Chapter 3: The Kiss

YEAR 2010

“One brief kiss. How can it still be in my head?” as he stirred for the nth time in his bed clutching his favorite pillow. He tried to dismiss the kiss as a result of Mandy’s drunkenness. Although she was not drunken at all. She got tipsy alright but it’s one that went away almost immediately after a cup of black coffee.

He laughed at himself realizing that he was a 30 year-old grown man gushing and blushing at that one brief smack on the lips that probably meant nothing to the giver. He ran about a thousand scenarios in his head about the perfect reaction he should have given. He should’ve kissed her back, maybe hold her face to keep her mouth in place or maybe grab her by the waist to keep her body close then hold her by the back of her head so he could press his lips on hers. He stopped himself before he went any further. The fact was, he didn’t do any of those scenarios. He froze for what seemed like forever before he could properly react. At that particular moment, he just prayed that her lips would linger a while longer.

Mandy closed the door to 1204 with Herbie still standing in front eyes closed. His face was the picture in her head as she took a moment leaning at the back of their door. She bit her lower lip and ran a finger across it. She no longer needed to wonder just what his mouth tasted like. It was more than what she had imagined - sweet and cinnamon.

“Where have you been?” Annie asked angrily.

And with just that phrase, Mandy got pulled back to reality before she could even think about what that kiss meant.

“Oh, just out… dinner, movie…” Mandy said avoiding Annie’s eyes as she walked her way towards her room.

“With Herbert?”

“Anne, can we talk about this tomorrow? I’m really tired.” as Mandy turned to face Annie.

“Are you drunk?” Annie asked upon seeing Mandy’s face and eyes all red.

“Of course not! I just wanna sleep, Annie. Please?”

Annie just nodded.

In front of the mirror in her room, Mandy looked at herself and laughed seeing her hair disheveled like that. Her eyes went to her lips. Just then, she wondered what could have happened if she didn’t pull herself back from that kiss. Would he had kissed her back? How could that one brief kiss produce so much electricity she could feel it travel all over her body? How could that one brief kiss change the way she looked at Herbie - Herbert, her sister’s ex-boyfriend!

Herbie decided he would be early the following morning. He wanted to catch Mandy as she hurried for her early morning shift at the hospital, maybe make arrangements with her for dinner so they can talk about the moment at the hallway. Maybe that could also be his chance to tell her that magical feeling that’s been brewing in his heart - one that he decided he was ready to confront.

But there was no Mandy. Not by the elevator as it was about to close, not at the lobby nor outside the building by the bus stop. “How could I have missed her!” he told himself. He waited, right there  at the front entrance of the building for over an hour! “What could have happened to her?”

Inside his office at the third floor of the company building, he paced the floor biting the nail on his thumb. That had been his habit when he’s nervous, anxious, scared, excited, sad - to bite his thumbnail.

Riiinggg! Riiinggg! The telephone on his desk was ringing for a good number of times before he finally decided to pick it up and declared - “Herbie Molina.”

“Sir, there’s a phonecall for you from Ms. Christy Sanchez. Would you like to take it?” his secretary, Kelly  asked.

“Oh, can you tell her I’m in a meeting?”

“Will do, Sir.”

“Thanks, Kelly.

“You’re welcome, Sir.” Kelly put the the phone shaking her head. She knew Herbie so well, she had been his secretary for quite a while but even longer than that, she would like to believe they were friends first since they started almost at the same time in the company.

“Hey!” Kelly said as she popped her head through Herbie’s open office door.

Herbie turned his swiveling chair to face Kelly. He greeted her with his usual raised eyebrows and a timid smile that barely showed his teeth.

“What’s the matter, boss?” Kelly said standing in front of his table.

“Huh?” Herbie trying to act innocent.

“Herbie, what’s wrong? You’ve been quiet all day. I mean I miss being busy trying to keep up with all of my boss’ instructions.” Kelly said trying to elicit a banter with Herbie.

“Oh, nothing!”

“Is it Christy?”

“Oh, please, Kelly, don’t you know me at all?”

