Chapter 5 SOMETHING IN COMMON

ROYCE

"Royce." The voice barely reached my ears. But I could never forget her fruity voice-the forgetful little doll.

I shifted to where the voice came, and my sight landed on her perfect body. I was astounded. She had used herself as a brand of what she does. This time she settled on a body-hugging, knee-length black dress paired with a black stiletto. Even at night, she appeared to have pinkish cheeks, and I don't know what she did; she had more defined eyes.

Oh, women would never run out of ideas on adorning their faces. I concluded she was stunning, more than enough to be exact. Which made me conscious of how I looked; I still wear the same clothes. I let out a heavy sigh before I responded.

"Hi, I thought I was just too early, but you're here now." I checked on my wristwatch; it's quarter to 7.

"Yes, I don't want to be late, so I came early as well."

"Shall we?" I showed her the way and let her walk ahead of me. A server opens our door and gives us a warm welcome.

"Good evening Mr. Park; your table is on the usual spot you reserve," said the server.

"Thank you." I nodded and then shifted to Nelly.

"This way, please," I pointed out the table I usually take every time I have my dinner alone.

Although it's been 3 months since I haven't visited the place, it hasn't changed. The typical Italian restaurant, checkered tablecloths, wooden furniture, and earth stone motif interior give the restaurant an elegant and intimate vibe at the same time.

"Thank you." She was so polite when I pulled a chair for her.

"You're welcome," I replied as I sat on the opposite chair when a server came to give us the menu. I pretended to check on the menu, but the truth was I intended to order the same dishes just like usual.

Fortunately, Nelly was occupied looking at the menu when I stared at her, having an internal argument. Should I talk about the phone? Maybe later, after dinner. But this is what she came for. So the questions in my head go on and on.

"I'll have bruschetta, mushroom risotto, and affogato chocolate mousse." Next, Nelly narrated her dishes as she glanced back and forth at the server and menu. And last, she instructed how she wanted to have her food. She had good taste, I could tell.

The waiter took our orders and left. I grabbed the phone from my pocket and took the chance to give it back.

"Here's your phone," I said as I handed Nelly her cellphone.

Her mouth curved into an open lip-smile. It was the first time I saw her smile this big right in front of me.

"Thanks," she said as she extended a hand to retrieve the phone.

"No problem. I'm sorry if I had to have someone open it. It's the only way to find a person connected to you."

Now, she has her eyes on her phone, browsing it. Nelly was like a child who just got her favorite toy.

"Don't worry about it. I am sorry for taking too much of your time just to return my phone," Nelly said as she shifted her eyes to me and her phone back and forth.

Suddenly, Nelly stopped scrolling and slightly bit her lower lip. She appeared to have something to say, so I waited. Finally, she slips the phone into her clutch bag.

"Let me repay you with this dinner tonight."

Oh boy, that explains why she didn't protest having dinner. She could have canceled the dinner this afternoon. I wondered why she was open to having dinner with me while she used to be aloof when we parted ways.

"You are so thoughtful, and I must admit that it flatters me to hear that. But I cannot let a woman pay for my meal. Never done that before."

"Well, as they say, there's always a first time," she said, flipping her hair, and she gave me an open-lip smile again. Her eyes shimmered, which surprisingly appeared to be seductive to me.

"No, I'm sorry, but just let me pay for dinner. I invited you here, anyway. So let me pay."

"Yes, you invited me because you want to return my phone, right? What I want is to return the favor you're doing. I mean, you can't just waste your time for nothing, right?" She held her head high and put her arms on the table.

Oh, I'm sensing tensions here. Why can't she just let me? It's not that I spent the entire day returning her phone.

"Royce, I insist."

I let out a heavy sigh when the waiter came to serve us.

"Can we have our dinner now and talk about it later?"

Nelly glanced up at the server.

"Okay," she said while giving me a death stare.

Hey, what did I do? Uh... women. This woman is hard to deal with. I don't regret not having one and not planning to be with someone soon.

The food was delectable, as expected; they serve distinctive dishes. Only Bocca Felize restaurant can. I sneaked a look at the woman in front of me; I presumed she enjoyed her food.

"How do you like the food so far?" I asked as I put down my fork and used the table napkin to wipe my creamy lips.

She shifted her gaze to me when she was about to devour her pasta.

"Good, as always," she responded. Her eyes darted to her food.

What? As always? "Do you eat here often?"

Nelly stopped munching her food. I assumed she was mad again, but the spark in her eyes faded when she looked at me. She wiped the smudge on her lips.

"My family and I used to eat here."

I am not good at reading people, but I could confirm that I saw the pain in her eyes. From what I've heard, I was curious to know more. But I didn't have the nerve to ask her.

"That's good to know; my grannies and I used to eat here together. I missed those days," I said, my lips pressed into a thin line.

Her mouth fell open in shock.

"I can't believe this. But, I also missed those days with my family," she said, and the shimmer in her eyes turned dim again.

"I'm sorry, but did you lose them too?" I can't help myself but ask her.

"No, not all of them, just my brother. We lost them because of a car accident almost two years ago." Her voice was brittle, but she had pulled herself off. She flipped her hair and forced a smile again.

I feel for her; the pain and grief are still in me now. I don't know if it shows, but I remain broke. Suddenly, I feel carefree with her.

"I know how it feels. I do; the pain remains. When people we dearly love left us, they left a mark that no one could erase. Not even time."

"I'm sorry to have brought up this topic. Let's eat," Nelly said, then forced a thin smile once more.

"That's okay; at least we know we have something in common. Enjoy your food."

The food was great; we were both full enough, and we had a friendly talk. After spending almost two hours with Nelly, it felt like I knew a bit of her, and I feel like she's not that annoying, anyway. We just can't judge people quickly if we don't know them deeply.

The server handed me the check. I extended a hand to reach for it when Nelina grabbed it first.

"Excuse me, dinner is on me," she said, giving the server a charming smile before she shifted her gaze to me.

I sighed in response. I thought we were good. What can I do? She insisted on paying the bill.