Self Love • Christopher Velez •

chapter 23; lunch

Chapter 23 - Lunch

"This is okay. We just need to do some more finalising before showing this to Mr Castro," Chloe, who was another financial analyst, said. I nodded as everyone kept their laptops and got ready to head out of the meeting room.

"Bye Chloe," I said as I left the room and she waved at me with a smile. I had been talking to the others other than Andrea and Chloe was the one that I talked to the most. I walked back to my own office and went over the notes I had taken during the meeting.

I was halfway through a document when my phone beeped. It was from Andrea. She had sent me a pic of her with her eyes crossed and I laughed. Since we had been working for around a week and a half, we have been working with the others in our department and had been seeing each other less during work. We still texted and went home together but we had been eating lunch with our colleagues. I had been hesitant but listened to Luis' advice of getting to know the others better. 

I took a photo of myself with my eyebrows raised and sent it to her before continuing with my work. Not long after, my phone beeped again and I looked at it, expecting it to be from Andrea but it was Christopher.

From Christopher:
Hey Nila
Are you free for lunch?

I checked the time and saw that it was around lunch time. 

From me:
Yeah

From Christopher:
Okay cool
It'll just be the two of us

Oh my god.

From me: 
Yeah okay, send me the address?

From Christopher:
Is it ok with I pick you up?

From me:
Yeah :)

Oh my god. We have not been out together alone since around 2 years ago. It's no big deal. We're friends. Friends get lunch together all the time. It's just lunch. I nodded to myself and texted Andrea.

From me:
I'm having lunch with Christopher

From Andrea:
Ooh lala
Have fun ;)

Rolling my eyes at her, I kept my phone and continued with my work until I got Christopher's text, telling me that he was downstairs. I walked out and immediately saw him sitting in the lobby. I walked towards him and he looked up and smiled at me. I smiled back and he stood up, holding his hands out for a hug. I stepped into it and he tightened his arms around my waist.

"Hey," I said.

"Hey," he replied. "I wanted to pick you up from your office but I do not know if I can do that and I have no idea where your office is," he added. I smiled and shook my head.

He held his hand out and I took it, feeling his hands engulf mine. We walked out of the building and towards the cafe we ate in previously. We got in and quickly ordered our food.

"I have something to ask you," Christopher said once we both ordered. I looked up at him and he continued.

"Remember last Friday night when the boys heard Estoy Enamorado De Ti?" he asked and I nodded.

"They really liked it and I wanted to ask you if it's okay for us to record the song for our album," he said and I stared at him. Oh my god. I remember them saying that they needed a few more songs for their upcoming album but I didn't expect them to want to use this song. I didn't even know that they liked it this much. I wrote this when I was freaking 12!

"It's okay with you say no," Christopher added, giving me a reassuring smile. I blinked a few times before realising what he said.

"Oh my god, I have no problem with it," I told him with a smile. His smile grew wider, causing mine to widened.

"Really?" He asked me again and I nodded with a smile. He laughed and reached across the table, holding my hand.

"Thank you!" He exclaimed and I smiled.

"De nada."

"I wanted to ask you first and the boys said okay," he told me and I nodded.

We continued talking until our food arrived. We ate and talked until we finished our food. When we stood up, Christopher held his hand out with a smile and I took it. We continued talking as he swung our hands, making me laugh a little.

When we reached the office building, he pulled me in for a hug which I returned. Just before we parted, I heard someone say -

"Dani?" 

I stepped back and saw Luis standing there with a small smirk on his face. Oh my god. My face heated up and I shook my head.

"Luis, this is Christopher. Christopher, this is Andrea's brother, Luis," I said, looking down at the floor. The two boys greeted each other and I continued looking at the floor. Oh my god.

"So this is Christopher?" Luis asked me with his eyebrows raised and a suggestive smile on his face. I gave him a sheepish smile and nodded. 

"Nila, your face is really red. Are you okay?" Christopher asked and I nodded, trying to control my flaming cheeks. 

"Julia isn't here, is she?" I asked Luis and he shook his head.

"You're lucky she isn't here," he said and I nodded.

"I gotta go, I'm meeting her somewhere and you know how she gets when I'm late," he said and I smiled.

"Enjoy your lunch with Julia!" I told him and he waved, walking out before turning.

"What do you think she'll do if she hears about this?" he asked and I sighed.

"Your wife will be blowing up my phone," I replied and he nodded before leaving.

I turned to look at Christopher to see him already looking at me with a smile. 

"I guess you got to go back to work?" he asked and I nodded. 

He nodded and pulled me into a hug. I wrapped my arms around him as he tightened his arms around my waist. I stepped back and gave him a smile. We walked to the lift and I pressed the button. When the lift came down, I turned to look at him.

"Adios Christopher," I said with a smile, waving. 

"Adios Nila," he said with a wave and a smile as I stepped into the lift, watching him still stand there with a smile as the doors closed.