I WAS about to tie my shoulder-length hair with a scrunchie when the clock on the wall caught my eye. I frowned. It was stuck at three. I do not any idea how long has it been stuck at three. Days, maybe? Months? I wouldn’t know. It only meant one thing - I haven’t glanced at the clock since I stopped going to the office since the start of the lockdown.

I made a mental note to buy a battery replacement the next time I go out. Next weekend maybe, I’m not really sure. I have been limiting my movement since the Covid-19 pandemic. It was a good thing that the advertising agency I work with allowed us to work from home. I only go out of my apartment to buy the essentials and other basic necessities. I just spend the whole day camped at home having Zoom meetings with my team and with clients.

After I twisted my hair into a bun, I reached for my iPhone to check the time. It was now thirty minutes past seven.

It had been a few minutes since Jake texted me to say that he had just parked at the space in front of the six-storey apartment complex where I live. By this time, he was now probably going up the stairs that led to my unit on the fourth floor. With his long strides, he would soon be by the front door in no time.

I haven’t even put my iPhone down when I heard Jake holler my name.

Just hearing his voice, even through a wall, made my heart skip a beat.

“Coming!” I yelled back. But did not rush to the door right away. No girl in her right mind would rush to meet her crush without checking her reflection in the mirror first. Fight me!

Yes. After my short drama of wanting to be an empowered woman earlier, I’ve decided to just go with the flow for a few more days… or weeks… or months. I’ll probably be miserable if I stay away from him, anyway, might as well just live with the agony of unrequited love and just enjoy his company as long as I could.

I winced. Me and my crazy thoughts! And the more I think about it, the crazier it sounded.

“Move it, Mia!” His voice now louder.

I rolled my eyes. “Shut up!” He should thank the high heavens he was too gorgeous and too hot and too sexy he can get away with his impatience and loud bellowing. I ran to the doorway after smacking my lips. I pulled the door open.

I can barely see Jake’s face. He was holding a medium-sized rectangular corrugated box. On top of the box were two boxes of pizza and a bucket of fried chicken.

“What’s with the box?” I asked.

“Spray Lysol or alcohol on the sole of my shoes,” he said instead of answering my question.

I ran back to the living room to get my alcohol spray and did as I was told.

“We can never be too careful,” he said as he stepped inside the apartment.

I watched his back as he walked towards the direction of the kitchen. “’You hungry?” He asked. “Sorry, I had to go back to my place and take a shower first before I came here.”

That explains why he was now clad in faded blue jeans and plain white shirt and not his usual work clothes. And yes, he definitely smelled like he just got out of the shower. He had that fresh, clean, masculine scent that makes me want to bury my face on the crook of his neck.

I stifled a sigh. I could not help but think if he, too, noticed that I just had a shower. I would be willing to give anything just to hear his thoughts about my cologne.

He placed the mystery box on the kitchen counter top, took off his face mask, threw it on the trash and washed his hands by the sink.

“What’s in that box?” I asked again.

“See for yourself,” he said. He snatched a paper towel and wiped his hands.

I peeked inside the box. Aside from the cans of beers, there were also cartons of fresh milk, canned juices, a loaf of bread, cookies, bags of chips… “Are these for me?”

“Of course,” he said. He leaned on the counter, crossing his arms on his chest.

I tilted my head and smiled. I smiled. How can I not fall head over heels in love with this guy! “Thank you for the relief goods, Mister Mayor.” Since the start of the nationwide lockdown, local government officials had been giving out basic necessities such as rice, canned goods and instant noodles to their constituents. Jake was no government official but he brought me food, hence, the joke.

He laughed. “No prob. Just make sure you vote for me this coming elections.” He took the cans of beer and placed ten on the freezer.

I laughed, too. “I won’t vote for you. You did not bring me any rice,” I said playfully.

He glared at me. “Who says I did not? It’s in the car. I’ll bring it up here later before I go.”

It was my turn to glare at him. That was really just a joke. Not even my Dad or my Mom, before they migrated to Australia, ever thought of bringing me a sack of rice. “I was just kidding!”

He chuckled. “Well I’m not,” he said. "I bought two sacks yesterday. The other one’s for you.”

That gesture was just too much. “Jake…”

“What?” He was glaring at me again.

“You didn’t have to.”

“But I want to.”

I took a deep breath. Knowing him, there was nothing I can say that can stop him from doing anything that he wanted to do. “Nothing,” I mumbled. “Thank you.”

He snorted. “Give me that small brown paper bag inside the box.”

I looked inside the box. Took the tiny brown bag and gave it to him.

He took out the contents. It was a pack of batteries. “Oh, batteries,” I said.

“Oh, batteries,” he said, mimicking me. An exaggerated shriek, I’d say.

“I don’t sound like that.”

“Yes you do.”

I rolled my eyes.

He grinned.

“Can I have one? The clock on that wall has no more battery.”

“I really bought this for your clock. You did not seem to have noticed or maybe you’re just too preoccupied to remember to buy a replacement, so…” he let his voice trail off, shrugged and pulled one chair to the living room.

I could not think of anything to say. I tilted my head as I watched him get on the chair and reach for the wall clock.

If he was that perceptive… that even the clock on the wall caught his attention… how can he be so oblivious to my feelings for him? How can he not notice that I’ve been pining for him for years now?

Or was he aware of my real feelings for him but he was just too nice a guy to shoo me away? That he was just too caring a friend to hurt my feelings?

I fought the urge to stomp my feet on the floor and whine.

Why can’t he be just a jerk?

Everything would have been easier if he was a jerk.

I probably would not have fallen in love with him if was a jerk. There would not have been any complications.

I went back to the goodies in the box. I could not help but shake my head.

Never have I ever heard any of my friends brag about their boyfriends bringing them sacks of rice and double A batteries.

Jake, indeed, was one of a kind. Thoughtful. Caring. Lovable. Gorgeous. Sexy. Hot.

I groaned.

“Let’s eat?”

I turned around to look at him and caught him running his fingers through his hair.

He smiled. The perfect set of teeth, the dimples that softened the oh-so manly gorgeous features… It was like watching a toothpaste TV commercial.

I blinked.

He winked.

It took every ounce of my willpower not not clutch my chest.

Had he been my boyfriend, I would have ran to him in an instant, wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him like there was no tomorrow.

But he was not. I can only kiss him in my dreams.

Unrequited love do really suck.

***to be continued****