Bittersweet Arrangements : A Sugar Dady Affair

“What, Mel? Uncle Duren?” Vanessa responded with an unreadable expression, somewhere between confusion and shock.

Elena’s breath suddenly stopped upon hearing Mommy’s question to Melodi. Elena was confused about what answer she should give now. All of this was because of Melodi’s bad habit of speaking impulsively. If it’s like this, what could Elena do? But Elena was still trying to control herself. She didn’t want her secret to be exposed. Her efforts to win Devan’s heart hadn’t even begun properly. She was just starting to play hide-and-seek. She hadn’t had a chance to hide yet, but she was already caught red-handed. It was truly embarrassing.

“Damn it, El. You’re such a fool as a girl!” Elena cursed inwardly while closing her eyes to suppress the pounding of her heart.

Elena took a deep breath, then slowly lifted her face. She gave a wide smile and said, “Mom, it’s just Citra asking Uncle Devan to be her matchmaker!” Elena lied while looking at Citra meaningfully.

Citra’s lips instantly parted, confused and shocked. Why did she have to be the soft target of Elena’s lies?

“Seriously, Citra?” Vanessa asked with an indescribable expression. Vanessa was certainly surprised by Citra’s taste in men. There were still many young and handsome men out there. Why choose a man much older than her?

Citra swallowed hard, staring at Elena sharply. She was asking for guidance on what to do now. Should she get involved in her friend’s drama or be honest, which would undoubtedly make Elena angry?

“Umm.”

“Ah, Mommy, it’s like you don’t understand young people these days. Old or young, it’s the same, Mom. Right, Cit?” Elena retorted with a wide smile before Citra could speak. Elena’s gaze then turned directly into Citra’s eyes, leaving her with no escape.

“I… I agree, Mom. Citra was just joking, hehehe,” Citra chuckled awkwardly. Spontaneously, Citra’s hand reached up to scratch behind her ear, even though it wasn’t itchy, disregarding her dirty hands.

“Oh, you guys are just so weird. There are still many guys, why Uncle Devan? Citra, you’re still very young. Why is your taste in older men?” Vanessa teased, now trying to hold back laughter. Imagining Citra going on a date with Devan was indeed quite ridiculous. Devan was more fitting as a father figure than a boyfriend for Citra.

“Damn it, Elena is truly wicked! Why do I have to be the one caught?” Citra cursed inwardly while still maintaining a smile on her lips.

“Alright, you guys continue your chat. Mommy is going to pray now,” Vanessa excused herself, still trying to suppress her laughter. Vanessa didn’t want Citra to feel embarrassed and stop coming to their house. So, Vanessa chose to leave, letting the three teenagers continue their fun.

After making sure Vanessa entered her room, Citra turned to Elena with a sharp gaze, demanding accountability and an explanation from her friend.

“What do you mean by telling Mommy like that, El?” Citra whispered so that no one else could hear.

“Cit, do you really like Uncle Devan?” Melodi responded seriously, believing what Elena had said earlier.

“God, be merciful!” Citra exclaimed in frustration. Melodi always made trouble. All of this started from Melodi’s loose tongue.

“I’m confused. Actually, is it Elena who likes Uncle Duren, or is it you, Citra?” Melodi said with an innocent expression, a truly nauseating expression for Citra at the moment. Because of Melodi, they often found themselves trapped in awkward situations like this.

Citra massaged her suddenly throbbing head. She was still confused by all of Elena’s remarks. Clearly, Elena’s words had greatly damaged her self-esteem. Citra did admire Devan’s handsome appearance, but making him her boyfriend was never part of Citra’s wish list.

“Mel, you better stay quiet for a moment. I want to talk seriously with Elena,” Citra asserted, not wanting to bother explaining the absurd situation created by Elena.

She looked at Elena sharply. It wasn’t out of fear or anything; Elena looked relaxed, continuing her lunch. There was no guilt or anything reflected in her friend’s face. Swear to God, Citra would pursue Elena until she got an answer to her curiosity. If necessary, she would also get involved in the drama her friend had created. Once she got dragged into it, Citra might as well plunge into it.

