Yearning for Love

Virtuous woman

Caroline waited patiently for Andrew’s call. It had been two weeks, but their communication was nonexistent. Customers noticed her distracted appearance, but said nothing. It was so bad she miscounted some orders and inputted the wrong amount.

"Are you fine?" An old lady asked, when she inputted 3 packs of sour candy, instead of one.

"Yes." Caroline nodded, unaware of her mistake.

"My grandsons ordered 1 sour candy and not 3. They do not like it that much."

At first Caroline's mind went frisky about what the lady was talking about. When she looked down at the receipt and saw what she typed, she felt embarrassed and made the correction.

"Sorry, I was thinking about something." She apologized.

"What could you be thinking about at this young age? Stop thinking too much, my love." The old woman advised. Caroline nodded and handed her the order.

“Thank you for your patience.”

“You are a special lady. Do not let people walk over you.”

The woman was rare to find.

"Where is the manager?!" She got a Karen yab one time. Her mum pretended she wasn't in, leaving her to handle it.

"Good thing my break is here." Caroline sunk in her chair and stared at her phone one more time. She hadn't spoken to Andrew in weeks. The guy didn't mind at all, nor was he bothered. Had he really forgiven her for not convincing her parents, or was he still mad at her?

The last time he called, he didn’t hide the disappointment in his voice. He was upset at her and had no interest in what she did.

"No, Caroline. Just call him. This is all in your head!" She said to herself, trying to be optimistic. Her right hand gripped her phone and she dialed his number. It did surprise her that he picked up the call fast.

She enjoyed the sound of his voice and fidgeted with her pen while he spoke. When he asked her to visit his place, she felt reluctant. But he mentioned trust. They had to begin from somewhere, right? She accepted his request and asked for nothing. Her mind couldn't think of anything to ask at that moment.

If only the conversation could go further. It hadn't gone further. It barely did. She dropped her phone and stared at the playing TV. Andrew was a gentle person, but everyone warned her against him. Was she the only one seeing him with a sense of optimism? Perhaps because she had deep feelings for him, and couldn't stop thinking of his smile.

She knows no guy and the one she almost knew, gave up on her before they'd even tried. She was an indoor girl, who sold commodities to customers and stuffed her sister's lunchbox. She wouldn't say it paid off, but she could guarantee she was happy with her sister's progress.

During the weekend, Caroline hadn't told anyone where she was going. She dressed in her usual jean pants and blue sweater due to the cold, and walked out. The cold of the winter stung her skin. The mist caused a wet but satisfying environment to stare at. Her sneakers made a satisfying noise on the tar road and her scarf flew with the cold wind.

Andrew's home wasn't too far from theirs, so it didn’t take an hour for her to arrive. She rang the doorbell, it was answered hastingly. A lady's face popped through the door as she held a mop stick.

"Can I help you?" She asked.

"My name is Caroline. I am here to see Andrew…." She introduced.

"Boss said something about you. Please come in."

The lady let her in. Andrew knew about organizing because his house reflected his personality. He was very organized, neat and had appropriate spots for everything. His taste was pretty expensive and she could swear she saw his gym room across the lobby which separated the two sections of his mansion. How big was his place anyway?

"You made it." She heard his voice say from the stair balcony. She gazed up and saw him in an orange tank top and gray pants. His house had a heater on, so it was obvious the cold never troubled him.

"Hello. I am wowed by how well organized your house is." She said,

"Are you? This was my mum's idea actually. As a 26-year-old, I have to keep my life in order. Leaving her for 2 years has been life-changing for me."

He climbed down his stairs and approached her.

"I told Millie to prepare a dish for you. Could you follow me to the dining area? "

Caroline nodded and followed slowly with her hand stuffed in her pocket. He sat her down and waved Millie to get her what she did.

"You didn't have to do this…." Caroline smiled.

"I saw the need to." He arched his brows with a crafty smile. Caroline saw his reaction as suspicious but wasn’t sure whether to pin it on him or not. She offered him an ignorant smile instead, pretending none mattered to her.

The meal of steamed rice, shrimp sauce and sushi was placed before her. It was followed by a bottle of wine, a glass cup and a scented candle. Caroline gazed up at Andrew, whose eyes were still on hers. She found his concern cute, but couldn't help but wonder if the efforts weren't too much.

"I appreciate the thoughtfulness, but isn't this too extra?" She asked. The scented candle released its fruity scent of strawberries.

“ I am willing to go miles, since it doesn't bother me." He smiled, still staring at her. She felt the whole situation was awkward. How would he think it was okay to watch while she ate? He could also have a bite too.

"Could you get him his too?" She asked Millie. Millie looked at Andrew as if seeking permission from him instead.

"Do not worry about me. I don't skip my meals." He assured her.

"It doesn't matter. I can't have this by myself." She shook her head.

"You can." He had his hands stretched to her and took her soft palm in his. "Can I?"

She nodded, wondering what he wanted. After a soft caress on her fingers, he kissed it. This caused her a wonderful feeling. A glorious feeling for sure. He took a spoon of meal and fed it in her mouth. She blushed.

Millie looked irked by what was going on and walked out. She was aware of the kind of boss she had, but could say nothing. She threw Caroline a pitiful look before walking into the kitchen.

"You look beautiful." He complimented her.

She threw her hair behind her ear in shyness.

Her meal was finished and they left the dining room. He took her hands in his and drew her close to him. He kissed her on the forehead, then on the neck. At first she saw it as affectionate and moaned. But when he ran his hands down her breast and pushed her onto him more, she realized he was going for something deeper….much deeper than she imagined.

"Wait,...." She pushed him away from her..

"What?" He asked.

"I don't wanna do this now. I am not ready at all." She informed him, stepping away from him.

"Do you not trust me?" He asked.

"It's not about trust. I just don't see the need to rush things now. We're still getting to know each other. I don't think it will be smart to jump into things like things…."

"What more do you wish to know about me then?" He asked, walking closer to her. She stepped back.

"I want to know who you truly are. Everything about your past, your previous relationships…."

Andrew groaned and stepped away in disgust.

"You are a moment killer, aren't you? "

"Was that too much to ask?"

"Yes…." He snapped. " I mean… no… .but… you need to give me time okay. I am trying to move on here. Why bring back the past?"

"I want to know more about this man who's interested in me." She explained.

He ran his hands down his long hair, thinking of a smart response to give.

"Fine, why don't we make a deal? I will tell you about me after we've spent moments together."

"By moments, you mean s*x…." She hated the idea.

"We will be together anyway. That shouldn't be a big request." He drew closer to her one more time. She shook her head and picked up her bag.

"I am sorry, it's difficult to trust you right now. I need to leave."

She walked out without looking back. No matter how tempting it was to suck those lips of his, she couldn't trust him enough. His meal was nice though and his house was warm, but his intentions weren't pure. For some reason, she felt a terrible feeling about him. A feeling she couldn't shake off.