"You're still wearing the same clothes as this morning," said Charlos. "Why don't you go home first? You could wear something nice and make up a little. That's much better than—"
"You forgot something. I told you that I was working late. Of course, I haven't been home yet." Charlos raised an eyebrow. "Never mind! Please, don't comment the way I dress. Now, you know that I'm a hard worker." Rissa tossed her hair behind her shoulder. And then, Charlos started chuckling.
"Well, what do you want to talk about?" asked Rissa. The laughter immediately disappeared from Charlos's face.
"I think, we can talk about you. I was wondering, what kind of person are you? What is your life like?"
Rissa considered. Do people like Rissa need to be asked what about her life? This thing is a bit insulting, but Rissa still answered the question with an honest answer.
"I'm just an ordinary person. This is what I am, as you can see." Messy hair, wet clothes, eat like crazy.
Rissa chewed the potato that suddenly tasted bland. They were silent for a moment. Charlos seemed to be waiting for Rissa to say something else.
"What?" asked Rissa innocently.
"Okay. What do your parents do?" Charlos's questions began to lead to interrogation.
"My stepfather sells the vegetables at the traditional market. Actually, I live with my brother, James. He is still in middle-high school. I have paid for his schooling since my father has passed away." Rissa adjusted her seat to be more upright.
"Oh, I'm so sorry about your father. How about your mother?" asked Charlos evenly.
"My mother? Hmmm ... She remarried not long after my father died. Her husband is from Batam. After the marriage, my mother moves to Batam with her husband." Rissa sighed, wondering how she could be so honest in front of a man.
Charlos took a sip of his lemon tea. "So, do you mean you live alone with your brother?"
"Yes. By the way, it's not my house; it's a rented house. I don't have a house of my own." Her voice sounded pathetic.
"How can you live like that? Does your mother often visit you and your brother?"
"Not really. We last saw each other at Christmas last year."
The chicken meat in his mouth suddenly tasted bitter. Rissa hoped that Charlos wouldn't ask anything else about her mother.
Charlos looked at her in disbelief. "All that time, you were live with your brother? How could that be? I mean, shouldn't you live in Batam with your mother?"
Rissa looked down. Even so, she could still feel Charlos's gaze.
"It's better like this," she said at last. "If I move to Batam, then I will hard to find a job. I don't have the money to go to college. Nowadays, who wants to accept employees who are just high school graduates? Anyway, I can earn my own money. So, I can support myself and James."
"Don't you feel irritated or angry maybe at your mother?" asked Charlos.
"What for?" Rissa looked up and noticed Charlos. His brown eyes shone in the dim light of the cafe.
"For letting you live alone with your brother and away from your parents."
Rissa chuckled. "Me? Angry? Not really. Why am I angry. It's completely unnecessary." Rissa moved her hand. "Actually, my mother didn't let me live alone with my brother here."
"What do you mean?"
"It's better like this, really. I'm more comfortable staying here than live in Batam. I'm totally fine." Rissa had to look serious, whether Charlos believed her or not.
Rissa couldn't stand it if Charlos looked at her like that because it felt like it pierced her heart. So, she looked around.
Rissa wondered what was on Charlos's mind. Did the man find her so pathetic? Maybe that's what's called a look of pity, even though his expression doesn't show any sympathy. Again, she wondered how many more minutes Charlos would continue to stare at her because it almost caught her breath.
Well, finally, Charlos took a sip of his drink and averted his gaze. So, Rissa started to talk again.
"Charlos, you are very important to me. If you cancel this contract, maybe my job will be finished. If I become unemployed, I won't be able to support my life anymore. I can't pay James's tuition fees. So, I beg you. Please, continue this contract. About your secret ... Well, I still don't understand about it, but I'll keep my mouth shut."
Charlos cleared his throat, then adjusted his seat. "Reva and I are quite close," said Charlos slowly.
"Ah. So, it's Reva." Rissa nodded.
"Reva is an artist," continued Charlos. "We can't be seen together."
"Why can't we have an artist's lover?" Rissa furrowed her brow.
"Reva and I have not dated yet," Charlos said.
"You must be doing a scandal. Isn't that right?" Rissa raised her index finger.
Suddenly, Charlos turned stiff as if Rissa knew something. A little bluff could make Charlos a little shaken. It was really a very good joke—anyway, Rissa laughed.
"Don't accuse me carelessly, okay?"
"Oh, sorry." Rissa stopped laughing. Alright, maybe Rissa shouldn't push him too far. She pursed her lips as she adjusted her seat.
"Who is Reva? I've never heard that name."
"Reva is a saxophone player." Charlos turned impatient. "By the way, the point is I want you to keep your mouth shut about this."
"Don't worry," said Rissa. "I hope you believe me because I really don't intend to tell anyone, if I really understand the reason," added Rissa. "So, I'm not curious anymore until I make up the story by myself."