Love Among Friends
16. Epilogue One

If I can be happier with you, then why should I let you go with him?

~**~

A woman in neat, elegant clothes walked down the lobby where she worked. He has served in this place for more than five years. And now entering his sixth year he served as head of the surgeon department at a private hospital which is arguably the largest hospital in the city of Malang.

"You coming in with me?" haggard a man who also wears neat clothes. His face looks a little tired.

This woman only chuckles at the behavior of the man who is now trying to align her footsteps with the steps of this white and friendly woman.

"Aren't you supposed to be home?" the woman looked at her face and smiled at the man who was actually walking to her left. Eventually they entered the same elevator, with no one else following them.

"I just want to make sure that you're safe to your destination" the black-clothed man chirped.

"I've survived to the destination, you don't have to worry. I'll be in my room soon. So, go home and rest. Later that night you have to get back on your guard and I know, the pediatrician's job is very tiring." this woman got out of the elevator when the elevator door opened and reached the third floor, and she got there, where is the room.

"Just relax, I have a lot of energy for a beautiful woman like you. Just walking into your room won't make me faint." the chuckle made this woman chuckle.

"Here you go, now go home. I got to the door of my room. I think it's enough." This woman with an au look smiled at the man who had a white face and had dimples on both cheeks.

"Ok ok, I won't force you to drive you inside. I'm going home, take care of yourself and don't be late for lunch." this man sighed resignedly to this woman's refusal to drive her up to the room.

"I'm not gonna be late for lunch."

"Do you have an appointment?" this man raised his eyebrows up trying to ask for certainty.

"He visited me today." For the sake of the Greek goddesses, they lost their beauty to this white, thin-legged woman.

"Oh, enjoy your lunch sweet lady." again this man sighed.

"I'm not sugar."

"Hem... All right, it's up to you. I'm going home." the guy turned his body around while throwing his iPhone 7 plus.

"Arsha! Don't forget to sleep!" this woman's exclaim made the man turn his head back to face towards the woman he had delivered.

"Oh shit! Alify! You're making my phone broken!" his curse held back the frustration when he saw the apple iPhone 7 plus that he threw had been divided into several parts on the second floor. Because indeed the position of the man was close to the barrier glass on the third floor.

"I'm sorry Arsya! I didn't mean to make your phone fall." chirped the woman who turned out to be named Alify.

"Asha... Your adorable face can never make me angry any longer. Then, work well and properly. I'm home." Arsya immediately set foot onto the escalator to get to the second floor.

To hell with his broken phone, which he was afraid his sim card was lost because it was cleaned by an OB or hit by a kick from a passing person.

~**~

Alify waited for someone who promised to visit her at this place from last night. His heart skipped a beat faster considering who the man that was to come was.

"Have you waited a long time?" the very sound of the barithon Alify poultice now greeted his sense of hearing.

"Not yet, five minutes." Alify invited the sweet black man to sit next to her.

"Did Arsya take good care of you?"

"You don't want to order food or drinks first?" Alify offered the menu book to Rio who was indeed sitting next to her.

"You haven't ordered yourself." Rio chuckles.

After their return, they both came from different places. Ify from America and Rio from England, making both awkward to use the word lo-gue like they used to still wear gray uniforms.

"I? Don't want to eat alone and watch you eat, which I always want to add."

"How are you?" I swear, this is a question that should have been asked when they first met. But these? What happened to Rio? Did this guy experience a brain shift?

"Just a formality when meeting old friends. Hahaha.." continued Rio while chuckling.

"You're too funny to look like that, Fy." This guy's hand was raised up and ruffled Alify's head.

The deg! Alify's heart grew even worse as Rio's hand played over her head. Alify's body is still feeling the same feeling as before. For eleven years they rarely met. And this is the second meeting after they had a four-year reunion with Sivia and Alvin when Alify had just arrived in Indonesia after finishing his studies at Harvard University. The rest of them never met again because it was a work that separated. Alify works in Malang city, while Rio works in Palembang and Sivia and Alvin himself is still living in Bandung because they were married four years ago and now have a beautiful little daughter.

