Chapter 3 Don't Run Away!

"There's going to be a change of director. Do you know, Mbak Cha?" Tina, the curly-haired girl, interrupted Marisa's concentration.

"Really? Why so suddenly?"

The girl with braces grimaced and scratched her itch. "I forgot to tell you when you called to ask what happened in the office while you were on leave."

Marisa rolled her eyes and groaned in annoyance. "I told you not to be so sudden, Tina..."

"Morning..." A greeting like a murmur passed by Marisa and Tina's desks, which were side by side.

The man in a checkered shirt paired with dark blue jeans had just arrived. Hearing the greeting, Tina nodded with a faint smile. Marisa, on the other hand, only replied with an imperceptible sigh.

He sat in the very last cubicle-which had been moved at some point, but Marisa felt lucky. That way, she didn't have to bother feeling uncomfortable and suddenly awkward sitting next to Mariana's husband.

"I get so annoyed when I remember he's still here. He should be the one to leave, Mbak. Not Mbak Cha!" Tina whispered, glancing disdainfully at the desk where the man was.

"Tsk, don't say nonsense! Personal matters shouldn't be brought to the office, Tin." Marisa avoided the conversation by busying herself staring at the computer screen in front of her.

She was busy making a travel itinerary for her client. All the work had to be finished at least until she had fulfilled her quota of being a tour leader three times this month. Marisa wanted to rest. To stop working until she forgot about time. She wanted to relax and start realizing her own dreams. No longer thinking about others.

"If Mbak Cha resigns, I'll definitely be lonely here. Then there won't be anyone to nag me every day. Don't you miss nagging me, Mbak?" Tina continued to persuade in a whisper.

"Oh, come on. Do you even listen when I nag you? You just let my words go in one ear and out the other."

"Mbak Cha ...."

"Hm?" Marisa just hummed as she adjusted her reading glasses on the bridge of her nose.

However, after a few seconds of waiting, the petite girl beside her remained silent. This chubby girl would only calm down when something surprising happened, when she watched Korean dramas, or when a handsome man passed by. This time, perhaps the third reason was the right one. Because when Marisa turned to her, Tina seemed to be stunned with a bright, sparkling gaze and two hands clasped tightly in front of her chest in excitement.

Tina looked towards the glass partition between the corridor and the workspace. Mr. Agus-the director of the place where Marisa and Tina worked-was seen walking casually in his old brown suit. It wasn't the plump man who made Tina's gaze seem hypnotized. Besides, their director, who had been leading for five years, wasn't that handsome.

Right beside the man, the figure walked with one hand tucked into the pocket of his black slim-fit pants that matched his suit. Occasionally, the manwho was probably in his thirties-smiled thinly when Mr. Agus laughed loudly at his own jokes.

Marisa's two eyelids blinked. It felt like she was having déjà vu looking at that man's gaze and smile. "I feel like I've seen him before," she muttered.

Then, when Marisa's eyes fell on the blue string in the right hand of the man who was walking side by side with Mr. Agus, she widened her eyes spontaneously. "Oh, my God!"

Again. Her heart pounded uncontrollably. Memories of a night filled with sweat and hot flushes flashed by along with the panicked movements of searching for a hiding place. Under the table felt too conspicuous if she forced herself to hide there. Pretending to be busy was also too obvious in this spacious and quiet room.

Marisa started to squirm like a worm on a hot pan. She became even more restless when the dark eyes that had once stripped every inch of her body under the glow of a bedside lamp locked directly onto her.

"Run!" Marisa muttered quickly. She got up without looking left or right.

The woman who suddenly panicked stood up just as a canteen guard carrying a tray of cups of coffee and tea approached her table - a daily morning routine in the office always had warm drinks on the table.

"Oh no, my goodness! It spilled!" exclaimed the old man in a blue uniform and a skullcap.

Marisa quickly raised both her hands in the air, bowed, then lamented her white shirt which was wet on the shoulders and chest. Unfortunately, the wet clothes weren't enough to cover the lacy underwear underneath.

"Oh my God, Mbak Cha!" Tina shrieked in surprise.

