Our Story: The Sudden Chancellery
31. The Apartment Next

Just arrived in Jakarta, Gala was immediately faced with a lot of documents about the details of the company that he would lead directly. He did not realize that Felix, his cousin who was half-cool and very macho, came to bring a cup of Los Planes coffee, his order this morning.

His concentration was interrupted when a call came on his phone. Leticia Gunawan's name appears on her phone. An Indonesian-born model who all his family has become WN Kangaroo country including himself.

“Halo?” greet Gala flatly.

“Babe, I'm landing. Please pick. I don't really know this place, please pick me up.”

“I can’t .. I do a lot of work.”

“Oh, come on, Babe. Anyway, I have Luke's stuff for you. You forgot to bring your guitar on that one.”

Gala quickly took down the documents she had read. There is indeed one guitar out of many guitars that really forget he brought.

“What terminal are you in?”

***

“Luke, why the hell you tod Leticia that I moved here?”

Gala told her best friend who lived in the same apartment when she was in Sydney. Now, Gala is in the airport parking lot, waiting for the arrival of the woman who is waiting for her trunk.

Luke, the bule who understood the raw Indonesian language, laughed awkwardly because he was caught breaking Gala's orders.

“I’m sorry, Man. You know, he's a coercive, and I can't lie when I've been invited to drink!”

“Argh! You're really lacking work! You yourself know that I have nothing to do with that woman, she's just Beard*!"

“But you yourself know that he really likes you, right? After all, he was loyal and never dated anyone during this time.”

Gala clucked before disconnecting her phone. “Ck! If it wasn't for the guitar missing, I wouldn't have picked him up! Nevermind! I'd go crazy talking to you for so long!”

Minutes later, Gala roared her car to park in the pick up zone, when she saw a woman in a knee-length jeans skirt and a white shirt emerge from the exit.

Her beautiful paras are worth what brand she wears on her body, while carrying a branded bag that Gala bought for her last year. Behind him appeared an old porter pushing a trolley containing several suitcases and an acoustic guitar hardcase.

Gala opened the trunk of her SUV and the porter placed the suitcases in large quantities.

“Hai, Babe!” greet Leticia who was getting ready to hug and kiss Gala's cheek.

Instead of greeting Leticia first, the man scoured towards her guitar hardcase, quickly opening it to make sure it was okay.

“Kok guitar first, anyway?” leticia's grumpy grumble at the sight of Gala's behavior preferring a guitar to her.

Yesterday was so busy, Gala forgot to check how many guitars she brought back here, even forgetting to bring one. In a way, he thanked Leticia in his heart for bringing her something precious.

Hearing Leticia's question, instead of Gala apologizing. “Pockets in! I still have a lot of work.” Gala also poured 5 red notes for the porter, which was immediately received with a happy heart.

“You already know where you will stay?” gala asked while lowering the brake hand lever and roaring his car out of the airport area.

“Udah. The Puri area. I've rented for a year there,” he replied enthusiastically without taking his eyes off Gala. “I miss you, Babe.”

“Stop call me Babe!” gala said with serious fashion.

“What? Wh why? Usually you ma—“

“That was the time in Aussie. And our covenant, we are friendly only in public. The rest, we are just partners, nothing more. Isn't it already clearly printed in the contract?”

Leticia silent a thousand languages. Although his feelings wanted to shout that his relationship with Gala should be more than that, but if the man had talked about professionalism, he could not do anything about it.

He's racking his brains as to whether he should use a different approach to conquer the heart of Gala, the man he's been with for two years because of a work agreement alone.

Gala drops Leticia in the lobby of the apartment where she lives. He paid a security guard to bring all the lady's luggage.

“No need to enter first?” bargain Leticia to Gala when all her belongings are in her apartment.

“Ngak!” said Gala who went straight from there.

...***...

A few days later, it went fast. Gala's eyes were almost dislodged after reading various documents and financial statements from the last two years of the company he was going to lead.

She has also moved into an apartment and no longer lives in Mona's house. Although at home it is fun because there are three nieces and nephews who always accompany the day, but still he feels the need for privacy.

“Lix, my apartment has been cleaned?” ask Gala.

“After yesterday Boss, done! Some of your clothes are also moved. Just come in!”

“Good. Thanks.”

After experiencing traffic jams that are quite tiring, Gala finally arrived at the apartment area that has 3 towering towers. Tower A for simple occupancy with a maximum of 2 bedrooms. Tower B, is the tower where the apartment is located, where the largest and most luxurious units. Tower C has a maximum of 3 bedrooms with a more limited area.

His car was parked in the basement of Tower B. While in the lobby and about to walk towards the elevator, his arm was pulled by someone he had not seen in a few days.

“Why don't you ever pick up my phone?” leticia said sweetly.

Gala was bored. “I have nothing to do with you anymore. Why do you keep calling me? I'm tired, Leti. You go home!”

Leticia put on her smile without wanting to answer Gala's question. “I brought dinner for us. Please.. I promise, just dinner aja.”

Frowning in dislike, Gala walked ahead of Leticia. “You come or not?”

A smile was on the woman's face, she then enthusiastically followed the Gala.

