"Well, I'll definitely be coming back to that shop," Lee said to his friend as they walked through the company office's glass front door, "I need to see- .... WHOAAAA~!"

He was greeted by the company's pretty red-haired receptionist, his vision assaulted by the sight of her seemingly Double D-sized breasts trying to jump out of her half-opened black blouse. The tight top was unbuttoned to the fourth row, definitely too low for proper office attire.

 

Unable to keep his gaze straight anymore, Lee turned sideways,

"Happy Birthday, Lee~!" Cindy purred in her low seductive voice as she leaned further forward her desk to show her assets to the young man.

Lee kept his eyes fixated at the white walls, that had suddenly become a very interesting focal point, "Uh, Thanks, Cindy."

James looked at her with mock disgust as he furrowed his brows, "Cindy, put them away. And wearing push-up bras with too much padding is not good for you. You're flat chested anyway, who are you trying to foo...~"

He quickly ducked down as there was suddenly a flying metal stapler aimed towards his head.

James quickly herded Lee inside the inner part of the office, leaving the fuming red-faced young woman. Lee pursed his lips at James, "Thanks, man."

"Hey, no probs," James shrugged, "I'm serious though. At most she's only a B cup. Those round melons are from her push-up bra. Believe me, I know." He lifted his chin in arrogance, "I have three older sisters with the whole world's tricks in their books."

Lee chuckled. James said in a serious tone, "But man, I love you and all - no homo - but don't ever get together with Sandra!"

Sandra was one of James' older sisters, who was the same age as Lee. She had not been too subtle in her advancements towards him.

James continued, "Not that I don't want you to actually be my brother. But she's evil." He visibly shuddered, "Yes, she has big, natural boobs. But that's all she has. No brain! She's a witch!"

"Poor witch, I mean, Sandra...," Lee thought.

Then James grinned at him, "But that girl we met earlier, though! She's a solid C." James gestured while making circular movement with his palms over his own chest.

Lee tried to keep his face expressionless, "C .... C....," his face fell as he murmured to himself,

"Oh God, please don't have a boner. Please don't have a boner now."

*** *** ***

He could go through Monday's work just fine, but later that night, he could not help but do some subtle online stalking.

After ordering home delivery for his dinner, he searched for 'Mia Simmons' on Facebook. Luckily there were only a handful of people, and only one profile was in London. She did not keep her Facebook profile private, too. And her profile picture was like a piece of fine art – at least according to him.

 

 

Although the person in the picture did not have her eyes looking straight at the camera, it still caused Lee to twist and turn on his sofa in agony, while pressing his phone over his chest.

He looked like a lunatic.

He finally let go of his phone, and stared at her profile, hovering his finger on the 'send private message' button.

"She will ignore me. She will think I'm a creep."

He took a deep breath, clenched and unclenched his fists, put his phone on the coffee table, walked around said coffee table, walked around it again, and again. He had never felt that nervous, not even when he had to submit his legal dissertation.

Again he walked around the table, his eyes never left the screen with the zoomed-in profile photo.

He finally sat down and grabbed his phone, and took another deep breath as he pressed the button, typing,

"Hi. Hope you are well."

"Ok, that was lame," Lee wryly thought, "But I have my profile photo, too. If she bothered to look at it, hopefully she'd remember this morning, right?"

Then he stared at it for God knew how long, even letting his apartment's buzzer ring a few times when the delivery guy came with his dinner.

When he received his dinner box from the delivery guy, he returned to the sofa, and forgot to breath as the screen had changed,

'read' - the messaging system showed just under his earlier typed message.

But afterwards, there was nothing else. He continued to wait for hours until resignedly sulking himself to sleep.

Lee skipped his dinner that night, dejected.

*** *** ***

On Thursday morning, Lee practically dragged James to CafeGood, despite his friend’s protests. James did not really want to accompany him due to his fear of a certain barista. 

John perked up when he saw both men from afar,

"Mr. Lee Tanaka and Mr. James Han." His eyes brightened as he greeted the two young men, "Espresso and latte, no sugar, right?" 

