Babysitter Cougar [COMPLETE]

Chapter 19 page 2 - Post-Theatre Drink

It's 11.30 pm and we both adjourn for a localised post-theatre drink like it's a customary thing. We take the opportunity to recover our 14 years of idling connection, something that we are unable to do within Bangsar Square without having our colleagues to speculate and spread hot teas about us.

He becomes chatty as it gets warmer, reminding me of his younger self which I miss the most. The long conversation in between our drinks and Saint's smoking spans from his coming of age stories to my return from Manchester. Just like Maheera, Saint took up International Baccalaureate Diploma at a college in Dublin where he completed his degree subsequently after that and joined TWB at the tender age of 20.

Although he's transparent about his intoxicated phase and his first intercourse with a senior who he claims is a spitting image of me, he avoids topics about Anita like it's a taboo. It's as though he tries to respect my feelings rather than being indignant with her fong fei kei (last minute pull out) attitude.

"Will you be assisting Norma at the Board of Director's Breakout in Penang this 23rd?" he asks.

"Of course," I roll my eyes. "They'd normally send out unmarried, non-commitment ones to the battlefield."

"That goes without saying. I'll see you there, then," he grins. "Anyways, I'll be extending my stay 'till weekend for the Penang Marathon."

"No kidding," I gasp. "I'll be extending too. I plan for a solo trip to Bukit Bendera (Flag Hill) on Sunday."

"What's with you and traveling alone?" Saint cringes at me. "Are you extending your nights in Garden Springs Resort as well?"

"Nope, I'll be hopping off to a budget hotel in Georgetown after that," I say matter-of-fact.

"In a mosquito and tick infested facility? Alright, knock yourself out," he rolls his eyes.

"I don't have the luxury to spend a night in a fancy hotel like you. I just leverage it on events like the Breakout," I elaborate.

Saint's wince softens to my explanation as he pauses for consideration. "I could've offered you a stay in my room but Anita's joining so..."

"Come on, Saint. Don't beat yourself up," I groan. "I've my trip sorted prior. So, I'll manage."

"Sofia, I respect your solitary nature but socially isolating yourself is terribly unhealthy. Do you have any friends in Penang that can take you around?" he asks, genuinely concerned.

"Apparently none in Penang," I answer frankly. "I may have friends, but I don't have a travelling companion, I'm not like you."

"Stop comparing me to your sorrowful state. You're the one who avoids companionship altogether, even with me."

"It's getting late, we should get back home," I try to dodge away from this conversation, knowing where this might lead to.

"What are you rushing for? It's Friday night," he leans back to his chair and rests his left arm on the back of my chair while his other hand flickering the cigarette ashes to the ground. "It's your fault we've to spend hours on catching up."

As expected, this catching up has escalated to his undiminished pent-up over my past unintentional evasion from him.

"Look, I'm sorry I stopped contacting you after high school. I went through a soul-searching phase and just got busy after that," I explain.

"Please don't talk to me like I've never been to college before," he sneers. "You had 365 days to respond to my email with another 365 more as extension, I'd still accept it. But you completely blocked all forms of communications with me. You even shut me off on Friendster, called me 'dipshit'!"

I open my mouth to rebuke his accusation but then I recall the conversation with Naim in his car had got me thinking that it could be Naim's doing.

"Sorry, my ex-boyfriend had total control over my Friendster account back then. That could be him not me," I defend.

"Regardless, you were too absorbed with yourself to even save us," he says dejectedly, snub out the cigarette filter on the ground with the toe of his Oxford shoe. "It broke me when you did that."

"Saint, I know what I did is unforgivable," I say regretfully. "But honestly, I searched you for a reunion. Apparently, you're not on Twitter or Instagram and I tried to add you on Facebook, but your account was inactive for years."

"Yeah, I don't find relationship networks on social media to be authentic," he claims.

"But your movement from International to Islamic is a surprising coincidence, isn't it?" I say optimistically.

"Not really, I already knew you're with Islamic. And Dato' Bahadin applying for CEO was partly my idea," he says smugly. "He's the father figure I never had when my own daddy failed on me. So he has potential. Besides, life at International becomes too saturated for us."

"Weren't you excited to see me on your first day at Islamic?" I ask nosily.

"Should I?" he asks nonchalantly.

"Well, I was elated when I saw you," I defend my stand. "It brought me good memories of us."

"You were? That's ironic because the way I remember it, you weren't enjoying my company when I was a kid, not the least bit. So, why the fluttering feelings now?" he raises his left eyebrow at me.

I draw my breath, engulfing the resented words. "Saint, if only you can accept the fact that your understanding of a romantic relationship back then was too childish for me to accept, you'd understand why I stray away from you."

"Either way, you'd still shut me out even if I was a gallant. Admit it, Sofia. You were chasing fools that don't love you back and now you're smitten with my glow-up. Enough said," he says finally and finishes his drink before calls out the waiter for the bill.

I'm lost for words. In just one drink, he throws my heart into a repentant sea and drowns me out. And if he wants me to realise that I lose a diamond for chasing after cut glass, then I'll suck it up and accept my loss.

But was Saint plotting out the path for Dato' Bahadin to set foot in TWIB so that he could face and roast me?

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