Second Chances (Kathneil FF)

Second Chances - 19

Second Chances - 19

The next few days went by like a breeze.

After sealing their deal with the sprite and strawberry punch, they sat in front of the television, making small talk about nothing and everything.

Things they like, things they do not. Working schedule and leisure preferences. Favourite food and such. Similar small talk like the one they had the night Anita first asked him out for a drink.

At 7, Gene came by and the three of them had dinner at the mamak restaurant below her apartment.

"Hi, I'm Eugene Francis Andreas. We were never properly introduced."

"Hi Eugene Francis Andreas, nice to meet you. I'm Anita sta Maria," she smiled. "Are you hungry? The fried noodle is pretty good here."

Kevin shook his head at the two's exaggerated formality, happy that Anita was comfortable enough to joke with his cousin.

In fact, she has thawed off considerably since their frank confession with each other earlier.

So, he was glad when she accepted his invitation to have dinner with Gene and him when the latter came to fetch him.

"Sure, whatever you recommend," his cousin grinned.

"Ok," Anita smiled in return and called out to the waiter. "Ane, 2 mee mamak and 1 nasi goreng kampung. Dan 3 teh ais."

She ordered two mamak-styled fried noodles for the boys and fried rice for herself, with Malaysia's famous iced milk tea as accompaniment.

"Ok set," her regular waiter replied, before bending towards her to whisper conspiratorially. "Waah... Anita. Bawa boyfriend hari ni ya? Dua pulak tu."

"Tak de la. Kawan lama je," she grinned as she sent the waiter away.

"What?" Kevin looked at her with a smile, curious of the conversation that just took place.

Both Gene and him were seated facing her. Kevin just could not have enough of staring at her. She was so beautifully familiar, his heart ached. Yet, she was also different from the Inessa he knew though he could not really pin down the differences.

Slowly, he told himself for the millionth time, thread slowly. Don't scare her away again.

Anita smiled at him brilliantly, nearly breaking his resolve.

"He was just teasing, saying that I've brought not one but two boyfriends."

"And what did you tell him."

She looked at Kevin deep in his eyes and replied, "I told him you guys are my old friends."

It was fortunate that the day after was the weekends and Anita did not have to work or call in sick again.

Instead, the three of them went around Malacca town in Anita's car, stoping here and there to sight see and getting acquainted with each other.

"What car is this?" Gene asked excitedly as he made himself comfortable in the back seat.

"We call it the Kancil. Locally made."

"Talaga? It looks like a Mini Cooper."

Anita laughed.

"Mini Cooper is my dream car. But Kancil is all I could afford," she said as she maneuvered her little car out of the hotel driveway that morning.