FELIX

I enter the garage unnoticed as they are all very busy. Agnes has her mind wrapped around the unfinished painting before her while the others are putting stuff in order, preparing for the big night.

"Boo!" I growl in Agnes's ear.

She startles, nearly jerking off her stool. Thank goodness she didn't ruin her artwork because I know I'll regret my actions if that happens.

She turns to me, fuming mad. "What the hell is wrong with you?! Do you know you could have blotched my work?!"

I laugh it off casually. My morning has officially begun now that I've achieved my goal. The look on her face was priceless. "The best of morning greetings to you."

"What's gotten into you?" She flattens her lips and turns her back. "You came in late today."

"It's nine o'clock. Nine o'clock isn't late, is it?"

"Are you supposed to be at work by nine, Mr.?" She asks sternly.

"I'm sorry, Ms Agnes. I know I'm not as early as you but what's more important is that I'm here now, right?"

"If only you can be half as serious as we all are, maybe, we'd get most of the work done."

"Hey!"

"Ever since we started, I scarcely have any time to relax, especially when Opening Night is only three days from now."

"I understand you must be very exhausted. You need to relax sometimes."

"You should help me." She allows a faint smile. "These three months or less will pass by pretty soon. I fear what will happen afterwards."

"Why?"

"Of course I know this is going to help me earn some money while we wait for admissions, but what will happen after we get in?"

"Don't be bothered about that. You can reopen the workshop anytime, problem solved."

She sighs, "I actually don't want to close it, you see. If it's possible, I'd like us to be open twenty four hours."

I take a gentle squeeze of her hand. "Hey, don't look so sad. We're all here to help."

As if on cue, she lightens up again. "Felix, thank you very much."

I let out a lengthy sigh, "for what now?"

"Because of you, I am able to do something for myself, something I love. You took my business idea and made it this grand. I'm still amazed by how you managed to put all of this together."

"We did this together. I would not have done it without you guys. Honestly, I didn't know what to do with this garage. I assumed I would sell it or something, but you came along and I'm very proud of what we've achieved with it."

"This is really fun you know, running a business with the people I care about and trust; you and Xian handling the accounts, Tessa and Yvonne handling sales and publicity, Ronald taking care of logistics, aunty Cherry making supplies—"

"You forgot someone."

She tries to maintain a straight face, fighting an urge to blush.

"You. You're the beauty of the workshop, and I mean literally speaking."

Her cheeks finally give in, flushing red. Besides, I blush to admit it but I think I'm ready to make my move this time around. The timing seems a bit off, nonetheless, I've never been so in touch with my emotions my whole life. I only pray she doesn't see the old me, the playboy I once was.

"Hey guys!" Ronald stumbles into the garage in a haste with his sling bag over his shoulder and three casually dressed adults behind him.

"Good morning," one of the women greets us.

"Good morning," Xian responds on our behalf.

"Felix, Agnes, everyone," Ronald calls, his spirit livelier than usual, "these guys are agents from a popular art studio and they wanted to form a partnership. I showed them some paintings by Agnes, and they were really invested. They said they would like to see her in person, that's why I brought them here."

"Wow! That's so cool!" Yvonne exclaims.

"Thank you, Ronald," Agnes says.

"Agnes Carter, correct?" The older looking man speaks up. "We'd love to form a partnership, if you are interested. We can feature your works in our gallery for an exhibition we hope to host next month."

Agnes steps up, smiling ear to ear. "Can we talk about it over desserts?" She gestures at a shelf containing cupcakes and varieties of biscuits.

I have never been proud. Her goals and dreams are gradually coming to a reality.

We all move aside to give her and her potential partners some privacy to discuss. I'm confident she can handle anything. She's proved it to me times without number. This will just be a piece of cake.

*

As the sun descends behind the skyline, I invite Agnes take a walk with me. We might never get to do this again in a long time to come. If I don't speak now, who knows when I will get a chance to empty this throbbing heart.

"My father has agreed to let you come over for dinner," I start the conversation.

"Wow! That was fast!"

"So I was thinking, maybe after Opening Night, we'll just go to my house instead."

"Sounds perfect. It'll be my first time coming to your house. Do I have to look extra good?"

"You don't really—"

"Don't be modest. It's for Opening Night."

