We managed the days, though we'd both been busy.
I mean, he had been busy.
Mine was just... scheduled: a few appointments, meetings, Pilates, and yoga classes.
Then one day, after one of his good morning message, came this:
Sayang, do you think we can meet and maybe have dinner together?"
When?" I asked.
Are you in the office today?"
He knew I wasn't always in.
I'll have meetings till late afternoon. We can have dinner, but I'll need to shower—got yoga after work."
You can wash up here, sayang. What time's your class done?"
6:15. I'll walk to the Marriott. That okay?"
Sure. Let me know when you're done, okay, sayang."
After yoga class, I texted him while walking with my giant tote bag (yes, that tote bag). He said he'd stepped out for a bit but would be back soon — and if he wasn't, I should just wait in the lobby.
Turned out, we arrived at the Marriott at the same time. I spotted him across the entrance — and yep, there it was again — that smile. That little spark in his eyes like this moment was his favorite part of the day.
He took the bag off my shoulder like it weighed nothing, gave me a quick once-over, and silently led me up to his suite.
I slipped off my shoes and lined them up neatly next to his.
Part of me grumbled, noticing that even his shoes were lined up like it's a catalog shoot.
My brain immediately recalled some article about OCD tendencies. Is this what they meant?
"Sayang," his voice pulled me back. He was watching me with an amused smile.
"Please be my guest," he said, gesturing toward the bedroom. "Bathroom's ready. You're free to use anything you want. I'll call room service."
Usually, we ate at the restaurant or the café downstairs. So... he wasn't planning to leave the suite tonight?
The thought lingered as I stepped into the shower. The warm water felt like heaven after the day I'd had. I changed into a crop top and a skirt, feeling freshened and oddly giddy.
Dinner was already set on the small table. He looked at me like, Yes, I timed this perfectly look.
We ate while chatting about everything and nothing — work stories, random thoughts, national gossip, the latest news. Somehow, he made even the dry stuff feel fleeting, like background music.
A dinner that fills you up — in more ways than one.
Afterward, he patted the couch beside him.
"Come here."
We ended up watching a National Geographic documentary on ocean rescues.
Honestly? You should try it. Weirdly calming.
At some point, he pulled me closer — like, onto his lap closer.
And surprisingly… no nerves. Just warmth. His arms wrapped around me like they were custom-made. His lips brushed my shoulder, teasing and featherlight — the kind of touch that makes your spine forget how to behave.
Then he gently turned me to face him.
Suddenly, I was sitting sideways, my legs around his waist — like it was the most natural position in the world.
I looked up at him, and help me... those light brown eyes, framed by those long lashes. My heart thumping.
I like him, whispered some tiny narrator in my brain.
Rude. But accurate.
He cupped the back of my neck and kissed me softly. I closed my eyes — totally gone.
"Babe… look at me," he murmured.
I opened my eyes slowly — blinking, warm, dizzy in a good way. He chuckled and pulled me closer, like I'd always been his favorite.
We kissed again — this time deeper, longer, slower.
And right in the middle of it, I swear I saw something shift in his eyes. Aflicker. A flash.
Like a memory... that didn't belong to now.