LOVING A MANNEQUIN

Chapter 53: Addorro Sending Umbrella For Melanie

*MELANIE SMITH POV*

From the glossy glass wall, I could clearly see the heavy downpour of the rain. Unfortunately, I was not carrying an umbrella.

Shit! Why should it rain now where I had to go back to the hospital? What a bad timing!

I had no choice but to just nod. I was getting cold too so I agreed to have tea but we ended up in a small coffee shop inside the grocery.

"What do you like to drink?" He asked after pulling me a chair.

"Latte without sugar." I simply answered. "Thank you."

He nodded and then headed to the counter. But I followed him as I remembered that I had not given him a payment. Well, I don't like others, especially strangers guys, to treat me.

Right as I arrived at the counter, he also turned around in front of me holding a small red tray with two kinds of coffee placed on it. Based on the smell, he ordered the black american for himself. He also added a vegetable pizza.

My stomach suddenly carved for food when I saw the pizza and smelled the strong but sweet and fragrant coffee steam.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

I took a card from my purse and handed it to him, "Here, my payment for my coffee."

He tilted his head with his eyes flashed oddly at me and then looked down at the coffee and back at me again.

I was embarrassed of myself the way he looked at me. He seemed to be telling him that I made him lose face indirectly in front of the cashier.

I shifted my gaze to the cashier who was secretly smiling on us. Since it's the case and I didn't want any more issues too, I just put the card back in my purse and whispered, "I'm sorry. I just don't use strangers to treat me."

I immediately turned around, not waiting for his response, and went back to our table. He followed me silently.

"Don't be serious. It's fine. People always have different principles."  He said with a serious look.

From the time I was invited to have tea until now, he never smiled again.

After secretly observing him for a short time, I noticed that he actually looked like a gentleman. His every movement was fine, careful, fluent, with good manners, and elegant. He also had a good look with a clean haircut. His face was also clean despite having tiny short beards which were trimmed neatly. Those beards added to his manly charming appearance.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” I flinched when he suddenly spoke, with a slight teasing tone.

I instantly looked away and grabbed my coffee and at the edge of my eyes, I saw that he was watching me intently.

Did this man suddenly find me attractive or funny? Or probably I have something on my face.

I couldn't last to keep still after being stared at by someone I wasn't familiar with. Hence, I looked at him, only to meet his deep enchanting eyes.

I blinked my eyes and cleared my throat. I don't know what's funny but he giggled a little with my apprehension of him.

“Are you okay? Why are you so tense?” He said with a tone that was more like accusing me of certain things.

“Who told you I am tense? I am just feeling cold despite having coffee. I may better go back to the hospital.” My eyes expanded as I remembered my important matter, “Oh no, I almost forgot. I really have to go.”

He grabbed my arm, “Relax. Sit down for a while and finish your coffee.”

I pulled my hand, “Just speak and don't touch me.”

He raised his palms on both sides as if he surrendered unto me, “Alright! I won’t touch you. But can we finish the coffee first? Don't worry, I will send you to the hospital. Anyway, I am heading to the hospital too. By the way, what hospital are you going to?”

“St. Alexus Hospital.”

“What a coincidence! Me too.”

I was stunned by how quick and how he directly sipped the whole content of the coffee after eating a single piece of sliced pizza. If I was in a hurry, he would look more in a hurry. I suddenly couldn't help but feel curious of what he was going to do in the hospital.

Stupid girl! What else could it be there to be done at the hospital? If he did not visit the family admitted in the hospital, he perhaps had an appointment check-up for himself or there’s also a big possibility that he was a doctor.  Surely he was not there to date.

I was really funny.

He grabbed a tissue after taking up the whole coffee. He dabbed his mouth and hands then stood up, and said, "I'm done. Well, wait for me here. I'm just going somewhere. Just a moment. I will be right back."

I nodded.

He would have turned around to leave when suddenly remembered something, "Wait,  since we already had coffee together. Can I at least know your beautiful name?"

“Melanie Smith.” I said.

He pondered for a few seconds about my name, as if he waa having a hard time to sink in my name in his memory.

“Okay. I got it. Well, I am Rodolf Escubar. Nice meeting you Miss Smith.”

“Hurry, if you don't go right now. I am really going to leave.”

“No, I am going now.” He shook his head while smiling, “Miss Smith, wait for me.”

“Okay!”

While Rodolf was away, I was voraciously eating pizza while reading a magazine already prepared on the table and occasionally sipping my coffee. Until I realized that I had eaten it all. Rodolf was just right back with an umbrella and witnessed how foodie I was.

Damn man, he went to buy an umbrella, but he only bought one. Seriously? Was he doing this on purpose?

I was annoyed at the thought but more embarrassed as he giggled as he looked at me intently and then at the empty pizza box.

"What's funny?" I intentionally angered the tone of my voice to cover up my shame. I thought my cheeks turned red because of this.

“You are so adorable when you are shy.”

“What? Stop that, okay?” I glared at him.

He coughed, holding his laugh. Then handed me the umbrella. “Here, take this. Since you are in a hurry, I don't mind buying you an umbrella. This is my only gift of having an honor to have coffee with you.”

