Chapter 7
Tasya deliberately made her walk as sluggish as possible. Does her boss have no heart or is he just dead inside? She was the one asked to carry all the belongings! Even though she used a special trolley, it was still a hassle, right? Oh my God! She wanted to complain, but Raptor said, "Exercise, Tasya. It's good for your health."
Nathan? He's happily strolling hand in hand with Naina! Like a young father with his beloved daughter. And she still had to think about tomorrow's workload that never seemed to decrease. When could she catch a break? "Tasya, come on. Mr. Jack is already waiting."
Tasya sighed in annoyance. She forced her steps to be slower. "Be patient, Raptor."
"I heard you talking, Tasya."
Tasya's lips pursed in frustration.
"But Daddy really is like a raptor," Naina chimed in this time. She let go of Nathan's embrace, albeit reluctantly, just to pay attention to the girl with bangs walking behind them. "Are you tired, Tasya? Let's have an iced coffee." "Is Naina treating me?" Tasya asked with a wide grin.
"No, of course not. You're the one who works and has a lot of money. How can I, a student, treat someone who's already working?"
Oh well! This kid is smart when it comes to talking. But Tasya always has her own ways of persuading. "But Tasya is really tired, you know, carrying Naina's and your dad's belongings."
"In that case, let's ask Daddy to treat us. After all, Daddy has the most money."
Tasya couldn't help but grin widely, while Nathan, who was observing their interaction, just rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Treat me once in a while, Tasya."
"Boss," Tasya looked at Nathan mockingly. This time, she didn't use the nickname Raptor because it seemed dangerous. "Don't be too cruel to me, Boss. If you ask me to treat you, my weekly food budget will vanish." "Don't be stingy with your boss."
Tasya became even more confused.
"Come on, Naina. Let's have Tasya treat us." Nathan smiled widely while embracing Naina again. "Luckily, there's a Starbucks here."
Dragging a slightly heavy trolley and still feeling tired from work, why did Nathan burden her even more with treating them at a cafe that offered quite expensive coffee? Oh God! Why do the trials keep coming one after another? If it was just the two of them with Naina, she could gauge her ability to spend money.
But with Nathan?
Tasya felt like crying!
The two of them were like people who hit the jackpot. Their steps became livelier, and Tasya could hear their laughter. They were so happy! If she could shout and refuse, she would have done it. But she still had her pride. She wouldn't go so far as to lower herself by raising her voice. But her mind immediately calculated how much money she would have to spend.
The sibling duo just entered the cafe without hesitation, while Tasya placed the trolley not too far from the cafe's entrance, where they could clearly see it from inside the cafe.
"Sir," Tasya approached Nathan, who was now standing not far from the cashier. Letting Naina choose her preferred spot only to enjoy her iced cup later.
"Yes?" Nathan was still undecided about what he wanted to drink this time. His favorite was still the Asian Dolce Latte, although sometimes Caffe Americano made him feel relaxed. "I'll have the regular Asian Dolce Latte. Regular Mango Frappuccino, and... Tasya, are you going for your usual? Caramel Macchiato?"
That's what Tasya wanted, but... "You know, sir?"
"Of course I do." Nathan looked back at the menu displayed on the screen above. "Red Velvet and Blue Velvet Rolls. Two Tuna Cheese sandwiches. And one more, a Cinnamon Roll." "Anything else, sir?" the cashier asked, repeating what Nathan had mentioned earlier.
"That'll be all," Nathan replied calmly. Know that his calm demeanor was accompanied by his signature smile, which left the cashier mesmerized for a few seconds. Nathan and his charm, never failed to make girls look at him. If he continued, he would probably get their phone numbers.
It was that easy, indeed.
Tasya was already accustomed to her boss's behavior. No, her boss didn't demean himself to flirt with girls. But what Nathan had was enough to make most girls not want to look away. Who wouldn't admit that Nathan is handsome? Tasya admitted it too, although...
"Are you going to pay for everything, Tasya?" Nathan asked, interrupting Tasya's daydream.
"I'm paying, sir?" Tasya panicked. Not because she didn't have money, but... "Sir? Seriously?" she asked again.
"Yeah, whatever," Nathan smiled widely. His peripheral vision caught the cashier still gazing at him even though he had turned away. He immediately tapped Tasya's shoulder and nudged her forward slightly, positioning himself behind the slender girl. "Thanks for treating us, Tasya," he whispered before finally leaving Tasya in front of the cashier.
Nathan's infectious laughter remained as he sat at the table where Naina was waiting. He tried to calm down his niece, who kept asking why their order was taking so long. Goodness! Although, if you counted the time, it wasn't long at all. Nathan and Tasya could still communicate with Naina through their eyes. But Naina wouldn't be herself if her little lips didn't protest smoothly.
Meanwhile, Tasya had to reluctantly swipe her debit card for the total amount read by the cashier. Her eyes occasionally glanced sadly at the receipt that came out of the printer. "Under whose name should we place the order, Miss?" "Raptor," Tasya said smoothly, unaware that her words left the cashier dumbfounded.
"Yes, Miss?"
"The order is under the name Raptor. Am I lying? The handsome guy earlier was named Raptor!" Tasya grumbled, not caring that the cashier still looked at her with confusion. She wondered why a handsome guy like Nathan would have the name Raptor.
***
A few times, Nathan accompanied Tasya until they reached the front of her slightly, well... mostly peeling house with neglected paint in some corners. She wanted to ask, but Nathan knew the limits.
"Thank you for escorting me, sir," Tasya said with a faint smile. She should have arrived a few hours ago, but Naina managed to make her come home late. Her sister had given updates on Naina's activities while Tasya was away. And the youngest one still needed a lot of supervision, thankfully Tasya could rely on the middle child.
Including updates on their mother.
The light in front of her house was already dim, even though she had given money to replace it countless times. Her mother said, "I used the money for food." Tasya knew that the food her mother mentioned wasn't just about filling the stomach.
"Don't be late tomorrow."
Tasya could only nod obediently. She watched as the kind-hearted man took out his suitcase, handed it to her, and paid closer attention to her house than before. "Is there no one else?" he asked.
"I haven't checked, sir," Tasya replied with a slight snicker. "I'll go in first then. Please be careful on your way home too, sir."
Nathan let his assistant's back move away. The creaking sound that broke the silence of the night felt like a sign that this dilapidated building was in stark contrast to its surroundings. Tasya's figure finally entered without looking back at Nathan. It didn't really matter. Nathan just wanted to make sure his assistant arrived home safely.
Meanwhile, in the living room where two worn-out sofas were placed, a woman sat with a cigarette tucked between her fingers. The stale and musty aroma immediately dominated Tasya's senses. "You're not sleeping yet, Mom?" "Waiting for you to come home," she replied curtly.
Through the corner of her eye, Tasya saw her mother exhale smoke from her blackened lips.
"If you have business trips out of town, there's overtime, right?"
The girl with bangs chose not to answer. Her mother should already know and remember the answer very well.
"Your sibling will graduate soon. It would be good if you had a big overtime pay."
"Yes, Mom." Tasya didn't want to say much.
"Besides, why don't you try to hook up with your rich boss? So that our lives are secured!"
Tasya closed her eyes, trying to suppress the turmoil that was consuming her body as much as possible.
"He even promised to give you a generous payment because you helped him, right? Demand it! This is Jakarta. Nothing is free. Stupid child!"