Chapter 5 FIRST LONG CONVERSATION

Erik sent her to the living room so they could continue the conversation there. After sitting down, the young man continued to the kitchen. It didn't take long because he came back with a glass of cold orange juice and a plate of buttered cookies.

"My workmate made it. Try it, delicious," he offered her, referring to the cookies on the plate.

Mia nodded then took one with a smile. "Yeah, you are right, it's delicious," she said suddenly feeling hungry so when she finished it she took another one.

"I'm sorry if it's late at night that you're forced to come here just to talk to me. Mrs. Ramos told me about you a while ago. I didn't even know you were coming," Erik explained. She even caught him glancing at the bag of rice, salted egg, and tomato by her side.

Mia laughed softly at that. "I'm the one who should be apologizing to you. The truth is that I really need to find an extra income. They told me that in the job I'm going to enter, I need to heal these bruises and wounds on my face and body before I can start, " she explained to Erik that he had been watching those she was referring to for a while now.

She also saw pity in the young man's eyes and even on his face. But that was only for a moment. Because the aura on Erik's face immediately changed when he opened his mouth to speak.

"Have you seen a doctor?" his kind and concerned question to her.

From the rim of the glass of orange juice, Mia was drinking she saw the seriousness on Erik's face when he said those words. At that time, the young lady shyly put down the glass on the center table and then spoke with a smile.

"I don't have enough money, that's the truth, so I want to find someone willing to let me do their house cleaning and laundry. I didn't even think about going to the hospital and getting checked because as I have said, I do not have enough money for that. I just put everything through simple medicines to somehow will relieve my body pain and wounds,"

That's when Mia heard the deep sigh that Erik let out. "Don't worry about the money. After all, I am your employer," he said in a tone that seemed to have no intention of holding back.

The smile that broke Mia's lips was beautiful. "A-Alright, just deduct them from---,"

"No, it's okay. I also wanted to eat, I suddenly felt so hungry," when Erik said that to cut all the other things that she wanted to say, Mia smiled again.

"What I remember was that Mrs. Ramos mentioned to me that you went out earlier to eat. You know you don't have to feel sorry for me, Erik. I already accepted my fate," she said in a tone that tried to steady her voice.

She also tried not to mix her speech with sadness and Mia succeeded in that.

The young man nodded then he looked at her with understanding. "Okay, so what now? Let's go?" he asked her when he noticed that she had finished the juice in her glass.

That's when Mia nodded. "I'll just leave these here, is that okay?" she was talking about the supposed dinner that she bought from the store.

"Sure, you can get them later," the young man agreed.

*****

Erik took her to a private hospital. And because she was talking to a doctor, Mia was forced to admit the truth, even in front of the young man.

Well, she knew that Erik knew the truth. He doesn't just ask because he's shy and of course, that was also a sign of his respect for her.

At the last thought, Mia secretly felt happy.

It felt so good that someone like Erik was giving her the kind of respect she never felt before in the man she chose to be with.

That's when Mia once again felt the familiar sadness in her chest.

"Are you okay?" Erik asked her when he noticed her silence.

They were already inside his car and passed by a drugstore to buy the medicines prescribed by the doctor.

Mia nodded then turned to the young man who was staring intently at her. "Thank you," she said, and like before she held back her emotions.

"After a week, do not forget what the doctor said, we have to be back so he can check you again. So, for now, where do you want to eat?" the young man asked her energetically and then started the car engine.

She shrugged her shoulders and then laughed softly. "It's up to you because if you are going to ask me, I will be fine even in a canteen, since I'm hungry, I will go anywhere since it's your treat," she said laughing again, but this time louder.

A few moments later, Mia was stunned when she felt her companion staring at her.

"Erik?" she said to him.

That's when Erik drove his car out of the parking lot of that big hospital. "Nothing, I'm just happy to see you laugh like that. Another thing, maybe it would be better if we eat something delicious. Let's think of it as our reunion, and a celebration because for the first time we had a long conversation that even when we were in high school, we couldn't do," Erik's litany.

Mia bowed her head although she remained smiling.

That was true, what Erik said was true. That was their first long conversation. Not because they didn't have a chance then, only because she avoided it, because of hidden feelings for him.

"You are shy as always Mia, and very quiet, apart from being very smart. It is intimidating to approach and talk to you because I am worried that when I do you might suddenly ask me something that I can't answer and embarrass me," the young man who kept his eyes focused on the road while he was driving but still didn't change the tone of his speech.

She could feel Erik's satisfaction. She felt that he wanted to talk to her.

"I'm still the same until now, maybe a little less because of the type of work I entered."

Mia expected Erik to answer her with a question because of what she said but it didn't happen. Instead, the young man agreed with what she said and it touched her heart deeply.

"I noticed," he said to her. "In case they set up a reunion, do you want to go? Because our batch has a group on social media, William made it," Erik asked her afterward.

Mia fell silent before speaking for a short period of time because of what she heard.

"Maybe not, because I'm shy. And also, I know when that happens, Bernie might just come. He might find me," with the last words, Mia immediately felt fear.

She knows that there is a good chance that Bernie will go looking for her here in Manila when he finds out what she did. But she has no plans to come with him. No matter what he does, she will not go back to him.

"Yeah, you have a point there. Well, I guess I'll just tell William not to invite him!" Erik said in a joke.

Mia laughed again at that. "That will be embarrassing, don't do it, I don't want it," the young lady couldn't stop the insecurity mixed in her tone with what she said last.

"You're with me, why should you be embarrassed?" Erik turned on his car stereo.

Mia couldn't be sure if it was on purpose or just a coincidence that the song King and Queen of Hearts by David Pomeranz were playing right on the station where the young man's radio was set.

Mia immediately thought back to her first and last dance in high school, none other than Erik.