Les Laches

Territorially

“I heard from Tian, you want to Paris next month?” Afgar opened the conversation while taking a closer distance from Meda.

Meda gave a brief nod while sipping coffee in her cup. The choice of the drink made Tian throw a confused look at him. The reason is, the maids of the Afgar family must make the special order because all drinks served at the party are drinks with a mixture of ice in it.

“Her father Tian has many acquaintances there and I can connect you with them if you get there,” Afgar said again.

Meda raised her next to her eyebrows. “You want to connect me with Mr Adler's acquaintance?”

“Iya, Med. Afgar, the connection is extensive. It just so happened that he also knew people who had worked with Papa because his papa Afgar was professional with my papa. Well, this Afgar role is like my mama, negotiator in every job discussion his papa.” Tian answered Meda's question.

Afgar chuckled as he rubbed Tian's lips with the tip of his thumb and then showed the bread flakes stuck there. Meda had almost spoken out to warn Afgar when the young man before her spoke.

“I'm nothing compared to Aunt Bella, Tian. Mama you speak many languages, while I?”

“And there was me,” sahut Safira who came while carrying a red drink to Afgar and himself.

Hera and Alvin followed behind him while talking and joking to themselves. The atmosphere between the two lovebirds has changed considerably compared to before.

“Well! Bener. There's Safira. He's the translator, you're lobbying.” Tian flicked his finger as if he had just solved a very complicated problem.

Afgar picked up one of the glasses Safira was carrying and pulled the girl's hip to get closer to him. Safira's face flushed slightly as she rarely made physical contact with her fiance in public. Tian himself was also pleased to see the closeness of Afgar and Sapphira. That meant that the matter between the two was already completely over.

Unfortunately, Meda did not see the same thing that everyone saw. His logic questioned Afgar's intentions because his premonition said that the young man's actions did not contain sincerity. Afgar's hand did touch Sapphira, but Meda clearly saw in which direction the young man's affectionate eyes were staring.

“Medic. You're not hungry?” Tian's question pulled Meda back from her wandering thoughts.

“I have eaten from home earlier,” Meda replied while tidying up her suit position on Tian's body.

Tian frowned. “You know you want to party kok eat at home?”

“You know my mother's cooking can't be refused, Ti. Oh yes, I also said sometime if you have a long holiday in college again, you just stay at home.” This time, Meda smiled meaningfully at Afgar. It was his turn to show the young man what it meant to be Tian's lover.

“I have to sleep where? Is not the guest room used for workspace?” 

Tian asked puzzledly as he recalled the fact that Verdita had told him on one of the occasions when he visited.

“In my room,” said Meda quickly while laughing as if what was asked by Tian was very clear the answer.

While Tian's friends, except Afgar, cheered the conversation between the two. 

“Let me sleep on the sofa of the middle room.” Meda again added making Hera and the other two who had been cheering, exclaiming disappointed.

Afgar himself chose not to comment. The young man simply drank the contents of his glass while throwing a sharp glare towards Meda. Meda was increasingly convinced that since then the young man had deliberately brought his closeness with Tian to heat up himself.

“Slight.” Tian replied as he threw a glance at one of the tables filled with various kinds of food. “I went there first ya.”

Tian said goodbye while pointing towards the table he had just observed. Meda nodded.

“I can drop all of you?” Afgar asked as Tian stepped away.

“Let me takein.” Safira replied while following Tian's steps. 

“Neither come, Ra?” Afgar turned to Hera who only looked at the departure of his two friends. “Catering from Lalage, you know. You used to be just curious about the same seafood fried rice menu?”

Hearing the word fried rice along with the big name catering from the subscription of Afgar's mother who always had a non-playful taste, enough to make Hera tempted and overtake Tian and Sapphira. Alvin will of course follow wherever Hera goes.

“So?” Afgar turned around to look back at Meda after everyone had left the two. “There's something you want to say?”

“Many.” 

Meda who was aware that the young man before her was deliberately looking for an opportunity to speak with her four eyes, did not hesitate to voice all the things that had been stored in her heart.

“What do you get from showing off closeness to Tian in front of me like that?”

“We are not showing off.” Afgar answered with a laugh, as if what Meda had said was the silliest question he had heard today. “We were that close from before. Long before you knew Tian.”

“True. BACK THEN. Tian already has me. Girlfriend who in the near future may be her fiance or even her husband.”

“Wait a minute.” Afgar laughed again. “You've talked to Om Adler and Aunt Bella about it? Have you heard the answer? Don't speculate yet if you haven't done anything.”

“Restu from both Tian parents is my own business. What I want to make clear to you is who Tian is and who are you?”

“I'm a friend of Tian.”

“Fast. That's your. Only friends. Someone who is just a little closer than a friend. However, you are not someone who has the right to look at Tian, touch him, and treat him as if you are entitled to him. Tian already has me. Don't make me misunderstand your closeness,” said Meda at length.

“You know nothing about my relationship with Tian. I've sworn to guard Tian since childhood.” Afgar who began to get carried away with emotion clenched his hands together.

“I know. Tian told me everything was the same. Who are you, what makes your relationship more special than Tian's relationship with Safira or Hera, all Tian's past stories. I've heard everything. However, still, I don't like the way you treat Tian as if..,” Meda approached Afgar and whispered near his ear, “as if you still want to have it.”

Meda distanced herself just as a low-pitched voice sounded. A sign that Tian has returned with his entourage.

“Don't make me misunderstand again, Afgar. Tian mine!” Meda closed the discussion while looking at the young man before her with a cold look.