05 - Finally

‘FINALLY’

Zeline was making nimble brush strokes on someone's smooth face. Because at this time, she is focused on dressing up as a rising top singer. Her name is soaring in the world of Indonesian music. Zeline is believed to polish her beautiful face to make it even more beautiful.

The singer will appear in an international event held in Bali by one of the state agencies. When she played with brushes, sponges, and other make-up tools, Zeline's seriousness increases sharply. She will ignore everything, including her cell phone.

As it is now, Zeline is so focused; she turns off the ringtone of her cellphone, which she keeps neatly in her bag. Now and then she checks the singer's face from the mirror in front of her. She was correcting any things that look lacking or excessive on the singer's beautiful face.

"Zel, why don't you want to be my MUA? I like every result of the make up you did," said Bunga, the singer who is on the rise. Her question and statement made Zeline smile.

"This is just my hobby, big sis. If you need my help, as long as I'm free, I'll come to your place," said Zeline honestly.

"Even though you are very talented. Many of my artist friends want to feel your brush strokes on their faces," said Bunga.

Zeline laughed at Bunga's statement, which she felt was too praiseworthy.

"I'm not that great, Sister. It's just that I limit my time to dress other people a little because I still want to live relax and have fun."

"So, what are your plans after this? Are you going straight to Jakarta or staying in Bali for a few days?" asked Bunga curiously.

"I'm going on a few days vacation here. I miss the sound of the waves and white sand. In the capital, the atmosphere is too noisy and stuffy," replied Zeline.

"Enjoy your vacation, Zel. If I have free time, I will choose to take a break. By the way, are you here on vacation with your lover?" Bunga’s question is relatively short but so striking for Zeline.

"I don't have a boyfriend, Sister. I'm enjoying my time alone," said Zeline shyly.

"Is it true? It feels hard to believe if a woman as beautiful as you doesn't have a boyfriend." Bunga voiced her opinion.

“Big sis, enough. You praise me too much. No man wants to be with me,” said Zeline modestly.

“You're too humble, Zel. But it is better to be alone first and choose the best man to be your life partner. I pray you will soon find a man to be your soul mate." Bunga gave advice, Zeline was so touched to hear a sincere prayer from one of her clients and agreed on the pray.

"Thank you for the prayer, sister. I’ll remember your advice,” said Zeline, hugging Bunga from behind her neck. They both smile together.

Zeline continued to check once more the results of her hard work on Bunga's face. Bunga and her team seemed very satisfied to see the results of Zeline's make-up on the singer's face.

"Always amazing, perfect," said the manager of Bunga, and Bunga gives two thumbs up on Zeline.

Bunga leaves Zeline to immediately appear to fill the event, while Zeline clears up her make-up tools and hurries to return to the hotel where she is staying.

><><><>< 

Seminyak Beach Resort & Spa is Zeline's choice to spend her weekend in Bali. Zeline lay down on the soft mattress, and immediately reached into her bag, took out her cellphone and MacBook. The two objects she ignored during her work.

Hundreds of incoming messages on WhatsApp notifications and dozens of e-mails invaded her cellphone. Her cellphone is always filled with group chatter that will lead to thousands of unnecessary conversations by her three best friends. And this time, the content of the group asked about Zeline's whereabouts and what plans her three friends would follow.

Zeline can only surrender if her vacation this time she will be a three-wheel from her three friends. They all must have brought their partners.

Zeline again checked the contents of the message that stopped in the WhatsApp application. A foreign number Zeline didn't know sent her several chats.

Zeline remembers giving her cell phone number to a friend of a dating app she was following. It turned out that the handsome man had contacted her earlier. Zeline chats back even though it is unlikely the man will reply to her messages, given the 13 hour time difference between Bali and New York.

Currently, in New York, it is undoubtedly still late at night, unlike in Bali, which is late in the afternoon. The man known to Zeline, named Fello, turned out to reply quickly to her chat and invited her to make a video call via Skype.

Zeline should be worried, she still clearly remembers the white men from the dating app inviting skype just to show the long and veined sausage. Disgusting while making il-feel Zeline instantly.

