Chapter 3

"You're not a doctor, are you, Zack?"

I sipped my iced lemon tea after asking him that question. We needed a break after finishing the first chapter of A Little Life and discussing the possible events that could happen from that one chapter. It turned out he was a very observant reader. He noticed small details that I had missed. It was dangerous for me to embarrass myself because I was fascinated with him. The only problem was I could only discuss books with Gio, my lovely brother. My previous boyfriends weren't into reading.

"Do I look like a doctor?"

"Your glasses, serious face, and how you dress remind me of a doctor."

Zack laughed again before taking a sip of his coffee. I couldn't believe someone would drink coffee in this scorching weather. I ordered tea, but iced lemon tea. Coffee at this would have ignited trouble because it would make me sleepy. Yep! You heard me right. Coffee never successfully kept me awake—quite the opposite.

"Do I look that serious?"

"I don't know how others perceive you. For me, your face looks solemn. Sorry if I'm wrong."

"No, I'm not a doctor, Glenn. Just an ordinary employee."

"I might look like a bum, but it's bullshit to say you're just an ordinary employee."

Whether it was because of my blunt statement or because he found it amusing, Zack just smiled. "Why?"

As I finished my drink, I tilted my head before answering Zack's question. "First, your Lindberg glasses. Only someone with a good salary and expensive taste can buy glasses worth more than 400 bucks. You can't lie because my brother is a Lindberg aficionado. Second, your Salvatore Ferragamo loafers. Again, you don't need to lie because I used to have a pair. Third, you wear an Omega Seamaster 300 because my former boss was a watch collector. Are you still going to lie to me and say you're just an ordinary employee? Try harder, Zack."

I wasn't someone who cared about brands. But if I were to sell my brother's wardrobe, I could buy a new motorcycle. Because I used to work for an international company whose employees always wore branded stuff from head to toe, I was pretty knowledgeable about branded items. Zack had expensive taste because if you added the three things I mentioned, I could use the total amount for a month-long European trip.

"You surprised me."

I just shrugged. "So, who are you?"

Zack scratched his head, though I wasn't sure if his head was itchy or he was feeling nervous. At the same time, I could see his playful smirk.

"I work at a real estate agency in Sanur."

"Do you work there, or do you own the place?"

Zack laughed again. "No, I'm not that rich to own a real estate agency."

Although I still didn't fully believe his answer, the answer was enough for now. I didn't want to scare Zack with my bluntness, even though I was not trying to be pretentious in front of him, either.

"Where are you from, or where are you going to dress up like that?"

"Nowhere special. I came from Sanur earlier, from home, and I will have dinner at Merah Putih. I'm just killing time because Sanur is too quiet."

"You're determined to go from Sanur to Merah Putih," I said. Merah Putih was one of the high-end restaurants in Petitenget, "It's such a long way to go to Seminyak just for a bookstore, right? Isn't there one in Sanur too? Besides, it's still lunchtime if you want to have dinner at Merah Putih."

"I want to go to Mozaik before dinner. I love sunsets, and you can't see the sunset in Sanur."

I was about to offer my apartment so he could watch the sunset, but I held back. What was I thinking? I had just met him and was already considering offering him my apartment. Hell no!

"Do you like reading that kind of book, Glenn?"

"What do you mean? Similar to A Little Life?" Zack nodded. "Not really. I read anything as long as it's not non-fiction. My life is already filled with numbers and facts. I'm not interested in reading non-fiction books unless it's work-related. What about you? What kind of books do you like?"

"I'm more selective about books. I love historical fiction, but I read everything that catches my attention. But this book is recommended by a friend."

"You trust your friend's opinion that much?"

"She's an editor at one of the publishing houses in England, so yes, I trust her judgment."

"Do you like The Gift of Rain?"

Zack nodded. "The book is good. The narration is poetic. Maybe I'm biased because I like historical fiction," he explained.

"I haven't discussed books with anyone other than my brother in a long time. Thanks."

"The pleasure is mine."

Then we fell silent. I was busy stirring the straw while observing Zack playing with his finger on the rim of the cup.

"Would you mind showing me places to hang out or dine out other than the ones I know in the Seminyak area? I haven't explored Bali much, and you've been here for quite a while, so you probably know places I'm unfamiliar with. Of course, if you're not busy and not feel bothered."

I raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised by Zack's request. I never expected him to bring it up first.

"I'll be happy too, but so that you know that I don't enjoy dining out. Especially not fine dining. As for hanging out, it depends on your preference. I don't have a particular favorite place. Give me your number so it's easier if you want to meet up."

After that, Zack and I exchanged numbers. As soon as his name was saved in my phonebook, I couldn't wait to meet him again, even though we hadn't planned to say goodbye. But exchanging phone numbers was usually a sign of goodbye, wasn't it?

"Do you work on Saturdays or Sundays?"

"Usually, I take Saturdays and Sundays off. It would be ridiculous to work on the weekend. But this week, I think I have to work because I don't have any other choice. Why?"

"Just wanted to make sure."

"Weekend is fine. Just let me know." Then I prepared to leave. "Zack, I'd love to chat with you longer, but I must go. I have some work that needs to be finished today."

Zack nodded as if he knew we would eventually part ways after exchanging numbers. But I'm looking forward to meeting him again.

"I'll let you know. I also need to check my schedule at the office, whether I'm working or off this weekend."

"I'll be waiting."

As I called the waiter to ask for the bill and took out my wallet, Zack looked at me.

"On me, Glenn."

"No, we're not on a date. We just met, and I already kicked you into Periplus. No offence, but I don't want you to pay."

"I will be offended if you won't let me pay."

"Me too. Next time, if you want to treat me, you can. But not today." You would never win an argument with me, Zack.

"It doesn't make a difference whether it's now or later, right? Eventually, we'll take turns paying. Am I wrong?"

I sighed in frustration. Instead of arguing about who would pay while the waiter was waiting nearby, I gave in. Zack smiled, probably victorious for stopping me from paying for our afternoon snack. Once the waiter left after Zack told him to keep the change, I looked at Zack in confusion.

"You're generous."

"How so?"

"Your tip was too much."

I did glance at the total bill and how much money Zack gave. I know it was not polite, but I couldn't help myself.

"It's okay. Waitressing doesn't pay much."

At that moment, I was stunned. Zack gave a generous tip because he knew waitressing didn't pay much. Wow! I had never met someone like him before.

"Let's go!"

As we walked out of Bali Deli heading towards the parking lot, Zack and I stopped near my motorcycle because the parking spaces for cars and motorcycles were separate.

"This is my motorcycle. You have to go there, right?" I pointed to the car parking area.

Zack nodded. "It's nice talking to you. I hope we can meet again soon. We can have a competition reading A Little Life, and when we meet again, we can talk about it. Let's make our little book club."

This time, I was the one laughing. "I'll lose, Zack. I might not even want to read the book by the time I get back to the apartment. I enjoyed our conversation as well. Let me know if you're in the Seminyak area."

"Sure." Zack reached out his hand, and I shook it without hesitating, like when he introduced himself earlier. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. I'm off, okay?"

Zack simply nodded as I put on my helmet and started the motorcycle. I smiled at Zack as I exited the Bali Deli parking lot.

Leaving the apartment turned out to be the right decision. At least, it led me to meet someone like Zack. Somehow, I felt slightly more motivated than before to face the numbers.