One Week After Meeting Keiko.
I contacted Talia, and she responded very warmly, without making an issue of my 'disappearance.'
"Where have you been?"
"Ehhh..."
"Are you okay?"
"Ah, yes. I'm fine. How about you?"
"A doctor always has to be fine. If a doctor gets sick, who's going to treat the sick?"
"Oh, right. Hehe. Good point. Ehhh... Talia, can we meet?"
"When?"
"Tomorrow evening?"
"Where?"
"Ah, hold on. Let me send you a picture of the location."
"..."
"There."
"Sure. It looks like a nice place."
"Do you want me to pick you up?"
"With pleasure, Mr. Wisnu." I smiled.
"All right, see you tomorrow, Miss Talia. Bye..."
"Bye..."
I could sense her smile from across the phone.
***
The Next Day.
I picked Talia up from her apartment and took her to my favorite coffee shop. It's practically my second office when I need a change of scenery from working at home.
"Tom."
"Bigbro." Tommy, one of the baristas I'm familiar with, greeted me.
"The usual?"
"Vanilla latte? Hot? Two sachets of palm sugar?"
"You know me so well, Tom."
"Of course. Loyal customer." Tommy chuckled.
"What about you?" I asked Talia.
"Caramel macchiato. Three shots of espresso. Hot."
"Bitter, huh?" I confirmed.
"Yep. I prefer the bitterness."
"Anything else? Maybe some food?"
"Do you want something to eat?" I asked her.
"No, I'm still full."
"All right, just the drinks for now, Tom."
"Got it, Bigbro. I'll bring them over in a bit."
Talia and I sat across from each other by the window overlooking the parking lot. From there, we could see pedestrians walking by, some of whom seemed captivated by the car I brought.
"This is the first time you've brought your Lambo here, isn't it?"
"Haha, yeah."
"What do you usually take to come here?"
"An online motorbike ride. To keep a low profile."
"Oh. So why draw attention now?"
"Well, I couldn't exactly pick you up on a motorbike, could I? That'd be ridiculous."
"Haha. Fair point."
Tommy came over carrying a tray.
"Excuse me."
One by one, Tommy carefully placed the drinks on the table.
"Your car is amazing. Let me ride in it sometime!" he joked.
"Sure. I'll take you for a spin one day."
"Awesome."
"Thanks, Tom," I said as I sipped my coffee.
"You're welcome, Bigbro."
Talia took a sip of her drink.
"How's it?" I asked.
"It's perfect. The barista's got skills."
"..."
"What about yours? Not too sweet?" Talia asked.
"Nope. I like sweet things."
"Why?"
"They help keep my mind fresh when I'm working."
"Are you working now?"
"Well, no. I'm just... trying."
"Trying?" She asked, intrigued.
"Ah. What about you? Why do you like bitter flavors?" I quickly redirected the conversation, trying to avoid feeling awkward.
"For the same reason as you."
"Trying as well?"
"Trying? Trying what? You keep saying 'trying.'" Talia grew more curious.
"No, no. Sorry, my bad. Please, continue." Damn, why am I acting like this all of a sudden? Get a grip, Wisnu.
By "trying," I meant I was trying to leave a good impression on Talia. While I was confident I had already made a solid impression when I helped her during the pickpocket incident, I couldn't let myself get complacent. There was still that remaining twenty percent I needed to solidify. Otherwise, Talia might lose interest.
The sweetness of my drink should've been helping me focus. Or maybe I needed more sugar? I considered asking for an extra sachet but decided against it. The doctor sitting across from me would probably disapprove.
"What I mean is, while sweetness stimulates your brain, bitterness does the same for mine," Talia explained.
"..."
"For instance, during late-night surgeries that last until morning, bitter coffee helps keep me awake."
"..."
"I can't exactly yawn in the middle of surgery, right?" She had a point. That would be highly unprofessional, and her medical license could be at risk.
"So, do you have a boyfriend?" I asked straight to the point.
Talia looked at me and smiled.
"Your question is really straight to the point."
"Ahhh..." Uh-oh. Wrong move.