***

The girl sat restlessly, pulling Tama's black jacket closer to her chest. She hadn't spoken yet, only biting her lip occasionally without bothering to look at Tama.

They were sitting at the corner table in the canteen. It wasn't a fancy place. In fact, this travel agency office wasn't as big as Tama had previously imagined. Most of the clients who used the services of the agency where Marisa worked were middle-class people. They often cooperated with schools to handle school trips. Only occasionally were there clients from government offices who wanted to go on a personal tour to Bali, Singapore, Thailand, or Malaysia.

Forget about the condition of the office where the girl in front of Tama worked. It didn't matter. After all, Tama's intention to take over as director of a travel agency in Jogja wasn't to actually settle down here. He wanted the girl in front of him. Marisa Yanuar. The most praised and reliable Tour Leader, they said.

Tama sighed deeply. With the next exhale, he pushed Marisa's ID card. "It fell near the sofa. And this..." Tama reached for the paper bag on the empty chair next to him and placed it on the table. "You stole my shirt that morning."

The girl's face suddenly turned red. She lowered her head and hid herself in the fold of her hands. "Sir... can you just forget about that night?" she said after raising her face again, looking desperate and embarrassed.

Tama raised his eyebrows. "Forget?"

Marisa nodded and Tama clicked his tongue in frustration.

"I was stressed for a whole week looking for you all over Seminyak, Bali. Every night I woke up because that night's incident always came up in my dreams and made it hard for me to sleep again. My work was a mess because I didn't get enough sleep. I came all the way here and you just say... forget it?" Tama's jaw tightened. There was an unwilling gaze at Marisa's unilateral decision while he hadn't said anything yet.

"What else should I do? I won't burden you. Just forget it, pretend it never happened. I'll continue with my life and you with yours. I..."

"How can you say forget it so easily?" Tama interrupted.

"Well, is there any other way? It's already happened..." Marisa looked miserable.

"But I can't just forget like that, Risa. How can I live peacefully without a burden?"

"Well, don't make it a burden. Let's both forget. I promise I won't ask for any responsibility. Besides, I..." Marisa paused, looking around, then lowered her head and whispered, "I'm not pregnant."

She let out a relieved sigh and leaned back in her chair. Apparently, the woman thought the problem was solved when she had managed to give Tama the news.

Tama exhaled roughly. He leaned forward, staring deeply into Marisa's black irises, which suddenly shrank. "I'm the only one who's ever slept with you."

Marisa bowed her head again, biting her lip, and her body moved restlessly.

"You're a virgin, aren't you?"

It was a direct hit. Because the first time would certainly be difficult to forget so easily. Sure enough, the next second, the woman's two cheeks suddenly turned bright red, and she avoided Tama's probing gaze.

Tama sighed wearily. It felt like this was the first time he had started a serious conversation with a woman since he decided to focus back on work. He tapped his right index finger on the white table. The two cups of coffee in front of them were almost cold, and they hadn't decided anything since then. So, Tama chose to take the initiative to decide on the matter that had made him restless for almost ten days because the woman's whispers were always ringing in his ears every night.

"Because I'm a responsible man, we should just get married next month," he cut her off abruptly.

And once again, Marisa's slender body shifted restlessly. "What? You can't just do that, Sir," she protested angrily.

"Why not? Why make it complicated? Don't make me upset anymore by running away without an explanation. Stop calling me Sir, it annoys me." Tama was just as stubborn.

"Marriage isn't something you do just because you accidentally slept together and then get married. I don't want to..."

"You don't want to marry me?" Tama interrupted quickly.

Marisa closed her eyes, shook her head in confusion, and massaged the bridge of her nose. "I'll only marry you if there's love between us. Not because you feel burdened and guilty and then feel forced to marry me. Don't do that!"

"Then let's make love. I want love from you."

"Ha-hah?" One hand that was originally holding Tama's jacket tightly to her chest suddenly let go. She looked up with her eyes wide open.

Damn it, the strap and cup of Marisa's black underwear were distracting Tama. Again, he would probably have a hard time sleeping tonight. Just blame Marisa!

***

Notes: 1. Mbak is term used to address older women, particularly in the Javanese community in Indonesia. 2. Cha or Icha is a nickname for Marisa or Risa.