it has been years not seeing him and why now again?
staring at the meeting room thru my office, the familiar face of his made me feel somehow sad. We used to stay at the same student accommodation during my university days. those days were childish and stupid.
There was a Starbucks at the lobby of our place, everyday he will get himself a cup of coffee before going off to class. Starbucks was too expensive for me, however, i saved every single penny just to get a cup of house coffee once a week, because this is the best way or i have to say the only way to stay with him for awhile. All those years, I never talk to him before and I was scared, i got no confident at all, who am i? a short and plum nerd that always carried loads of programming books? Why would someone like him wants to talk to me? Nevertheless, there are always loads of girls talks to him while waiting for his coffee.
"Stella, are you ready for the meeting?" My designer asked me
"Oh.. Yes." I answered. what am I afraid of? he never remembers me and today he will never recognize me since I am so different compare to before. I am not that ridiculously stupid nerd any more. I am Stella, I owned one of the fastest growing company in Asia. I deal with people all around the world, why am i still afraid of him? Come on, I can do it and he will never know we met each other before.
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"Hi." I smiled and walked to the meeting room.
"Hello" His manager greeted "Where is Stella?"
"Oh, my bad. i did not introduce myself, I am Stella."
"Oh goodness. I expect to see someone older." His manager laugher.
As usual, he did not said a word. He was wearing a pair of huge sunglasses, and he looks rather moody today.
"Ms. Stella?"
"Oh sorry, I just drifted away." I said "May i know what do you want us to help you on?"
"Well, i know that Iphone games are consider as a trend these days. everyone is talking about it. I want your company to create a game based of my boys."
"Your boys as in?"
"Oh sorry, Look, 5 of them are in a boy band called Woods." His manager said
"Oh.." I did not realised there were some of else however, i know about his band.
"You are not a trendy person dont you?" he asked
"Oh, I am not so into celebrities. I am sorry." I answered "So there are quite a number of game gender actually, do you have any idea which direction..."
"If we know all these, we dont need you to do this for us." Suddenly he teased while playing with his phone
"........" What happened to me, i feel like crying. damn!
"I dont know why do all us need to be here. Why can't just both of you discuss about it. I am not interested at all." he said again
"Dave!" His manager cried
"Actually,..."
"I am not interested." He said and walked out the meeting room and slammed the door as well as the rest of the "boys"
"Mr. Tedson, why dont we talk about this tomorrow or next week? and i dont think is a need for your 'boys' to come along."
"Sorry, Stella. Perhaps I will call you later today or tomorrow."
"Sure." I answered and saw him walked out the meeting room.
"Celebrities huh? This is why i hate dealing with them. They are not the first ones but they are the rudest!" Said my young designer
"Well, they are those who pay us after all. Whatever is it, Iphone game shouldn't take too long we should just quickly deal with it and get rid of them." Yes, get rid of him.
"Is this the recipe for being successful?" My young designer asked
"No, the best recipe is to get a rich father like your boss!" Someone said "I left my wallet." Is him!
I ignored him and just about to walk out the meeting room
"Don't tell me you don't remember me at all." He said "How could you pretend that i am a total stranger to you?"
"Even if i do remember you, we have never been friend." I said
"You could have at least say hi." He said
"I am sorry I am not good at socialising." I answered
"You were a lot better than before." He said
How could he remember me? How could he!?
"I was that person who trapped in the elevator with you. You were rushing for your presentation I didn't even have a chance to.."
"Whatever is it, it has been years. I am not interested" I never know it was him, I was rushing for my final presentation however the elevator... I did not look back but just run to my uni as quick as possible.
He threw something on the table. It was my Cartier ring.
"How could you left something that expensive without noticing?"
"Oh god. It was with you all the time?" Gosh, it was a fake, a stupid present from my sister for my birthday. God, i burst into laughter.
"why are yo...u....!?" He asked
"It's a fake. My sister bought it from Bangkok during my bday." I answered "But i liked it a lot."
"And?" He stared at me
"Thank you for bringing it back. it meant a lot to me. " I said and took the ring
"A fake ring huh?" After all these years, a fake ring. that's it!?
"I didnt see you after that day... Why?" He asked
"That was my final year presentation, I left on that night itself." I answered and walked out the room. This it is, no more. he ignored me before. but he was nice in the elevator, the only reason was because there are no one and nobody will know that he was nice to a nerd. I knew it. And now he is back because i am not that nerd any more. I have to move on with my life.
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Special**
"Stella!" He cried and hugged me "I looked for you everywhere after that day but no one knows where have you been!" He said "I like you, I know you will be in Starbucks on every Wednesday. Everyday, i will be there even I plan to skip class I will still be there. There was once you were late but I waited for you."
"what are you talking about!?" I asked
"I never got a chance to talk to you! you disappear as soon as you get your coffee! You never bother to say hi, i know you didn't like me." He said "Every time when you look at me, I can feel that you are sad and scared. Until that day in the elevator, i finally got the chance to talk to you."
"..............." I didnt know what to say
"And i know that you didnt know it was me that day. Because you will never talk to me in that way if you know it was me. You wouldn't have told me about yourself, your studies and everything you said." He said "Stella..."
"How about Queenie?" Queenie, his girlfriend. The tall and pretty young celebrity
"Queen..ie!? That was a lie, that was what those people want you people to think. She is new she need someone and some affairs to be famous." He said "and, i have not been in a relationship for 9 years due to my company contract. I wasn't allow to have a girlfriend, those that you heard about are just some monkey show that i am forced to put on."
"Stella, I love you. it has been 5 years, give me a break, all i want is to be with you!"
there was a special ending for momoko. Yes, just for her/
btw, it was inspired by a dream of mine. not totally the same but some part of it is from my dream.
