oh, are you a regular here?” Lucia asked Gavin when she noticed Gavin’s familiarity with the owner.
“No, actually this is my second time eating here.” He truthfully answered.
“Hmm, I hope you don’t mind me asking. But, you look sad, right now. Are you okay?” Lucia confronted Gavin. She saw how his current mood is very different from when they were studying. It’s like a different person. She taught an eager and attentive person, but she is eating with a man with low self-esteem and his thoughts seem a bit lost.
“Am I too transparent?” He tried to laugh it off.
Lucia extended her hand to Gavin. “Hi, I’m Lucia. Right now, I want to be your friend.” She smiled at him. She saw the confused look on Gavin’s face. She chuckled. “I usually keep my professional life separate from my personal life. But today, I will make an exemption.”
Gavin accepted her hand. “Do I look desperate?” He asked Lucia.
“No, you look like you need a friend who would listen to you.” She answered sincerely.
“Thank you, I guess I’m just not ready to talk about it right now.” Gavin politely replied. He does not want to drag anyone else into his lonely mood. He tried his best to smile after that.
The two went back to the office and continued with their sessions. For Lucia, Gavin was such a breath of fresh air. She flew in expecting a dumb rich kid who would hit on her as soon as they meet. This was her usual problem, but being with Gavin now is a totally different story; a first for her.
Steven actually paid her extra, saying Gavin had never set foot in a regular school and that she might need to stay in a little longer to teach him. On the contrary; Gavin is her smartest student to date, and she thinks two weeks is more than enough for him to finish her course.
Their first day’s session ended smoothly. They left the office together as Gavin wanted to buy some produce and Lucia’s hotel was in the same direction.
Gavin took a deep sigh, remembering those memorable walks with Sofia. Lucia heard his reaction. “You miss your girl?” She blurted out.
“So much.” Gavin responded without even thinking further.
Lucia giggled. She finally got the answer she was looking for. "Why don't you go to her then?" She asked Gavin.
"My current situation with her is not as easy. That's why you have to teach me well so I can get back to her faster." He finally answered something that resembles hope.
"Oh, you bet I would." Lucia answered with a smile.
Not too far from them… “He totally ditched me for that woman?” Aya’s arms crossed her chest as she fiercely stares at Gavin and Lucia.
- Writer
