Fan Fiction |
by Mimosa
It was just like a dream!
But his presence was indubitable. He was no more than half a step behind me with his right arm extended slightly, so that his long slender fingers would tap gently on the rail. They played a silence serenade? A summer serenade that only my heart could hear! This was utterly surreal!
A breeze came visiting us, and I could even feel the fabric of his shirt caressing the back of my arm. I closed my eyes, feeling my heart played the chorus! One inch! No… maybe just half an inch… to lean back, to let myself fall into his embrace! I felt my knees trembling, and my heart spinning in the climax. He was so close!
Yet so far!
“Gallen Lo!” It was the shrieking voice from my best friend Ada. This high pitch from her voice promised nothing good except trouble, evidently for the man standing next to me. Well, he was no longer standing next to me. Swift as a magician, he had situated himself at the corner of the completely set dining table.
The gang assembled just a second later, and looked as if Gallen was their dinner! They were so ready to jump on him.
But there, at the other end, separated from the blood thirsty pack of friends, standing Gallen coolly with a mystifying half-smile on his lips.
“What trick are you trying to play now, Gallen?” Nick spoke in a low, dangerous tone.
“Dinner is served!” Gallen gave a flourish theatrical bow “Your majesties!”
“Why do you want to pull this trick twice, Gallen Gor?” Kevin asked in disbelieve.
“What did he do?” My curiosity was killing me.
“He had sort of the same thing in the house!” Ada growled…
“But when we lifted the silver domes, all we found were instant noodles!” Annie took the words out of Ada’s mouth “Cups of them! And he didn’t even bother to boil the water!”
“Well, you ask for trouble, Gallen Lo!” Nick pushed up his sleeve and commanded “Ada, block his way over there!” He turned to Kevin “You, go set the sail!”
“Stop playing, guys!” I said, starting to feel nervous for Gallen, while he himself just leaned against the table with his arm crossed, appearing completely carefree.
“You, Flora!” Ada pointed her accusing finger at me “Wait until we ask about you!”
“What about me?” I laughed, knowing what this would lead to, and decided to stop it as soon as possible “I’m starving, let’s just eat!”
“There’s not even boiling water on board this yacht!” Annie’s voice was alarming “And we can’t count on the sun… It’s setting!”
“Just sail out there, throw this guy overboard, then we’ll come back and have dinner!” Nick said grimly “Hey, you!” He gestured to stop Gallen “don’t ever attempt to run away!”
“Come on, Nick!” Gallen was chuckling softly “Why do I have to run?”
I swayed a little. Kevin had started the yacht on sail. I thought I saw a flicker in Gallen’s eyes.
“Sit down, Flora!” He suggested “Did you say you’re hungry?”
“I am!” I admitted.
He gestured at the tray in front of me. Reluctantly, afraid to make a fool out of myself once more, I removed the dome silver lid.
“Chicken Parmesan?” I cried excitedly. Should Gallen stay next to me, I’d have hugged him! It was my most favorite! And it came with Greek salad!
The other gasped and jumped all over me to have a better look at the plate. The aroma was absolutely enticing. It did not look nor smell anything close to un-cooked cups of instant noodle.
“That’s so not fair!” Annie pouted “Dai Gor! I’m hungry too, and I’m your sister!”
“Oh my God!” Gallen rolled his eyes “What did I say?”
“What did you say?” Ada was being forgetful.
“Dinner is ser-ve-ed!”
“You’re saying if I sit down!” Annie asked doubtfully while moving slowly to Gallen’s side “and if I open the lid” She pointed at the table while looking up at her brother with puppy eyes “I’ll see r-e-a-l food?”
“Silly!” Her brother laughed, and walked around the table, removing the lids himself “Please!” He nodded at Nick “Sir?” and pulled out Ada’s chair “Madam?”
“I don’t believe this!” Ada stared at the table, then leaned forward to exanimate the content in her plate “I didn’t know Gallen Gor has a magic lamp, Nick Gor!”
But Nick didn’t answer. He’d already busy launching himself into the task of devouring the food! All of us were starving after the volleyball games and the late afternoon swim.
Gallen shook his head smilingly, and set off to bring a tray for Kevin in the control cabin.
I picked up my utensils, and couldn’t help but smiled!
“Flora, you don’t like it?” I didn’t see him coming back down, and now stooping over me with his head tilted adorably and his eyes reflecting a few last rays of the twilight...
