This Time

Three

I will not cry. I will not cry.

I can't believe taking this position would stress me out like this. I mean, I was the external vice president last year. I was groomed for this position. Still, all these responsibilities are proving too much to handle. If this project fails, I am to be blamed. I will be the cause of our council's fall.

"Ria, relax. We still have two days. You can find a new caterer tomorrow. I'm sure there will still be a kind hearted caterer who will accept us." One of my council mates tried to console me.

"No. No. This isn't going to work. It's impossible to-" I shake my head and started crying. Damn. I'm a mess and I'm doing it in front of the whole student council. How pathetic Ria. How pathetic. I buried my face in my hands as the tears fell harder.

"Okay, everybody out! Out!" said my internal vice president, Andrea, basically saving me from this embarrassment. Fortunately, the council followed. I heard footsteps leaving and what seems like a muffled argument. Then, I heard footsteps one last time and the sound of the door shutting close leaving me alone in the room.

Well, I think I was alone.

Thump. Thump.

I hear footsteps walking towards me but I still have my face buried in my hands, while crying. Who is this? Andrea?

The owner of the mysterious footsteps continued walking until he or she is behind me. I felt a hand on my shoulder and I felt slightly better. I have never felt too much with just one touch. It's as if this person is saying all the right words to calm me down with just a hand.

The magic hand touching my shoulder disappeared and I almost cried in panic. Then I felt something on my ear.

"Here. I always listen to music when I want to calm down. I don't know what your music taste is, but if this song doesn't calm you down, I don't know what else can." Mysterious footsteps said in a deep sexy voice that made my stomach do summersaults. Definitely not Andrea. It's a guy.

I lifted my face from my hands despite the mess I'm sure it's currently in. I saw two deep brown eyes staring right at mine with the kind of affection I haven't seen before. He seemed genuinely concerned and yet amused by my situation.

"P-P-Patrick?" I stammered. "I.. Wh-Wha-Why?" Great. What a better way to embarrass myself more.

He chuckled and my face turned into a deeper shade of red. "Hey, don't be embarrassed. I didn't mean it like that. It's just.." He paused. "It's cute when someone like you is at a loss for words. I never in a million years thought you'd be." Then he smiled

Great. He just called my humiliation cute. What the hell.

"Shh.. okay. I'm playing you this song and I'll leave you here. Andrea will probably murder me once I get out. Wish me luck." He said after pressing a button on his phone and then walked away leaving me still speech less.