|| Coral ||
A date. This is a date. Oh, my God! — these thoughts kept roaming around my head and I kept freaking out internally throughout the whole car ride.
I couldn't understand why I was acting like this. After all, it wasn't like I was a nervous teenager on a first date. I was a twenty-five-year-old grown woman going to eat breakfast with someone who happened to be my ex-boyfriend.
Yes, it was normal. No need to be nervous. Be cool and classy like always.
Easier said than done. Ugh!
"We are here," Alex, Wyatt's driver, announced.
I was about to get out of the car when I glanced at Blake. "Blake, Alex, did you have breakfast?"
Please one of you say no.
Blake was about to reply immediately but then paused as if he remembered something and said, "Yes, I already had it. Thanks for asking."
"Me too," Alex added.
I tried not to be too disappointed because nothing ever goes my way. "Oh, okay," I said and got out of the car with Wyatt.
"It's cute how you try to escape the inevitable," Wyatt said cheekily.
I jabbed him in the side and entered the café. I went ahead to the furthest corner table and sat down.
As the waitress came to take our order, before I could speak up, Wyatt said, "One latté and Americano and two blueberry pancakes."
I just stared at Wyatt.
When the waitress went away, he asked, "What?"
"Nothing." I shook my head. "It just reminded me of the past."
He smiled. "Yeah, it was what we mostly used to have for breakfast at any café."
He was right. In the case of food, we both had similar tastes and dislikes.
I nodded at him and looked around the café, especially at the way it was decorated. It gave off a cozy and warm vibe, somewhat a romantic vibe as well with its pastel shades on the wall. Though they could really work on the lightings so the photos would come out better—
"Are you surveying for your café?" Wyatt asked suddenly, catching me off-guard.
"Huh?" I was confused for a moment before I realized what I had been doing. "Oh, yeah. It sort of just became a habit. I wasn't meaning to. Sorry."
"It's okay." He gave me a smile and brought up his elbows to rest them on the table, leaning forward towards me a little. He looked me straight in the eye as he said, "So tell me about your café, Angel."
I loved it when people were actually interested to listen to me, so I started with excitement, "What do you want to know?"
"When did you start it?"
"Almost two years ago. I'm thinking of celebrating its second anniversary when I get back. My regulars have been begging for discounts on that day. Though I initially denied them, I'm planning to surprise them."
"That sounds fun. I can see why your café is popular."
"Not to beat my own drum, but yeah." I grinned.
"I'm proud of you."
My treacherous heart decided to skip a beat.
Stop being so frivolous, you stupid heart!
Wyatt looked at me strangely for a few seconds and asked in a genuine tone, "Are you enjoying yourself with it?"
I was stumped at his question. No one had asked me that before. I looked down without being able to stand his gaze and nodded vigorously. "Yes, yes, I'm enjoying myself. Every day is like an adventure."
He reached over the table to ruffle my hair, and I looked up to see him smiling at me again. My heart thumped painfully in my chest.
"I'm glad you found something where you can enjoy yourself."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
Once he was seated back, he answered, "I always felt like your heart wasn't into it when you used to say you wanted to become a lawyer."
I immediately averted my gaze.
" You know, I had always wondered why you dropped out all of a sudden. Some part of me blamed myself and our break-up, but I also knew that you wouldn't run away because of me. Was it because you realized being a lawyer wasn't what you wanted to do?"
I had never told Wyatt that I wanted to become a lawyer only because my mom wanted me to. But after her death, I found a letter in which she said that I should follow my own dreams and I should do something I truly loved doing. So I simply did.
I resolved myself and answered confidently, "Yes, you're right. It wasn't because of you that I dropped out. That would just be pathetic, even for me. I had just... I realized what I truly wanted and got the courage to chase it. But it's true that I wanted to start somewhere where no one knew who I was, and I'm glad how far I've managed to come on my own, but I want to get further. I want to expand, possibly make a franchise out of it, like you know, Starbucks."
I kept talking until I noticed Wyatt's attentive gaze on me, so I chuckled and said, "I know it sounds like a ridiculous run-of-the-mill dream. Probably won't even come close to being true—"
"I'm sure you can do it, though. I believe in you. If you can't, who can?" His sweet words tugged a few strings in my chest.
I grinned and said, "Copying my words, are you?"
"I learned that from you."
I laughed, and he smiled goofily.
Just then the waitress brought our orders and placed them. I was about to sip from my latté when he held up his cup, and I instinctively clinked mine with his, letting myself be hit with another hit of nostalgia.
The rest of the time, we had small talks over our food. Overall, it was fun and refreshing. I can't say I hated it.
When we got back to the car, Blake and Alex were no longer inside. Wyatt was about to get in the driver's seat when I inquired, "Where are Blake and Alex?"
He smirked and said, "When I said it's a date, I meant the whole day. So do you want those two chaperoning all day on our date?"
I felt myself blushing and quickly got into the passenger seat.
"That's better," Wyatt said once he was settled in his seat.
"What's better?" I asked.
"You sitting beside me on the passenger seat," he said with amusement, referring to our ride to the beach where I sat in the backseat.
