It takes me longer than necessary to get the dress inside the machine and then this one working, just because I need to collect myself and put things in perspective.

First, I was going to kiss Maca and I think she wanted me to kiss her, as well. She leaned closer when I made a move, so I can’t be that wrong. This makes me too happy, to the point that I want to jump and fist bump the air, cheering and all those corny things. It’s not just me and when I have time to let that sink I can’t stop smiling. My heart is beating so fast and my hands are still shaking due to all the excitement running in my veins.

Then, I remember what I did. How I ruined the perfect moment and I want to bury my head in the working washing machine and drown my screams for being a bloody idiot. How could I ruin an opportunity like that one? I just had to be careful, to remember that the mug with hot tea was in front of me and if I really wanted to kiss her I had to put it aside.

Harold Reid, you’re a gigantic idiot, I tell myself closing my eyes for a few seconds, trying my best to cope with the frustration inside. 

How can I get another opportunity like that one? It was so perfect and I just made a disaster out of it. If there’s an award for being a klutz in the most crucial moments, then I surely would get that.

And now she’s wearing my jumper and she looks so cute I can barely think. I know I’m taller and that jumper is already quite large even for me, so she looks so petite and feminine in it that I feel like my stomach gets tied in knots over and over again, causing a whole mess as my heart races, pumping all my blood to my cheeks to make me blush in the most evident way.

I look to my side, where she’s putting the kettle on and rinsing the mugs to prepare tea and I think my heart will jump out of my chest. I watch her struggle with the sleeves that are too long for her. She gets frustrated and decides to roll them up a bit, just so she can manoeuvre in the kitchen. It’s a good thing that I left the tea and all the other ingredients outside. It makes things easier for her.

What if I walk up to her and hug her from behind? I’ll probably startle her, but maybe she’ll let me hug her and I can create another perfect moment.

“H,” she calls, turning her head to watch me. “Do you have biscuits?”

“Yeah, top shelf,” I reply and she smiles brightly at me before turning and opening the cupboard in front of her.

I keep watching her as she stands on her tiptoes, trying to reach the box with biscuits I keep at hand and I chuckle lightly when I notice how she can’t reach them. I try to focus only on that and not on her exposed legs because she’s raising her arm and with the movement the jumper goes up.

I walk up to her, deciding to help instead of just looking for a way to kiss her. I can control myself, I’m not a hungry wolf or anything. I stand behind her and reach the box without a problem. She makes a little sound of surprise and I step back, giving her room to turn around. She’s blushing and looking nervous and I think it’s probably because I’m too close, towering her. So I take another step back and hand her the box with biscuits. I won’t make her more nervous.

“Th-thanks,” she says and I just nod. 

Then the kettle is ready so she focuses on pouring the water in the mugs and keep making the tea. I decide to help her and I concentrate on that thing only. If I get too conscious about recreating the perfect moment to kiss her then I won’t enjoy her company. I’ll relax, just go with the flow and if another opportunity presents itself, then I’ll take it.

Yes. That’s a good and sensible plan. I’ll follow that.

Once our teas are ready, I guide her to the sofa and we leave the mugs on the coffee table to let them cool down a bit, I also leave the biscuits next to it and grab one to nib as I take a seat. Maca sits at the other extreme and she looks a bit uncomfortable.

“You can take your shows off and wrap yourself with one of the blankets, if you want to. I mean, the dress won’t be ready for a while so you better make yourself comfortable,” I remind her and I can’t help smile, knowing she’ll have to stay for like two hours at least, waiting for the dress to get washed and then dried.

Maybe the accident with the tea wasn’t that bad after all.

Just to encourage her, I go for one of the blankets we brought from the rooftop and then I take my shoes off and pull my legs up, finding a very twisted but comfortable position and making sure to face her. I cover myself with the blanket, making the other extreme reach her. She looks at me for a few second before she also takes off her shoes and follows my example, getting under the blanket that now we are sharing.

I reach for her mug and hand it to her, then I grab mine and the bowl with biscuits that I leave in the middle.

“Well, you didn’t finish telling me about your experience with my colleagues,” I mention to keep her talking about something.

“Oh right. You didn’t finish telling me how you convinced them,” she reminds me and I nod, accepting she’s right.

“True. Well, I just had to tell them this was really important. What I told everyone, you know? Of course they asked me why and the usual. I also told them how this was a good way to take our work to other people who wouldn’t normally buy tickets to see us perform. It was also a way to promote and advertise so they also would win something. And if someone happened to record it and upload it to the internet, that could also help,” I shrug, trying to lessen the importance of what I did. “We did Hamlet before so they all remembered their parts and it wasn’t that hard. They had to rehearse a bit to make sure all was well and the costumes we already had them so it wasn’t a big deal either. And well, we are all Shakespeare groupies so we will take any excuse to perform any of his plays.”

