Alexa remembered that she was supposed to be home, and her cousin was calling her. She looked around to see if she had missed the bus. It seemed not. ' That's good,' she thought.
"How did you know that it was me? How did you find me?" she asked Ramon curiously.
"Oh! That is a long story about that, and I do not think this is the right place for us to discuss it. Are you on your way home? I have a car. Can I drive you there?" Ramon was looking at her with pleading eyes.
Alexa's eyes widened, shining brightly at his offer of a car ride. "Wow! You are a big shot now, eh? You even have a car... That is good! I hope you are sticking around so I can ask you for a favor. Hahaha!" Alexa laughed out loud.
Ramon just gave her a half-smile then ushered her to the direction of the car across the street.
Ramon opened the door for Alexa like a gentleman would for his girlfriend. Once she hopped in and was seated, he very gently helped her with her seatbelt. His palms were sweating from nervousness.
However, Alexa was indifferent. It did not seem to bother her to be near a man at all. She smiled at him "Thank you! My best friend."
"You're welcome! Anytime, it's my pleasure." Ramon replied in a shy expression and finished buckling her in. He went to the driver's side and got in, buckled his belt, and started the car.
"Here we go!" He stepped on the gas pedal, shifted the gear, then drove off to the direction of Alexa's home.
The eerie silence was deafening to Alexa's ear. She needed to break the silence somehow. It was becoming awkward, and they still had about 30 minutes of driving before they arrived at her home.
"Ramon, can I ask you a question?" Alexa broke the silence.
"Sure, what is it?" Ramon responded.
"After so many years of silence, why did you suddenly seek me out?"
"As I said, it is a long story, and it was not the right place or time to speak about it. But if you must know, I start looking for you because I need your help." He said in a low tone, almost like a whisper.
Alexa looked at Ramon with questioning eyes. "Tell me! If I can be of help, I will do my best." She gave him the sweetest smile.
Ramon's heart was beating so fast that his foot pushed the gas pedal a little more, and the car sped up, overdoing the speed limit.
"You see… I'm engaged... and that is when you came to my mind."
Alexa: "^-^."
"What do you mean, that's when I came to your mind? Elaborate a little, please! I am a little slow when it comes to love matters. Hehe!" Alexa was trying to make Ramon feel at ease. He looked like someone who was about to have his head cut-off.
Ramon looked at Alexa from the corner of his eyes, trying to probe the situation before replying. "Well, as I said earlier, it's a long story. It would be better if we talk about it over food." He scratched his head, unsure if Alexa would agree.
"Well, I have not changed much when it comes to food. I will listen to your story even if it takes forever. Especially if it's my favorite food we're talking about."
Ramon's face brightened when he heard Alexa's reply. "So, would you have dinner with me tonight then? I know the perfect place that has all your favorite dishes." He eagerly said, waiting for Alexa's reply.
"Oh... not tonight... I have an appointment with my future manager, and I don't know what time our meeting will end." Alexa's eyes were filled with regret as she looked at him straight in the eyes.
"It's alright! I have everything in the world, so I will wait for you no matter what time you finish." He said
"Really? Well, if you can wait for me no matter how late I finish, then yes! I will have dinner with you tonight." She replied excitedly, with a big grin plastered on her face.
"It's a date then; you better not change your mind. I will take you to your meeting and wait until you finish. From there, we can then go to have our dinner. Let me assure you that the place is a must. You will love it. The food there is to die for. Hahaha!" Ramon's laughter was vibrant. He was thrilled to the max.
They were so busy talking that they arrived at their destination without even noticing.
When Ramon stopped the car right in front of her little house, all her nosy neighbors poked their heads outside the doors to see who it was.
Ramon quickly got out of the driver's seat and went around to open the door for Alexa.
Alexa laughed at his actions and teased him in return. "Whoa! When did you become such a gentleman, opening the door for a woman? You make it look like we just came from a date. Hahaha!"
Ramon's face turned scarlet red because of her words. What was wrong if the neighbors thought that they just came back from a date? He was a man, and she was a woman, and they were both young and single. At least, that was what he thought, and he was determined to think so.
" Come! Let us see if my grandmother still remembers you. It has been what? Hmmm… let's see… you left when I was seven years old, and I'm almost nineteen this year, so it has been twelve long years. I want to see her face when she sees you."
She called for her grandmother, but there was no answer. 'Bummer, she is not home,' she thought to herself.