What Have I Gotten Myself Into?

About [Damn] Time

EL is swinging his legs, sitting comfortably on the chair I had him sit in. He told me he remembered "Sameral" coming here before, so he ran off because he was bored in the office.

Is their company close to here? Especially close for a kid to remember the direction of this place?

"I remembered you." His legs were still swinging, eyes staring at me, as he told me when I joined him in the chair next to him.

I leaned on my hand, smiling at the boy who was still making eye contact with me.

"El, have you come around this street often?" He was nibbling his cookie.

Shaking his head, he stared at the half-eaten cookie, "No."

Before I asked him anything else, curious about how he remembered the directions to the café, especially since it was his first time visiting, by himself, and how close the company could possibly be.

"My uncle doesn't like you..." I sucked in my lips, confused why his uncle doesn't like me. Smiling, I reassured him.

"Your uncle doesn't know me. Why would he hate me?"

"Why are you, too, lying to me?" His pout!!! I wanna cry...

Too?

"Sorry," I just gave him an apologetic smile.

"Why are you so cute!" I dragged the 'e,' pinching his cheek as he just stood there, blushing.

A few minutes had passed by, with me showing him the entire shop and everything else he needed to know about how it works and where everything is.

Before we were done with the tour, he had dragged me with him to the customer's kitchen and made me bake a small cake with him.

"This is cute, messy, but pretty good for a first timer." When I looked at him, he was shaking his head.

"Auntie lets me bake with her sometimes, but Uncle doesn't allow it anymore... Can I bake here instead?" Puppy eyes!!!

Smiling guiltily, I nodded my head. But, his uncle? He never mentions his dad.

"But your uncle will say no to this also... you said he doesn't like me." I squatted to his height. He looked at me with a smile while showing his messy hands with frosting.

"I like you." He slapped both sides of my cheeks with his messy hands, laughing. I laughed with him. What's the issue? He's a child.

In the fun atmosphere, we fought to get the most frosting on each other's faces.

A few more minutes in the game, I hear the background noises quiet with mumbles and a loud cough behind me.

The boy seemed to have stopped and stared angrily behind me. I turned around and stumbled up, cleaning my apron and hair, only to make it worse, for I had forgotten I had icing on me.

"For what do I owe the pleasure of you joining us, Aslan?" The moment I spoke, and his name rolled off my tongue, he averted his gaze to me, equally pissed but somehow less.

"What mess you've created in someone else's business. Apologize to the lady." Aslan gestured in my direction, shocking me.

"Excuses! Nothing to worry about, Aslan, this is a room for all customers to bake to their hearts' content." I patted the boy's back, reassuring him so.

"Besides, despite all the mess, we had a great time creating a masterpiece," I slid back to grab the small cake we had baked. Aslan's face showed no emotion, and his hands were back in his pockets.

El took his cake and stood in the same spot. Looking between them, the two seem to be having a conversation with their eyes, an intense one at that.

When he looked like he had had enough of it, he just threw his arm towards El, and slender legs, who was behind him this entire time, came out and helped the boy out, taking off his apron and cleaning him off with wipes he got out from who-knows-where.

My heart has been beating like crazy this entire time. How long has he been there? When has he come? Everyone's still quiet but had gone back to mind their own business while the employees stood concerned, whiles I tried to put on my best boss smile.

I took off my own apron, baby daddy's eyes skipping to me every now and then, but it never stayed, and I also tried to mind my own business, but he looks so good in a blue suit!

Coughing up my dry ass throat, screaming internally, I talked to some employees and let others know things are fine.

I walked to Aslan, where El was picking something off the menu with slender legs while Baby Daddy was alone at a chair, iPad in hand, busy with who-knows-what.

They decided to stay because El just couldn't stop whining and crying about stuff. Thank you, El!

"May I intrude?" I slipped into the bench of the table, facing him, as he tapped his AirPods, which I had not seen, clicked some spots here and there on the iPad before setting it down, and looked down at me.

"It slipped off my mind the last time we saw each other. I wanted to repay you back for that night." I busied my hands touching every possible pockets I would have to count up some cash to repay him from the bar.

His eyes were following my hands, but I couldn't tell whether he was pissed at the mention of that night or when I teased him at the mall.

"I hope you still remember me from both times..." I stopped mid-searching and looked up at him. My hands were almost grasping my boobs, a weird position to be stopping at, but even that moment wasn't in my head; I was staring at Aslan, who was staring back. And because I really do want him to remember me, at least if at all, I can't remember if he remembered me at the mall.

I was also just a stranger with his son.