Santiago was quite surprised with her behavior towards him.
“Huh, why? Why treat me like this? I just took that guy off your tail” he frowned.
Joan raised a brow then leaned on the counter “He will be back in some days to be more pathetic, and you think I haven’t forgotten how you treated me when I came to your house with my dad,” when she stated her reason, her voice broke with intense emotions coating them.
A pang of guilt filled his chest and his face fell in realization.
He wronged her and she was right to be mad at him for his stupid actions that day.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
She stopped what she was doing and then looked at him with furrowed brows.
“You’re sorry? Surprising,” she shrugged and went back to her work.
“What do you mean surprising?”
“You don’t seem like someone who issues out apologies,” she shrugged again.
He squinted his eyes as he glared holes on her head.
“I’m offended” he grunted.
“Well, good for you. I am still mad at you and since we are mad at each other, you might as well leave so that I can go back to my work”
He didn’t want her to have a change of mind concerning his offer and also he was deeply sorry for what he said to her. That’s why he came all the way to ask for her forgiveness.
“Look, I am so sorry for how I spoke to you that day, it was not nice of me and no one should be talked to in such a manner” he moved closer to the counter and then rested his hand beside hers “I’m truly sorry, forgive me, please” he begged.
Joan looked at him and saw the sincerity on his face. She was mad at him but was happy that he came to right his wrong. He looked genuine and she made up her mind already.
“I was hurt by your words,” she said to him with a little pout.
Santiago noticed that she was now loosened and not uptight like she was when he came. He took her hand in his and drew circles on her palm.
“I am deeply sorry,” he smiled, her lips cracked a small smile and it made his turn to a grin. “I like you a lot,” he said and she froze at that.
Even though he froze at what he confessed, the air seemed to be stiff. His palms were now sweating and surprisingly cold. He wanted to get rid of the tense atmosphere, so he cleared his throat.
“Erm… I… what… I”
“You really like me?” she said after two shocking minutes.
Santiago swallowed the lump in his throat while he tried not to give away how shaken he was by this moment they were sharing. This isn’t the first time he told a lady he liked them but telling her was something huge for him.
‘I need to call Aiden’ he screamed in his head.
“Uh… yeah, I do. I… do you want me to make it up to you?” he asked, his heart banging hard against his chest. His hands were still cold, a bit shaky but cold, his palms had moisture in them and he wondered if she would be grossed out by it.
He was nervous. The sign was all there.
Joan could feel the excitement bursting through her veins. She was feeling something she hadn’t felt with anyone. Not even Henry’s confession of loving her could bring this warmth to her.
They had gone to little dates before but that was because they wanted to learn more about each other but this time felt so real. Like a young handsome man who meets a beautiful girl and wants to spend quality time with her.
She wants to agree to it but then she remembered Stacy’s visit to the café some days ago and that dropped her excitement to below zero. She could see how expectant Stacy was when she walked about Santiago.
…“I was asking what you thought about Santiago asking me to marry me”…
The words rang in her head and it made her wonder if the man right in front of her was as genuine as he looked or he was just playing with the both of them.
“Joan, I need to go home now” Camila’s voice cut the tense air and brought them out of their nervous talks. She looked at the two of them and then at Santiago’s hands who was holding Joan’s hand.
A smile crept up her lips and she wriggled her brows at Joan.
“Hope I am not interrupting something here?”
Joan retreats her hand from Santiago’s hold while looking away from him. Her cheeks were warm from blushing.
Santiago cleared his throat and then held his hand out to Camila.
“I am Santiago Fernando, Joan’s fiancee” Camila shook his hand whilst grinning and nudging her blushing friend.
“I am Camila, Joan’s best friend,” she retreats her hand and nods in approval “You really are a good-looking man” she comments and earns a pinch from Joan. “What? Who will resist that even though he’s rude?” she asked and earned another pinch from her. “Ow, don’t do that”
A red tint stained Santiago’s cheeks and he smirked at Joan in pride that she was smitten by his looks.
“I was just asking her out,” he said.
Joan was hiding her burning, red cheeks with her hair.
“Did you apologize for what you said to her?” she turned all sassy and annoyed in a matter of seconds.
The smile on Santiago’s lips slipped away and was replaced with a shocking look. He wondered how she went from being sweet to serious in seconds.
“Er… yes, yes I did because I am truly sorry,” he said.
“Don’t say that to me, say it to her,” she smirked at her friend who glared daggers her way and tried to stop herself from heavily blushing.
“I am truly sorry Joan, please let’s start over and never fight” he turned her around so she could face him “I really like you and would want to go on a real date with you” he held her hand “Will you go on a date with me?” he asked again, his heart beating fast against his chest.
Joan opened her mouth to say something but she couldn’t say anything. Camila nudged her and she squeaked which made Santiago chuckle a bit.
“The man is waiting for your response” Camila nudged her again.
“Um… okay, I wi-” she was cut off by John who came to ask for more sugar.
“Here you go,” Sofia passed him two and shooed him away “I think my friend is too tensed to say anything so, I will speak for her. Her answer is yes, when do you want to have this date?”
Santiago grinned then brought Joan from behind the counter so he could hug her “Friday”
“She’ll be ready then, just know that if she comes home bawling her eyes out,” Camila leaned against the counter “I will find you and destroy you”
Santiago swallowed and nodded his head “I’ll not do that”
“Good, now please leave so my disoriented friend can get herself together. We have customers to attend to,” she went over and took Joan from him so he could leave.
“Can I have a cup of coffee and cheesecake?”
“I’m giving them to you as a takeout” Camila pointed and he shrugged then she went to prepare his order.
“Your friend loves you” he whispered to Joan who was still trying to register what went on seconds ago.
“Yeah, she’s good and I’ll never leave her alone”
He pats her nose lightly “Cute”