"Guess what, Tomi."

"What?"

"So you can't even guess?" I sit up and swing my legs off the bed.

She looks up from her computer where she is currently typing and turns on the seat to face me, folding her hands over her chest.

"I'm not worse than you are at guessing." She shakes her head and I roll my eyes.

The bed frame creakes as I absent-mindedly swing my legs to and fro.

"Never mind." I look away and remember last night at the park. It almost feels like days ago now.

                           ※※

"You're kidding."

"I'm not, honestly. She made me drink the whole bottle."
I clutch my stomach and burst into giggles for the umpteenth time that night.

"No way." I cough and his green eyes twinkles as he rants on.

"Thank God I pretended to get well fast, who knows what she would have done next?"

"Serves you right." My breathing slowly becomes regular as I raise my hands to my face and massage my aching cheeks.
Lisa, on the other hand is lost in her own world chasing a butterfly.

For a while, we are silent just watching Lisa make a fool of herself before it's broken by his deep tenor.

"I miss her." He says and my head snaps in his direction causing some strands of my hair to whip my face. I tuck them behind my ear and study him.
For the first time since we met a few minutes ago, I can sense sadness and I feel a pang in my chest.

He plucks a blade of grass and begins fiddling with it.

"I'm so sorry."

He heaves and looks up at the sky which has now become dark, the sun fully covered up by the moon. The entire park is sprinkled with the silvery light, here and there.

"It's alright...", he pauses as if wanting to say more...., " I've moved on." He flashes me a quick smile and rises to his feet.

"Um, I need to leave. Tell your mom, that her cooking is great. I truly enjoyed every bite." He smiles.

I roll my eyes.

"That's embarking on a suicide mission considering she'd find out I didn't eat it all." I murmur and shove my hands into my coat pocket.
That sends him into a fit of laughter and I can't help but join in.

Finally, we both calm down and I remember I need to get going too.

"By the way, I need to leave too, it's getting late."

"Do you mind if I walk you home; you live around?"

"Yeah, it's right here in Cobble Hill, just among the Brown Stones."

"Oh then not very far I guess." He holds out his arm for me.

"Yeah, I guess."
His smile makes it absolutely difficult to resist so I nod and give in taking his hand as we continue down the street.

                         ※※

I am pushed back into reality when a waving hand blocks my vision.
I slap it away to reveal a confused looking Tomi.
She is kneeling on the floor with her head cocked to one side as if to examine me.

With my hands on the bed, I push myself backwards slowly and away from her, hitting something hard in the process.

Ow.

"What are you doing?" I raise one eyebrow while I rub my side, making sure I'm at least two steps away from her.

"Maya, you were practically daydreaming. I called you and you didn't hear me even though you were right here." She points to where I was sitting on the bed.

What? I was daydreaming about Brian. Oh dear, I have to do something, Tomi can't know about Brian.
Think, Maya, think, think...... Aha!

"Clave!!!"

"What?"

"Clave.....I met Clave!"

"You met Clave....., from college?" Her eyes are almost bulging out of their sockets right now.

"Yes, from college, Clave Frost, our best friend remember? He gave us these bracelets." I raise my hand to her face and dangle the shiny bracelet.

"Yes! How could I forget?" She smiles warmly, but it's quickly replaced by a frown.

"But.... how......"

"I met him at my office." I grin widely, barely containing my excitement as I shift my attention to recount the happenings of that day.

"Your office?" She cocks a perfectly arched eyebrow at me disbelievingly.
"For years, we haven't spoken or communicated with each other and you say he just showed up at your office?" She points out.

"Yeah, I was busy on a case and asked not to be disturbed Abigail said I had a persistent visitor." I throw my hands up and shrug. "I knew I wasn't expecting any visitors until later that day, so out of curiosity, I told her to let him in.
Immediately I saw him, I was speechless. For close to a minute, I just stood there staring, wondering if my eyes were deceiving me, Tomi." I laugh.

"You've gotta be kidding me. I'm not even sure, I'd recognize him if I saw him now."
She rolls on the sheets to face me thereby getting entangled in the process.

I smile and my eyes glint mischievously.

I reach behind me and dig my fingers into the bulge causing her to jerk violently, her giggles coming out in muffled squeals.

"Maya, p...please stop........ stop, I can't breathe." She giggles while struggling to free herself.

Having fully enjoyed myself, I let go and sit back to take in the scene.

She's still trying to untangle herself from under the sheets when her head pops up through an opening.

My pursed lips that were trying to hold back my laughter split open and I double over laughing.

She's panting and her curls are in a tousled mess while her eyes dart all around her until they land on me and narrow dangerously.

Even though my eyes are blurry from tears, I can still make out the dangerous glint in her eyes and I let out a scream.

Too late.

She pounces on me and we both tumble backwards, landing with a big thud on the hard mahogany floor.

Jeez.

"Arghh."

"Arghh." We groan in unison and hold each other's painful expressions before we burst out again into laughter.

After our breathing has regularized, my stomach growles slightly and I clutch it.

"Maybe, we should go get something to eat."

"Yeah, I'm hungry too."

"Come on then." I heave myself up and tread to the door with Tomi at my heels.

                        ※※

"Yeah, he totally looks the same, just better." I lean on the kitchen table and take a sip, peering at her through the top of the glass.

"Clave, Clave, arrrgh." She screames and I smiled. "Oh, I can't wait to see him. It would be so awesome, Friday night you said?"

"Yup, Friday night." I grin.

"I'll clear my, schedule." She drains her glass and slams it on the table, causing me to jump.

"What was that for?" I yell.

"Sorry." She shrugs. "By the way, I need to go. Got a big day tomorrow."

I roll my eyes and puff up a stray strand of my hair that's tickling my face.

"I'll walk you to the door.