The next day, Elena didn’t come to the workshop as instructed by Devan but instead hung out with Citra and Melodi at Malioboro Mall. Hunting for trinkets and accessories could be entertaining for Elena. As for the demand for explanations from Citra and Melodi, Elena ignored it. Anyway, Elena would speak honestly when Devan really fell in love with her. Of course, all of this Elena did to maintain her dignity. She didn’t want them to laugh at her for rejecting the older man, even though that was the reality. But Elena still didn’t want to become the subject of their jokes.

After satisfyingly wandering around and hunting for trinkets, they decided to relax at one of the food stalls there. Elena intentionally took Citra and Melodi outside so that she could speak freely without interference from anyone. Last night, Elena pondered in her room, thinking about her feelings for Devan. How long would she hide it from her two friends who were already suspicious? Elena would speak honestly when Devan truly fell in love with her. Elena did all of this to ease her burden.

Elena began to gather courage to reveal everything to Citra and Melodi. Citra could feel Elena’s anxiety.

“I want to talk about something important with you both. But I hope this will be our little secret,” Elena said seriously. Melodi immediately stopped chewing her food when she saw Elena’s serious expression.

“It should be like that; the sooner, the better,” Citra replied sarcastically. This was what Citra had been waiting for a long time. Yesterday, Elena got away because Daddy came home. Citra herself tried to be patient and hold back until the right time came. Even though she was disappointed because Elena dragged her into the drama whose core issue she didn’t know. But Citra didn’t want Elena to be in big trouble. So, yesterday, Citra endured Mommy’s teasing because of Elena’s lie about her liking Devan. Citra was willing to be a victim to protect her friend. But she also needed to know the essence of the problem.

“So, about me and Uncle Devan… ”

Before Elena could finish speaking, there was another disturbance. This time, the disruptor was the person she was just about to talk about. Seeing Elena’s tense expression immediately sparked curiosity in Citra and Melodi. Together, the two of them tried to snatch the phone from Elena to see who was calling.

Citra and Melodi spelled out the name displayed on the screen, while Elena could only offer a wide smile. She showcased her row of white and neatly arranged teeth to disguise her sudden nervousness in front of her two friends. Elena then reached out to retrieve her phone that had stopped ringing. Instead of returning it immediately, Citra stared at Elena with intimidation. Melodi, too, overwhelmed by curiosity. Understanding the meaning of their dual gaze, Elena nodded as an answer. Besides, there was no way for her to escape from them anymore.

Citra then returned Elena’s phone, which started ringing again. In front of both of them, Elena reluctantly answered Devan’s call.

“Where are you, El?” Devan’s voice sounded annoyed from the other side. There were no usual greetings or salutations; he immediately confronted her with a question.

“I’m at Malioboro Mall, Uncle, why…” Elena replied, still staring at her two friends.

Tut… Tut… Tut… The phone call suddenly disconnected unilaterally.

“Why did it get cut off?” Melodi asked, curious.

Elena just shrugged as an answer because she didn’t know why Devan’s call was suddenly cut off. Now Elena had to endure the scrutinizing gaze from the two girls in front of her. Reluctantly, Elena began to tell everything in detail without trying to cover it up. Citra and Melodi, as loyal listeners, could only be amazed listening to the unique story between Elena and Devan, which often occurred in novels. It turned out that the story happened in real life. Moreover, the main character was their own friend.

“Are you satisfied now? Now it’s time and place for you to comment.” Elena’s closing sentence, which should have been humorous, now sounded ironic.

How could it not be ironic? Elena had to experience heartbreak with her first love. Worse, the man was much older than Elena.

“You go first!” Melodi nudged Citra with her elbow.

“You go, Mel, I can’t comment right now,” replied Citra, who chose to support her head with both hands while looking at Elena with a compassionate gaze.

“Okay, then let’s order more food,” Elena replied casually. She felt a bit relieved after pouring out her heart to Citra and Melodi.

For the time being, Citra and Melodi agreed to keep quiet. Together, they accepted Elena’s offer to order more food. Regardless of their already full stomachs, today they wanted to have as much fun as possible.

