Seat By The Window - Part 2

... "Thanks for let me have the seat." I wrote ...

The moment I return from the book. I had no idea how long the time had passed, my stomach start sending me signal that its ready to work.

"Welcome back." A deep voice coming from in front. Its Jun, he standing beside his chair, putting down his camera on the table and get another lens from his bag.

"Hey." I place my book on my lap, grinning as I greet him. His welcome actually make me feel warm inside, its like someone at home welcoming you from coming back after a long day in office.

"How is your advantage?" He asking me question, but his eyes are on his hands, changing lens for camera.

"Dangerous, but it's fun." I said and cough after that because of long period without any water to moist my throat, I kinda hard to voice out louder. It happened to me all the time.

"Get something to eat, you been sitting there nearly 2 hours now." He done changing the lens, standing there giving a look that I can't understand.

Instead of answering him, I nodded, with smile on my face.

"I better get back to work." Turning away as quickly as he finish the sentence.

I'm not sure is it my imagination or he is actually trying to avoid eyes contact with me. Or maybe its the window behind me, the sun is too bright make him look into my direction.

Anyway, I shake away all the thoughts and ask a menu from a waitress pass by. When I browse through the menu, I can't help myself searching for Jun with corner of my eyes.

He is now standing together with Lupin at the workshop, having small conversation. Both of their back facing me, Jun had said something to Lupin, and Lupin is hitting Jun's arm with elbow. Jun fluttering his hands like he trying stop Lupin from teasing him.

They really close to each other, I think to myself.

"Miss, may I take your order now?" The waitress had return with a pen and note pad in hands, snap my attention back to menu.

Great, I din't really study the menu just now, what should I order?

Out of sudden, I think of the spaghetti Jun's having earlier.

"I'll have a spaghetti then." I said to the waitress.

"Alright." The waitress retrieve the menu and disappear behind the work station.

Put away my book on the table, drank the whole cup of my coffee, I turn around and put my right arm on the windowsill, and place my chin on my forearm.

Outside the window, is the alley that lead to my apartment. There is a tree, 10 feet tall at the right side of the window, the veins of the leaves are visible, as the sunlight penetrate through the leaves. Its dessert hot outside, no one walk in the alley, just few cars drove by. There comes a cat, white fur with black spots all over its body. The cat sit on the brick fence opposite, like the heat never bother it. Its quiet weekday, I love this peaceful moment.

"You always do that." I heard a voice from behind me.

I turned, see Lupin having a tray in his hands. "Pardon me?"

"You always looking out the window that way, with your chin on your arm. Even in the school bus." Lupin puts down the tray, place my spaghetti and a glass of water with a slice of lemon in it in front of me.

"So you knew who am I, all the time."

"Of cause I do." Lupin take the chair the Jun sit earlier. "The girl that gave me a season greeting card in the school bus."

"And you yelled across the bus asking why there is a heart shape sticker stick at the back of the envelope."

"You din't answer me that time, " he ask in serious tone, pretending. "So can I get my answer now?
Why there is a heart shape sticker at the back of the envelope you gave me?"

"Really?" I stare at him with unbelievable look.

We stare each other for a second, then we both bust into laughter.

"Honestly, I wasn't so sure is it you at first." Lupin said as he slowly recover from his laughter. "The other day, you tagged our cafe facebook page, which lure me to your profile. Then only I'm sure is you."

"I heard Jun said, you save this seat for me. Is it true?" Finally, the question I desperate to know for the whole afternoon.

"No." He said, "this seat originally I used whenever I doing my paper work, my workers never touch this table, so everyone thought its off limit. After I told my workers you are my high school junior, then whole cafe including all my kitchen crews assume this seat is yours when its weekend."

"So, you din't reserve the seat for me, but I always sit here whenever I came. Then people thinks that this is my place after all?" I summarize it up.

"Yea."

"So I actually stolen your seat then?"

"Nop, I never use this seat during weekend. So its not like you stole anything."

"I see." I feel relieved, which i not quite sure why. I take the straw from the glass of water and play with the slice of lemon in it. "So now you married?" I tried all my best to ask this question casually.

"Engaged." Lupin giggles a little and continue, "and you?"

"Still single."

"Really?"

"Why would I lie about this?"

Lupin's shoulders goes up and down. "That glass of water... " He said with big smile on his face, I waiting him to finish his sentence, but he stop.

"What about it?" I asked, curiously. It can't be poison, right?

"Jun ask me to serve you that, he said you not drink nor eat for hours, you seem lost your voice for a moment." His smile wilder.

"What you trying to say?" I'm pretty sure he meant more than what he said. "With that kind of face."

"You know what I'm trying to say." Lupin stand up from the chair. "And that's all I want to say." Then he left.

I do understand what he trying to say. He tried to hook me up with Jun.

Have to say, its very thoughtful of him, to notice me having dry throat after I came back from book and order for me a glass of water. But we more like acquaintances to each other, is it him try to be kind and friendly?

My eyes search for Jun again. He is focus on his job on hands right now, bend his body forward and taking photo of people doing hand crafts.

