Love Lies A' Bleeding

Chapter 6: Never-Fading Flower

We stopped at a Ministop a couple of miles outside the gate of my subdivision. I didn’t know if I was to feel relieved or disappointed, because it was the same Ministop where Molly and I loved to buy ice cream and kariman. Suddenly, I had a feeling that it wouldn’t be a good place to hangout with Noah. First, it wasn’t in any way romantic, let alone comfortable. And second, Paul at the counter knew me well enough that he could tell what my favorite kariman filling by just looking at my face.

Noah went out of the car and took time opening the passenger door for me. I stepped out of the car and looked at him as if willing him to change his mind. But useless. He was undeterred. So there, off we go to Ministop.

“Good evening ma’am, sir, welcome to Ministop!” a crew greeted us.

“Can there be a place any less comfortable than here?” I muttered under my breath as I hid my face from the counter.

Noah turned to face me. “Huh?”

“Nothing.”

He looked doubtful. “Don’t you like this place?”

“Yes—I mean, no! What is it you were asking me, again?”

He smiled. “Nothing.”

Then, there was silence between us. I watched him went for the freezer as I sat on a nearby table. Then after a while he hauled a bag of ice tubes. The look on my face must have been funny, because he let out a giggle the minute his eyes turned to me.

Looking serious, though his eyes said another, he said, “Anything else you want to buy?”

I just shook my head and continued to watch his every move. He paid for the ice tubes at the counter. Paul, finally noticing me, waved at me and said his cheery hi.

Paul was a nice guy. Though I think he looked too old for his age. He was twenty-three, but he looked more like forty and married with three kids. Paul must forgive me for saying this, but he looked like he had been working all his life when in fact he just graduated from college. He told me one time that if I still don’t show up with a boyfriend, he would court me. He loved to flirt. Later, Paul wouldn’t even say a word to me. He would just smile and pretend he was too busy for a conversation. Seeing me with Noah was enough reason for him to lay his hands off me.

I was still sitting at the table when Noah came to me with his ices tubes.

“Ready?” he asked.

“Ready? For what?” I looked at him in confusion.

“Oh, no. Are you thinking our first date would be at a Ministop?” he asked in mock outrage.

“Why not?” Though, after I realized what he just said, I stopped and looked at him straight in the eyes. “Wait, did you just say we’re going on a date?”

He grinned. “Why not?”

Another silence ensued between us. He waited for me to stand up, and then opened the door for me on our way out of the convenience store. My heart once again beat fast.

And as was becoming his routine, after putting the ice tubes at the car compartment, went to open the passenger door and waited to have me properly seated before going to his side of the car. I asked him what the ice tubes were for, but he only answered me by grinning and shrugging his shoulders. He definitely had a plan.

He then started the engine and without another word had the car running. We didn’t talk during the whole ride. It wasn’t because I was angry with him for being painfully mysterious, but I guess I was just too afraid to open my mouth. It was true that there were times when I almost wanted to ask him about his plan, but I was afraid that I might blurt out something stupid, like I always do, so I just kept my mouth shut and left it all to him.