6. Secret Admirer

"Wouldn't it be faster if the master wanted to say a name instead of playing guessing like this?"

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Bloom Florist, Queens-New York.

"Ah... sorry. Elle, it's me--" His speech stopped immediately when he saw Estelle giving a sign. Estelle's palms opened and stood up straight, a sign for her to stop talking.

"Em, you are Sam, right?"

Sam nodded immediately, confirming Estelle's guess.

Sam's happy heart couldn't hide. The twinkle of the shaded eyes under the two thick eyebrows shows that feeling clearly. Sam is glad Estelle can remember him. 

She guessed right! Estelle's ten fingers closed her mouth instantly. It's hard to believe, if this person in front of her is the person who helped her last night. The aura is completely different.

"Oh my God, it turned out to be true... A person's first impression depends on appearance."

Sam couldn't help but smile at this. Does it look so different? And again, the first impression of what he looked like in Estelle's eyes?

"So, you know him?"

Estelle nodded confirming Noel's question. In the next second, the middle-aged man also looked at Sam full of judgment.

"Don't look at Sam like that. I owe him a debt of gratitude for helping me," Estelle scolded feeling bad for Sam. Even so, she also enjoys the awkwardness between the two men there. Well... Seeing them reminded her of someone from the past.

For a moment, Noel was silent and looked back at Sam who was smiling awkwardly. How can it not be awkward? Closely watched like that. It felt as if Noel could read his head and heart.

"Hm... Indebted, huh? Then, now you take him to eat. You haven't eaten either, right?" said Noel, his right hand patting Estelle on the shoulder. Judging from the cleanliness of Estelle's clothes, he also knew that his daughter, who had left since noon, must have not eaten. 

"Oh, no need, Uncle... I just came here to make sure that Elle is here. Even if Elle is willing to eat with me, I can wait for her until she finishes work," said Sam, feeling uneasy. In his mind, Estelle worked there and Noel was Estelle's boss. So, he felt bad if Estelle accompanied him, even though he hadn't finished work.

"Pfttt!" Noel and Sam looked at Estelle in unison. "Padre, isn't he very sweet?" said Estelle asking Noel for his opinion. A guy you just met would wait until she finished work, doesn't that sound sweet? Even her younger brother never wanted to wait for her.

"Not sweet at all. Sweetheart, remember what I always say?" Noel emphasized with a serious face.

"Don't be easily seduced with sweet words, or you will get hurt yourself," said Noel and Estelle together.

"Padre, I've memorized it very well and understand that."

Estelle forced her smile and Noel knew it. A sense of sadness and disappointment still exists in his daughter's heart, until now Estelle still doesn't want to tell everything. However, as a father, he knew very well his daughter's heart was hurting and all that was because of someone or... It could also be because of him who has made bad memories for his children. Maybe, for now he just needs to keep Estelle from people who want to hurt his daughter's heart, like Estelle who has taken care of him patiently when she is down.

*

*

SkyCoffee Cafe, Queens-New York.

"What, your legs are right, is it okay?" asked Sam who glanced, peering under the table only to see Estelle's legs. Now, they are already in a café. The café is directly opposite the Bloom Florist flower shop.

Estelle, who was advancing her chair, also shook her head. "Don't worry. I told you it was okay just now, right?"

"Haah, how can I not worry? Your feet are stepping on broken glass like stepping on grass."

Estelle sighed embarrassedly. Recalling how careless she was just now. When Noel told her that she had forgotten her scarf and how she pulled the knitted fabric to make the glass vase fall, then her shocked feet jumped towards the glass splinters.

Noel couldn't help but shook his head, sighed and then chuckled. Noel has become accustomed to his daughter's behavior. Unlike Sam, who was shocked and afraid that Estelle was hurt.

"Enough, please forget it," Estelle pleaded, if discussed continuously, her face would turn into a boiled crab. Fortunately, she wears thick boots. So, the glass splinters she stepped on did not hurt her legs.

"Why? Are you embarrassed?" Sam chuckled as he received the cynical gaze from the wave chestnut-maned woman in front of him.

That's right, Estelle can always make him smile and even laugh. He had long noticed from afar the almond-eyed woman. Ever since he knew there was a woman who liked to smile cheerfully at the flower shop, Sam always took the time to come to this café every weekend.

Unfortunately, he never had time or even had the courage to say hello to Estelle. Only occasionally did he buy flowers and the woman apparently did not recognize him. Yesterday, he was quite surprised to see that Estelle could be in the discotheque and from there too, once again he knew that Estelle was a different woman from most women in this city.

"Never mind. Now tell me, how can you know I'm here?"