“How about you? Aren't you going to the hospital too?”

“I am fine. I can go later. Right, I will buy another one.” He smirked, “I am really unthoughtful. How could I only buy one umbrella since we are two here. I don't want to create misunderstanding between us so I am giving you this. You seem in a hurry so you go first.”

He took my hand again and laid the umbrella in palm as I remained unmoved.

“You go leave now. Don't let your patient wait long for you. Otherwise they will starve to death.”

My lips sealed tight and stared at him fixedly. I was lost of words to say.

“Don't be serious.” He tapped my shoulder, “Go and be careful.”

I stared at the umbrella in my hand for a moment and looked at him again only to find out one surprising and confusing appearance of the least expected person to meet. When my eyes passed through slightly behind Rodolf, I was not sure but it was as if I saw Addorro. He was standing behind Rodolf from a distance. He was watching us and also carrying an umbrella.

If I would think too much about it, was he sending me an umbrella?

I immediately stepped behind Rodolf with a worried face. If I was not mistaken in what I saw, I was worried that Addorro would have misunderstood us.

But why did he just suddenly disappear?

"What problem?" Rodolf asked and looked in the direction I was looking. "Why do you seem to have seen a ghost?”

My neck  kept stretching out as my eyes searched for him all around but in vain to see him again.

"Who did you see? Your boyfriend? Stalker?"

"I seem to see my friend just now."

“It seems my guess is right. Based on your reaction, you seem to have seen your lovers.”

“Nonsense! I don't have a lover.” I turned around and grabbed my bag, two boxes of fried chicken, a bouquet of lily flowers and two plastic bags of fruits, and said, "Nevermind! It looks like I had seen it wrong. I'm just going back to the hospital."

The hospital was only about a hundred meters away from the grocery store so I did not bother myself to bring a car. But it's fine. Just thought of this as another happy experience.

"I'll help you." Rodolf took my stuff and walked fast ahead. I was unable to refuse him to get involved with my matter because he just suddenly snatched it from my hand.

"Hey, wait a minute! Silly man. Are you going to dash under the rain without an umbrella? Aren't you worried about getting sick?"

He raised his hand holding the plastics and waved slightly, "I am not that vulnerable. Just keep up your pace on me. If not, not only will I get wet  but also these stuff you bought."

I felt guilty. The one who bought the umbrella was actually the one who was getting himself soaked in the rain. This was absurd and I don't have a heart to watch it, thus I ran into him and shaded the rain which only made Rodolf secretly smile.

Hmmmp! What a cunning smile. I couldn't help but think that he really bought only one umbrella intentionally.

We already reached this point, what was the use of complaining now. Just ignored it. After this, I only wished our way would not cross again.

"Why man all acting like this?" I whispered. "They are too meddlesome of others' stuff but neglecting themselves. Are you showing off to me?"

Rodolf chuckled, giving me a quick but appealing glance, "Miss Smith, you misunderstand me. I am not showing off. This is just men's second nature."

"Probably." My lips curled.

"So cute."

"What?"

"Nothing!"

We quickly arrived at the hospital. And I wondered why everyone was looking at us, especially the nurses and doctors. Other nurses in the hallway we ran across were even whispering.

-”Is she his girlfriend?”

-”Hmmp, so envious! They look great together.”

-”We don't have a chance now.”

-”As long as they are not married. You still have a chance.”

-”Bad girl! I am not that kind of woman. I never steal someone else's man.”

Rodolf smiled but also hid it back when I looked at him. He forced himself to look serious and said, "Don't take it to heart."

"Of course I will not!"

"Why did you stop?" He asked as I stopped in front of the door.

"I am just until here."

"Oh I see. So this is your family's room."

"Give me my stuff."

"Open the door. I don't mind sending you inside."

"But-"

"No more buts." When I still did not open the door for him, he moved in and opened it himself and went straight inside.

Surprisingly, Barbie and Angelo looked at each other as they were looking disturbed in their deep and heart to heart conversation.

"Barbie, you are finally awake!" I said as I ran to her.

Angelo stretched out his palm and stopped me from getting closer, "Miss Smith, no offense but I think you should go home first. Don't come closer to Barbie. You are a bit wet with rain. You two will catch a cold if you don't change. "

"Alright! I know. I know. You are really annoying. By the way, I bought a few things here. You have to feed Barbie. Get it?" I said.

"Melanie, did you see Addorro?" Barbie asked with his gaze eyeing on Rodolf who just placed down my groceries on the table.

"Addorro?" Wait? Was Barbie telling me that Addorro came to look for me in the supermarket? No way! "Why did you ask that?"

"He visited us here earlier. He noticed that you were not here so he asked where you are. I told him that you are just at the nearby grocery store. Since it was raining, I asked him to bring an umbrella for you. Didn't you run into each other?"

Shit! It was really him! I never saw it wrong.

I turned to Rodolf. It might be wrong to blame him but my heart did blame him inside. I closed my eyes and lied, “I did not see him.”

“Miss Smith, I think I need to excuse myself first. You guys go ahead.” Rodolf said. The three of us didn't stop him.

I looked back at Barbie. With just using a facial expression, I told her I was doomed.