Suddenly, Jun looking my way, and I pretty sure our eyes meet.

My heart stopped for a beat, I quickly drop my head like a kid who get caught being naughty.
Lupin standing behind the coffee machine, direct opposite to me, saw everything, he gave me that big smile again.

I shake my head, and pull the spaghetti to myself. Its better finish this and leave, before Lupin come out with something more embarrassing, such as blind date.

As soon as I finish my spaghetti, I pack my things and gesture waitress to bring my bill. While waiting waitress to print the bill, I saw Jun's bags on the chair opposite me.

I din't see him drink anything, too, after he start taking photos. And he been taking photos for hours now. Jun shown me his kindness by ordering water to me, it will be rude if I din't repay his kindness, right?

"Miss, your bill." The waitress come to me with a bill on a small tray.

"I'm so sorry, but can I add in another order?" I said to the waitress.

"Of cause." The waitress said happily, "what is it you like to order?"

"One Ice Dragon Passion, please." Ice Dragon Passion is my second favorite drink in Lupin's. I remember the price, so I give the cash to the waitress. Before the waitress leave to process my new order, I ask a pen from him.

After the waitress walked away, I open my bag and look for a piece of paper, so that I can write a memo to Jun about the drink.

Inside my bag, there's only my purse, my book, my handphone and my keys.

So I take my book out, flip through the pages, found the book mark inside.

"Thanks for let me have the seat." I wrote at the back of the book mark.

The waitress serve the drink and hand me my changes for the bill.

I put the drink at Jun's side and place the bookmark beside the drink.

Without saying any words with Lupin nor Jun, I get out from the cafe and head back to my apartment.
It is 3.45pm once I fit myself in the sofa I bought in IKEA last year. I take my phone out of my bag, scroll through the facebook for a couple of minutes. Then I throw it on the coffee table, and start house keeping.

I walking around my apartment, sweeping the floor, mop the floor, cleaning toilet and wash my cloths. I din't notice my phone rang a few times to notify me there are messages coming in.

When I saw the notifications, its already 8.00pm. Where I had done house keeping and cook dinner for myself.

I holding my plate in one hand and laptop in another, put them down on the coffee table.

Unlock my phone, the notifications show received messages in facebook from Jun. This can't be the Jun I met earlier today, we don't have each other facebook. If he is the Jun, then it must be Lupin giving him my facebook link.

I tap into the message, it wrote: "Hey. This is Jun, we met just now at Lupin's."

Damn Lupin.

"I get your bookmark and drink, I like the drink by the way. I have something to show you, you can take it as a gift for the drink."

Below the message, there are 3 photos of me, sitting in the seat by the window from Lupin's. The first photo is me focus in my book. Second photo is me laughing with Lupin. Third photo is I looking out the window with my arm under my chin.

The photos are beautiful, like photos from Instagram, the color palette is light and warm, I like it so much.

"Hey, I like the photos very much, thank you." I start typing in my reply. "That drink is actually as return for you, you don't have to return anything to me." Send.

I wait for few more seconds, nothing happen. So I lock the screen, wake my laptop to log in my facebook for saving the photos into my laptop.

While I saving the photos, the chat room shown Jun is typing something.

A couple of seconds later, message appear with the tune played.

"Lupin said I'm a gentleman, and gentleman will never let a beautiful girl to buy his drink."

I laughed as i reading the message.

"Plus, I ask Lupin to serve a plain water, but you buy me expensive drink, so I have to pay you back with somethings."

There really no need to pay back, its like buying a drink for a friend. But he do sound like he serious about this, he even ask from Lupin about my facebook link after all. So I better not to refuse him, i guess.

"Well, if you really want to pay back, then just answer me a few questions, then we are even."

"OK. What is it that you can to ask?"

"I like the photo that I'm laughing with Lupin. Its the most natural and the way light peeks in. Which show you really good as a photographer."

"Thanks."

"So, here is my question... May I know what's in your mind when you taking that photo?"

I expecting something in his answer, but I don't know what's I'm expecting.

He typing something, and he taking long time to build his sentence. I watching the dots jumping up and down. He is struggling over something, he is thinking what to reply. I let him take his time, I staring the window at the right bottom in my laptop screen.

"I was thinking what's Lupin said to you."

"And you smile really beautiful. I try to capture it a few times, but I din't success. I told Lupin I'm trying to capture your smile, he... kinda tease on me about that. So I was thinking, will he said something weird to you that time. Did he?"

"No, we were talking about our high school. We're in the same high school and he is my senior." He actually did, he hints me something after the laughter.

"I see." He reply almost instantly. "So... I heard you will go to Lupin's every weekend, huh?"

"Yea, I just get addicted to the environment there." The coffee sensation and everything.

"This weekend too?" He asked another question.

"Yes." Well, I have no other plans.

"Then, can we have lunch together at Lupin's this weekend?" Jun asked again.

Lupin will be happy if he see me and Jun sitting together again at that seat by the window. I can see him grinning already.

I reply: "Sure."

- - - - - THE END - - - - -