Lee was amused when he heard John greet them confidently, as if they had been acquainted for a long time. Either John had an absolutely amazing memory, or both James and himself had really left a deep impression,

"Yes, please. And please call me Lee." Then he gestured towards his friend, "Just call him James."

James immediately protested, "Hey!! Why did you decide for me!?"

Lee ignored James while looking at the café’s surroundings, "Not yet?"

John smiled, knowing exactly who he was referring to, "No, she hasn't come ye-...," then he grinned, "Actually, here she comes~~~."

True to his sing-song announcement, the object of Lee's fascination walked across the road, towards them. She nodded at the both of them, then smiled at John,

"John, these gents' coffee are on me today." She offered her debit card to the barista, "And the usual for me, too. Thanks"

John grinned, "Got it."

Mia then turned to look at Lee, "Thank you for the other day. You really didn't have to shout me a coffee." She chuckled softly, mirth in her pleasant tone that seemed to be teasing him. It tickled Lee's heart. 
She continued, "So I insist today's on me. Luckily you're here, too."

"It's definitely not luck," Lee thought. Before his nerves dwindled further, Lee offered his outstretched hands. He hoped his palm was not sweating,

"Lee Tanaka."

Mia stared at his offered hand for a second, before smiling even wider at him and shook his hand,

"Mia Simmons."

"I know."

Lee stared at his hand after she released her handshake, "Maybe I can get away with not washing it for the entire day.... ."

James also offered his hand, "James Han."

"Mia Simmons. Nice to meet you." She shook his hands, too.

"Need to get him to wash his hands..."

While waiting for their coffee,  Lee decided to strike up a conversation. This woman had left him in misery for two days and a half. He was not willing to miss his chance now,

"Uh, I sent you a private message on Facebook."

Her smile stiffened as she furrowed her brows.

"Sorry if I look like a creep." Lee tried to not show his nervousness on his face, "But I got your name from John and I just had to message you."

Mia's lips were quirked upwards, "For what?"

Lee was at a loss at her point-blank question.

Indeed. For what?

"Um, to let you know that I have paid for your coffee?" He blinked, his voice contained a subtle stammer.

James groaned from besides Lee and nudged the latter's  side ribs with his elbow. Not so lightly. Lee choked.

"Very smooth, bro," James whispered in disgust.

Mia stared at him, then James, then back at him again. A few seconds of silence befell them, Lee thought it might well be a few seconds before his world came tumbling down. Thankfully, his fear did not come true. Mia soon let out a crisp amused laugh that seemed to lift Lee up from this drowning feeling.

His back must have been cold-sweating. 

Mia took out her phone from her handbag, and showed both men her screen as she opened her Facebook app and her Messenger app,

"Was this you?" She asked, while gesturing at the screen. Lee's lone message from Monday night was displayed on it.

"Yes... ." Lee scratched the back of his neck, suddenly feeling very embarrassed.

Mia opened his profile, and very decisively tapped the 'add friend' button,

"There. As we have formally met each other in real life, let's be friends on social media, too." She gave him a small grin.

Lee whipped out his own phone, probably quicker than the speed of a bullet. He proceeded to open his Facebook app, then clicked 'accept' on her friend's request. Might as well do that before she changed her mind.

However, James also followed suit to add her on Facebook, much to Lee's dismay, especially when Mia approved him on the spot.

*** *** ***

Lee was giddy at work all day, causing James to give him a dirty look. Especially when they were in a team meeting, discussing their newest court case, and Lee only had a shit-eating grin on his face all throughout. Their other colleagues asked James about Lee’s empty-minded state, to which James only sighed heavily,

“He’s back to his teenage years.”

In the afternoon, his brother sent him a message via Whatsapp. Lee quickly glanced at it while he was absent-mindedly typing away on his computer, preparing a draft for their newest case. He opened the app and typed his reply.

  

       

Later that night as promised, he called Jet and put him on loudspeaker.