I should laugh, but rather, I let out an extensive sad sigh, downcast eyes and wilting shoulders.

She observes me carefully and I realize I should not be looking so miserable. I need to make the remaining days we have left, even this moment a happy memory.

"Have you asked your dad where he'll be taking you to?" She asks.

"Yeah, but he doesn't want to tell us. He wants it to be a surprise, according to him."

We amble through the park. There are still few energetic kids playing around, rodents foraging the fields looking for food, birds chirping above their nests to feed their young.

"Let's stay here for a while," I suggest.

I lead, holding hands to a bench close by. I want for this very moment to be our new romantics, one she holds on to while I'm far gone, although I didn't have the initial plan for it. The afterglow of the sunset colours the sky orange, creating the perfect ambience I'll need to build up courage and tell her how I feel.

"I wonder if my new home will have a beautiful scenery like this."

She smiles painfully. "I'm going to miss you."

I turn to face her as her brown eyes meet mine. I could look into these eyes forever and always, like the sky faces the desert, except forever and always isn't mine to hold. "I will miss you more. How would I cope without making you laugh?"

"You think you make me laugh?"

"Sure I do. You can't deny that." I bring my face next to hers, warmth radiating off my body, the evening breeze mixing with her flowery scents. "I hate the fact we won't be this close. If only I could stay, I wouldn't wait this long to tell you."

"Tell me what?"

"That I believe in love."

Her face freezes in front of me.

I hesitate. "You made me feel different about a lot of things. You... you made me fall in love."

Nothing else needs to be said. All we can is feel it translate in our hearts. I have never been this drawn towards someone like how I'm pulled by her lips. She still looks at me, I don't know what part of my face but I can't help but lean in close until we are only few centimetres away. This is a moment that would wreck me, I just know it.

"Felix..." her shaky breath sends tremors down my spine. I deepen my gaze, blocking out every other thing going on outside both of us. Flashes of desire divulge through her eyes, enticing me until I have to bite back an urge to blush. "With who?"

I tip my head down, addlebrained.

This brings us to the end of our unconventional connection as my courage drops down to zero. I don't believe she did not feel what I felt inside couple seconds ago.

"Don't act so dense!" I move back, unnervingly. "With you of course! I love you, and how I wish I didn't have to go away." There! I said it.

But her long ominous silence almost instigates me to pretend as if it was all an act.

No! Today, I will be true to myself.

"I know this is all too sudden or maybe you feel you're not ready, but... but I've never been this sure about anything my entire life. Hey, I won't force you to answer me now—"

"Felix, stop," she interrupts my chattering. "I'm sorry. I don't... I don't know what to say."

I begin to feel apprehensive, like she's about to say something surprising, but I get ahead of the curve just in case. "I know I'm in the friendzone but—"

"No! I just..." she searches for words.

"Don't overthink. I completely understand and I'm okay with it. We're still friends, and I prefer that over you ignoring me because of what I've said."

"You're right. This is all too sudden. Who would expect things to turn out this way?" She wishes to say more. I sense her fears rippling through.

"You won't ignore me, right? Even if you realize my feelings for you," I ask with a positive smile that masks my disappointment.

"I'll never ignore you, Felix. Never."

My face lights up wryly.

"At first, I couldn't understand what it was I felt for you then, because I was so sure that I hated you, but as time passed, it grew into something else. Point is, somehow, both of us have always been connected, and you telling me this now... it has given me all the answers I needed."

My mind runs wild, diverse assumptions come at me from every angle. "What do you mean?"

"I can't believe after all this time..." she pauses for dramatic effect. "Felix Adir King... I love you. I have always loved you, and it just hurts me so freaking much that you are going away to some place neither of us know about."

My consciousness to anything around me dies. She said it! She was bold enough to say it to my hearing. Gosh! I feel like I am about to combust into flames. Drop after drop, both eyes fill with rivers of joy, so overwhelming I carry her in my arms.

Everything feels just right, and I don't care if it's short-lived.

And then she does something wild, it leaves me dumbstruck. When her soft lips presses against my mouth, my pea brain melts from an overkill of emotions. Sparks fly in different directions, I lack the words to describe the magnificence of her love filling up in my stomach.

The insatiable player in me is dead, and may his soul rest in peace.

* # * #

Yes, I understand. Not so much for a first kiss.