“Haha, yeah! So who is it?”

“Oh, no one you know.”

“Is she…” Kelly lifted the files on Herbie’s desk and pointed to a spot.  “This pretty lady?”

Herbie pushed himself up from his chair. “How did you…”

“Know?” Kelly finishing his question. “Don’t you think I notice how you would look at that spot in your table whenever we get busy. I mean, your door is always open and I can see you from my desk.”

“What? I never do that!”

“Okay, if she’s not it, then I don’t know anymore. Just give her a call so you can stop walking back and forth in this room of yours. I get dizzy just watching you.”

“Thanks, Kelly.”

“You’re welcome, boss. I’m going home now. Good luck!” Kelly giving Herbie a wink before she left.

Herbie stood up from his chair, removed his coat, pulled out his tie and folded his long-sleeved polo up to his elbows. He decided he would not give her a call.

“May I help you, Sir?” the nurse at Nurse Station B asked seeing Herbie looking for someone.

“Oh, yes. Yes, I am looking for Nurse Mandy, Mandy Garcia?”

“Nurse Mandy? I’m sorry but she no longer woks here.” the nurse informed him.

“Herbie?” it was Nurse Melchor, Mandy’s co-worker that he had met quite a few times before.

“You’re looking for Mandy? Didn’t she tell you? She resigned over a week ago.”

“Oh, yeah. She did tell me actually. I, I just forgot. Thanks!”

Worried sick Herbie headed straight to Apartment 1204 hoping he would find Mandy there.

Holding a bunch of Mandy’s favorite flower, daisies, and a basket of muffins from their favorite store at the building’s lobby, Herbie knocked at the door.

When he heard the sound of footsteps getting nearer, he heaved a deep sigh to even out the heavy beating of his heart.

“Hi! Are those for me?” Annie asked.

It took him a few seconds to reply - “Y-y-yes.”

“Is Mandy here?” he asked as he moved his eyes around the room trying to spot her.

“Oh, are you here for her?”

“Ahhh, n-n-no!”

“Mandy’s at work. She said she’s taking double shifts today.”

“I see.”  he realized Mandy had been hiding the truth from him and from her sister but was wondering where she had been spending her time. His brief non-serious relationship with Christy had caused him to lose touch of Mandy for a while, his head emphasizing on the word non-serious. Not that he wanted to lose touch. He just had to get his mind off the thought that Mandy was dating a Doctor Dan from her hospital.

“Hey, I gotta go.” he said.

“That fast?”

“Yeah, I, I just dropped them off… so see yah!”

A few hours later, Mandy arrived at 1204 in her nurse uniform.

“There you are!” Annie greeted Mandy while seated on the couch in front of the television.

“Oh, muffins! My favorite!… oh, and daisies!” Mandy felt less defeated seeing two of her favorite things on the kitchen table. “How’d you know they are my favorites? But thanks for getting them for me! Thanks, Sis!”

“They’re your favorite?” Annie’s head refused to entertain the thought that the gifts were not for her.

“Yeah! They’re from the shop downstairs, right?”

“I don’t know. Herbert dropped by and brought those for me.”

“Oh, how sweet!” Mandy turning her back on Annie to hide the possible reactions she could read on her face. “Is he trying to get back together with you? ‘Cause I heard he’s broken up with his girlfriend.”

“I really don’t know, Mandy. Maybe he’s just trying to make peace… By the way, I’ve already paid the rent and some of the bills. When are you gonna give me your share?… I have also sent some money to mom and dad, told them they’re from the two of us.”

“Annie, I gotta tell you something.”

“Yeah?”

“I can’t pay you. I mean not now or anytime soon.”

“And why not?”

“Because I quit my job.” Mandy went straight to her room and locked the door. She could hear her sister reciting a litany about how wrong that decision was, that a career in nursing was the way to go and how they’re parents were going to get hurt when they learned about the news.

Quitting her job had placed her in a real pickle but stuck in her head were the muffins and daisies from that particular shop downstairs that Herbie brought for Annie.