Imperfect Desires

Dylan was looking horrified now as he tried to speak, "Ex what? Ex-girlfriend?" Cali simply shrugged her shoulders in response. "What makes you think that she's my girlfriend?"

"Didn't you just say that it's fate how you guys met again," stated Cali while taking a sip of her cappuccino e cornetto. 

"I think you're misunderstanding something here," said Dylan. "Nora and me... Well, that's a big no-no even in my next lifetime!" He even made a cross with his arms as if to emphasize his point. "She can be anything but my girlfriend."

"Okay." Cali didn't sound very convincing.

"I said she's not my girlfriend or ex-girlfriend. Damn! I never even had any thought of dating her. Not even for a fleeting moment," added Dylan as he kept staring at her face.

"I said, okay." 

Dylan raked his fingers through his hair that he took an hour to set before coming here to see her and took a deep breath. His voice lowered down as he repeated, "She is really just a friend."

Cali smiled faintly at his reaction. "Dylan, why are you explaining? It was just a stupid remark on my part. You don't have to clear up your relationship status for me." She turned back to eating but noticing that Dylan was still looking at her, she softly added, "Mommo, calm down already. Just eat."

Dylan had no idea what 'Mommo' actually meant but he could say that whenever she spoke Italian, it sounded real good. But it was uncertain that if Dylan knew that 'Mommo' actually translated to 'Dumb boy' what would be his reaction?

However, since he didn't know the meaning, he just smiled like an idiot before nodding his head resuming to eat his pancakes. "How long are you staying for?" 

"It depends," answered Cali leaning back in her chair. 

"Depends on what?" 

"It depends on how long it takes me to find what I am looking for." Her answer was vague but it at least gave Dylan the impression that she wasn't leaving that soon. Well, that was a relief. As for why it was a relief, he didn't know and he wasn't gonna waste time thinking about that as well.

"Do you need help?" offered Dylan blinking his eyes at her.

"Thanks for the offer, Pimpi (Prince). But I'm good for now," she turned him down since she didn't want him to get involved with the family matters of hers that were getting too complicated for even herself. Seeing how his face fell, she added, "I'll let you know if I really need any kind of help from you."

Dylan narrowed his eyes at her as he grumbled, "I know you won't. Even if you do need help, you'd rather look for Dazi then me."

Cali's brows quirked up in amusement, "That's because you often like creating more problems for me than solving them."

"When did I do that?"

"High school. You asked me to take you out to find a gift for your girlfriend, and we ended up getting into a fight with a group of students from another school."

"He was flirting with you!"

"For the millionth time, Dylan, he was not flirting with me!"

"He asked for your number!"

"I think you easily seem to forget that I was in the soccer club and because of that he was asking for my number so we can decide for a place to have a practice match before the real game. But you ended up punching him without any rhyme or reason."

"No matter how many times you say that I don't believe it!"

Cali gave up on explaining any further than that. They had had this conversation way too many times and it always ended with Dylan saying that he wasn't convinced at all.

"My question is still the same. Even if he was flirting, why did you get into a fight for me?"

"Because... You're a friend."

"That just really makes me wonder what kind of mess did you created for your first love when someone so much as dared to talk to her."

Dylan went silent. He was sitting still staring into space as he thought about what she just said. Did he really get into a fight for his first love? The answer would be, yes! But it was different because the one he fought was his first love's brother and not her suitor. He never had to encounter anything like that with his first love.

"I'm sorry for bringing her up." Dylan's trance broke as he heard Cali's voice. She thought he was so silent because she brought up his first love again. It must have saddened him again. But that wasn't true at all. "I didn't think she'd affect you this much even now."

"Affect me? Even now?" Dylan asked with a scoff. "I'd be the real fool if I'd let her name control my emotions."

"If she doesn't have that control over you, then why are you still single? Why are you insisting on not trying to find your own happiness? Why do you not want to settle down?"

Dylan looked at her face for a moment longer before saying, "Perhaps, I didn't find that special someone who would make me want to settle down."

"Or maybe, you're not even looking for that special someone," retorted Cali.

"You're talking as if you have found the one for you."

"Who knows... Maybe I have found THE ONE..."

Dylan's face looked serious as he stared at her, "Really?"

Cali was gonna play around a bit but the look in his eyes really bothered her as she shook her head, "No, silly. Where would I find that special someone? I was stuck in hospital for years."

"But there is always a possibility of finding a handsome patient or a handsome doctor. You never know..." Although Dylan was talking in a calm tone, inwardly he was going insane waiting for her answer.

"Dating a patient? No thanks, that's against my policy. As for dating a colleague? That's too boring..." She looked around carelessly as she added, "I'd rather date someone who loves creating troubles for me."

"So you're looking for a troublemaker?" 

"Don't have to look..." Her eyes lingered on his face for longer than it was necessary as if she was trying to convey something but Dylan's brain was too simple-minded to get the hint that he was the said troublemaker!