"Joe, have you met the people from the EO yet?" Felix leaned in, wrapping his arms around Joe's neck, his voice lowered to a conspiratorial whisper.
"No, why?" asked Joe.
Felix's mischievous grin hinted at something interesting. "They were asking about your type of woman."
A playful smile crept across Joe's face. "And what was your answer?"
"The most beautiful girl! Blonde, blue eyes! Your type!" Felix said, glancing at Joe, seeking his reaction.
Joe offered only a knowing smile, placing a reassuring hand on Felix's back as he nodded.
As they strolled, discussing their plans, Ebri proposed dining at a seemingly empty restaurant in front of them. However, Ted, another member of Joe's entourage, was skeptical due to the lack of patrons. Felix peeked into the restaurant which was only clad in glass around it. There was only one person in that restaurant.
"Are you sure the food is good? There's only one person in there!" said Ted, who had now joined Joe's party of seventeen.
Duncan chimed in, suggesting that booking the whole restaurant for their group at a big event like this would be wise, even if the food's quality remained uncertain. Laughter rippled through the group.
Ted continued, "What do you think, Joe?"
Joe considered the proposal and replied, "Well, Duncan is right! Let's give it a try, the place doesn't look bad either."
With Ebri and Felix leading, the group entered the restaurant. Upon arriving, they noticed a lone customer at a table.
"Hey," said Ebri to the cashier.
The cashier recognized Joe right away and grew nervous, but Joe's warm demeanor eased the tension. After discussing the arrangements, the group settled in, their tables rearranged into one long row. Joe, however, couldn't take his eyes off a girl who had been there before them.
"Can we book this restaurant until we finish eating? I mean, just make sure that we're the only guesses in the house?" asked Ebri to the cashier.
The girl standing behind the counter looked confused, "Let me ask my manager at the back first, ok?".
"Yes, of course!" replied Ebri.
When the cashier returned with the restaurant manager, Joe's identity became apparent. The manager warmly welcomed Joe and his friends and took their orders.
Ebri, Felix, and Joe exchanged glances, while some of them had moved the tables and chairs into one long table.
"They are very confident, it's not like they necessarily allow us to book this restaurant right away but look at them," said Felix.
Ebri laughed for a moment, but Joe's eyes were fixed on a girl who was already in the restaurant before their coming.
Ebri noticed Joe's fixation and nudged him, asking, "What are you looking at?"
Joe smirked and turned his face towards the cash register again, and for the next second the cashier came back in front of them with a big, bald man. He seems to be the manager of the restaurant.
"How can I help you?" the man then asked.
"Oh yes, of course! We intend to book this restaurant until we finish eating. Maybe it will take an hour or an hour and a half" explained Ebri.
"Oh, you certainly can, Sir!" replied the man, then he continued, "Wait, are you Joseph Ilyas?" he said, reconized him.
"You're right, brother!" replied Joe with a warm smile.
"Oh, we're so glad you and your friends could stop by our restaurant!"
"It's all good, please give us all your best menu!" Joe replied still with a smile on his face.
"Certainly!" The manager replied, "It will come right away!"
"But I noticed, you already have a customer right there already?" Felix turned to the girl who was now talking on her phone, "Is she eating alone or she is waiting for some people here?"
The manager turned to the cashier who was standing next to him to give the answer to Felix's question, "That girl is waiting for someone I think."
Felix's words were cut short when the manager then added, "We can talk to her if that's necessary?" the manager's eyes are now on Joe to wait for the answer from him.
Joe shook his head slowly "No need, let her be! She comes here first anyway, but please don't accept other customers after this until we're done, okay?"
The manager smiled. At the very least, there wouldn't be any scene will be created with Joe's answer. Imagining Joe answered otherwise, of course, the manager will come to the girl and will subtly kick her out. That of course will cause problems whether they like it or not.
"In that case, okay!" said Ebri, "Get all your best foods and drinks out to our table!"
The manager and the cashier nodded at the same time.
While Ebri and Felix walked to the long table made by their friends, Joe was still standing in the same place, he turned back to the girl, and looked at the cashier who was quietly watching Joe who was watching her customer, "Uhm, is this girl has paid for her order?" Joe asked the cashier, he asked almost in a whisper.
"Not yet! She just ordered a few drinks. I think she is waiting for her friend!"
"Oh, well! Please just put the bill on ours, ok?" said joe then.
The cashier frowned, "The bill for her drink?"
"No, I mean, the bill on her table. If her friend comes over and orders, put it on ours too. Let us treat that table too!" explained Joe.
"Oh! Okay!" the cashier nodded.
Joe ended their conversation with a smile and walked over to the long table where all his team had been sitting and joking. But his eyes were still glued to the girl. He then chose a seat opposite the girl so he could still watch her silently. As the evening unfolded, Joe continued to steal glances at the girl, Shea. Their eyes occasionally met, sparking intrigue. Ebri watched his best friend and tried to hide his big smile by looking under the table. He knew exactly what Joe was thinking and feeling.