“Oh no, this is my favourite!” I spoke sincerely.
“I’m glad!" He was whispering in a low, warm, resonant voice, "I’ve been debating between chicken and vegetable ravioli plates!” Even in the dim light it was impossible not to catch his mischievous wink, and my heart fluttered… He put a discreet but playful finger on his lips “Don’t tell them I ordered this straight out from Olive’s, or they’ll crush me into pieces!”
He winked again, charismatic!
"But I deserve all the credit of setting this table!" Gallen added before traightening himself up and walking around the table to lit the tiny candles. This man was amusing! How I wish he would eventually come and take the seat next to mine.
“Ah, this smells so good!” Kevin set his tray right next to mine with a clink “Thank you, Gallen Gor!”
“Arg, Kevin!” I cried silently “Why didn’t you stay in that cabin?!?” Why must he come down here and took this particular seat? I bit my lips, trying to hide the disappointment.
Gallen ended up sitting at the other end of the table –facing me - and I ended up facing my plate the rest of the dinner.
For every single time I looked up and allowed my eyes to meet his over the enchanting glow of those tiny candles, my heart tumbled…
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I found myself floating above and beyond my friends’ laughter, jokes, conversations… I didn’t see anything, I couldn’t think of anyone... but him!
“This is serious!” I vaguely heard Ada exclaimed.
“Yes!” Kevin seemed to agree “Flora couldn’t even say one single complete sentence today!”
“That’s not true!” I found myself protested smilingly.
“I think Flora is suffered from what called LAFS syndrome!” Ada placed a hand over my head “It comes with all these symptoms: dreamy eyes, scattered brain, reddened cheeks, shaky hands…” She checked my pulse “and uncontrollable heartbeats!”
“How do you treat it?” Annie asked, playing along
“We’ll have to isolate the pathogen!” Nick laughed “In Flora’s case, I know where to find it!”
“I know too!” Annie winked “It’s a big one, 1m82 and …”
“Music, anyone?” Gallen cut his sister short and quickly disappeared into the lower compartment. Ada and Annie giggled amusingly, while Kevin grabbed the bottle of Merlot and poured himself another glass.
“Oh, Flora Jie, we forgot to ask you!” Annie hold her water glass the way one would hold a microphone, “What do you feel when my brother took your hand and basically dragged you away from the house?”
“Yes, yes” Ada yanked the supposed microphone-water glass and pretended to tap over it “Miss Chan, not too long ago I heard you vowed to “chop off” any hand that dares to touch you, why was this Gallen Lo an exception? Does it mean you two…er…you know! ” She winked teasingly and made a suggestive gesture.
“No comment!” I said, trying to sound nonchalantly “I didn’t have a knife handy, so I couldn’t really “chop” anything off!”
“But Miss Chan” My so-called interviewers widened their eyes in pretended shock “You could certainly do some typical Flora Chan’s moves along that line, like delivering a slap, or giving him a lecture?”
“One most important question though!” Nick pushed his chair closer “Why did Gallen choose you to hold hands? He could have hold Ada’s, Annie’s, or…” He wrinkled his forehead “Ah, not me or Kevin, but well… Why Flora?”
“Because Ada was holding the huge aluminum pan, ready to crush me,” Gallen answered with a straight face... He had obviously just come back up from the lower deck, and seemingly came to my rescue. He patted his sister's shoulder “and Annie was chasing after me with a broom!”
“Shhh!” Kevin hushed and waved his hands in a confusing way “Ladies, please, I want to listen to this song!”
“What’s up with him?” Gallen laughed
“He’s drunk!” Ada nodded knowingly “When Kevin’s drunk, he starts calling everyone ladies!”
“Shhh…” Kevin said again, “Ladies, please!”
We exchanged glances, while Kevin rocked himself back and forth on the chair…
“Oceans apart…
…day after day”
The melody floated over the waves, blended in the open space, carried away by the ocean breeze…
“Wherever you go,
Whatever you do,
I'll be right here…
…waiting for you,
Whatever it takes,
or how my heart breaks,
I will be right here waiting for you….
The song was so nice, yet it was so sad.
“I wonder how we can survive this romance.
But in the end if I'm with you, I'll take the chance!”
Would it foretell something? Oh, I was out of my mind!
We hadn’t yet even begun!
Or had we?
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