"I didn't expect that the man in the flower shop would be your father. I thought he was your boss. It's also unique to call him Padre," Sam said.

A diversion that Estelle realizes and she chooses to follow the new plot Sam created.

"Wow, you can speak Spanish?" asked Estelle, not expecting that Sam understood Padre's call, plus the pronunciation was so correct.

In the next second, Estelle's eyes saw the food and drink that the waiter was putting on their table. Actually, she had a lot to ask. However, later... For now, she will hold it.

Sam's eyes narrowed. "Parezco un tonto?"

"Pfft! Hahaha!" Estelle chuckled. How could Sam say that with a serious face? God, how should she respond to that question. 

"Hey, I'm offended by your laughter. So right, if I look like a fool? It's a pity, I think this face of mine has made it very clear that I am a smart person." 

Hearing Sam's grumbling like that, made Estelle laugh even more. Her stomach hurts so much. "Wait, let me breathe first." Estelle picked up the tissue on the table to dry the few tears that came out of the corners of her eyes. "Haah... How can you admit your stupid look with that serious face, ah, my goodness, but thank you... At least my annoyance is gone thanks to you," she continued with a finger still wiping away her tears.

Upset? Want to ask more. However, Sam discourages it, because he feels it is a private matter and he is still just a stranger, even though a few hours ago he told Dave loudly that Estelle was his friend. At least, Sam knew that the woman's annoyance had disappeared because of his actions.

"Drink it." Sam brought Estelle's drink closer. Such laughter must have made her throat dry. "May I ask?" Estelle nodded. "What was your first impression when you saw my appearance last night and the present?" he continued. To be honest, since just now, he was very curious about it.

Estelle cleared her throat, the question from Sam almost choked her up. "Curious?" Sam nodded as he leaned his back. Preparing to listen to Estelle's assessment of him. 

Estelle's fingers took off the straw. Her face looked serious. "Then, answer my question first. How can you know I'm there?"

Sam fell silent with his mysterious grin. Their eyes stared at each other, one looking at him with a serious face while the other looked at him meaningfully.

"Curious?" retorted Sam, asking the same question as Estelle.

"Come on, I'm not kidding. Honestly, I wouldn't want to be close to a person who keeps a lot of secrets. If this kind of thing can't make you honest with me, it seems that our relationship is quite here."

"So, you hope our relationship continues?"

"I'm neutral, it all depends on you and it seems that the one who wants this relationship to continue is, you." Estelle smiled crookedly, one finger carrying a few strands of her hair behind her ears.

Sam chuckled as he lowered his gaze. Awesome. His hunch was right about Estelle, from the first time he saw her, Estelle was indeed an amazing woman and now, he also knew that Estelle was a smart woman. Estelle's words are very appropriate. Estelle was right, she was the one who wanted their relationship to continue. If he didn't expect that, why did he pay so long attention to a florist woman.

Sam soon admitted that he often noticed Estelle from this café. He also admitted that he was surprised to see Estelle at the discotheque yesterday.

Well... Estelle got a little goosebumps when she found out that Sam had been paying attention to her six months ago. Didn't expect that she had a secret admirer.

Time keeps turning. The sound of music there became the accompaniment of two people who continued to talk while finishing the half-finished meal, exchanging stories about each of their lives, although not all at least, they both felt they could continue their relationship with the label of friendship.

"Tell me, what kind of person is Dave? Is he a rude man?" asked Estelle. After Sam confesses that Dave is his friend, she remembers the scary incident that happened to her and she wanted to know what kind of person Dave was.

Sam pulled one thick eyebrow. There was a sense of anxiety when Estelle said that. "Why do you ask like that? Is there any problem when you take him home?"

Before replying to Sam's words, Estelle cleared her throat by sipping a small sip of her lemon ice tea drink. "He strangled me. If the taxi driver hadn't helped me, I might have become a corpse this morning."

Sam fell silent immediately, his heart palpitations increased. Now, his head feels hot because of the actions of the heart that is filled with anger. Why didn't Dave say anything to him about this?

"Oh right, because you're Dave's friend. Please tell me what he will do tomorrow, because I want to see him."

Estelle's question made Sam have to calm his anger again. "What? Aren't you afraid to see him again?" she exclaimed suddenly, wondering why Estelle would still want to see Dave after what she had received from the gynophobic man

"I'm scared, but I have to see him anyway. There is something I want to know from him."

"What is it about? Just ask me," Sam offered, honestly wanting to tell Estelle that Dave had a strange phobia. However, he felt it was not his right to tell his new friend about his friend's weakness.

Continued ....