Although Joe eventually mingled with the conversation around him, he occasionally glanced at the table across from him. People who were not sitting with their backs to the girl now realized that Joe was watching the girl periodically. His words suddenly stopped and his eyes focused as the girl stood up from her seat and packed up all her things that were on her desk. His head was spinning violently for an excuse so he could talk to the girl, but something is stopping him from doing that.
"And?" James who sat opposite Joe did not understand what was happening and wanted Joe to continue his story that suddenly stopped.
Ebri giggled, "He forgot his words! Let's just forget it!"
Duncan laughed because he understood that Joe was no longer paying attention to them anymore but to the girl in front of them who was now talking to the cashier.
Joe looked away when the cashier and the girl turned to look at him. He suddenly got nervous and took the water in front of him and took a sip. Then he put down his glass and stole another glance at the girl, but she was now walking closer to their table.
"Hey!" greet the girl to whoever looking at her at that table. She doesn't know who exactly paid her bill.
Ebri, who was sitting at the end of the table, gasped in surprise when the girl stood near him, then he looked at Joe who had seen the girl first.
Duncan muttered under his breath, "Oh-oh!"
"Uhm, I just wanted to say thank you because the cashier said that you guys pay my bill!"
James turned to the girl and raised an eyebrow, then he looked one by one from the faces of his friends for answers to the questions in his head.
"It's all good! We're celebrating something, so yeah," replied Joe without batting an eye when he saw the girl.
The girl seemed to be forcing a smile, but after a while, "You?"
Joe smiled.
"Are you Joseph Ilyas?" she asked.
"Yeah.." He smiled knowing that the girl recognized him.
"Well, thank you once again!" said the girl as she walked away from their table.
"Hey, wait!" Joe stood up and chased after the girl.
The girl stopped for a moment and raised both of her eyebrows when Joe was standing beside her, "Yes?"
"No, uhm, I just want to ask your name?" Joe looked embarrassed to just to say it.
The girl smiled softly, "Shea. My name is Shea."
"Shea," repeated Joe, "what a beautiful name."
"Uhm, thank you?" answered Shea, not knowing what to say.
"So, you're leaving?"
"Yes, I have to go back."
"Oh," said Joe almost inaudibly.
Shea continued, "Ok then, uhm, nice to meet you, and thank you again!"
"Me too," Joe gasped in surprise, lost in thought for a moment, "and nice to meet you too!"
Joe returned to his table in a daze. Joe, normally a heartthrob who could charm anyone, found himself captivated by Shea. His unexpected infatuation set the stage for a new and exciting chapter in his life, one where he was the one chasing after love.
"Ahhhhh, my man! A new girl, AGAIN! What's her name, bro?" Duncan greeted with a teasing laugh as Joe back to their table.
"Shea," he answered simply.
"Oh, Sheaaaa! So when are you gonna take her on a date? Tonight, I bet?" Tim, which had been silent for the whole morning, now became interested in the conversation at their table.
"I do not know!" Joe seemed to be wondering to himself.
"What do you mean you don't know?" said Felix.
"I was just asking for her name," Joe answered.
"What?" Felix and Ebri answered at the same time.
His manager, Ted, squirted the tea he had just drank at Felix, he couldn't help but laugh hearing what Joe had just said.
Felix glared disdainfully at Ted, "Ewwwwww!"
The laughter at the table grew louder.
"You?" Ebri laughed heartily, "You? Didn't ask anything but her name?"
"We all realize you can't take your eyes off the girl since we stepped our feet on this restaurant, and Joseph Ilyas only asks for her name when you both finally talk?" Ted burst out laughing.
James wiped his tears saying "I really can't stop laughing! Oh, God!"
"You were hypnotized by that girl!" said Duncan quickly.
"Hey, hey! Be easy on me! I just forgot, ok? It's so normal! Like y'all never been in my position before!" Joe defended himself.
Ted's laughter grew louder when he heard Joe's answer, "Joe, of the 17 people at this table, you're the only one who can melt any women in just a minute, but now?" his words stopped by his laughter which became very loud, Ted's face was already very red.
"She will be the death of you, man!" Felix teases.
"Ah!" Joe dismissed the words just like that.
"Ah, it could be! It could be that soon we will hear him announce on stage whose name Shea is expected to come forward to sing together with him on stage!" Ebri teased Joe, a twinkle in his eye.
But Joe, surprisingly, took Ebri's words to heart. He gazed at Ebri with a subtle smile, contemplating the idea.
"Ohhhh, please don't tell me you're really going to do what Ebri says!" Duncan chuckled, sensing the shift in Joe's demeanor.
He couldn't help but smile at the playful suggestion from Ebri. Joe responded with a silent but enigmatic smile, leaving his friends curious about the thoughts swirling in his mind.