Only Raised Children
7. Lunch

That night Rico tried to contact Alina with the mobile number given yesterday. Since the night Rico drove Alina home from the cafe, she has not had time to contact the woman because of the work that piles up.

One call made by Rico did not make Alina immediately answer. Rico had no idea what the woman was doing at this time, but he again attempted to contact her a second time. And on the second call, without waiting long Alina immediately answered her call.

"Hello?" alina said first from across the street.

"Hi, Al," said Rico.

"Sorry, who?" ask Alina curiously.

"I'm Rico. Sorry to call you now."

Knowing that the man called her, Alina across the street rounded her mouth to form the letter o.

"Its okay. What's up, Co?"

"No papa. Are you busy?"

"Em, I'm doing college. Wh why? Want to come out?" alina asked with an original guess. And that made Rico smile.

"It was the case, but you were busy again, preferably next time if you spare," said Rico.

"Tomorrow I spare" said Alina again. 

And again Rico smiled at him. It seemed like Alina was quite confident with the ongoing situation. Whether the woman was just joking, earnest, or just plain, Rico was definitely happy to hear her.

"Em, I'll do it tomorrow."

"OK," said Alina briefly.

Silence, made Rico frown. He stared at the screen of his phone and when he felt the call was still connected, he stuck the phone back to his ear. Nothing has changed, still no sound on the speaker of the phone. Rico was confused about what else to say because Alina always answered her question with the ending sentence. It was as if the woman wanted to end her call.

Given Alina who was also busy with her college assignments, Rico finally chose to end his call. He did not want to disturb Alina who was studying, it was better for her to contact that woman tomorrow alone.

And the next day before lunchtime, Rico again contacted Alina to remind her of their brief conversation last night. It did not take long for Alina to answer Rico's call because the woman was currently struggling with her phone.

"Hello?" alina said first after the call was connected.

"Hi, Al."

"Sorry, who?"

All right, a conversation starter similar to the one they had last night. Rico scrunched his forehead, feeling dejavu with the sentence that Alina lay.

"Al, didn't you save my number?" ask Rico without answering Alina's question.

Alina who heard the question laughed.

"Handestine, Co. What's up?" ask Alina.

"Hem, I guess you really didn't save my number."

"Even though I haven't saved your number, but I know your voice, Co. Tell me, what did you call me?" ask Alina.

"You said all night that today there is free time."

"really. Do you want to invite me to lunch together?" alina asked with a guess. It seems like Alina does have a high level of confidence, Rico thought. Evidently since last night the woman who always gave a guess as well as mince words to her question. And he likes that.

"If you don't mind" said Rico.

"Of course not. I also happen to not have eaten. Do you have any recommendations for a good place to eat?" ask Alina later.

Rico mentioned one of his favorite places to eat that he used to visit with Santi or Andi. He wanted to take Alina there to taste his favorite food there. After Alina agreed to her invitation, Rico immediately rushed to tidy up his desk and went to a small restaurant located not far from the location of his office.

He intended to pick up Alina who he said was still on campus, but unfortunately the woman refused his offer because indeed the location of the restaurant they would come to was between the two locations they were currently located.

Twenty minutes on the way, now the car that Rico drives has arrived in front of the restaurant that became the location of lunch today. Before disembarking, he contacted Alina first to inquire about the whereabouts of the woman.

"Hello, Al. Where are you already?" ask Rico after the call is connected.

"I'm still on the road. Have you arrived?" alina asked back and told Rico.

"Wait for me inside, I'll be there soon."

Rico closes his call after confirming Alina's words. He put his phone into his inner suit pocket and got out of the car to get inside the restaurant first.

The excitement of visitors there makes Rico a little difficult to find a seat. Indeed it is not an expensive restaurant, but the taste of the cuisine is very delicious makes the place to eat is always crowded, especially at lunch hours like this. After getting the empty table, Rico immediately headed there and sat down his body.

While ordering food at the waitress on duty, at the same time Alina entered the restaurant. Rico who saw the figure of the woman then waved his hand for Alina to see and after that Alina immediately approached him.

"Sorry I'm late. My ojol ran out of gas, so I had to stop by the gas station first" Alina said, sitting in front of Rico.

"No papa. What do you want to order? I just ordered mine" Rico said.

Alina grabbed the menu book that was still in Rico's hands, then she mentioned some of the foods that became her taste for lunch today.

"Is there an addition, Mas, Mba?" ask the waitress to Alina and Rico.

"Nothing" said Rico and Alina almost simultaneously. 

"Oh yes, Mas, for a drink can ask for a delivery now?" pinta Rico before the restaurant clerk passed from there. He deliberately asked for a drink to be delivered first because he saw the face of Alina who looked tired after hot on the road. If not such a request, it could be that their order drink would come longer and he could not bear to see the face of the woman in front of him was holding back tired longer.

