“PRIVATE MOMENT”

Past five o'clock the next day, Lana woke up to a noise coming from her veranda. Sounds of cutlery and plates filled the air, and after a while, the fragrant aroma of brewed coffee finally made her get up from bed.

"W-What the ---?" Lana was stunned to see a delicious breakfast prepared for two people on the veranda.**

"Good morning," Andrew said as he sat down, obviously waiting for her. "Let's eat," he said, standing up and leaning over to approach her.

"W-What are you doing?" she asked then spontaneously complied with what the man wanted to happen. The young man's thick eyebrows rose. "Why, don't you want this?"

Lana was stunned and then quietly watched what the young man was doing. From the way he poured coffee into her cup to putting syrup and butter on her pancakes.

"Thank you," she said shyly, smiling at Andrew afterward. "You know what, I've only just seen eyes like yours," he said, staring into her eyes. Lana laughed softly there and then started eating.

“Really? That doesn't seem convincing. You grew up in London, didn't you? ” her chuckling reply to the man. As soon as her sight met Andrew's, Lana did not escape the rapid change of emotion in the young man's eyes. She saw the seemingly tiny remnants of fire burning in them that also quickly disappeared when he smiled.

“Yeah, but yours is different. You know what I mean? ” he said after sipping his coffee. Lana nodded. What Andrew was referring to was the color of her eyes which were between dark gray and light green.

“My mother said that maybe my father is a foreigner; that is why I had this eye color. It's light green when I'm in the sun and dark gray when I'm not,” she said following what she said with a weak laugh.

"I'm sorry, but about your father?" Lana felt the interest in Andrew’s tone, and that made her secretly happy even though she didn’t admit it. She shrugged. "It's a long story," she said with a finite tone so the young man didn't insist.

Andrew nodded. "You're done?" the young man asked when he saw that the food on her plate was gone. "Yeah, thanks for the free breakfast," she said with a smile. Somehow she becomes comfortable with Andrew, and she likes that. She really didn't want to waste every moment the young man was here in front of her, and she could talk as if they were friends.

When she stood up, Andrew stood up as well. "Nowadays everything has to be paid for, Lana," Andrew said almost in a whisper. Then the young lady who was about to enter the cottage stopped.

"W-What?" along with that question is the time when she felt that once again her chest started heaving with nervousness. “Can I have a private moment with you?” almost in a whisper, Andrew asked and took a step closer to her, so Lana backed away.

"P-Private moment?" she repeated the young man's question. He nodded then stepped again, so she automatically backed away again. "Yes," Andrew replied then bowed. Lana closes her eyes as his fragrant breath crosses her face. But she didn't think Andrew would be able to take advantage of that in a simple blink of an eye.

She was shocked when Andrew claimed her lips. Not only that, the young man even held both hands behind her back and then guided her into the cottage. When she heard the sound of the door lock on the veranda, that was when Lana insisted on freeing herself from Andrew.

“What are you doing? Do you know I can sue you for doing this to me? You've been taking advantage of me since last night!” she threatened in a strong but low tone.

The corner of the young man's lip lifted. "No, you won't," he replied as he approached her with one large step and then began to caress the area around her lips with his index finger.

“Try me!” she challenged the young man. "Yeah, I like that," he said with a teasing smile then raised the corner of his lips once again.

Lana's face quickly turned red as she got the meaning of what Andrew had said. "T-That's not what I meant," she corrected the man's misconception. "Is that so?" he said in an unconvinced tone. “I know you like it too. I can prove that if you just let me,” he said, pushing her against the wall.

Lana took a deep breath and then averted her face from Andrew when the young man tried to kiss her. So instead it landed on her cheek. "Please, Andrew," it was too late to take it back because it was too untimely when she realized the double meaning of what she said.

A malicious smile tore from the young man's lips as she stared at him. "Why have you been avoiding me since last night?" he asked, crawling his warm lips down her neck. It was a delicious sensation that was the reason why Lana couldn't stop herself from releasing a strong breath.

"Oh, God Andrew!" she whispered and felt as if not in her usual self when she caressed both hands on the man's wide chest. "Please you know how I really feel for you. But don’t use that and my fragility when it comes to you,” she pleaded and then bit her lip as the young man continued to bathe her neck with warm kisses as he rested his hands on the wall made with coarse twilled matting of flattened bamboo strips. Honestly, the young man must have known that as a fan, she was already in love with him. And it's not hard to imagine because she's sure he senses the discomfort she feels for him. Even though she is not a love expert, she knows that is one of the many possible reasons for the young man to confirm in his mind her intense attraction for him.

"Tell me, how can I stop something I love for reasons I can't even explain?" Andrew asked her. “Just give me this private moment with you. Promise, I will not disappoint you,” he added in a reassuring tone. Andrew stared straight into her eyes. And that’s why she feels like the man is absorbing all her energy to refuse. That's why she wasn't surprised when she grabbed the young man for a more passionate kiss.

During that moment, even though she had no experience other than simple kissing, Lana became aggressive. But her rage did not last long, for she eventually became like a meek sheep surrounded by a fierce lion. And that lion was none other than Andrew.

The young man's kisses descended, on her neck, shoulder her breast when she heard loud knocks on the door. That is when what they were doing stopped. Lana even laughed when she heard the hanging growl that Andrew let out.

"I'll see you tonight, okay?" he said, kissing her on the lips again a little while later. Lana smiled nervously. "All right," she replied then followed by the gaze of the young man who as Romeo jumped from the veranda. 

“Lana! Lana!” Rodge's voice pulled her back to reality. Hastily opening the door, she greeted her friend. “Why are you taking so long? I've been knocking here for ages?”

"I'm sorry, I'm in the bathroom," she lied. "Call of nature," she explained, realizing she hadn't even taken a bath yet.

Rodge nodded. "Okay, I'll go ahead to the conference area, just follow," she said, leaving Lana to close the door and proceed to the bathroom for a shower.

Standing before the mirror, Lana gently traced her lips, relishing the pleasure and thrill left by Andrew's warm kisses.