"I heard you met a girl," Jet said, without even saying hello. Not even a second had passed before he picked up the call.

Lee groaned, "Let me guess. James?"

"Bingo!"

Lee swore Jet must be smirking on the other side.

Lee cussed inside his heart, "James. You traitor." 

Jet and James also knew each other. Together with Lee, they had gone out a few times before. Jet lived closer to the hospital he worked at though, and that was a few suburbs away, so they only got together whenever the three of them collectively had spare time.

"Pic or it didn't happen~!" Jet further prompted in a teasing, singing tone.

"How can a doctor have so much time, by the way?" Lee rolled his eyes.

"Aren't you busy with ER, or cadavers, or whatever, or something?" Lee asked.

"For my little bro, I always have time," Jet said smugly, "Now, pic please! Don't try to wriggle your way out of this."

Lee rolled his eyes again and opened his Whatsapp, then attached Mia's picture that he had saved into his phone's gallery. In fact, he was going to use it as his screensaver, but he thought it might be too creepy. Even for him.

 

 

"Hotttt!" Jet parroted his own typing, on the loudspeaker.

"Ok, Lee," he continued, "Tomorrow night you must bring her along."

Lee widened his eyes in trepidation, "What? No!" 

"I don't care what excuse you'll use. You can even drag James as your wing-man if you’re too much of a pussy to ask her." Jet laughed, "Her prospective brother-in-law wants to see her."

"Jesus, Jet." Lee sighed, "You are a creep, you know."

Jet immediately retorted, "Hey, we’re brothers, so it runs in the genes... hmmm... probably from Mom? Besides, how rich, coming from you. You’re a creep too, Mr. Facebook Stalker."

"James, I'll kill you one day, I swear...," Lee cursed again. Jet had definitely heard about all the low-downs from James-the-blabbermouth.

"That's decided, then. Meet me at Kusa Restaurant seven p.m. sharp," Jet said before adding, "If you don't bring her, you'll pay for your own meal." Then he promptly hung up.

"But, isn't it supposed to be your treat for my birthday?" Lee was at a loss, talking to the now dark screen on his phone.

Lee opened his Facebook messenger app and paused a bit. The latest messaging between him and Mia was still that lonely message from Monday night. She had not messaged him at all after they added each other on Facebook this morning. Although it had not been a long time, he wondered if it's too soon for him to send another message. Steeling his nerves and wishing for the only birthday gift that he really wanted at the moment, he finally typed.

Lee: "Hey. You there?"

A few seconds of nothing, then he perked up when he saw the '...' bubble sign, signalling she was typing her reply.

Mia: "Yeah. What's up, Lee?"

Relief washed over his entire being. The reply was pretty fast too.

“It’s definitely a good start, right?” Emboldened, Lee continued to type,

Lee: "Uh. I wonder if you are free tomorrow night?"

Mia: "..."

Lee was suddenly flustered, he haphazardly typed,

Lee: "I'm going out with my brother." He added, "Oh! and James!"

Mia: "Hmm... not really interested tbh."

Lee’s spirit was soon deflated, 

Lee: "It's my birthday... ."

Mia: "Really? When??"

Lee: "The past Monday."

Mia: "Happy Birthday, Lee!"

She even added a gif animation picture of a cat throwing confetti.

"Best birthday ever!" Lee grinned.

Lee: "So... still no good?" He might as well push it further.

Mia: "In that case, OK, I may go... . But.... any girls?"

Lee had a feeling that Mia might not come after all if there were only guys. For good reason on her accord. 
He thought of James, and quickly replied,

Lee: "Yeah, there will be. James' sister will come."

Mia: "Ok, cool. Which place?"

There was a sudden flashing lightbulb in Lee's head, 

Lee: "What's your phone number? I'll message you directly or text you the resto's name & address via WA. Will be easier to contact you on the day in case internet sucks."

And that's how he finally got Mia's phone number. Lee pumped his fist in a victory pose after Mia texted her number.