My Mom Wants to Mate
6. Am I In Your Heart?

Tora called and asked to meet again. Karen consented. The next meeting continued.

***

Within 1 month, they had been very close. Countless times have they met. The taste in Karen's heart has developed into a sense of love. The lightning love felt by Karen is formed from their habit of meeting coupled with Tora's special treatment.

Tora treats Karen like a queen. He gave her whatever Karen needed. Sometimes, she also feeds Karen if she has no appetite.

***

Ren's Writer's Office

In her small office, Karen instead of working, she thinks of Tora. His face and name dominated his days. He looked at Inda, his men who were a content writer and secretary, as well as friends of Karen.

They work in one room. While the other team of writers work in their respective cubicles.

"Nda, what else?"

The strange boss is that, even though his eyes glared at me again in front of the laptop. (Industry).

"Like work, Boss."

Karen was shocked and patted her forehead. Sure Inda's at work. He's in the office struggling with his laptop, room with his own boss anyway, what else does he do besides work?

Karen stood up to Inda's table and sat down nearby. "She, you got a boyfriend?"

"No, Boss."

My boss is weird, he himself has no girlfriend, even his subordinates have a girlfriend or not. (Industry).

Seeing her boss' strange behavior this month, Inda ventured to ask. "Ehm, Boss, lately the Boss is brighter and seems smirkier. Has the Boss given up single status?"

Karen's face turned worried. "Hufh, that's what I thought. I'm still single what the hell is it?"

"Lha turned back to nanya. Does the boss have a deal with someone to date?"

Karen shakes.

"Yes means still single!" said Inda in a steady voice.

Stump cockroaches! Mantep actually said her boss is single. (Karen).

Inda almost laughed, but was undone upon seeing the boss's annoyed expression. His hands shut his mouth.

Wrong talk me, don't fire me, boss! (Industry).

"How many times do we walk with a guy before expressing love?"

Inda understood a little now why her boss seemed happier. His boss is in love. "If the average of knowing each other as friends for approximately a year, then increase to date for 2 or 3 months it seems enough. That's the eastern cultural standard."

Karen did not know herself. He had only known Tora for 1 month but had thought about the continuation of the relationship and the seriousness of Tora. On the other side of his heart, he was hunting down wanting to immediately go to the next level.

She has a belief that she and Tora are acquainted because they both want to find a partner.

Can not be we acquaintances in cyberspace continue to be defended to meet in the real world just to be made an ordinary friend. (Karen).

"What are the western standards?" Karen kept asking.

"If the western culture grooves another. From the beginning, you will be friends until the end. Rarely does anyone change a friend's status to love."

Karen looked at Inda carefully. "So far, where do they get a couple from?"

"They are very first sighted. For example, in a public place there are shining shimmering splendid, they will immediately acquaintance and then change to date."

Maybe that's what Karen is going through. He knew Tora not from the circle of association. So almost certainly the goal is the search for love.

"When do you express love?"

"If in a western country, the expression of love is later even if it's been years."

Actually, the knowledge of western and eastern culture is already known Karen. However, when his own heart was filled with love and doubt, his brain and logic seemed to run unstuck.

Oh yes, if in the west, I and Tora have been considered dating. The term is 'dating' or 'going out together'. But here it takes a declaration of an expression of love before getting into courtship status. Do I want to use the western or the eastern style? (Karen).

He worked half-heartedly that day because his mind was fixed on Tora.

~

Karen looks through Faecesbook's social media where she and Tora are reunited. Karen read the status of Tora that was uploaded over a few days ago.

Worrying without edges... (Tora Faecesbook Status).

Does she also know what I feel about this relationship? (Karen).

He opened a comment field that was under that status. Lots of comments there. However, one comment caught his attention. The comment came from an account called 'Robie'.

Duh, who was thinking about her. (Rabie's Comment).

Shhsttt... If you know, diem. Don't noise. (Reply Tora).

Hayah, the son of schos also knows. You put the picture on PC. It was a picture in front of the museum. (Rabie's Comment).

Hehe. (Reply Tora).

Photos in front of the museum? Karen remembered now. They had indeed gone together to the museum and took pictures together in front of the building. But he doubted, was he what he meant? Because, the photos in front of the museum can also be done with others.

He is very curious about the photo that is meant by Robie, Tora's roommate. To be sure, he had to pay a visit to Tora's boarding house. A month they were close, Karen had never visited. On the contrary, Tora had never taken her home or her parents' home.

He sent Chatsapp a message to Tora.

📱Karen: Busy what? I'm going to kos you can?

📱Tora: Again the revision. Just come here. I gave you the map.

During the day break, Karen went to the Tora boarding house located near her campus. "Hi, I brought you some juice."

"Thank you, Ren. Come inside!"

After asking permission from the boarding guard, Karen was allowed to enter. The door to his room was wide open. For the first time Karen went into Tora's room. The room was very nice for a male size.

Suddenly he remembered Kendrik. His sister was also very neat. Only, if there are many activities or are stressed, the neatness is turned into a pigsty.

"Aren't you at work today?" Karen's curious.

"Evening in the afternoon. I'll take revisian first."

It looks like his computer is being used to edit his script revisions with the Microhard Word app. Karen is eager to minimize and see her desktop wallpaper.

Akh, but if he finds out I'm coming, it's gonna be replaced, right? Cook want to come to me? (Karen).

Karen thought hard what reason she would use to borrow Tora's computer. Wrongly, he was instead considered a bully who hindered his script revision.

"What percentage of the script?"

"85%, it's possible that next month's hearing if this revision is approved." Tora turned to Karen. "Doain yes, and don't forget to come to my side!"

Karen nodded.

Then he spread his gaze to the wall in the room. There are no photos there. Just a few posters of the band.

"Ren, I picked up a book on the 2nd floor, in my room. Just step back."

Karen nodded.

It's her chance to see Tora's computer in secret. He would only look at the computer's wallpaper for a moment and return it to its original state. He settles down and then minimizes the Microhard Word application window.

Sure enough, the photo installed as wallpaper is a photo of the two of them while visiting the museum some time ago. Karen's face immediately warmed up to meet red on the cheeks.

To be continued...

Jogja, April 6th 2021

***