THE OUT OF MY LEAGUE
27
Lily never once got tired of this sweet habit of Darren: every day, the man would go to the office with Mary, then tens of minutes later, she said, someone will come knocking on the door and send a sunflower. Lily would just laugh amusedly and receive the flower.
But today is different. Lily knew the sunflower would come like in her usual hour, but it didn't. Lily felt uneasy for no reason. Unknowingly he walked out of the house, stood at the door of the house and looked at the fence, waiting for the courier to come with the sunflower.
It feels like loss. A special treatment that suddenly stopped without cause made Lily's mind confused. So, in swallowing her hope, the woman re-entered the house after 15 minutes of waiting.
...----------------...
At 11:30, Lily comes to Darren's workplace. He intended to bring lunch to the man like last time. The feeling was very good at that time, when he imagined Darren praising his cooking. Darren's expressive behavior that he did not show long ago is now a boomerang for Lily's weak heart of sweet sentences.
However, for the second time again, today Lily's hope was toyed with. Diana, his deputy secretary, said that Darren was out and would return later in the afternoon. When Lily asked where, Diana could only shake her head and shut up.
Half-cocky and wondering in her heart, Lily came home.
However, his intention was void when a voice called out to him from behind. That's Mike. His body was sweating from running from the office to the bus stop.
Lily's feet that had boarded the bus immediately went down again. His body was made to face Mike who was resting on his knee while taking a breath.
“Mike, what's up?”
Mike looked up, then straightened his body to speak. “I want to talk to you for a minute.”
Lily seemed agitated, she glanced at the seemingly impatient bus driver waiting for her to board.
Lily looked back at Mike. “But I have to go home.”
Mike nodded quickly. “Really, I want to talk. I'll take you after talking to me, naa?”
Lily blinked, moments after thinking she finally sighed. “Good.”
Later, Lily apologizes to the driver and follows Mike, who leads him to the cafe across from the office.
Mike invites Lily to sit in the corner of this room, because he really wants to have time together with Lily.
For a moment the waiter came to interrupt, Mike ordered two lychee juice along with cake. As soon as the waiter left, Mike took the time to look at Lily's face for a long time. Look at every inch he misses. Although Ploy has been dogged for days in his life, not infrequently Mike thought about Lily in his own time. Whether it's in the middle of work, or when at night when he's about to go to sleep.
“You want to talk about what, Mike?”
Mike nodded to be conscious. Apparently he had forgotten how to blink.
“Ah ... About that, I want to know how you are.”
“I'm good. How about you?”
Mike smiled happily. “Good too.” He blinked again, suddenly he seemed to think of something. “Lalu ... How's your relationship with Darren?” Ask carefully.
“Mmm ... The day Mary went to the hospital, we were better that night. Darren apologized, admitted his mistake, and also confessed his feelings to me. Ah, I forgot to tell you this ..” Lily smiled sincerely. “But, thank you for letting me stay in your apartment at that time, and sorry for leaving not to say.”
True, Lily did not have time to say goodbye. He even just came to take his clothes, because pressed Darren who told him not to linger. Mike wasn't in the apartment at the time, so I don't know. But that's not the problem! There are more worrying.
Mike was agitated at the seat. “Darren confesses his feelings to you?” Again he asked carefully.
Lily nodded with a smile. “Iya. Isn't this good? It turns out that he kept his feelings for me all this time. And all this time my love never clapped one hand.”
The excitement when telling that made Lily unaware of Mike's sudden moody change in expression. Mike smiled, but not with his eyes looking down, even his jaw hardened.
“Lalu ... What are your next steps?”
“Of course get married.”
“Married!?”
Mike's view is like a kite that broke the thread, not necessarily where to dock. Then he lowered his head. Suddenly his chest tightened, he had to hide it. He did not know why news like this was truly capable of making his heart ache. Mike had never been so serious about women, but when he finally felt something about Lily, why was this woman so difficult to achieve.
“Mike ..”
Mike lifted his eyes after a while. “I, yes?”
Lily stared in concern. “Why are you silent? Your face is pale, are you not feeling well?” Quietly ask.
“I'm fine.” It was a big lie Mike told that day.
