When Love is a Question Mark
Chapter 129: Banters and Distractions

Chapter 129: Banters and Distractions

Timmy shook his head, feeling foolish. "Get it together," he whispered. He must have wanted to see Miss Aquila so badly that he was starting to imagine her everywhere. It made him feel ridiculous. Was he really mistaking random strangers for her now?

He couldn’t help but watch the woman a little longer, though. She was joking with whoever was on the other end of the call, her laughter echoing in the restaurant. Her joy was contagious, drawing a few glances from other patrons. The more he watched, the more he realized how different she was from Miss Aquila. The woman’s carefree spirit was magnetic in a way he couldn’t explain.

"Yeah, yeah, I’m almost there!" she said into her phone, her voice light. "No, I didn’t get lost again. Promise this time!" She laughed again, and Timmy found himself smiling at her humor, even though he had no idea what she was talking about.

He sighed and rubbed his forehead. "What is wrong with me?" he mumbled, more to himself than anyone else. His reaction to the woman confused him. Was he really that desperate for a connection to Miss Aquila? Maybe the whole ordeal had shaken him up more than he’d realized.

The host finally approached him, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Table for one?" they asked, their voice polite.

Timmy nodded. "Yeah. Just one," he replied, trying to sound more normal. He followed the host through the maze of tables, passing right by the laughing woman. Up close, he could see she had a playful light in her eyes. It made his chest tighten for reasons he didn’t understand.

He kept walking, feeling silly for even thinking she could have been Miss Aquila. His imagination was clearly running wild. Still, he couldn’t deny the small, hollow disappointment that settled in his chest. He really did want to see Miss Aquila again, even if he didn’t know why.

Timmy found his seat, sinking into the chair and picking up a menu. He forced himself to focus on the list of dishes, trying to block out the whirlwind of emotions. The adrenaline from earlier had left him raw and exposed, but he needed to pull himself together.

"Maybe I’m just tired," he muttered, scanning the menu even though he wasn’t really reading it. His mind kept drifting, and he knew he had to snap out of it. He placed his order, hoping a good meal would help.

He sighed, leaning back and glancing around the restaurant. Vacationers seemed so carefree, enjoying themselves without a worry in the world. Timmy felt out of place, sitting alone with his jumbled thoughts and growing confusion. His run-in with Miss Aquila had stirred something inside him, and he couldn’t make sense of it.

He let out another sigh, shaking his head. "I’ve got to get a grip," he said to himself. Even if he never saw her again, he needed to figure out why the moment had affected him so deeply.

The restaurant buzzed around him, full of life and energy. Timmy waited for his meal, hoping that somewhere between the laughter of strangers and the clinking of glasses, he could find a way to make sense of it all.

---

Earlier, before Timmy left his room for dinner, Lily stepped out of her own hotel room on the opposite end of the resort. The sunset painted the sky in warm hues, and the stress from earlier had left her feeling exhausted.

She wanted to unwind. Work hours were over, and she had swapped her usual corporate attire for something simple yet elegant: a flowy pastel sundress and sandals. Her hair, typically tied up in a strict bun for work, fell freely over her shoulders, framing her face.

The weight of her responsibilities as the CEO of Lily Oceanic Industries had pressed heavily on her shoulders all day. But now, the evening air and the promise of a good laugh with Zinnia lightened her mood. She wandered through the resort, making her way to the restaurant.

Once inside, she spotted a table near the window. The view of the ocean seemed to stretch endlessly, and it instantly made her feel more at ease. As she settled in, she pulled out her phone and dialed Zinnia’s number.

"Hey, Zinnia," Lily said, her voice brightening. A warm smile lit up her face, completely transforming the stern, businesslike demeanor she usually wore.

"Lily! Finally, you’re calling me. I thought you forgot about your only best friend in the whole world," Zinnia joked.

Lily chuckled. "Forget you? As if! I’m not that heartless. Besides, I need my daily dose of your nonsense to survive." She leaned back in her chair, her eyes twinkling with humor.

Zinnia let out a mock gasp. "My nonsense? Excuse you, Miss I-Can’t-Find-My-Way-Out-of-a-Paper-Bag."

Lily grinned, the banter already working its magic. "Okay, okay. Fine, I deserved that one," she said, pretending to be offended. "But seriously, I’m here, aren’t I? Enjoying this view and thinking of you."

Zinnia laughed. "Oh no, you didn’t get lost again, did you? Wait—how did you even manage to find your way there?"

"Yeah, yeah, I’m almost there!" Lily said into the phone, her voice playful. "No, I didn’t get lost again. Promise this time!" The words spilled out with laughter, a private joke between them.

Zinnia giggled on the other end. "You know, I still can’t believe you got lost that one time in that tiny museum. What was it, five rooms?"

Lily’s laughter filled the air. "Hey! Those rooms were like a maze, okay? And I had other things on my mind... like admiring that ridiculously good-looking security guard."

"Oh, him," Zinnia said, her voice teasing. "I remember. You were so distracted you nearly walked into the same exhibit twice."

"I blame him," Lily replied, giggling. "I mean, it’s not every day you see a guy who looks like he walked out of a romance novel."

Zinnia sighed dramatically. "I still think you should’ve asked him out. Maybe then you wouldn’t keep getting lost so often. Handsome security guard GPS service."