Seeing Indra dressed sharply wasn’t something unusual. Ethan could have easily assumed he was visiting Enclave Gardens Residence to meet a colleague or a business partner. But this morning, Ethan—who had just finished jogging around the area and was about to head up to his unit—was shocked to see Indra stepping out into the lobby in casual attire.
Because Ethan had never seen Indra dressed so casually: a T-shirt, sweatpants, and sandals. Of course, his logic screamed for an explanation. What in the world was Indra Hendrawan doing at Enclave Gardens so early in the morning?
“He must have a mistress here,” Ethan muttered to himself.
Indra noticed his presence, but the man didn’t look surprised at all. Instead, he flashed a smile that Ethan found hard to decipher. What kind of smile was that? Like a man who just got married yesterday and spent his first night with his bride. So weird.
“Jogging on a weekday?” Indra greeted, both hands tucked into his pockets.
Ethan smirked, crossing his arms. “Just needed to clear my head, Sir. Yesterday, I had a meeting with an investor—Mr. Abraham, as fussy as ever. He’s pushing for Fast Cargo to go public, saying it’ll help the company grow. Even threatened to create a media stir to undermine public trust in Fast Cargo. I told him it’s not that simple. Not every big company has to go public. Fast Cargo has its own history and rules.”
Indra nodded and slung an arm over Ethan’s shoulders. “Good. Next time, I’ll meet with him alongside my dad. Too bad my dad’s in Brunei right now. Usually, Mr. Abraham only listens to him since he still sees both of us as kids. By the way, do you know any good nasi uduk spots around here?”
Ethan’s eyebrows furrowed, puzzled by the sudden change of topic. Nasi uduk? Why on earth was Indra suddenly talking about nasi uduk? Before he could process it, Indra chuckled at Ethan’s confused expression, patting his shoulder.
“My wife’s craving it. You know how it is with pregnancy cravings—better to indulge them than deal with her sulking and refusing to eat.”
“You live here? Since when?”
“Dude, my wife’s pregnancy is… unique. She gets nauseous just from the smell of flowers and grass in her mom’s garden—even though our room is on the second floor. Rather than destroy my mother-in-law’s precious garden, I figured we’d just stay here for now. Win-win solution.”
Internally, Ethan groaned, “But why Enclave Gardens? Couldn’t you stay anywhere else? This is messing with my peace of mind.”
Now Ethan was worried he wouldn’t be able to bring Rica over anymore. Last night, he had reluctantly driven Rica home in her own car because he didn’t trust her to drive safely while emotional after catching him with Bella. Then Ethan had taken a taxi back to his apartment, spending the entire ride reflecting on his messy love life.
“I thought you came down for a smoke,” Ethan said, still half-disbelieving that Indra was staying here.
“I quit a long time ago. My wife made me.” Indra walked off, whistling and twirling his car keys.
Ethan stood frozen in place, still trying to process the situation. “This is out of my control,” he muttered, watching Indra disappear from view. “Annoying.”
***
Ethan’s life remained as busy as ever, filled with endless meetings and responsibilities. Occasionally, he went out with Rica, even though their relationship was still undefined. Bella had stopped bothering him, but he rarely saw Inka anymore. Where had she gone? With the company’s anniversary event just around the corner, Ethan’s schedule was getting even more hectic.
“Sir, should I take you to the doctor?” Gabriel offered.
“No need. Just take me home. Why aren’t you asking to leave early today? Don’t you usually have plans with your girlfriend?” Ethan teased.
“We’re fighting,” Gabriel admitted.
Ethan snorted. He and Gabriel had grown quite close, occasionally sharing personal stories—though never in detail. When they first met, Gabriel had been formal, always addressing Ethan respectfully, but now he acted casually when they were alone.
They were in the car, heading home after an important meeting. Ethan, feeling slightly dizzy, opted to sit in the backseat. He occasionally massaged his temples but refused any medication, choosing instead to close his eyes and cross his arms.
Had he been overworking himself this past month? Ethan had tried to take better care of his health after getting his medical results two weeks ago. He’d even cut back on sweet coffee—his one pure indulgence in life.
“The coffee shop you like is having a buy-one-get-one deal. Are you sure you don’t want any? It’s a good deal… one for you, one for me.”
“Gab! Don’t act like you’re broke.” Ethan chuckled, his cheeks hurting from smiling too much. “Wait… does cappuccino fall under the deal too?”
“Yes, Sir. Should we stop by?”
“Sure.”
He hadn’t had much coffee this past week, so indulging for one day shouldn’t hurt. Ethan instructed Gabriel to turn the car around at the next intersection, already feeling a bit of joy at the thought of breaking his coffee “diet.”
“Since when do you like coffee? Do you roast your own beans at home? Or travel to different places to find the perfect cup?” Gabriel tried to make conversation.
Ethan looked down at his interlocked fingers. Gabriel’s guesses couldn’t have been further from the truth. Ethan might have been born wealthy, but when his family went bankrupt, his life was upended, forcing him to take any job he could as a teenager.
“Maybe,” Ethan replied vaguely, staring out the window in deep thought.
“I didn’t expect you to like sweet coffee. Most guys prefer it strong,” Gabriel added.
Ethan stifled a laugh. Coffee and he had a long history together. Bitter life experiences had made him inseparable from the drink. Day and night, he’d juggled part-time jobs, lack of sleep, and plain instant coffee to stay awake during college. Back then, coffee was a survival tool, not a luxury.
It was only after Ethan became financially stable that he started exploring different types of coffee, regretting how he’d once used it merely as fuel. He realized coffee could be savored, even if it was just in solitude.
“We’re here, Sir. You can stay in the car; I’ll grab the coffee,” Gabriel offered, ready to step out.
“Okay,” Ethan replied casually.
There was no harm in humoring Gabriel. The kid had probably been eyeing the coffee promo since morning, but he couldn’t drink two cups by himself. That’s why he’d roped Ethan into this.
“Ridiculous,” Ethan muttered, shaking his head with a faint smile.