To be honest, I am nervous around kids. Not that I hated them, their tantrums could stir panic in my guts especially when they threw a fit on you. Nevertheless, I survived my third week of volunteering at Scouts Birch Community Centre as Assistant Scout Leader, handling kids between Beavers (6 to 8 years old), Cubs (8 to 10½ years) and Scouts (10½ to 14 years). 

The Scout Leader would initiate exciting and varied programs, either indoor/outdoor or offsite for these kids between 6.00 pm to 7.00 pm every Tuesday. And on every second Tuesday of the month, the Leaders would stay back for meetings led by Michael McKenney, the Group Scout Leader.

It was during my first meeting when I met Milla Bogdanova. She sat across from me at the meeting table, crossing one of her legs over the other while keeping her upper body up straight and facing forward like a duchess. She is beautiful, I have to admit, too beautiful to be a Scout Leader. She looked like in her mid-20s, with glowing olive complexion, large piercing grey eyes, thick lower lip with upper lip curved into Amanda Seyfried's gorgeous smile revealing perfect white teeth, wavy auburn red hair flowed over her shoulders as she ran her manicured fingers through it.

Unlike the rest, she was able to rock in that Network Scouts uniform with an arm full of badges, she's no newbie to this. Her deep Gal Gadot's voice tone when she spoke but with an aura like Blake Lively caused the male leaders to remain focused on her during most of the entire discussion.

Milla doesn't come around often so most of the time she'd co-lead the Cubs with Jeremy Homer. I could tell how excited both Jeremy and the Cubs were when Milla entered the hall, shook off the rain droplets from her parka, their faces beamed with elation. The horde of bandits Jeremy had to handle during the previous week turned domesticated when Milla took over.

"Aye, ZJ." Milla tapped me gently from behind which gave me a startle. She flinched from my reaction and apologised.

"No, I'm okay," I exhaled in relief, ignoring the thump in my heart. I regained my balance and looked at her. "You alright yourself?"

"I'm good," she replied casually. "You're not coming with us for a couple of mild shots?"

"Friendship Inn? Nah, I don't drink," I shook my head, trying hard not to pull any Eddie Redmayne's Newt Scamander's weird awkwardness in her presence. Intuitively, I was beginning to doubt my sexual orientation around her.

"Of course you don't," Milla nodded. "They served a decent fish and chips with fizzy drinks too."

"I-I'd love I'd love that, yeah, but I need to head home. There's errr.... game night I need to attend to," I replied gingerly.

"Wow, busy schedule you've got there," her pretty face twitched.

"Not really." I chuckled, clasping the strap of my messenger bag which was wrapped across my torso, inhaled deeply and outlined my schedule in one breath, "It's just that this evening I've made plans with my mates for a get together somewhere in Hulme. I need to be there by 9.00. So I need some time to get back home by 8.00, freshen up a bit and grab the bus by half past..."

I realised I was fast talking when she started to giggle at my ridiculousness. "You don't need to spare me the details, I get it."

Unconsciously, my awkwardness unleashed and went up a notch. It was far beyond humiliating, it was mortified! And I felt like kicking myself on the head for being a total jackass.

"Okay, then." Milla said finally and took a few steps back. "Next drink is gonna be on me and you have to cancel plans with whoever that is."

"I will and I promise," I assured her and watched her resume into the hall. I freed my bike which was parked at the sidewalk while repeatedly cursing myself.