><><>< 

It took five hours for Ricard to wait for the reply to the chat he sent to the woman from Indonesia. For some reason, Ricard was very curious about that woman. A woman who is always slow in responding to his messages.

Currently, Ricard is sitting on the bed in his room, enjoying the night watching action films on Netflix. The cellphone was placed right next to him, and he still hoped that the woman named Zeline replied to his chat. Ricard felt crazy. Never once met that woman, only saw her photo, but she managed to provoke Ricard's curiosity.

Ricard's cellphone blinked and with the strength of a split second of light Ricard's hand checked his cellphone notifications. The smile that appeared on his handsome face suddenly disappeared when he saw it, it was not a reply from Zeline but an e-mail asking for his introduction again. Ricard threw his cell phone under the pillow and ruffled his hair irritably.

"Shit!" swore Ricard.

He hated waiting like this. The first time a Ricard made stupidity in his life, he was made curious by a woman he had never met in person or a virtual woman.

When Ricard started to close his eyes, wanting to normalize the contents of his head, suddenly his cellphone vibrated again. This time, Ricard was not as enthusiastic as earlier. He still thinks it's a notification from an incoming e-mail introduction. However, when he saw his cellphone screen, Ricard spontaneously sat down with a thundering heart.

Zeline replied to the chat and was willing to make a video call with him from Skype. Ricard rushed out of bed and took the MacBook that was on his desk. He then activated the Skype application.

For the first time, he was so nervous when he wanted to talk to a woman.

><><>< 

"Just watch out if this Skype just wants to show off that long veined sausage! I'll slice it thinly with a sharp knife later," muttered Zeline as she turned on her MacBook.

There is no feeling whatsoever felt by Zeline, considering that Zeline is quite challenging to find a lover that fits her.

Skype connects, and the MacBook screen shows a handsome man, ah- seems highest of the handsome level.

Zeline froze and was silent for a few moments. Instantly her brain thought if the man who was on the screen was just a hallucination. But, on the other hand, her brain was thinking.

"There is no way a man with this highest level of the word handsome, not be able to find a lover around him, even if he is gay," Zeline thought.

Zeline's daydream was suddenly shattered, as the man's deep, low voice greeted her.

Zeline has to admit if this man is the most handsome man she has ever seen on skype screens or the one she knows from the dating site she is currently following.

"Hi, how are you?"

It felt like Zeline wanted to chuckle at the man's stiff greeting. But, as much as possible, Zeline restrained herself from laughing at it.

"I'm fine. My name is Zeline."

"Ah, yes. I'm Fello. Nice to meet you in person like this."

"Ah- I'm also happy to meet you. I thought you were asleep, sorry to reply to your message for a long time."

"Not yet. Ah- that’s, no problem. Most importantly, we are currently chatting. Am I interrupting your time?"

"No. I'm relaxing right now. But, isn't it early morning there?"

"Yes, it's 2:14 a.m. But I'm not sleepy yet at all."

"Well, then. But won't you have to work tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow, weekend. I'm off. What were you doing there?"

Zeline raised her eyebrows at the question of the man in front of her. He wanted to know what Zeline was doing? Usually, the men who skype with her mostly never make small talk like this man.

"I was working. It took me half a day. So sorry if I just reply to your message when I'm free."

"No problem. I would feel guilty for interrupting your work time."

Without realizing it, the two of them already spent two hours talking even though only via video call. Zeline almost forgot her promise to meet her friend who lives in Bali because of the fun chatting with Ricard or Fello. With a heavy heart, Zeline had to end the conversation. If Zeline doesn't misjudge, the change in Fello's face is so apparent; she seems unwilling when Zeline asks to stop their video call.

They both agreed to video calling again if they both had free time.

Zeline's fears and worries didn't happen. Fello simply didn't act something that made her il-feel. Fello only asks a lot about Zeline's daily life and what jobs and tourist attractions are famous in the country Zeline lives.  Pretty fun stuff and made Zeline pretty comfortable so far.

Zeline went to the bathroom just after turning off her skype connection.

'I might have gone crazy. She is beautiful and acts just what she is. An interesting woman,' Ricard muttered with a smile looking at the screenshot of Zeline's face that he had taken secretly.