Chapter 3 - Flight

I booked my flight with a heavy heart. I came to visit here filled with so much hope and love and now, the end of my travels has come with tears and sadness within me.

After double-checking the details, I silently walk towards my luggage and started packing. I won't leave for another week but staying here with him will do us no good.

As I rummage through my things from the bathroom, I stopped at the sight of the pregnancy test I have been meaning to show him. I immediately throw it in the trash bin and take all of the other things I have left on the sink.

3 years ago

Work is exhausting. I found myself getting accustomed to the heavy tasks given to me daily.

The source of distraction has been giving me comfort more than I care to admit.

As I relish the sun on my day off, my phone suddenly went off again.

D: You still on for today?

Salina: Sure. See you in 3 hours.

Today, I finally agreed to meet with him. With that in mind, I have also finally allowed myself to remember his name.

Drayce: See you

It isn't my first time meeting with a guy from this app. I always made them go pick me up from the duplex and meet my friends so that they know where and with whom I am with.

After a quick call and catching up with my dear mother, I went ahead and get ready for my date this afternoon.

I wasn't particularly expecting anything. This is after all the fourth guy I'll be meeting from the app. I bear no expectations from this.

After putting a little bit of powder and lipstick on my face, I received a text message from Drayce.

Drayce: Hey I'm not really sure if I parked at the right place. Can you come out? I'm the guy in a yellow corvette.

I am a fan of cars. Particularly muscle and supercars. With the mention of his car, my heart jumped, and not in a good way.

I have always this thought that guys with flashy cars like that are either playboys or just guys who are not going to respect you at all as they demand it. I bit my lower lip and muster up all the courage I have to go outside. I can't turn back now. He's already here.

After getting my purse, I invited Jack and Flora—my housemates—outside to come to meet the guy I'm going out with this afternoon.

I was out for 2 seconds when I spotted the yellow corvette parked a few cars to the left then a man got off.

He was a tall and muscular man but I guess standing at only 5 feet and an inch, any man in this country would most likely look tall next to me. When he walks, I can tell that he commands respect. Wearing a white shirt, jeans, and a cap, my heart flutters at the thought that he may indeed be someone who is not good for me at all.

"Hi." He said in his baritone voice. I barely made out a reply when his large frame lowers to hug me gently. I hugged him back, though a little taken aback as normally, it isn't in our culture to hug someone we do not personally know.

I introduced my housemates to him which he respectfully greeted before gesturing for us to his car.

He opened the car door for me which earned him a smile. When we are both inside, he suddenly chuckled as I sat there, unable to not notice his musk that I find appealing due to the close proximity of his sports car.

"So, to tell you the truth..." He began. "This is really the first time I ever came around these parts and I lost the address of the restaurant I meant for us to dine into. So by any chance, can you recommend any good place for us?"

"I'm sorry, I only moved here a couple of weeks ago. I don't really go out as much to know good places for us to go to." I mumbled.

"It's alright. It's my fault anyway. Hold on let me see where we can go." He said as his shaking hands went towards the navigation of his car.

He then proceeded to type and somehow found a place for us.

When the car's engine roared, my cheeks reddened as I have always wanted to be in a corvette. I had to look away to hide my delight.

As we reached a Mexican restaurant, he told me to stay for a bit as he hurried out to open the car door for me. After thanking him, he opened the door for us to the restaurant but we both opted to seat outside to have better privacy.

After ordering our food, we started talking.

He began to ask me about my origins and how I got to where I am now. It was a usual starter of a conversation but as our conversation deepens, I started to realize how at ease I am in talking with him.

"Have you always wanted to be overseas?" He asks soon as our food arrived.

"Well, I guess I do. Initially, I wanted to go overseas for school. Prior to coming down here, I was invited to this excavation in Vale of Pewsey by the University of Reading after taking an online archaeology course. I was about to go but the US internship came in first." I said as I poke my food.

"That sounds amazing. So you are into archaeology?"

"Yes. I have wanted to be one since I was young although I did not know what it was called at the time."

"Archaeology huh? Doesn't that requires you to be knowledgeable about history?"

"Yes, it does."

"Which part of history interests you?"

"It varies from time to time. I mean, when I was in high school, I mainly focus on Greek mythology and the age of heroes. Then in college, I started getting interested in medieval Europe. Then recently, been focusing on Edgar Allan Poe's time."

The words came out naturally on my lips. Talking about history makes my heart skip a beat but his response was something else altogether.

"Oh yeah. The medieval period is quite an interesting time. It's filled with both conquest and mysteries that became the root of myths and legends."

I was taken aback for a second. Most of the men that took an interest in me, I would normally share with them my deep passion for history but none got along and know much of what I'm talking about.

From that conversation, I began to feel so comfortable that I found myself sharing some stupid jokes he would laugh at and in turn, would tell things that would ultimately make me laugh as well.

I said I wasn't going to expect anything for this date but my heart sank the moment we finished eating. We never really planned on anything beyond this meal but I did not want our meeting to end so soon.

"So, is there any place you want to go to?" He inquired. I look up and saw him bare a boyish grin on me. "I honestly didn't want to end this yet and I was hoping if you'd permit it, we could go somewhere else?"

I felt grateful and relieved upon hearing him. "Yes, let's go to this bookstore by the beach."

Despite being 21, I was never able to learn how to drive. When I got here, the only means of transportation available to me is either via uber or bicycle. I opted for the latter and would normally take bicycle trips by the beach to visit the bookstore whenever I'm on my days off.

I never had anyone to share my passions in life. My parents are neither interested in history except for my father who only likes anything related to war, the rest of my extended family is as well.

Some of my friends can listen to me babble about it but not a lot can participate in it.

But as we stood there in a little bookstore, I took Drayce to my favorite section which is the classical ones kept.

Most are hardcovers about the Aenid, the trojan war, and other hardbound books about the works of writers centuries ago.

He listened to me as I told him how my interest in most of these books most I cannot afford. About how fascinated I am with their ingenuity and imagination.

As I hold a hardbound book about the Aenid, I look up at him and saw how intently he was looking at me.

His eyes sparkled with what I can only assume was interested either in my fascination with these books or in me.

Either way, the look makes me feel something fluttering inside my belly I had to look away as I feel the blood rising to my cheeks.

When I was in high school and college, whenever there is someone beside me as close as Drayce is with me right now, I would feel threatened and would immediately give space for the two of us. With him, however, I can only feel comfortable and safe.

It was almost dark by the time he got me home. As we both stand by the porch, he and I smiled at each other before he spoke.

"I had a great time."

"Me too."

"I hope we can do this some other time."

He hugged me one last time before he went for his corvette and drives away.

When I went inside, Rachel, the oldest and kind of like our matriarch in the duplex, beamed at me and inquire, "So, how was your date?"

Being unable to suppress my delight, I smiled as my cheeks reddens and spoke. "It was great. Somehow, I feel like I want to see him again."

She smiled a knowing smile before I head to my room.