“I hope someone recorded them because it was brilliant. And you’re right, it brought it closer to people who don’t even know these things are happening in the city. I mean, I didn’t even know your company existed! And I’ve lived here all my life. I didn’t know any of the things you showed me today. I always thought this city was boring and lifeless but turns out there’s a bunch of things going on and I didn’t even know!” she exclaims and I just smile because I’m so happy I showed her things she didn’t even imagine.

“You made me love a city I didn’t even like, H. That’s impressive.” She stops for a second, her smile become softer, tenderer. “It was so amazing seeing them performing there, out of the blue. I always watched videos of flash mobs. I mean, they are pretty famous. I’ve never witnessed one, though. But this? A dramatic flash mob? Not only that but a Shakespeare flash mob? That has to be priceless. And I was there, watching it happen. I was awestruck, H. I couldn’t even think. And I just happen to love Hamlet and that scene! I loved it.”

“I’m so happy to hear that,” I confess, feeling at ease knowing that for certain that she enjoyed every single stop in the crazy scavenger hunt I made her go through.

“That’s not all!” she cries. “I mean, it was amazing. Everyone there enjoyed it, but I almost had a stroke when they bowed to me. Then they come to me? I was freaking out, telling me they did all that for me. For me!” She gets too excited and for a moment she almost spills tea all over her again. I move instinctively to help her, almost burning myself alive on the way, but we manage to stay alive and clean. “Oops,” she says, blushing. I chuckle. “Anyhow, I just couldn’t believe it, H. It was too much and I felt so overwhelmed.”

“Oh no, I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable. I’m sorry if—”

“It wasn’t bad overwhelmed. I mean… maybe a bit. I freaked out because I couldn’t believe you would do so much for me. I couldn’t understand it and I felt totally underserving. By then you had already done so much and then that? It was too much.”

“Undeserving? Why?” I question. I know she’s felt like I’ve done too much for her, but why would she feel like that?

“I… I don’t think I’m worth so much attention. Getting a group performing Hamlet for me is something no one else has done or would do. All the things you did for me are things that I never imagined someone could do for me. I didn’t know— I still don’t know what I did to deserve all what you’ve done,” she tries to explain and I know she’s troubled about this. It weighs on her.

“Does that really matter, Maca? Whether you did something or not to deserve it? I don’t think it’s about deserving at all. I just wanted to impress you. I wanted to share with you the things I love and that mean a lot to me. That’s all. I didn’t want you to feel bad in any way. Please, don’t think like that,” I tell her and she sighs.

“It’s hard,” she confesses and looks down, her eyes locked on the tea in the mug.

“Maybe you just need to get used to it. I can help with that,” I say next with my most cheerful tone and she looks up again, meeting my eyes. “Unless you didn’t like all the things I prepared for you and you’re just telling me you did to make me feel good. If that’s the case, then you better come forward now and reveal the truth before I get some parade only for you once you open the door.”

I succeed at making her laugh and that’s what really matters, right? That she smiles, that she feels well with me around.

“Thank you. Not only for getting your friends to perform Hamlet for me, but for everything. After that I was terrified, you know?” she continues now and I arch my eyebrows in a how-so? way. “I was afraid that after all what you did you’d be disappointed when you saw me. I actually couldn’t move.”

“Really? Don’t tell me you were about to ditch me.” She just laughs but I try to imagine what would’ve happened if she actually decided to leave instead of coming here. 

What would’ve happened if after that performance and feeling like that she decided she couldn’t meet me? Considering what I know about her, how she attacks herself and thinks so little of herself it was very likely that she could’ve just run back home and leave me here.

What would I have done then? Probably wait until I couldn’t take the cold anymore, even if it was at the break of dawn. 

“I’m so glad you didn’t stand me up,” I confess now, feeling like someone is squeezing my heart at the idea that Maca could’ve gone home instead of coming to me. I feel physical pain when I think of never seeing her smile, meeting her eyes or holding her in my arms. It kills me to think I might have never heard her laughing.

No. That’s too horrible to think about.

“I’m glad I came here, too,” she agrees and her words are like a new breath after being underwater for too long. “I’m grateful for all you did. For all the people you made me meet. They were all wonderful and so different. It was a most formidable day.”

“It was my pleasure, Maca.”

She smiles at me and if I needed something in return for all the things I did, that smile is more than enough. That smile is all I needed, all I wanted.

“And now that we’ve talked about all the stops, what do we do?” she questions.

“Well, considering the dress isn’t ready yet and I have like a billion questions for you, I guess we keep talking. Are you comfortable?” She raises her eyebrows. “Because I’ll start the a hundred questions questionnaire. So, do you like long walks on the beach?” I shoot and after two seconds in which she watches me, assessing whether I’m serious, she  just burst out laughing. I mean it, though. I do have too many questions for her and I’ll get those answers.

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See? New update cos last week I totally forgot about it and if things go as planned, new update on Friday! (I have the chapter written). But I'm not sure if I'll be able to, I'm going to Lollapalooza this weekend so I travel to Santiago and I'm not taking Wolf (me laptop) with me. I'll try, though. I promise nothing.

Shout out to the previous best comment: @ThisPrincessIsBroken

Bel, xx