Orange Skies

There I was seated comfortably; my legs crossed and my cell phone just on my lap. The sun was heating up outside, but the air conditioning just doing his job quite well. I shifted my gaze over to the people inside the restaurant, but then they didn’t mind. I didn’t know them, and they didn’t know me. And then I stared out the transparent glass wall revealing the street. As I waited for my cell phone to light up and see his name on the screen, and after a few while it did, and it was him.

Wait for me just for a little while, not a single tricycle is letting me ride. Be patient. :>

I smiled and casually sipped my coffee shake while I stared genuinely at the cars and vehicles passing through the open coffee shop. I watched them rev through the street, one by one. I would shift my gaze to my sides, trying to figure out if he has arrived already or not. But I sat down, patiently trying not to be batty because of how long he took. And after a thousand years of waiting, he arrived. He wore his casual jeans, his plaid red polo and his sneakers. He beamed.

‘I’m sorry for being late.’ He said, scratching his head and walking towards me, fixing his collar now. He stood up beside me and looked down upset, like he was the one who waited for a thousand years.

‘Make that very late.’ I told him, now placing my empty coffee container on the table. I narrowed my eyes at him and smiled, shaking my head. ‘Why are you so dressed so formally?’

He blushed. ‘I thought that this was supposed to be a big thing. You know, our first date ever as official friends?’ he said, smiling back at me as he stared at my jeans and my yellow t-shirt. ‘But I guess, it’s not that of a big thing for you.’

I scoffed. ‘Let’s just go now.’ I said, now grabbing my shoulder bag while I gracefully stood up. ‘You ready?’

He nodded. ‘One step ahead of you.’

The moment we both went out the Coffee shop, we were clueless. We stood there by the sidewalk, not knowing what to say, or what to do next. We stood there silently, like some kind of couple who just had a fight beforehand. I stared at him, looking up. I forgot to tell you, he’s like a giant. Practically the tallest in his school, and as small as I am, I’m just by his waist or by his chest. Yep, that’s how tall this guy is. This is our first time hanging out really, just the two of us. Actually, this will be our very first time together. I don’t even know why I agreed to go with him today. But he offered free food, so I just can’t say no to that.

‘So...’ he started, scratching his chin lightly as the sun lit his face so brilliantly. ‘Do you want to eat first, or just..’ he trailed off, when his cell phone beeped in his pockets. He slid his hands and flipped it open. He gave out a small chuckle and a nod.

I raised an eyebrow. I was pretty sure it was one of his girls again. Ugh, I don’t even know why I’m upset about all of this. I’m supposed to just let it go, and just eat my free lunch already. And then go home. Be thankful of being blessed with a free meal and then just forget about it. But when he smiled at his phone, the green monster started boiling my blood and made me glower at the ground.

‘You know what; I’m taking you somewhere you’ll certainly love.’ He said, fixing his nerve and grabbing me by the hand while we were off walking through and through. ‘It’s just near here, so we’re just going to walk. You don’t mind do you?’

I shrugged, still letting her drag me. ‘I don’t think I have a choice. And besides I’m already doing it already. So what the hell.’ I told him. ‘You’re going to pay for my lunch anyway, so this is the least I could do.’

He chuckled. And it wasn’t the pissed-off-chuckle I expected to hear from him but instead it was a sweet kind of chuckle. A chuckle that declared he was listening and was happy. ‘I’m pretty sure you won’t die out of boredom. I actually think you’ll love it.’

We walked by the sidewalk. We turned left and then turned right. I thought it was close but I guess, I thought wrong. By the time we arrived, I was already sweating like a pig. Yep, very attractive don’t you think so too? So there we were, standing in front of a Camera Studio all tired and sweaty. It said, ‘Kodak Moments.’ I stared at him confused. Was this the right place or are we just taking a break? I thought to myself.

‘Let’s go?’ he said, telling me to go inside the shop. I stared at him, my eyebrows furrowed and my mind quite confused. ‘Well?’ he said slightly frustrated, gesturing his hand to the door of the shop. I still couldn’t point out if he was kidding me or not, but then he lowered his shoulders and slouched that obviously showed that he wasn’t.

‘Tell me why we’re in front of Camera Studio again.’ I told him, crossing my hands.

He smiled that million dollar smile. ‘You’ll see.’ And then he grabbed my arm without hesitation at all. Like he planned this or something, like he practiced with billions of girls. Well, you’ll never know, maybe he did.

‘So is it ready?’ he asked a tall, middle aged man. The man looked at me first and nodded. Then immediately it made me think that maybe that man compared me to the other girls he brought here. I scoffed, I don’t like this.

He walked passed through a thin door and I followed him. I could smell fragrance of certain flowers around the room the moment I went it. It was just a normal room actually. Just like any other Camera Studio, with flashes on each side, a mirror on the wall and two seats in the middle.

‘So what do you think? I had this planned and designed all for you.’ He said, a bit flattered and impressed with himself. ‘Isn’t it nice?’

I chuckled. ‘But I don’t think anything had changed!’ I told him, as he smiled shyly. ‘Oh well. Thanks for the effort. The mini effort.’

‘Well c’mon then.’ he said leading me to a chair. ‘Let’s take pictures, we don’t have all day.’

I smile, just letting the fun in, not caring if he’s been in this chair with a million of girls. I just loved being around him. I liked his smile, his tall figure, his everything. Maybe I’m starting to like him even. Maybe, I’m starting to actually believe. ‘SAY CHEESE!’ I say, smiling at the camera.
‘That was a fun pictorial.’ I say, now standing up from the stool and getting ready to get outside. ‘Thank you for today.’

He smiled slyly. ‘What? The day’s not over yet!’ he said to me, looking down at how small my figure is. ‘Ready guys?’ he said, to the camera man. The man smiled and called someone outside. And then two guys went in. They were carrying bouquets of roses in their hands and two other went to our back and started fixing the wall from behind.

I wasn’t able to watch what they were doing since the bouquets were instantly dropped on my arms. They smelt good. I looked at him beside me and saw his smile. It wasn’t his million dollar smile though. It was a different smile. It was a smile where I could see him blushing.

‘Remember when you asked me what my favourite flower was?’ He asked. ‘And I told you that the only kinds of flowers I know are roses. Well... there they are. In front of you, in heaps.’ He said, his voice cracking in the last word.

I nod, laughing as I try to remember the moment. It was so funny, finding out he had no other flowers had in mind, but roses. Just roses. ‘Thank you.’ I managed to say.

‘Oh and remember that time, when we were talking about love, and how you would believe in it?’ he asked again. ‘Well, you told me that whenever the sky would turn to a hue of orange, you would.’ He said, fixing his collar and then he smiled. ‘Well, look.’ He said, pointing to the back.

I tilted my head and my eyes met this beautiful view of a sunset and the sky tilted in shades of orange. It was a big, big wallpaper and it was so beautiful. It was like it was real, like I was in that moment right there. Then the lights started to dim and it turned to a darker colour of orange. I smiled. ‘Orange skies.’ I whispered to myself, the memory now vivid.

‘Now is there any chance that you might believe in love, under this orange sky, with roses in your lap and me beside you?’ he said, his face illuminated by tints of tango tangerine.