"But I prefer guys who are like that."
"(Phew)."
"Not full of cheesy lines or unnecessary small talk, unlike other guys."
"..."
"What if I already have a boyfriend? What would you do?"
"..."
My eyes widened at her words.
"Would you still try to pursue me?"
What kind of question is that? Was Talia testing me?
"Ehmmm..."
Talia's sharp gaze urged me to respond.
I thought Talia was a simple woman, but it turns out she has her complexities. Not that I'm complainingâit's only natural when it comes to matters of the heart. You can't take these things lightly, or someone is bound to get hurt.
"I'd back off."
"Why?"
"Some guys might keep chasing the woman they like until the yellow leaf curvesâor even until the yellow flag waves."
Chasing until the wedding bells ring? That might still be understandable. But until funeral bells? That's insane.
"I'm not the type to steal what belongs to someone else."
"..."
"If the woman I like can be easily taken, there's a chance she could just as easily be taken away when she's with me."
The atmosphere turned quiet. The instrumental jazz music typical of coffee shops softly played in the background. Raindrops pattered down in the now-dark evening, blending with the faint conversations of other visitors.
Talia sipped her coffee.
"Fair enough," she said.
"..."
"Your face looks so tense."
"Really?" Maybe it did. I was nervous about saying the wrong thing. I don't know. I just prefer to stay true to myself.
"I don't have a boyfriend."
"..."
"Relieved?" She laughed teasingly. Honestly, I was thrilled to hear she didn't have a boyfriend.
"And I've never been in a relationship."
"Seriously?"
"Why? Why do you look so surprised?"
"I mean it. I swear."
"But that's hard to believe, isn't it? Hasn't anyone ever tried to get close to you? Or are you just hard to approach?"
"Ehmmm... I don't know..." Talia's expression was sweet and endearing.
"Come on, stop with the riddles."
"I don't know exactly how many have tried to hit on me."
"Wow! A lot, huh?" I teased.
"Haha. Not as many as you imagine. I'm not the kind of girl who entertains every guy with those intentions."
"..."
"But there were three guys who left quite an impression. One of them almost became my boyfriend."
"I'm listening."
"The first was Harry. Handsome. Popular. The basketball star."
"Harry?" I clarified, wondering if it was Harry or Heri.
"Yeah, Harry. Half-Indonesian, half-British."
"..."
"He was sweet and loved to surprise me. The most memorable moment was at 11:45 PM on my birthday. He came to my room on the second floor and knocked on the balcony window."
'Harry.'
'Talia, happy birthday,' he said, holding out a heart-shaped bouquet of roses and a pink teddy bear about twelve inches tall.
'Oh my gosh.'
'I know I'm not the first to say it, but I wanted to be the last, so it could be special.'
'Oh my gosh, thank you. That's so sweet of you.'
'Ehmm... Talia.'
'Yes?'
'Would you be my girlfriend?'
"At that moment, I almost said yes right away. But I decided to think it over first. Three days later, I gave him my answerâand I turned him down."
"Why?" I asked.
"I found out from a friend that he was a player."
"Really? I thought I was truly special to him. But apparently not. He pulled the same moves on every girl he liked at different schools."
"Wow."
Talia sipped her coffee. "The second one was Andre."
"..."
"He wasn't handsome. Just average. His body wasn't that great either. In fact, he was shorter than me. About this tall." She gestured to her nose level.
"But, he had such a sweet mouth."
"..."
"His words weren't always poetic, but he knew exactly what to say. Truly a smooth talker."
"You knew he was a smooth talker?"
"There were rumors about it at the time. But I didn't care at first. I thought he was genuinely into me."
"..."
"And the moment I really said, 'What the heck,' was when he asked me out on a date. Turns out, I wasn't the only one he invited. Five other girls were invited tooâat the same place, at the same time."
"Seriously?!" That guy is insane.
"I just left without caring. Let him deal with the fallout from the other girls."
"..."
"And what's worse? He still tried to contact me, saying he could explain everything. What nonsense. He was blatantly a player right in front of my eyes. I blocked his number immediately. Whenever we crossed paths, I completely ignored him."
