Chapter 3 PHONE NUMBER

Things with me were going pretty much exciting, and as I was given a chit secretly while shaking the owner’s hand, it certainly added to my exhilaration. That was the first movie-like experience which happened to me in my boring life. Everything from then on changed which eventually landed me to where I am at present.

I am brought back to the present time where the driver has stopped the car at the traffic signal and all the other cars are also waiting for the light to turn green. I look around and be grateful to be in such a happy place. This city is over the top beautiful with such interesting buildings, mountains, beaches, it is all there over here. I am excited to reach home and meet my wonderful husband who will be back home in a couple of days.

Meeting him at the start when I made the best of the option that he had opened out in front of me. I rushed to the washroom as soon as he had left, just to open the chit and see what was written in it. I didn’t want to open it in front of other people because I didn’t want them to know about anything that happened between Mr. ehhh! Oh crap!

I didn’t even know his name then, as asking him that didn’t seem appropriate to me. If he was really the owner, gradually we would all come to know his name, I thought, and I continued to walk till I reached the restroom. With all the anticipation of everything that I could find in the chit, I was also being practical, and the option of finding it blank was still very much plausible.

Being only an intern at the best international museum of the city, I couldn’t have such fantasies playing in my mind where the owner of the place I worked at would ask me out or something like that. I am not saying I didn’t want that to happen. I wanted it badly, but I liked staying connected to reality.

A guy like him had no possible reason to pursue a girl like me. So, I must control myself and not be this excited, I reminded myself as I had opened the bathroom door. Unable to control my smile, I quickly pulled the chit and opened it in a hurry. I couldn’t believe what it read. He had mentioned his phone number along with his name on it.

Finally, I got to know his name. It was Mr. Charles Lozano. Because of the feeling it brought to me when I read it, I repeated his name a couple of times to register the way I was feeling about his name. Despite being skeptical about calling him, I had somehow messaged him that same day feeling confident.

When I didn’t get a reply from him for a couple of hours, it was getting me nervous. I was worried if I did the right thing, or I might end up losing my job. No way in hell I had sent him a nasty message. A simple one like I would have sent to anybody: Hope you reached home. Olivia here.

After a few hours went by and I still had not received a message from him, I really started to panic and feared losing my job. It was very difficult for me to get to sleep that night, and I purposely wore the thicker night guard that night because I was bound to clench my teeth in my sleep with anxiety about what happened which was burdening on me.

When I woke up the next day, I was so relieved on seeing a notification of Mr. Lozano in my phone without even reading his message, I immediately clicked on it to open it in the application. A little excitement in me to read his message was eating me up even though it was only a couple of seconds that took me to open the app and read it.

Mr. Lozano: Yes, I reached home for a meeting on time. Excuse the delayed response. I was working.

As I read his message, I automatically saw the time that he sent it, and I couldn’t believe he was working or had a meeting at that time. He had sent me the message at 2:00 in the night. It must have been some other reason that he replied to my text that late at night.

My intuition told me his late message had something to do with another girl, maybe his girlfriend or possibly even a one-night stand. I was doubtful to have come across a man his age who didn’t have any such encounters. A girlfriend for him seemed too farfetched because he didn’t look like he was in a serious relationship.

Had he been committed to someone, he wouldn’t have given his number to me the way he did at the museum. Even though I was happy to get a reply from him, I was also a little heartbroken. The feelings were mixed because I think I had already started to like him by then, which was pretty much obvious with the attention he gave to me when we had met.

When I was almost in bed about calling it a day without replying to his message for one whole day because that’s what it took me to control my over-thinking, another message from him surprised me. This wasn’t any kind of a message to meet me, or to show authority over me or anything else like that. It was a very sweet message telling me about his day and asking me about mine.

Mr. Lozano: Hey, beautiful, had another hectic day. Looking forward to rest during the weekend now. What about you?

His message bounded me to reply to him. Just because I felt that he lied to me, doesn’t make my assumption about him being in a relationship come true. He must be given the benefit of doubt, I thought and considered replying to his message that night.

Olivia: My day was like any other day, but unlike you, I have a busy weekend planned, Mr. Lozano.

Mr. Lozano: A busy weekend? That doesn’t sound fun at all.

Olivia: Unfortunately, my life isn't also fun at all, Mr. Lozano.

Mr. Lozano: Please call me Charles. What are you going to be busy with this weekend?

Olivia: The lease of my apartment is over. I will be packing and moving.

Mr. Lozano: Well, that could be made fun if I could help you with it. What say?