Games of the Heart

A Little Closer

Eliza sat down on a chair. She had just arrived in the book café where she would be meeting with Marco. Looking around, she noted that there were barely any customers. But from what she knew, customers usually flocked this café during the night because of all the pretty lights and the live band during the weekend nights. Because of that, it was a popular haunt for the older kids.

A mirror on the wall reflected her and she looked at it to check herself out. She was wearing a light sweater, skinny jeans and her favorite sneakers. Her hair was out of its usual French braid and hanging down her back. A casual look was what she was going for. She didn't want Marco to think she was expecting something more from this meeting. 

"Shouldn't you be wearing a dress or something?" Alex had asked her earlier. He was just returning home from morning practice to eat lunch when she went out of the gate. 

"Why would I wear a dress?" she asked, baffled by the question.

Alex shifted the basketball under his arm and smirked, "You have a date with Marco."

She sighed. "I don't have a date with Marco. We're going to work on an assignment."

"You still should have worn a dress. You never know where this assignment would lead."

Eliza pinched his bicep and Alex chuckled, stepping away to create some space between them. 

"You know you're weird," she declared with a huff. "You've never teased me about boys before."

"I didn't?" Alex frowned in thought. "Didn't I try to match you with Calvin when we were in Grade 3? And Roy in Grade 5? And—"

"Okay, fine. Stop." She let out another sigh. "What I meant was when we were in junior high you didn't try to pair me up with another boy anymore."

He grumbled quietly to himself and it was so low Eliza only caught the words 'jerks' and 'assholes'.

"Seriously though," Eliza began, deciding to ignore his mumblings. "Do you really want me to have a boyfriend?"

Alex was quiet as he bounced his ball on the ground. Then he said, "Not really. It'll make me worry endlessly wondering whether he's treating you right."

"I wouldn't let anyone treat me like dirt," she admonished.

He laughed quietly, like he didn't believe her. But Eliza was already determined not to let anyone hurt her or walk all over her again. Not anymore. And she'd definitely show Alex that she'd mean what she said.

Eliza was considering sending Marco a text to inform him that she had already arrived in their meeting place when someone called her name. She glanced up then smiled at the familiar middle-aged woman making her way towards her.

“My beautiful god-daughter. How are you?”

“Still beautiful,” she answered with a laugh. She stood up and wrapped her arms around the woman who was her mother’s best friend since their high school days. “Hi, Aunt Liezl.”

Her aunt squeezed her back gently. “Hello, dear. It’s nice to see you.” Pulling away, she looked at Eliza from head to toe. “Have you grown an inch over the summer?”

“That would be Alex,” Eliza answered.

“And where's that boy? Why isn't he here with you?”

“He’s at school for basketball practice,” she informed her. “I’m here to make an assignment with my partner.”

“Your partner isn't here yet?”

“I’m thirty minutes early.”

“Aren’t you usually late to meet-ups?” her aunt teased her.

She actually was. It was because she sometimes forgot or woke up too late.

And if she didn’t go to school with Alex she probably would be late to class every single day. When they were in grade school and junior high, Alex used to wake her up, bouncing up and down her bed or pulling the sheets from her. But now that they were in senior high, Eliza made the extra effort of getting up on her own.

“Anyway, I have to go. I still have some shopping to do.” Her aunt waved a hand around. “Anything you want is free as always. And your partner too.”

“Thanks, Aunt Liezl,” she said with a smile.

Eliza watched her aunt leave through the sliding doors. Then she sat down on her chair and waited for Marco to appear.

She began to feel nervous. She was fiddling with the hem of her sweater. It was going to be different. Eliza could easily ignore him when they were in the classroom because too many people wanted his attention at the same time but this was different. It was going to be only the two of them.

Maybe she was afraid he’d find her stupid like the rest of them.

Taking the assignment sheet from her bag, she looked at what she had written. She was sure she got the answers right. She had checked her books more than once so she’d understand the problem well and even looked up accounting videos on Youtube.

At that moment, the little bell over the door twinkled and she glanced up. Marco was entering the cafe, taking off his sunglasses as he did, and she promptly forgot how to breathe. Her heartbeat began to spike up again and she didn't need to look at the mirror to see that she was as red as a tomato again. He was wearing a blue button down flannel shirt over a white shirt and blue jeans. He looked so casual yet good-looking that Eliza briefly wished she wore a dress instead.

This was getting ridiculous.

She put the sheet on the table and took a deep breath. 

Marco was just another good-looking guy. She may live in a small town but there was no shortage of good-looking people here. Was it because he was new? Or was it because of Alex teasing her about him?

Enough, she told herself. So he was the most gorgeous guy she had ever seen in her short life. She’d meet lots more when she gets to college. Big deal.

Marco found her then and his brows furrowed. Walking through the aisle, he said, “Am I late?”

She shook her head vigorously. “No. I’m just early.”

He glanced at his wrist watch. It was fifteen minutes to 1 o'clock, their meeting time. “How early?”

She laughed. “I wasn't really that early. And I had to talk to my aunt first.”

He took a seat across her and put down the laptop bag he was carrying on the table. “You said you know the owner. So it's your aunt?”

“She’s my mother's best friend actually. And yeah, she owns this cafe.”

He nodded, his eyes looking around the cafe. It was European in design with a white terrace outside. It had a charming, homey ambiance with comfortable low chairs and tables. They also sold various art products designed and produced by hand by her artistic aunt like cell phone cases and mug cups that were popular among her peers.

Eliza took the time to calm her beating heart and act cool while Marco was looking around. When his eyes landed back on her again, she had fortunately collected herself.

On cue, a waitress came over to them with a menu. Eliza ordered a latte while Marco ordered a cappuccino. When she was gone, Marco unzipped his bag and took out his laptop. As he booted it up, Eliza dug into her own backpack for her notebook in case she had to jot something down.

