LOVE OF ORDINARY MEN

Slap

"Bi, I'd like to see Lo dong. About Lo there is free time when?", Jaka's voice sounded on the other end of the phone.

Abhimanyu glanced at the watch in his hand, "Later tonight I can. Where and what time?".

"Goodle. I'll wait eight at Cafe A, yeah".

"OKs".

The phone ends. Before long, a knock on the door sounded.

"Yes, in".

"Sorry, am I bothering you?".

Abhimanyu turned his face away from the laptop screen to see who was coming. Jessi entered the room.

"Please sit. What's up, Jess?".

Jessi immediately sat on the chair that was right across from Abhimanyu.

"Mmm .. I want to take you to lunch together. Want ya", shoot Jessi directly.

"Oh sorry, Jess. It's like I'm going to have lunch here. I asked my secretary to order food because there were some files I had to double-check before the after-lunch meeting".

"Oh yes, if so I also want to join lunch here. Can ya, Bi", Jessi whining.

Abhimanyu let out a heavy sigh. Actually, he felt uncomfortable with the existence of Jessi around him. As a man, he could read Jessi's signals of attraction to her.

"But, Jess ...".

"Oh my goodness, Bi. I just want us to have lunch together so hard. Three years I know you and all that time you've been avoiding me. What the hell are you? did I make a mistake with you?", asked Jessi ketus.

Abhimanyu took a breath, "It's not that, Jess. Yes already, later we can have lunch together here", replied Abhimanyu did not want to extend the affair with Jessi.

"Yes, that's dong. Yes, I went back to my office. Bye Abi", Jessi moved with excitement.

Lunch time came and Jessi really filled her words to come to lunch together. Although uncomfortable, but Abhimanyu tried to stay calm and be kind to Jessi.

"Bi, can't I be honest with you about something?".

"What's?".

"Mmm .. I .. I .. I've loved you for a long time. I hope you feel the same way as me. Sorry, I know this may not be the right time for me to talk honestly. But I also don't want to hold my feelings, Bi", Jessi said withholding embarrassment.

Abhimanyu who just downed his drink was stunned after he almost choked on hearing Jessi's love confession.

"Bi, are you angry?", Jessi asked carefully.

Abhimanyu looked at Jessi closely. He was not angry, although he often felt uncomfortable with the existence of Jessi, but for Abhimanyu himself Jessi never did anything wrong. It is common knowledge that Jessi is a beautiful, graceful, kind, classy, smart, deft, and of course attractive employee to any man in this company and out there. But I don't know, Abhimanyu saw Jessi all along as just a coworker, nothing more.

"Bi, stay quiet. Sorry, I was wrong", Jessi continued, realizing that Abhimanyu did not respond.

"Sorry, Jess. I'm surprised by your honesty, but I don't want to disappoint you. I'm grateful that you have such feelings for me and that you're honest too. But I'm sorry, all this time I saw you as a co-worker and a friend, nothing more" Abhimanyu replied for sure.

He knew this would hurt Jessi. But Abhimanyu is still Abhimanyu, he has learned from his stories in the past to be able to be firm on matters of feeling. He did not want to give any hope, let alone to a woman.

Spontaneous, Jessi's tears melted. He knew this risk he would accept when he chose to be honest with Abhimanyu. Jessi was well aware that the man in front of her was now very difficult to approach let alone conquer. But at least he felt relieved after expressing his feelings.

"Jess, I'm sorry. I hope you can understand", Abhimanyu added.

He felt clumsy to see a woman crying like that in front of him and because of his words.

Jessi wiped her tears and tried to smile, "What's wrong, Bi. I know very well the risk of being honest with you about your feelings. My heart aches like this, but it's better than I keep hoping. Yeah like you said, I appreciate your answer".

Abhimanyu tried to smile at Jessi's response. She did not expect Jessi to be mature enough to accept her decision and attitude.

"But we can still be good friends right, Bi?", asked Jessi sincerely.

"Of course, until whenever we are good friends" Abhimanyu answered for sure.

The mood of lunch that had been sad was turned flat. But Jessi kept trying not to dissolve with a wound in her heart.

.

.

At eight o'clock in Cafe A, Abhimanyu just arrived at a table that Jaka had ordered.

Jaka himself seemed to have been there and welcomed the arrival of his best friend.