After arriving on the 20th floor, Gala's feet stepped to the front of a duplex-type apartment that she bought with cash a year ago without ever occupying. The apartment was quite spacious, luxurious, and fully furnished. It has a balcony, 1 bedroom on the lower floor and 2 bedrooms on the upper floor with their respective bathrooms inside. Almost similar to a charmer griya, just not located on the top floor.

“Your apartment is very good,” comments Leticia when looking at the entire unit. “Pasti expensive.”

Gala did not answer. He took the food wrapper brought by Leticia and placed it on the dining table. Leticia hurriedly helped Gala prepare the dishes, the silverware, the glasses and the drinking water.

The woman brought Gala's favorite Chinese food, one of which was Peking Duck. Deftly, Leticia placed everything on the plate, poured the crab soup in a bowl and arranged the dishes while Gala was bathing.

After the man had dressed up neatly, Gala joined Leticia who was already sitting sweetly waiting for him in front of the dining table.

“Still,” said Gala while enjoying the dinner in silence. Although Leticia had opened the conversation many times, but the man remained cold and did not want to open the slightest gap for Leticia.

“When you get home. The dishes let me wash,” said Gala let the woman go.

“I want to stay, can?” ask Leticia hoping Gala agrees.

The man nodded slowly again. “Sorry, Leti. You know, we can't keep doing this. Let everything stays in Aussie.”

“But I can't,” Leti said as she lowered her head. “I'm tired of having to pretend there's no taste. I just want to be close to you. Why didn't you ever give me a chance?”

“Our relationship is just a professional relationship. Our agreement at the beginning, there should be no feelings involved. You passed ba—“

“But our contract was completed right before you came back here! I didn't cross the line with you. Can't you see here that I feel the same way about you? And I'm very sincere..”.

Gala's gaze at him turned skeptical. Gala could only laugh at Leticia's feelings in her heart. He stood up, took the dishes to put in the kitchen sink. “Leti. Nyerah. Feelings I can't you force.”

Leticia approached Gala and hugged her from behind. His voice sounded hoarse and his gaze turned sad. “I'm really sincere with you. Why can't you see that? I came here, deliberately accepting jobs here for your sake. Demi can be close to you.”

“So you think, since you sacrificed your good life in Aussie, I should return your feelings? No, Leti. That's not the concept! I never asked you to come here!"

Leticia slowly took her hand off the Gala. Staring at the floor with nanar and tears that almost dripped. His heart really hurt. Even if his feelings were unrequited, why would Gala have to be like this to him?

Gala scratched her nose, misbehaving when she saw the teardrops getting louder. Her heart was not touched at all when she saw Leticia's cry, but she was still pitying.

“I call a taxi for you.”

Unpatiently, Gala takes Leticia to the ground floor while ordering a taxi for her. Up below, the taxi happened to be waiting. Actually Gala didn't want to expel Leticia like this.

The woman has been so kind to him. But he still could not allow this kind of feeling to exist. Even if he ends up putting on a feeling, he wants to be with his chosen woman whom he believes in his heart. And her heart is not for a woman like Leticia.

“I go home,” said Leticia quietly while wiping away her tears.

“Be careful on the road,” Gala said as she closed the taxi door and let the four-wheeled vehicle carry Leticia away from her presence.

Gala sighed deeply and then exhaled quickly until the taxi finally disappeared from her sight. He intended to get into the lobby, but a white SUV driving from the entrance caught his eye. The SUV stopped in front of Tower C.

From inside the car came a middle-aged couple with hard faces. Their bodies are upright and authoritative. Their aura showed that they were not from the common people. Smiles on their faces also look very stiff, like building a limit on others so that it is not as easy to reach.

They were greeted by a pair of other men and women who emerged from the lobby of tower C. Each of them greeted a middle-aged couple who looked like their parents. The man, looks similar to the elderly couple.

The man then placed his hand on the woman's shoulder next to her very possessively and kissed the top of her head. They seem happy.

Gala's heart was beating uncontrollably. He didn't expect to see them here. Does he live in the same area?

But Gala knew that it was all camouflage, she knew exactly the woman's temperament because she knew him first. Murat was tired on his face and the woman's green eyes couldn't lie, that he was actually tired of all those lies. That smile is a lie. Gala's eyes were glaring at them sharply.

The woman then stood up stiffened, letting the middle-aged couple earlier and the man who was hugging her in first. Slowly, he turned to look at Gala from a distance.

And as their gazes connected, suddenly the world around the Gala seemed to collapse. He was sure, that this time he was not the wrong person at all. That look, those eyes, it was the same person.

"Gemma.." call Gala. For some reason, Gala just muttered, not calling him in a louder voice.

But the woman hurriedly went inside before Gala moved closer to her. The man ended up just standing on the terrace of the lobby, glued to the back of the woman who was slowly disappearing behind the elevator.

Even though they had not met for so long, just by looking from afar, Gala had fallen again on the same taste.

He still could not forget that woman.

...****************...

*Beard (companion): American slang for people used as girlfriends, dates, or spouses to cover up scandals, or someone's identity.