“I’m glad you found this place just fine,” she mumbled.

“Your directions weren't hard to understand. And I’ve been to the town center before.”

She looked at him. “With your family?”

He flicked his eyes up to her. Then he looked back down to his laptop again.

“Yeah,” he muttered.

An awkward silence followed only broken by the waitress handing them their drinks.

“Take a look,” Marco slid a paper over to her. It was the assignment sheet with his answers.

She gave him her own assignment sheet. “Take a look at mine too.”

They both read each other's work in silence. Eliza nervously kept glancing up at Marco. She knew he was intelligent, he always answered the teachers’ questions correctly. So she waited with abated breath for him to tell her she got it right.

Suddenly he stood up and moved to a seat beside her. He caught her dumbfounded look when he looked at her.

“I thought it was better to work on the slides side by side,” he explained as he slid his laptop around to face the both of them.

She blinked. “Right. Of course.”

She thought she saw his lips twitch. “Let’s get started then?”

Nodding, she said, “Sure.”

This close proximity was going to be the death of her. He was almost touching her elbow. Taking in another deep breath, she sucked on the straw of her drink.

One thing was for sure.

Him not saying anything about her work meant that she got her answers right. So she was a little happy.

**********

“We’re done,” Eliza stretched her arms upwards. “Finally.”

A corner of Marco’s lip tipped up as he continued to tap on the keyboard. “You did well.”

“I did right?” she said with a huge grin. She didn’t think they’d finish so soon. And she didn’t think she could actually contribute to the power point presentation.

It helped that Marco was patient with her. He let her feel at ease in no time by taking the time to make her understand how to do the oral presentation properly. He even gave her some tips and answered her questions without making her feel stupid. She was glad she brought her notebook out. She actually had some use for it.

Marco was a good person. And Eliza felt a little guilty for ignoring him all this while.

“How are you getting home?” he asked her.

“Alex is coming to pick me up. He’s going to be starving after practice so we're going to have dinner together at the mall. You can come with us if you want to,” she invited.

“I’ll have to take a rain check on that,” he said, closing his laptop. “I have to get home before dinner.”

“Oh.” She felt a little sad. She had been hoping to show him her gratitude by buying him dinner. “That’s too bad.”

Her eyes caught the picture on the wall opposite them then. She hadn’t noticed it earlier. It was a picture of the beach and it was so breath-taking Eliza stared at it for longer. She knew it was her Aunt Liezl’s husband who took the picture. He was a well-known photographer in the area.

“Have you ever gone to our beaches?” she mused, turning to Marco.

She was surprised to see him shaking his head. “You haven't gone to our beaches?” she asked again, this time stretching out the words, just to be sure he heard the question correctly.

“I haven't had the time,” he replied, not quite meeting her eyes.

She narrowed her eyes at him. His answer plus the evasiveness in his demeanor made her suspicious.

“I don't think that's the reason,” she slowly said.

Marco placed his elbow on the table. He put his chin in his hand and locked eyes with her.

“What?” he asked. A corner of his lip curved up. “Why won't you believe me?”

It took Eliza awhile to remember what they were talking about. Dear Lord, he was making her feel flustered again, staring at her like that, especially in that position.

“I’m guessing it's because you're an indoors person,” she finally said.

He frowned. “I’m not going to say you're wrong...”

“And you probably hate the beach.”

“Hate is such a strong word,” he denied. “I merely dislike going, that's all.”

“Why?” she burst out in disbelief.

He stared at her. “I’m guessing you're a beach lover.”

Of course she was. She loved going to the beach, especially the wonderful beaches of their town. Hearing people say they hate the beach didn’t sit well with her. It was just plain absurd for someone to hate something akin to paradise on earth.

“Tell me why you hate, I mean, dislike the beach first,” Eliza told him.

Marco sighed. “I just think it's boring. It’s only sand everywhere. Not to mention crabs just lying in wait to pinch your feet as you innocently walk by. And I prefer swimming in a pool where it gets regularly cleaned, not the sea where it's just one big fish toilet. And the sun burns. And the crowd...” he trailed off, shaking his head. She on the other hand, was trying not to laugh.

“You know what you need?” she asked.

“Not a trip to the beach.”

She burst out laughing. She was about to suggest that but the mock-horror expression on his face was just too hilarious.

“Seriously, though. You have to try visiting our beaches. You’ll think that you’re in paradise once you see them. They’re seriously that amazing.”

He shrugged. “Maybe when I have the time.”

“Make time,” she urged. “And I promise you. You won't regret it.”

He frowned again. “I’ll think about it. I’ll seriously think about it,” he repeated when Eliza looked like she was about to protest.

Laughing, Eliza decided to let him be. They decided to leave the café soon after. Marco was about to pay for their drinks but Eliza told him that it was on the house. Marco wasn’t comfortable with that but after Eliza assured him multiple times that it was alright, he finally acquiesced.

He kept her company while she waited for Alex in front of the store. Then, refusing Alex’s offer to have dinner with them, he left.

With a small smile, Eliza stared at him before he disappeared into his vehicle.

By all means, she didn’t have to be friends with him.

But it seemed she wouldn’t mind having little conversations like that again.

**********

Later that night found Eliza playing a video game with Alex in the living room of his home. The two of them were sitting on the carpet in front of the television, their eyes fixated on their own characters on the screen as they furiously pressed the buttons of their controllers. Silence filled the room, only broken by the clash of weapons and music from the television and the occasional muttered curse from her best friend.

“How was the date with Marco?” Alex asked after awhile, not once letting his gaze break the contact with the television.

Eliza didn’t even look at him when she said, “And how is your dear classmate Franceska?”

That pretty much shut the conversation down immediately.