...----------------...
At the same time, on the side of the street not far from the cafe, when Darren returned to the office sooner than he should, he found a stifling view across the street. She sees Lily smiling at Mike, and Mike smiling at Lily.
Darren stopped his car, then turned to the seat next to him. “You want me like this keep?”
The woman next to him, who was none other than Victoria herself said, “Stay on the plan. You wanted it to be a surprise, didn't you?”
Darren was getting more agitated at the place where he was sitting. “But still---”
“Darren ..” Victoria gave him a warning look. Then go back to reminding them of their original plan. “It's only been a day, don't let your jealousy ruin our plan.”
Darren quickly realized the purpose of their plan. She said women like Lily who are still difficult to express her love, can be easily provoked if Darren stops her caring for goods for a moment. When they reached the top, they would use it as a weapon to let out a big surprise.
Darren grunting. “Then what should I do? Just watch?”
“Darren, why are you so afraid Lily's heart will move when she herself has agreed to marry you?”
Hearing the phrase, and imagining the glazed eyes of Lily when she said she was willing to marry him later, made Darren finally relented not to enter the cafe.
...----------------...
At 8:05 p.m., several employees had gone home after finishing their work. And an unexpected coincidence, when the elevator door was almost closed, Darren quickly blocked it and immediately entered without knowing Mike was inside.
Mike pressed the first floor button, and after that he was the only one standing next to Darren. They were just the two of them in there, and it was quite awkward.
However, because Mike is not the type of man who likes to linger in awkwardness, then he is the first to speak, “Congratulations.”
Darren turned with frowning brows. “For?”
“Because it has managed to get Lily's trust again.”
Darren looked back straight, a smile etched into the corner of his lips. A little proud of him. Then, a few moments later he remembered, “That time I said I would prove it to you and I asked ... if proven, would you give it up?”
This time Darrt turned his head seriously, making Mike slowly turn to him. They stared long enough. Eventually the elevator opened.
Mike stepped out and said, “Let's talk on the road.”
Darren gets out of the elevator and walks with Mike to the parking lot.
Moments later Mike said again, “If you ask me if I'm going to let it go, it looks like I never will. After all, Lily was the first woman I liked without a but. It just happens without any sign. When I saw her dancing with you that night in her beautiful dress, I thought that you were the lucky guy who could feel that moment with her. When I found out you weren't a married couple, there I wanted to protect her for the first time. And beat you up for hurting his feelings.” Mike glanced at half-jokingly. He might laugh, but honestly, a part of him still desperately wanted to smash Darren in the face. That's men.
“Then, why didn't you do it that time?”
“Because I realized, no matter how much I wanted to beat you up, none of that would change everything. He likes you, and you like him. Being in your midst, and having to confuse him with two hearts as an option, would only make me a selfish man. And I'm telling you, Darren, my mother never taught me that. ‘Love is not a matter of forcing to stay, but it is about receiving and giving’, he said.”
Darren smiled as he sighed. There is a sense of pride in hearing Mike's story. Either because he was wiser than his real age, or because of the great upbringing of his parents. “Your mother is a great woman.”
Mike stopped stepping, then turned his body towards Mew who spontaneously stopped as well.
Mike smiled. “I just want to ask two things from you as a fellow man.”
Darren blinked for a long time, and finally nodded in silence.
“If you are finally married, I hope you treat her well. I may hold back my selfishness today, but if one day I find her crying because of you again, then that day I make sure you're sorry.”
Darren's heart was racing. He was challenged to hear Mike's words. A little unacceptable indeed if you have to let Mike release his selfishness when the day comes, but Darren is confident enough to be happy Lily. So he convinced himself firmly and nodded firmly.
“Then, what's your second request?”
“Let me be the man who drove him to the altar.”
Darren blinked with a face that was slowly blushing, moved. He knew very well that Lily had no family in this city let alone her family left in the village, they had all cut off the relationship for a long time. Darren didn't even think of such a detailed thing getting there. How could he forget!
So, with teary eyes, he stuck out his hand. “Your request I received.” And Mike also accepted Darren's hand. Makes Darren hug Mike with a brother-like hug.