"Hehehe... You are this." Alify tried to join in chuckling to keep up with Rio.

"Never come back to Bandung?"

"Haha... Both." demanded Rio want to know.

"Arsya took good care of me. And to return to Bandung, at least once every six months."

"Well if Arsya takes good care of you. Did you come home yesterday not to play? Mama's mad at me because you're not playing." Rio's hand was raised to the top to call the waitters that passed by.

"Yes, I'm lucky to have Arsya because she's always there when I need her. I came home for only two days, and it was really not easy to play at home, because Mama was sick and could not be left behind."

Rio nodded his head, feeling pleased that there was someone guarding Alify.

"What message do you want, sir?" a waitters came while carrying an empty note and a ballpoint pen in his hand.

"Es lychee two, fruit salad one and spaghetti one. The salad was about lemon juice." Rio's message left Alify astonished.

"Okay sir, wait a minute." the waitters had just returned to the back after repeating Rio's order.

"When do you learn to live a healthy life?"

"Haha... There's been three years of healthy living." kink Rio understood the direction of Alify's conversation. Because he really likes fast food. Unlike now who are very concerned about health.

"When are you in Malang?" this is a question that Alify really wants to ask from last night.

"Tomorrow the night I return to Palembang, in the afternoon I will fly to Jakarta. I only met with my clients who wanted my project to be handled in the Jakarta area. Because he was originally Malang and could not come to the office in Palembang to discuss this, so I had to give up and come here." obviously Rio made Alify nod his head in understanding.

"So you stole your work time to meet me?" shite! Alify cursed her lips, why did she have to ask that?

"Yes, I stole my break to meet you. Therefore, you must treat me to a full meal this time." as usual, Rio always chuckled.

"There's no history of guys eating paid-in with girls." Alify's whistle made a little upset so Rio believed. But there was an undeniable feeling of happiness upon hearing Rio's reply.

"Once in a while Fy, hahaha.." Rio's laughter made Alify cluck in annoyance.

Alify could only pursed her cute lips when she heard Rio's laughter so loose.

~**~

Inside this all-white room looks a single woman who is busy with files in a map with different names.

"It's lunchtime sweet lady." The heavy voice of a man still wearing his doctor's suit greets Alify's ears.

"I'm still busy, in about ten minutes I'm going down and looking for lunch." said Alify without turning to Arsya.

"At least you comforted me because my phone broke because of you, Alify."

Alify let out an annoyed sigh then closed the map she last checked. Both of his eyes were staring at Arsya sharply. Sometimes Alify was annoyed when Arsya disturbed him like now, but sometimes Alify also miss Arsya's ignorance.

"Your phone broke two weeks ago, Arsya. And I would never want to take responsibility, it's your own fault who threw it." said Alify then re-opened the map with a new name for him to check.

"At least you want to accompany me to lunch this time, before I take off my free time." Arsya's whining made Alify stop his activities. Unknowingly, Alify was pensive to hear that Arsya was about to give up her free time.

"Who?"

"I don't know." Arsya flicked her shoulders indifferently.

"Right Arsya, I asked seriously." Alify's gaze sharpened towards Arsya.

"Tomorrow I will go to Bandung with my parents to propose to the girl" Arsya said making Alify more shocked.

"Hand?"

"Yes Bandung, your hometown."

Alify fell silent, why does it feel like she is losing for the second time hearing Arsya will propose to her chosen girl tomorrow. The second time, because the first when he heard that Mark already has a girl criteria for him to make a son-in-law in the Neldy family. And now the second, either because Arsya always keep Alify or because Alify has a taste for Arsya.

"Hey... Let's go down and get some lunch. You've made me miss ten minutes of my time than usual." Arsya nudged Alify's wrist leaving the woman shocked and looking at Arsya illegible.

"Yes, let's go down." Alify can only obey Arsya's will to eat with her this afternoon.

~**~

Wait for the Second Epilogue...