Best Regards, Feli

Chapter 19

Meetings with investors and partners seemed to be neverending. Good thing that he mostly listened to the discussions and his time to speak was only when he had questions or suggestions. Or else his throat would dry from all the talking. 

His mind flew elsewhere, thinking how professionals in customer service or teaching could do it. They had to speak and listen most of the time. They needed to bite their tongue so as not to say inappropriate and disrespectful remarks towards rude customers and students. 

It must've taken them a lot of patience and tact—some things that he was still trying to improve. Unlike his ESL teacher who seemed to be an expert in navigating conversations. 

He was surprised that he was thinking of her again. These days, whenever he had something on his mind, he would unknowingly end up thinking about her. 

This little crush might be getting out of hand, he thought. He needed to lessen their interactions and reserve classes with other tutors instead.  

"Watanabe-san, you have an important meeting with the foreign investors at 9 AM tomorrow. Then you need to finally decide about the expansion in Thailand. The board is waiting for your response," Yachiko-san ran through his schedule for the next day. "I placed on your desk all the important correspondences that you need to sign. And lastly, I already booked your class for tomorrow."

"With whom?"

"With your favorite tutor, of course," his secretary replied, smiling like an idiot. 

Alright. Maybe he'll take Feli's lesson tomorrow. Then, he'd proceed with his plan to virtually stay away from her next week, just until he could find his focus again. 

"Normally, you'd look very pleased whenever I can book a class with Teacher Feli. What's wrong now?" his ever observant secretary commented. 

"What do you mean I look pleased? I don't jump in joy whenever you could reserve a class with her."

"You don't need to. Your tiny smile and beaming eyes are equivalent to you jumping in joy."

"I don't have beaming eyes," he defended. 

"Sure you do. It's your look whenever we win a business account. And then it became your look whenever I mentioned Feli. But now, you look different, reluctant even. Must be because of all the meetings today?"

Could he tell him? Yachiko-san had been a friend and confidant to him. 

"I may have developed an infatuation with her."

Yachiko-san frowned at him. "You just realized this now? It was pretty obvious from the start."

"Do you want me to tell you or not?"

"Don't threaten me. It's not as if I want to know anything about your lovelife. But since you don't have other people to talk to, I'll be an unwilling listener," he replied as he sat down on the chair in front of Kaito's desk. By the looks of it, he was eager to know some action in his boss' boring life. 

"As I said, I'm starting to admire her in a different way."

"I don't see the problem. You're single. She's single—" then Yachiko-san paused, "—wait. Is she single?"

"I don't have any idea."

"You basically talk every night and you have no idea?"

"We're having English lessons," he pointed out.

"So how sure are you that you like her when you don't even know her."

Not yet. Kaito didn't know her yet. But he knew some parts of her. He liked the way she smiled and the sound of her laugh when she found him funny. Imagine that! Someone finds him—a boring and workaholic man—funny.