Of course I can't sleep after that kind of proposition. After Cara hung up, I lay on my bed with my eyes wide open. Visiting Cara in London is slightly more alluring than the promise of a private show she made. Only slightly. I dwell on the idea of walking arm in arm with Cara along the Thames, seeing the magnificent view of the city from London Eye, getting to know her in the city where she lives. Going to London itself is not the problem. Being a partner in my firm, I can easily ask to handle one of the projects in London. And one of the hotels which I designed there would be more than happy to give one of their suites for me in a short notice. The repercussions and implied meanings of my impulsive action are what scares me. There's nothing casual about chasing the girl which you just recently met to a city across the ocean. That kind of gesture doesn't happen in the beginning of a romantic film. People save it for the grand romantic gesture in the end of their stories. I close my eyes and sigh heavily. She really makes my life complicated these days. Damn you, Cara, I say with a sleepy smile.
The next morning I have brunch with Amy at Rocca, our favorite cafe. It's the favorite place for young executives to have lunch, meeting, working or just hanging around. Mostly because its relaxed ambience and the absence of loud teenagers. Their coffee is absolutely amazing and it has a wide range of selections. I slouch comfortably on a black leather sofa with a laptop on my lap while I'm waiting for Amy. My works have been abandoned since Cara entered my life. She takes so much space inside my mind, anything else seems not so important anymore. Nope, I cannot let myself turning into this pathetic mess. Needy and unfocused are not attractive. Confident and successful are. A moment later, I immerse myself in sheets and sheets of design drawings made by my teams. There are a total of three on going projects which I'm handling right now. A mixed use development in Seoul, a resort in Bali and an office tower in London. Bingo! It seems like London is not so far away in the future, huh? Satisfied, I close my laptop and jump in surprise when I find Amy is sitting in front of me.
"Jesus!" I say while I carefully put my laptop on the desk. "Have you been sitting here for a while quietly like a creep?"
Amy doesn't even lift her eyes from her book. She continues to sip her coffee calmly. "Tried to call you back into the mortal world, but clearly you were too engrossed in your works." She waves her hand in the general direction of my laptop, still reading her book.
"Huh. Sorry, I guess." I tilt my head to read the cover of her book. "Why are you reading Harry Potter again? For the tenth time?"
"Because I prefer to live in his world than this muggle world of ours." Then she sighs. "Is it sad that I read books to forget my miserable life even just for a moment?"
"It's not," I smile, remembering my choice of book for that purpose. Hunger Games Series. An odd choice, I know. "I think that's the sole purpose of books and stories. To provide an escape into our chosen kind of world."
"And yours is Hunger Games. That's so weird."
"Hey, I'll make a great victor, you know! Who doesn't want to be a bad ass rebellion leader?"
"Not me," Amy shrugs and closes her book. "So, how is it going on with Cara?"
"She invites me to visit her in London."
Amy's eyes are widened. "What?"
"You heard me."
Amy shakes her head in disbelief. "And when did she say that?"
"Last night when we watched VS Fashion Show together. When I was drooling on her crazy sexy body on the screen." I'm so embarassed, my eyes can't seem to find Amy's.
She laughs and slaps her knee. I wait until her laugh subsided with a grim expression on my face. When I decided thay things couldn't be more embarassing, I tell her the whole story. "She said that if I like what I see, she might give me a private show in London for me."
Amy pauses mid laugh and drops her jaw. "She said what?"
"Why are you making me repeat every words I just said?" I throw my hands in the air, midly annoyed. "Can't you just pay attention to what I say?"
"Sorry, sorry." She tries to put on a straight face and failed. "So you're going to London?"
"I don't know. It's so confusing." I scratch the back of my head out of habits. "I want to see her there, but it's just to early you know? I don't think that it's the wisest decision to go there just to visit her."
Amy considers my reasons for a while, staring at me intently. I'm fidgeting in my seat, feeling uncomfortable when someone looks at me like she wants to see what I am made of. She clasps her hands when she arrives at her conclusion.
"Then make up something as a reason. Anything. I know you're dying to see her. And money isn't the problem here. Your ego is the one who's standing in the way." I tilt my head to the sides, unable to disagree with her comment. "Don't sit around and wait until there's only 'what ifs' left. It'll hurt you more than a heartbreak will."
