Chapter 4: Muffins and Daisies

It had been weeks since Herbie last saw Mandy and he had been worried that she was intentionally avoiding him. It was like everything changed after that night of the kiss. He didn’t know whether to be thankful it happened because it gave him the push to confront what he had been feeling for her all along or to regret it happened because after that, he couldn’t get a hold of her.

He would call her on the phone and it was always Annie who would answer. He would visit their apartment before he left for work, or after work and still it was Annie she got to see. In all those times, he had to think of reasons real quick and he was not good making up excuses.

One time, he said he ran out of coffee. He knew it was the most ridiculous excuse because well, there were dozens of coffee shops, one right at the groundfloor of their building and the others were just a few blocks away. The ridiculousness of his excuse was written all over Annie’s face but she gave him an unopened pack anyway.

“Herbert! Come on in!” Annie casually said. If there was one thing good about the situation, it was that, Annie seemed to be starting to warm up to him again.

“Thank you. Going somewhere?” he asked nervously.

“Yes. I’m going on a trip for work.”

“I see.”

“So, what brings you here? You know, I really can not stay long.”

“Ahhm… I - I - I, I mean, my- my tv broke.”

“And?”

“There’s this tv show that I just need to watch.” Even to his ears, his excuses were getting weirder and weirder.

“Ah so you want to watch tv?”

“Is it okay? I mean, it’s just that ...” Herbie did not want to say he was watching that series that he and Mandy decided was awful.

“I guess.” Annie said lifting her duffle bag. “Hey, just lock the door and pull out the plugs when you leave.”

“Alright, thanks!… Take care!” he said as he watched Annie close the door.

It was almost midnight. He couldn’t believe he had spent his time on Annie’s couch watching tv for hours. He didn’t watch anything actually. He just channel surfed to kill time.

Feeling a little tired, he arranged the pillows and lied down on the couch and finally gave up watching tv.

At half past midnight, the door to 1204 opened. It was Mandy. She threw her keys on the table and put down her bags containing her personal stuff and her cameras. She proceeded to the bathroom, took off all her clothes and went under the shower to freshen up.

It was a relief that Annie was not there this time. Her sister had been giving her the cold-shoulder treatment since she learned of her leaving the job. She had been dropping some jabs, too, about the bills that needed to be paid and things for the apartment that needed to be purchased. Mandy’s relationship with Annie had really been strained this time.

Mandy turned the shower knobs several times, making sure that the water was not too cold and not too hot for her body. In the last weeks, her baths had always been quick. But at that moment, she really took her time. She lifted her head and closed her eyes, her face directly receiving the water from the shower sprinkler. A few minutes under the lukewarm water took her to another place. Then she heard the door to the bathroom open.

Her instincts told her to throw the shampoo bottle towards the door.

Bog! The bottle hit someone.

“Aw!” Mandy recognized his voice.

“Herbie?”

“Ah, yes?” Herbie still holding his head while crawled on the floor just by the bathroom door.

“Don’t look and get out of the bathroom!” Mandy shouted in panic grabbing her towel and wrapping it around her body.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were here!” Herbie replied.

“Okay, you may look now.” Mandy said. But it was after she had gone to her room and dressed up. “Okay, explain…” as she sat beside Herbie on the couch.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were here already. I asked Annie if I can watch tv here and she said yes.”

“Watch tv?”

“Yeah, which reminds me that I have to buy a new television in case Annie decides to check my alibi.”

“What?”

“You see, I’ve been coming up with ridiculous excuses to come here. You know, to see you.”

Mandy was trying her best not to look at him as he explained himself but she could see him at the corner of her eyes and thought that he was really cute when he’s nervous like that. She was stopping a smile from breaking on her face but when their eyes met, she just gave in.

“Alright. I’m sorry, too!… I hope your head doesn’t hurt anymore!”

“Now that I finally see you smiling, it does not hurt anymore!… So how are you?”

“Oh, I don’t know.”

“What’s going on with you and Annie?”

“It’s really bad, Herbie… I thought I am gonna find some jobs maybe one or two but there’s been nothing. Now, Annie is ice cold with me and I have no face to show my parents.”

Herbie placed his finger under her chin to lift her head up then said, “Hey, I know what would cheer you up!”

“Yeah? What?”

“Wait here.” Herbie ran to his apartment as Mandy watched him from the couch.

“What is it behind your back?”

“Guess.” Herbie gesturing Mandy to join him at the kitchen.

“Oh, that’s the jacket you borrowed from me.”

“Haha, that reminds me that I do have that big jacket of yours… But these are your favorites, muffins” Herbie placing them in front of Mandy, “and daisies!”

“Wow! Thank you, Herbie!” but Mandy’s face didn’t seem to be thrilled like she used to. Eversince she learned Herbie gave the exact same muffin and daisies to Annie, they weren’t her favorites anymore.

“Is there something wrong? You didn’t like them?… It’s funny ‘cause you know I brought you these a few weeks ago and it was Annie who answered the door so she thought it was for her.”

Mandy smiled hearing Herbie tell this story and suddenly, they’re her favorites again, muffins and daisies from the store downstairs called Ryley’s.

Each of them took a muffin. Each bite brought both their eyes to each other’s faces. Herbie’s eyes landed on her mouth and right then he remembered the feel of her lips on his. Unknown to Herbie, Mandy was thinking about the same thing. In both their minds, they were wondering whether they would taste each other’s lips again.