Lova yawned widely for the umpteenth time today.
It's 09.30 pm. But Lova still into her work and translation manuscript. Other than for the month-end bonuses, Lova still not interested to go home because her brother will stay at the hospital where he undertake his internship. Although they rarely to get along, but Lova absolutely loves her brother in any situtions. Without Arnav in their small boarding house, it will be so boring.
"Take overtime work again, Lov?"
That voice make Lova turn her head back and nodded with a big smile. Bagas seems ready to go home with a ransel at his back.
"I'll got home, want me to drive you?"
"No, thanks, Bagas. I wanna finish one more chapter."
"So, how will you go home?"
"I take a grab later. It's okay."
Bagas nodded in understanding. "Okay, then. This is a cup of coffee and mineral. You have to drink water more often when working in front of the computer."
"Wooo." Lova looked at to Bagas with a made-up funny face. "You are a grown up man now."
"Yes, I am. And you are old already, Arlova Zemira." Bagas answers with a lazily voice.
"Fortunately, I'm in a good mood. You can mock me as you want." Lova smiled while opened the bottle cap of coffe that Bagas gave to her.
Bagas shake his head in disbeliefe. "I'll leave, then."
Lova only shake her hands and back her focus on the computer to continue her work after finish half of her coffee. The room become very quite after Bagas left. Lova played random songs on her computer to accompany her finish the translation.
"Something left out, Bagas?" scream Lova after her heard someone open the door behind, her eyes still focus on computer.
There's no answer, but Lova is sure that someone is walking towards her and her feeling said that the person is Bagas. But, the apple scent that burst into her nose make Lova's body freeze when that person pull one of the chair and sit there, right at Lova's side. That person absolutely is not Bagas.
"You take overtime work so often, darling."
Of course! That deep voice greeted her so gently. Lova immediately turn her head and found a sweet smile from the man who wear the same color clothe with her today.
"You, again? What do you want, huh?" Lova immeditely said with her curt face and rolled her eyes after heard the giggle from the man beside her.
"I am a boss, and it's up to me, of course."
Just blame Lova if she forgot that this handsome guy has been the boss at her work place since yesterday.
"Pardon my attitude, boss. But, I take my overtime work and it's a middle of night. It's better if you back to your home and sleep tightly. So, you'll look more shemmaring tomorrow morning."
"You care of me so much, babe."
Lova snort in annoyance, while the man with that brown hair still looked at her faithfully. Lova pulled her body after felt those sturdy arms stretched out an perched on the table.
"You know it's a middle of night, but why you still here and take your overtime again and again?"
The head that features a handsome face rests perfectly on the palms with elbows on Lova's work table.
"The one who needs more time to rest it should be you, darl."
Why? Why that voice sounds more masculine in Lova's ears? The voice that make her heart beating more wildly for sudden.
"I'll get double end-month bonuses if I finish these two manuscripts before the end of the month, Boss."
"I can give you more than that bonuses as long as you go home now and rest." Alder grabbed Lova's hand to keep it away from the top of the keyboard.
For the sake of sate padang in front of the office, Lova feels warm all over her body at this time.
"And call me Alder. Just like you used to call my name."
Lova swallowed her saliva. Alder's hand gently gripped her tiny little hands.
Shit! Why can't I just be silent about this kid?
"Lova, why?"
Why is his voice sound so soft like silk?
"I don't want you to get sick."
"Al."
"I am." That smile was able to make Lova's chest hurt because she was holding back the pounding of her heart that was about to jump out.
"Why are you like this? Do you know who I am?"
Alder nodded firmly. "Arlova Zemira. The love song that rejected my proposal last week."
Alder's answer managed to make Lova snort.
"Al, you are just a young boy who don't understand how big the responsibility of being a husband is. And your choice is a spinster like me. You can't possibly bear all the bad talk from people for marrying a woman twelve years older than you. And anyone who knows what happened seven years ago would think I was a pedophile who just married a young boy like you."
Alder was silent. Letting Lova dissolve with the worries she had been thinking about after Alder's unexpected proposal.
"For the sake of seven years ago. I beg you to forget everything."
Alder shook his head. Refused flatly with what Lova asked for. "That's why you should try. Trying to start a relationship with me. We'll see how strong the protection of this man who you call as a young boy."
Lova stared intently at Alder's eyes. Trying to find a lie there. And Lova got the opposite. Seriousness is clearly visible in those eyes.
~.~.~.~
Lova ended up in the driver's seat in Alder's car. Several times Lova glanced at Alder who was casually driving the car. Lova knew that it would be very dangerous for her to keep seeing Alder like this.
It was undeniable, the charm that Alder exuded at this time was very real from a grown man.
Lova repeatedly let out a strong breath from her nose. She tried to suppressed the beating of her heart that made a strange tightness in her chest.
"So this is your boarding house now?" Alder turned to Lova who was moving nervously.
"Yes." That was the only word Lova could come up with.
"Arnav didn't come home, did he? He had to sleep in the hospital because his internship was about to end. He has a lot of reports to complete."
Lova squinted because Alder's explanation looked even more detailed than what Arnav himself explained to her.
"Arnav is the one you are in love, isn't he? It seems like that," Lova's words managed to make Alder burst out laughing.
Look at those eyes squinting with laughter, ah so adorable.
Lova shook her head vigorously. Get rid of the crazy thoughts that are now working very well in her brain.
"There's nothing wrong with paying attention to my future brother-in-law, right?"
And again. Words that full of family just came out of Alder Reuven's sweet mouth. Make Lova can only silence. Since the hospital where Arnav did his internship was owned by his father, of course Alder knew about Arnav's internship schedule that he had requested from the hospital.
"Can I stop by?"
No. Of course, not! And I'm not going to let you step on my boarding house.
That's what Lova's mind screamed. And what happened was the exact opposite of what Lova wanted. Alder smiled with satisfaction when he saw Lova's head move nodding in agreement.
Shit! It should not like this!