Alexander looked around the messy room. The same girl that she met quarrelling with Camellia the other day stood near the corner staring at him with her eyes glowing. He could hear her half whisper to her mother, "Mom, that is him, Alexander."
He believed the man that was now standing in front of Camellia was her father. He didn't know his name either. People might say ignorance is bliss, but that was not the case for him. Slightly bowing his head, "I'm sorry to come rushing in like this, but I am afraid that something might happen so I come uninvited." Despite his cold and rude personality, he was raised to always respect the elderly, though sometimes, his father was excluded from it.
"Who are you?" Andrew furrowed his eyes, the face staring at him was so unfamiliar and to add to his curiosity, the blood stain on his sleeve.
"Ah, I'm sorry. Alexander." He referred to himself as he walked forward and handed out his right hand from his side, "Camellia's fiancé."
"Oh! It's you Alexander." Andrew quickly returned the handshake and patted on Alexander's back awkwardly. His face brightened by the fact that the guy that he thought already abandoned her daughter was now here, introducing himself as her fiancé.
"What's the matter?" Alexander directed the question to Camellia who was silent the moment he came in. Her eyes bored blankly at the mannequin that was now laying on the floor. "Hey…" He called for her attention but she still didn't respond.
"Something happened and I don't think she is in her right mind." Christie suddenly interrupted. The satisfied grin was still on her face like she did nothing wrong at all.
Alexander sent a sharp glare. If Christie even dared to do this deed in front of Camellia's father, would she go extra lengths when he was not around. He was standing outside the room for about three to five minutes before he came rushing in after he heard a loud bang from inside the room. So basically he knew what Christie just did.
"I'm sorry Uncle, can I take her out for a moment, to calm herself." Alexander asked for Andrew's permission. He seriously thought that Camellia needed to be out of this toxic environment right now.
"Sure, sure." Andrew was all smiles. He hoped this was a good start so that he could benefit from it. He needed the marriage to happen. Their company was in a serious crisis right now. He couldn't think of any solution except creating an established connection between the two families.
"Let's go." He clasped their hands together and he was actually dragging her out because she was out of her mind.
They were all rushing out a few seconds after Alexander and Camellia were out of the room. Looking from afar, they saw how Alexander opened the door and covered Camellia's head from bumping into the car's roof.
"Are you okay?" Alexander asked when the car drove away from Camellia's house.
Silence. Camellia starred on the road and her mouth was tight close, not a word since earlier. Despite her being silent, her seat belt's alarm had been bothering Alexander for a while. He stopped at the sidewalk and moved closer to her. Pulling the seat belt and putting it on, their eyes met but she didn't have any reaction at all. She looked at him unaffected and blinked once in a while.
"Hello…?" Trying to tease her and test if she would react, he moved his face closer to Camellia.
"I might kiss you." Moving her lips closer as her eyes looked deep into his, Camellia almost caught him off guard.
"Now, Camellia has returned." Quickly returned to his seat, Alexander acted like he was okay. He was too stunned and honestly he could only hope that his heart could beat slower because Camellia might realise it by now.
"Can you buy me a drink?" She asked when Alexander started driving again.
"Drink? What do you want? Orange juice?" He asked, recalled the drink that she ordered and could not finish earlier.
"Pufff…" Her laughter ruptured. She never expected orange juice coming out from his mouth. "I don't think orange juice will help me in this situation." Her eyes back on the road, still trying to stop thinking about all her effort that had been destroyed in just split seconds.
"Do you mean, drink?" He sent her a short glance and saw her nodded. "In this broad daylight?"
"Why? Is that wrong?" She leaned her head on the chair then closed her eyes.
"No, I didn't say it is wrong but-"
"Ah! My tummy is hurting!" She held her stomach and her forehead was all wrinkled from the frowning.
"Why, why?" He panicked, ready to stop the car again but then Camellia grinned.
"I'm hungry…"
"Again?" He reacted without much thought.
"What do you mean again? I couldn't even finish my lunch earlier." She thrusted her lowered lips. Acting like she was sulking.
"Ah." Came to realise, he nodded and agreed to her words. He didn't answer anything after that, until he stopped at the traffic light. "Do you know the plant that is called Mimosa Pudica?"
The furrowed eyebrows showed that she didn't have any knowledge about the plant. She shook her head after thinking for a while.
"Or maybe a shameplant?" He tried asking with the other name of the plant, thinking maybe she might know it.
"No…!" A long no coming out from her mouth as she showed frustration because of his question. She did not know why the topic of the plant suddenly came out when she just mentioned she was hungry a minute ago.
"There is this plant that will fold their leaves and droop when being touched, shaken or protecting themselves from any harm. Then they will reopen a few minutes after." He smiled while talking about the plant while his eyes were on the road.
"And the relation?"
"Just like you."
"Excuse me? Do you like plant so much?" She just couldn't digest his meaning. Right now, her mind had been used in a full capacity so double meaning words were hard for her to take in.
"Never mind." He chuckled, finding she was cute. In just a few times meeting her, he could easily read her personality. The type that hides her stress, sadness and anger inside, covering them with bubbly and cheerful personality.
"So where?" She asked, stopping his wandering mind.
"Where?"
"Eating! Ah, and drinking." She said it with a determined face. Like whatever happened, she was going to drink today.
"Then, the bar at our house." He replied without hesitant.
"Booooringg…" She gave a thumbs down as she didn't agree with his suggestion.
"So, is the bar outside more fun?"
"Well…" Her voice faltered as she turned and looked outside, thinking the answer for the question.
"Then, let's go." He sped away the car, driving to the restaurant nearby filling her tummy first before heading to the bar next.