I shook my head, hearing Talia's story told with annoyance. "And the third one?" I asked, intrigued.
"Ah, the third. His name was Dino. The most charming, the smartest, the kindest, and just as popular as the others at the same school."
"So, you were liked by the three most popular guys at your school?" She nodded with a slightly shy expression.
"Well, although Andre was infamous for being a player," she added with a grumble.
I chuckled lightly. But honestly, Talia is truly beautiful. So beautiful that even other women would probably be captivated.
"With this one, before he even tried to approach me, I already liked him."
"Handsome, smart, athletic. And he wasn't the type to use cheesy pick-up lines, nor was he overly romantic. Just straightforward."
"..."
"And it wasn't just me who liked him. Juniors, seniors, peersâhe was admired by many."
"What made him unique?" Talia's expression softened as if she was deeply reminiscing.
"He was wise, easy to talk to, and open to discussionsâwhether about school subjects, life, or other topics. His knowledge was truly vast."
"..."
"I felt like he was above me in every way, but he never treated me as if I were beneath him. He genuinely respected me for who I was and treated me like a lady."
"..."
"I felt like the luckiest girl in the world when I found out he liked me too."
"And did you end up together?"
"No." Talia's cheerful tone turned somber as she told the story. I shared her sadness, feeling sympathy for her.
"He died in an accident."
"..."
"The day after, we were supposed to go on a date and make it official. But fate had other plans."
"..." A single tear fell from Talia's eye.
"Ah, I'm sorry. I ruined the mood," Talia said as she wiped away her tear.
"What about you?" she asked, shifting the topic to lighten the atmosphere.
"Me?"
"Yes, you. How many exes do you have? Or are you dating someone now?"
"I swear, I'm single." I instinctively responded to her question.
"Haha, I'm just kidding. Don't take it so seriously. I know you're not that kind of guy."
"How do you know?"
"Instinct."
"Instinct?"
"A woman's instinct. Never underestimate it."
Ah, yes. A woman's instinct. My mom's. Rachel's. No, no. Focus on Talia.
"Women can tell if their partner is lying or hiding something," Talia added.
The night grew darker. The clock showed it was half-past eight. Both my cup and Talia's were empty.
"Are you hungry?" I asked.
Krrruukk. The sound of both our stomachs growling echoed loudly. We looked at each other and burst into laughter.
"I hope no one heard that," Talia said.
"All right, let's order some food. Tom!"
I ordered lasagna, and Talia ordered spaghetti. For drinks, we chose mineral water. Our dishes arrived ten minutes later.
"After that, has no one else caught your attention?" I asked playfully as we ate.
Talia chewed her food.
"Maybe during college?" I added.
"There was someone. But I ignored him because, in my opinion, dating was just a waste of time."
"So, you're planning to go straight to marriage?"
"Yes."
"Even if you don't know the person well?"
"You have to know them, of course."
"How?"
"Being friends at first."
"..."
"Talking. Hanging out. Spending time together. That way, I can determine if the person is worthy of being a life partner." Talia looked at me intently as if she was testing me.
"Uh... So, what's your ideal type of guy?" I asked nervously.
"Someone who makes me feel comfortable."
"So specific," I teased.
"Haha. A guy who can just be himself."
"Still incredibly specific."
She laughed softly. I didn't press further, to keep the conversation smooth.
Ten minutes after finishing our meal, I took Talia home. We left the coffee shop when it was just the two of us, and they had closed orders.
I accompanied Talia to her apartment door. "Would you like to come in for a bit?" Talia asked.
"Ah, no. I'll head home now."
"Okay, drive safely."
"Bye."
"Bye."
Talia closed the door, and I turned to leave.
"Wisnu."
"Yes?" I turned back.
Talia approached and kissed my left cheek.
"I've liked you since the first time we met," she said.
"..." For a moment, I stood there in silence.
"Drive safely," she added.
Then she ran backinside like a child hiding from embarrassment. I stood there, stunned, andmuttered to myself, "Tonight, I'll definitely sleep well."