"Not a girlfriend but I do have someone I like."
James said while trying to keep himself calm. Mirae's question was very sudden and he didn't know how to answer it. Nevertheless, he just said what came up in his mind. Afterall, tomorrow he was going to go on a date with her.
Although, he didn't say it as a date but it actually was a date.
Thinking about the date which was set for tomorrow, James began to smile.
After hearing his reply and seeing James smile, Mirae felt lightning strike through her thoughts and break them all apart. It just felt like she was hallucinating about James and that he too was beginning to have feelings for her. Her thoughts were just an illusion.
She quietly mouthed an "O" and looked out of the window. Witnessing James smiling thinking about the person whom he likes was starting to break her heart.
James thought that after hearing his reply, Mirae would get curious and would ask him that who is the person and all but getting just a short response from her, he thought of giving her a little hint.
And so, he said "Tomorrow... I shall be saying that I like her actually." He turned to his side to look at her and noticed that Mirae had her eyes closed. He didn't know why but he didn't like it. He was communicating with her and she was already asleep?!
Nevertheless, he shook his head and focused on driving.
Meanwhile, Mirae heard it all. She felt like crying. She could no longer show James that she was feeling hurt by his words afterall, every person has a right to choose whom she/he likes.
She also did say that she would walk away if he had someone to like but why was saying things and doing things was difficult in comparison to one another? Mirae had no words to say to him or even put a blame on him. How could she even put a blame on him because it was all her fault to have fallen for this person.
Hence, she closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep.
'Maybe the reason why you came to pick me up today and have dinner with me was because you wanted to go with that person tomorrow?' She started asking questions in her mind. Although, she knew it was futile to ask them in her mind, she just couldn't help but think about his sentences.
Surely, Mirae misunderstood James. All James was trying to do was hint her about his feelings towards her. He also, like her was afraid that maybe something would go wrong in between them. That is why, he was just hinting at her regarding their date for tomorrow.
But who knew that Mirae would misunderstand him and would feel hurt?!
****
After the car came to a halt, Mirae opened her eyes. She saw that she was already near her home. She turned her head towards James and noticed him unfastening his seatbelt. With a sigh, she also unfastened her seatbelt.
James took a look at Mirae. He saw her unfastening her belt and he unlocked the doors by pressing the button. Just as he thought that Mirae would tell him goodbye and leave, he heard her ask him "Would you like to have a cup of coffee together?"
"Huh?" James widened his eyes in surprise. "A coffee." He saw her showing a drinking sign with her hand.
"O...Okay!" With a stammer James agreed before giving a smile. He also stepped out of the car with her and they both entered inside the house.
Once again, James had come to Mirae's place but this time it was different. The last time he came, he had requested Mirae to sleep at her place and this time, Mirae had asked him for a cup of coffee. He felt elated to get inside her house once again.
James smiled as he walked towards the balcony again and looked outside. The night view was beautiful. Or maybe he could say that the time right now was beautiful. As he turned back, he saw the couch where he had slept that night.
Also, him taking Mirae to her bed and seeing her pink panty due to her skirt which was lifted up. Recollecting all that, James couldn't help but blush. His cheeks turned into the deep shade of red as he remembered how flustered he was when he saw her panty that day.
"You can watch something you like until I get the coffee prepared."
James immediately shook his head to remove his thoughts when he heard Mirae speak. Although, he didn't exactly hear what she told, he just nodded and sat on the couch.
He took out his phone and began to read the messages which he received from his team members. Scrolling and scrolling down, he read them all but they were of nothing importance. Or he wasn't at all interested in reading them.
His mind was just and just thinking about Mirae and her invitation for coffee. It was really surprising for him.
While Mirae was whipping up some cream, she took a glance at James only to see him staring at his phone. She didn't know why she invited James for coffee when she already told herself that she would back off if she gets to know that James had someone whom she liked.
Right now, as she was making some coffee for the two of them, she didn't know what her mind was thinking. It just felt as if she had no control over herself because of this jealous and broken feeling inside her heart.
"Last time... I couldn't prepare anything for you so, I thought of inviting you over for coffee, Mr. James." Mirae said as she approached him and placed the thick creamy coffee on the table.
She looked at the television which wasn't on and took the remote and switched it on. "You didn't switch on the TV, Mr. James." She said while sitting down beside him. Not very close to him nor very far from him, Mirae just sat with a slight gap in between them.
She took the coffee cup in her hand and gave it to James. He took it with a smile and Mirae changed the channel to something interesting to watch. Mirae felt clueless. She barely had any interest in watching TV or drinking her coffee.
All she just wanted was to spend some time with James. But she didn't know how....
As she saw James sipping coffee while blowing on it, Mirae hoped that the coffee wouldn't get cold and that James would never get to finish it. She just wished that he could stay for longer or that something would happen to his car so that he could stay with her for the night.
But it was all just a wish!!!
Mirae felt obsessed with this handsome man sitting beside her. Mirae also knew that the possibility of them becoming one was zero but she just wanted to do something with him, something which would let him know that she had feelings for him and that he would forget about that girl whom he liked.
"Mr...." Mirae opened her mouth to speak but stopped right away.
"James..." As she thought that it would be better to not be formal with him, she called him with his name but she soon had to stop because James received a call and she saw him walking to the balcony to attend the call.
"Sh*t!" Mirae grunted and took one sip from the coffee. As the hot coffee touched her tongue, she spatted it all out and placed the cup with anger and irritation evident on her face.
Then her eyes fell on the half empty cup of James... 'He drank it so quick.' She pouted and grunted again.
"What's wrong? Why are you grunting like that, Mirae?"