5 Second Stage Negotiations

Yara standing in front of Adam's apartment door (again), very forced.

"Damn it! Yesterday I forgot to ask for Adam's cellphone number. Om Ranu did it on purpose again, didn't want to give Adam's cellphone number." Yara ruffled her hair in frustration. Yara was sure her pride had really fallen because of this matter.

Still same as the night before, Yara took several deep breaths, just getting up the courage to knock on the door.

Adam appeared not long after, with an astonished look. "Why don't you wait at the coffee shop downstairs, Ra?"

"I don't have your cellphone number right. Om Ranu doesn't want to give it."

Adam almost laughed when he saw Yara's expression and how she looked. Adam was almost certain that the woman in front of him had just ruffled her own hair. Because it is impossible for Yara Karina Candra to let the wind ruffle her hair, let alone other people.

"Just wait downstairs, you order what you want, I'll follow later. I want to call my fiancee first."

Unexpectedly, Yara’s heart felt on fire. Not because she was jealous, she just (again) did not accept Adam's love life happily. "Don't take too long, Dam. Later my Papa and Mama will grumble when I come home late at night. If they are already emotional, I might as well go on patrol with the security guards at the complex."

A smile appeared on Adam's lips. Of course he remembered the figure of Yara's parents. He also remembered how he used to always ask Yara's parents for permission when he would take Yara out.

"Yeah, noisy! Just wait downstair!" Adam closed the door of his apartment, not caring that Yara was still standing there.

Yara turned around and walked unsteadily towards the coffee shop where they had been and were about to meet.

"Two ice vanilla latte. One is lacking ice, the other is normal. And ... one onion ring." After mentioning her order, Yara headed for the chair she had been occupying the night, just to make it easier for Adam to find her later.

Two glasses of vanilla latte and a plate of onion rings were in front of her, but the person she had been waiting for had yet to appear. She pursed her lips, annoyed that Adam had been on the phone for so long.

"Sorry, Ra. I've been talking to my fiancé for too long."

"Tsk!" It seemed like all the annoyed expressions that Yara had that night, starting from pursing her lips, chuckling, sighing, to rolling her eyes lazily. "Ok, whatever. I don't care either. I just want to ask for confirmation, are you asking me to do the interior design of your house or not?"

Adam was silent, looking thoughtful.

Suddenly, Yara wanted to protect her pride, which had been trampled on by her ex-boyfriend. "Come on, Dam. I'm not forcing you anymore. If I were in your position, I would definitely do the same thing. It's ok. Only Papua, still in Indonesia. If my papa and mama miss me, at least they will go there, all on their honeymoon to Rajaampat."

"Are you sure?"

Yara nodded. "I just need confirmation, because I have to book a plane ticket and pack it. I'm leaving in three days. I've even bought Pill Kina." Yara took a sip of the vanilla latte in front of her, wanting to end the meeting immediately.

Adam shook his head. What did Yara think to have to prepare Pill Kina? Is she really going to build a resort on a deserted island that doesn't have a pharmacy?

"Okay, Ra. I will use your services, but on one condition. Hmm ... actually not a condition, I want to ask for help. And if you want to do it, tomorrow I will immediately talk to Pak Ranu."

"What?" Yara asked confused.

"You still remember my aunt who lives in Pontianak, right?"

Yara tries to dig up her past memories. Even though they were still in high school at that time, both Yara and Adam did not hide their relationship at all, they even introduced each other without hesitation to their respective extended families.

"The one in Pontianak? Tante Desi?"

"Yes. Do you remember? He wants to go to Jakarta this weekend, he only has three days here. But my parents are on umrah, so no one will accompany Tante Desi."

"And then?" Yara was getting confused by the direction of Adam's conversation.

"You accompany Tante Desi in Jakarta."

"Why me?" An innocent question just fell from Yara's mouth. "You have a fiancee. Isn't it strange that I'm the one who accompanies your family here?"

"My fiancee ...." Adam stopped his speech, as if he was trying to find the right words. "She ... is busy too, can't accompany Tante Desi."

"Yes, then you just accompany your aunt."

"Tomorrow I'm out of town, I can only accompany Tante Desi on her last day here."

Yara folded her arms over her chest. Actually, Adam's offer, condition, request for help - or whatever it was called - was not a burdensome thing for her. She just needed to spend her weekends with the familiar Tante Desi, and if she remembers correctly, Tante Desi used to be very good to her.

However, it feels like something is up. Her relationship with Adam is not what it used to be. Yara had cut off contact with Adam for years. Even so with Adam who never contacted her, never even attended their class reunion or joined their class w******p group. If now they have to meet again and interact, it's purely because of work matters.

"What do you want to introduce me to, Dam?"

"Best friend."

Yara suddenly choked on the onion ring that had just entered her throat.

Adam looked at the empty glass in front of Yara, then handed her the glass containing half of his vanilla latte.

Without hesitation, Yara drank it. Her throat was burning, and there was no way she could ignore it in the name of her pride.

"I can tell my aunt that we are not suitable for dating, and in the end we decided to be friends."

Yara smiled mischievously, what kind of friend had never communicated, what kind of friend threw curses at his best friend.

" I just feel sorry for Tante Desi, if no one is here with her. Moreover, you know that my aunt is not easy to get close to people. And as I remember, Tante Desi used to be close to you. I don't know what my aunt saw in you, but usually she's very strict with other people."

Yara sneered at Adam's words. Should she remind Adam how he used to go after her?

Adam Haikal Hanggara, who once smiled could make the whole class noisy because he rarely smiled. The stone, a nicknames given by their friends because of his always aloof figure and seemed to count the number of every word that came out of his mouth. Please explain to Yara, what Adam saw from Yara, that could make that man head over heels after him!

"Is that all? I just need to accompany Tante Desi when she goes out, goes for a walk, or where to go, right?"

Adam frowned, maybe what he said was not clear to Yara. "You have to accompany Tante Desi, Yara! Accompany her at my apartment. At first she wanted to stay at my family's house, but it seemed too large, and she would not be comfortable if she was lonely.

"So, you have to stay in my apartment for three days, think of being Tante Desi's personal assistant."

"What!"

Did Adam forget that Yara was the most pampered youngest child in the Candra family?

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Author’s note:

-‘Om’ has the same meaning as uncle.

-‘Tante’ has the same meaning as aunt.

-Pill Kina are drugs to prevent or treat malaria (an endemic disease in eastern Indonesia) which is deadly,