About Phone Number and Locavore

“Regret Might Come From a Simple Adore”

“Is this seat taken, Miss?”

It all started with that single sentence and ended with a decision I still regret to this day.

The weather in Ubud that night was scorching. Perhaps a drink of iced coffee will help me deal with the emotions that my boss has been playing with. I rode my automatic scooter around town aimlessly, hoping to find a coffee shop. I passed by Starbucks since I wasn’t in the mood to be in the bustle. Finally, I came to a halt in a nearby coffee shop.

Oh shoot! It’s quite crowded.

I immediately regretted not stopping at Starbucks. But there’s no other option. It’s obtrusive. Thankfully, there was still an empty table with three chairs available. I dashed over before the table was taken.

I switched on my laptop and began working on the task my boss had just assigned to me. I thought to myself, “Oh, damn. What the heck is happening in this crappy world.” My boss like giving me “surprise” assignments. Well, I was engrossed in my work on my laptop when I was startled by a noise.

“Is this seat taken, Miss?”

I looked up to see who was speaking to me. I thought he was very attractive. I also encouraged him to sit down; sharing a seat with him was not a problem for me. He stated that he had come with a companion. I saw a man ordering at the ordering counter when he pointed to it.

“I hope we’re not bothering you,” he added, “since you seem, uhm, really serious about what you do.”

“Oh no, don’t worry about it,” I said flatly. Well, I just let me give up my work so that I can talk to him actually.

He stands at a considerable height. Well in fact, he is really tall in comparison to me, who is only 4'9. He’s dressed in blue striped shorts and a black t-shirt. Simple, yet intriguing. His brown hair has a small curl to it and appears to be quite fluffy. His complexion was somewhat tanned and his eyes were a clear brown. Well, it’s true that the Bali’s sun is excellent for tanning, right?

Soon after, his companion arrived with two drinks, one of which appeared to be coffee, and a platter of mixed fritters.

His name is Armand, a Seattle-based student who is on holiday from college and has decided to spend his time in Bali. He traveled with Matthew, a Washington DC-based traveler. He claimed that he and Matt had met at the same inn.

After a little small talk, he said, “Your drink looks cute, Miss.” I ordered a strawberry yogurt milkshake, and he seemed to pay attention to it.

“Well, it doesn’t exactly go with your cigarette, ha ha ha…” he added. He sounded quite enthusiastic. I must say, he has a knack for starting a conversation. We’d only met once before, but it felt like we’d seen each other before. It’s not awkward at all, and it’s extremely relaxing.

Armand, in my opinion, is a good storyteller. It’s fascinating to hear his story. I was drawn to him either because of his attractive appearance or because of his thrilling vacation story. We were blissfully conversing without even noticing it. Matt said he wanted to go back to the inn first, and I already left my work assignment undone. So now, it’s just the two of us.

“Locavore, do you know it, Miss? Probably it is a name you may be familiar with. It’s been talked by a lot of people,” after a long silence, he inquired while showed me a picture on his phone.

I replied nonchalantly, “Of course, that restaurant is well-known.”

“I’d want to pay a visit, but I don’t have any friends, and inviting Matthew to go there feels odd, ha ha ha…” he remarked again, concluding with a crisp laugh. His chuckle was adorable, in stark contrast to his deep, raspy voice.

I got the code, and he invited me. I and he both cursed our stupidity in not having a cell phone at the time. We wouldn’t be able to keep up if we didn’t communicate with each other. Finally, he took the initiative to request paper and pen from a coffee shop worker there.

“Are you going to keep my number or am I going to keep yours?” he inquired.

“Give me yours and I’ll contact you later,” I gave a confident response. He also scribbled his cellphone number on the page and handed it to me when he was finished.

“On Saturday, I’ll be waiting for you at Locavore, okay? You have some spare time, right?” he enquired one more. His gaze was fixed on mine. I turned aside for a fraction of a second. I don’t think I’m strong enough to look into his eyes for an extended period of time; I’m afraid I’ll lose myself in them.

“I’ll call you if I can,” I said.

“Okay, I’ll wait for you. So, because I’m confident you’ll show up, I’ll be waiting for you right there,” he stated and I noticed the corners of his lips lifting. Oh, how lovely.

The world works in wonders, and I believe that. However, it appears that the universe is playing a joke on me by making fun of my foolishness. The paper with Armand’s phone number was vanished. When I cleaned the dashboard of my scooter, it might have been wasted there. I tried to relax and recall what had happened. Oh, I thought to myself, I still have a shot on Saturday.

I was still debating whether or not I should travel to Locavore on Saturday. On the one hand, I’d like to go since who knows whether he’ll actually show up. However, I did not want to go since I did not want to be upset if he did not show up. I pondered for a long time, trying to figure out what to do. Until I made up my mind,

I didn’t go.

All of my actions and decisions on that particular day left me with a great deal of remorse. This isn’t love, I’m sure of it. Perhaps it’s just basic adoration or perhaps a little crush. However, my guilt is perfectly real.

If only I’d let him keep my phone number…

If only I’d gone to Locavore earlier…

If only I’d had the guts to try…

If only…