"You really hang on to the weirdest things," I said, shaking my head.
"What to say? I hold grudges."
"Start driving, Mr. Grudges. We have a lot on our plate."
"As you wish, my angel."
———
By half-past three in the afternoon, we managed to get everything on our list done. Since we had a late breakfast, we also ended up having a late lunch around four.
Everything went well.
Wyatt helped me choose a pair of suitable shoes for my maid of honor gown, which ended up looking like Cinderella's glass shoes. I didn't mind either way, as long as they looked pretty on my feet.
Wyatt also helped choose a pair of earrings for me when we went to pick up Ara's jewelry. I also gave my opinion when he was buying a watch for Theo, which I'm not sure I was very helpful in. Towards the end, we picked up Ara's shoes from the designer.
"Is there something else we are forgetting?" I asked while the hotel staff helped carry the bags to our rooms.
"I don't think so. I'm just gonna text the guys to pick up their clothes from my room."
"I've already texted the girls. But I'm so drained. I don't think I can deal with those five today."
"Maybe you can text them to pick it up tomorrow?" he suggested.
"No. What if they need adjustments? Not to mention, we have to go check out the venue tomorrow and pay a visit to the florist who Ara hired and talk about the flowers."
"Ah, right. That slipped my mind. So I guess it's better to be done with the dresses, then."
"Yep." We both reached our rooms. "So I'll see you later at the dance lessons."
"Or, we could walk together?" he proposed sheepishly.
I narrowed my eyes on him, giving it a thought for a moment. "Okay, sounds good."
———
"Wyatt, have you not practiced at all by yourself?" Katrina scolded, frustrated by Wyatt's non-existent sense of rhythm.
Wyatt was also frustrated, so he just argued back, "I don't have time to practice by myself, okay? I'm a busy person. I have to work when I'm alone—"
"I don't want to hear excuses! I want the results. Now, try from this part," she said firmly and clapped her hands to usher us back to position.
"Geez, it's like being back in school," Wyatt muttered, and I chortled.
"And you forgot to do your homework," I added, enjoying myself, and joined our hands for a cross-body.
He rolled his eyes and gave me an unexpected twirl, making me almost yelp.
"Wyatt, not again! You were supposed to raise her up, not twirl her. That's for the third beat," Katrina lectured.
"Give me a break! I can't listen to the beats and keep my footing in mind at the same time."
"Then just memorize the steps."
"But then you say that my rhythm is off."
"Because you don't have any sense of rhythm, and to build that up, I need you to listen to the beats."
"I don't understand them."
"That's because you aren't motivated at all. You're not putting enough effort."
"I am. It's just insanely hard for me—"
I burst out laughing, making the two of them pause.
I was watching them quietly until now, but I couldn't take it anymore. I found them hilarious. Even a reputed choreographer was thrown off by Wyatt's 'spectacular' dance skills. And even a calm and collected businessman who could keep every data regarding his business in mind couldn't remember two easy dance steps.
Katrina sighed and said, "You know what? Let's just start the bride-best man and groom-maid of honor waltz since that's all Wyatt can do." She went into the room beside ours to call Ara and Theo who were practicing with Kevin.
While I was laughing, Wyatt just stared at me in disbelief for a few seconds breaking out in a grin.
"It's all your fault, you know? I can't dance to save my life, and yet, you chose such a difficult dance," he complained a little grumpily.
I laughed more and plopped down on the floor to rest a bit. He sat down beside me as well.
Once I had my laughter under control, an idea came to my head. "Hey, why don't you come over to my room to practice tonight?"
He shook his head. "As much as I'd love to, I've got a lot of work pending since I've been out all day. I really am busy, as much as Katrina thinks of it as an excuse." He rolled his eyes.
I felt a little disappointed, but before I could take it back, he spoke up again, "But how about tomorrow evening? After we get everything done? Are you free at seven?"
I smiled and nodded. "Sounds like a plan to me."
He smiled back.
We sat there together for a long quiet moment until the others came in.
Wyatt stood up on his own as Ara came to him while Theo gave me his hand. "Hey, partner."
I smiled up at him and took his hand. Katrina and Kevin then showed us our dance steps, so we got into positions and started practicing a few times.
When we were almost getting the hang of it, I started to chat, "How is everything going on with you? To start with, mine is disastrous."
Theo chuckled and said, "I have to dance with Ara's bitchy aunt. Nothing beats that."
"Man, I pity you. I heard she called you and lectured you for agreeing with Ara on a small-scale wedding," I said.
Theo rolled his eyes. "I had to bite my tongue to stop myself from telling her to fuck off. It's not my fault if she doesn't understand Ara only wants to invite people she loves and cares about, not some random people she has never met."
I patted his shoulder. "Let's not think about her and sour our mood."
"Right. So how's it going with Wyatt?"
"Oh, it's good," I said casually.
Theo smirked and asked, "What about your feelings?"
"What do you mean?" I looked at him in confusion.
"How do you feel about him right now? Do you still love him? Or, do you hate him?"
I blanked out as Theo's question sank in. I... honestly had no idea.
★★★