"Sorry, I'm five minutes late" Abhimanyu said, glancing at the watch in his hand.

Both seemed to be chatting. Some waiters came to bring dishes.

"No three, Jak? are there any other guests you invite?", asked Abhimanyu to see the dishes served in excess.

Jaka smiled, "My future wife will be here. I was in contact, but he was a little late because there was business first", replied Jaka casually.

Abhimanyu looked up, "What? wife-to-be? it means you want to get married that's how?".

Again, Jaka chuckled, "It is I want to get married, the time yes nyari prospective wife to make circumcision".

"Lunatic Boy, Jak. It was a thousand steps from me. Three years graduated and now my invitation is here to meet the future wife. Don't tell me you want to celebrate Lo's wedding day?", again, Abhimanyu is shocked.

Jaka nodded his head confidently.

"Well, I'm happy, super happy. Cool. I wonder who the future wife Lo?", asked Abhimanyu seriously.

"There you go, just wait. Now we eat first, I'm hungry. Waiting for the future wife to come later, I did not have lunch at the office, the meeting continued", said Jaka.

Without waiting for long, the two friends began to eat dishes at the table.

Thirty minutes passed, all the dishes had been devoured. Jaka even ate the menu he ordered earlier for the future wife, he said later replaced with a new message.

"Sorry sorry, I'm so late", a voice made Jaka and Abhimanyu turn at the same time.

"Calm, baby. Come here to sit down", Jaka pulled a chair beside him for Laras who had just arrived.

Abhimanyu smiled, he understood now.

"Oh so this is his future wife Jaka" said Abhimanyu teasingly.

Jaka and Laras laughed. They both felt amused actually meeting Abhimanyu like this.

"Where? we match?", asked Jaka deliberately close himself to Laras. The barrel pinches gently on Jaka's shoulder.

Abhimanyu smiled, "Yes, you guys fit in and I didn't expect it, what a surprise this is".

A faint laugh exploded between the three of them. Before long, the waiter came again to deliver a substitute dish owned by Laras.

"So when did you marry?" asked Abhimanyu.

"Next week in Building B. You must come yes", replied Jaka quickly.

"Whoever, where there I do not come to the historic day of my true friend" said Abhimanyu for sure.

"Good, it has to be. Who knows you met a soul mate in our courts", said Laras.

"Yes that's right. Over time, the danger is Bi", Jaka timpal said.

Abhimanyu just smiled in response to Laras and Jaka's babble.

"Urusan there's a time. Now I again prepare the catering business mother", response Abhimanyu.

"Hooo Lo's mom is here, Bi? wah I want to sungkem first with him" said Jaka who was from college often heard the story of Bu Ratmi from Abhimanyu.

"Yes. I asked Mom to move here. Poor in the village, mom is alone. You have a recommendation for a place for a catering business not Jak, Ras?", asked Abhimanyu staring at his two best friends alternately.

"If the recommendation is a place, I don't exist yet, Bi. But if the prospective customer, I exist", replied Laras.

"Are you serious, Ras? mom must be happy, new business started but prospective customers already exist", exclaimed Abhimanyu happy.

Baras smiled, "Yes there. My friend just opened a boutique and convection business. Well, I was late because I met him first, he told me again about catering that could supply to his convention. There is a lot of talent that his employees. He needs catering for Snack in the same morning as lunch" Laras explained.

"Sip. Can I have her contact number, Ras? let me give it to Mom later".

"Let's give me my contact number, Bi. My friend just lost HP".

"OK, sip. Thanks, Race. How are you, Jak? have a recommendation place of business or prospective customers is also possible", Jaka's turn to be interrogated Abhimanyu.

Jaka who had seemed busy with his dress raised his head.

"Nih read", he offered his salary.

"Oh my God, thank God. Ikhtiar for mothers made easy gini", exclaimed Abhimanyu happy.

Jaka turns out to show his chat with Aunt Ana, his brother. Aunty Ana previously had a pastry business but because she had to move out of town, where her business would be sold and previous employees could be empowered. More or less so the content of the chat that Jaka showed.

Tonight as a coincidence, Abhimanyu get a lot of happiness from the news that Jaka will be married to Laras as well as information on the location of the business and prospective customer mother. Abhimanyu felt very grateful for it all.