At the table of one hundred and forty, Rico and Alina seemed to have a casual conversation while waiting for their order to come. They look familiar even though they have only been making friends for a few days. Either it's because they're one frequency or because they're the ones that easily blend in with the new environment. They both enjoyed each other without coercion.

"Where are you going tonight?" ask Rico.

"Work."

"Say you work as a supervisor, why the night? Isn't such work common during the day like office hours in general?" asked Rico in surprise.

"It should be so, but since the first interview we've been negotiating first. And the outcome of that negotiation ended with those who followed my college schedule."

"Huh?" Rico seemed confused by Alina's explanation.

It is very strange according to him if from the beginning the owner who deliberately follows the schedule of prospective employees. Especially for regular workers whose position is as a supervisor, not freelance or part-time workers. Except, if Alina has an insider whose position is very high like, owner. Which is where he can at will with the hours worked made or remake the hours worked as he wishes.

"Why?" alina asked as she looked at Rico's confused face.

"Em, I just feel weird. Why would the restaurant want to follow your lecture schedule, while during the interview you are still as a prospective employee, right?" ask Rico. He was really curious why Alina could work in such strange working hours.

"Actually the son of the restaurant owner happened to be a good friend of mine back in Oxford. I was close enough to her parents because she used to take me to her house. When I got back to Indo, he offered me this job. And ... This is how it is, I work in his parents' restaurant with a position as a supervisor" Alina explained.

Rico looks like there's still something stuck in his mind. It feels like it makes little sense if a friend can get as good as he can. Just like in the movies, he thought.

"If you work nights, how do you monitor the situation at the restaurant?" ask Rico again.

"Morning and night are the same, it makes no difference. Precisely what must be monitored is the conditions at night that visitors are much more crowded."

There Rico began to justify the words of Alina. Visitors at night are always more crowded than during the day. Rico nodded his head and chose to believe Alina's words, although he himself still felt a little strange about the woman's unusual working hours.

Soon their food orders came. They began to enjoy the dishes that had been available on the table while accompanied by casual chat so that the atmosphere was not so quiet.

"Oh yes, Co. If you can tell, where do you work?" ask Alina.

He did not ask much about the person of Rico because indeed since the beginning Alina had no intention to know Rico further. He just obeyed Andi's will to introduce himself to his male friend, Rico. But after feeling quite comfortable interacting with Rico, Alina became curious about the personal life of her new friend.

"In RR Corps."

"RR Corps?" alina said with a surprised face, but did not look excited. "Waw, that's cool. That's a very big company, Co. What's your position there?"

Rico was silent for a moment before mentioning the name of his post in the RR Corps to Alina. Rico noticed the woman's expression as he mentioned his position there.

From what he saw, it seemed Alina was quite surprised by that answer. But the strange thing in his view, Alina seemed not to look excited when bereaksk. Is that because Alina has often met a friend who has a high position?

"Are you ready, Mr Irfan, Co?"

"Do you know the owner of the company?" asked Rico in surprise. Why did Alina get to know her father?

"Who does not know Mr. Irfan. Very nice and friendly man. His wife is also beautiful and gentle."

Yes, Rico forgot if his parents were quite famous in some cities, especially in his city. No wonder Alina also knows her parents. Moreover, the woman was friendly with Andi, a prospective leader of a well-known company in his city. It could be by being a friend of Andi, Alina also has many other friends who are the owners of a company.

But the question is, why did he not know this woman before? Alina has been friends with Andi for a long time. But never mind, it was better for him to forget this unimportant thing.

"Yes, they are very kind" Rico said of Alina's praise for her parents.

"Wait a minute." Alina seemed to think. "If not wrong, Mr. Irfan's son is also called Rico. Is that you, Co?" alina asked who was very curious.

"Yes, it's me" Rico replied casually.

Alina covered her mouth with her handbook in surprise. Rico is the son of successful entrepreneur Irfan Renaldi?

"You're serious, Co?" alina asked and immediately told Rico.

"Oh, it turns out this is Rico Renaldi. The only child of Irfan Renaldi who is rumored to be very handsome and kind."

Rico pulled one of his eyebrows when he heard the word 'rumor' in the sentence Alina said.

"Rumor by the way?" tanyakanya.

Alina raised both eyebrows, then she laughed amusedly. "Yes, not just a rumor, but really good-looking and kind."

"Not sincere," said Rico with nosilnya. And it managed to make Alina turn her eyeballs carelessly. He was about to make his protest, but Rico laughed first, making him frown.

"Sorry, I'm just kidding. Don't be angry" Rico said in a soft voice at the end of his sentence.

Making anyone who heard it would instantly smile, including Alina at this moment. He subconsciously displayed that innocent and sweet smile of his to Rico. And when she realized what she was doing, Alina immediately threw her face in any direction because she was ashamed of being stared at by Rico intensely.

Rico smiled happily at the woman who blushed in embarrassment. Alina is funny too when she blushes, she thought.

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