Suddenly, Melodi choked on her food when she saw someone walking toward their table from behind Elena, while Citra and Elena were still chatting casually. Ignoring Melodi, who was now frozen in place, as she received a sharp gaze from someone standing right behind Elena.

“El, come with me for a moment!” Devan said as he was now standing next to Elena.

Shock. One word to describe Elena and Citra’s expressions right now. Both girls looked up, staring at the man who had just been the main topic of their conversation.

“Uncle, what are you doing here?” Elena said, still shocked by his arrival.

Ignoring Elena’s question, Devan’s hand reached for Elena’s arm. He asked her to stand up immediately, following his command right now.

“Elena, I’ll take you with me. You two can go home by yourselves. Later, I’ll be the one to take Elena home,” Devan said to Citra and Melodi, who were still petrified in their places. The two of them seemed to be watching a drama of an age-difference love story on the big screen live.

“Elena doesn’t want to, Uncle. Elena still wants to be with them,” Elena refused, still staring sharply at Devan. The same with Devan, who responded with an even sharper look. Full of orders that couldn’t be questioned.

“Come with me now, or do you want Uncle to carry you?” Devan whispered into Elena’s ear.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

Hearing Devan’s threat made Elena’s heart start pounding. If only Devan were serious about carrying her, they would both become free entertainment for mall visitors. It would be exactly like a scene from the novels she had read. Just imagining it made Elena feel amused.

Seeing Elena’s facial expression change, Devan shook his head. At this point, the girl must have imagined all sorts of things. Her mind must have wandered off somewhere.

“Do you want to walk by yourself, or does Uncle carry you?” Devan whispered again. Elena startled, then looked up to gaze at Devan’s handsome face up close.

Still in the same position, Citra and Melodi resumed feeding each other while watching the free love drama in front of them.

“Um, excuse me, I have to go now. Please be careful on your way home. This is the key to my car,” Elena excused herself, placing her car key on the table, right in front of the still-silent Citra.

Not wanting to linger, Devan immediately hugged Elena, taking her down the escalator. Once at the mall’s parking lot, Devan took Elena’s hand and led her to his parked car. Without speaking, Devan immediately opened the car door, instructing Elena to sit inside.

“Oh my, why is this old man bothering my life?” Elena muttered, not caring if Devan heard her.

Devan quickly sat behind the wheel. Before starting the car, he first fastened the seatbelt around Elena.

“Why is Uncle so annoying? Always bothering me. Seriously, Uncle is like a jaelangkung. Comes without being called, leaves without being escorted!” Elena complained, paying no attention to Devan’s unfriendly expression. When Elena was frustrated like this, she didn’t care about everything that came out of her mouth. For Elena, the most important thing was to vent her feelings due to the man next to her.

“Uncle has been waiting at the workshop for you. Instead, you’re leisurely strolling around with your friend,” replied Devan, then started the car engine. Slowly, the car moved away from the mall area.

“And who wants to meet Uncle anyway? I’m not interested,” Elena grumbled, becoming more frustrated with Devan’s increasingly arbitrary behavior.

Elena’s complaints were like a passing wind to Devan. He continued to focus on driving the car until they reached his workshop.

“Get out!” Devan ordered when he saw Elena still sitting there, showing no intention of getting out.

“Get out, El. Uncle just wants to talk for a moment. After that, Uncle will take you to your friend’s house to get your car.” This time, Devan softened his tone so that the girl next to him wouldn’t continue sulking.

“Okay, but after this, El hopes that Uncle Devan won’t bother El anymore,” Elena stated firmly, daring herself to look into Devan’s eyes. Honestly, right now, Elena was desperately trying to maintain her composure. Trying to synchronize her heart and mind to prevent herself from doing unwanted things.

Devan didn’t respond. He just glanced briefly into the copper-colored eyes in front of him and quickly got out. Elena didn’t understand the meaning of Devan’s gaze; she could only snort in annoyance to release the anger building up in her heart. Honestly, this wasn’t what Elena had hoped for at this moment. Elena was still not satisfied with relieving the pain in her heart due to the rejection from that man.

Wanting to quickly get through everything with Devan, Elena then got out of the car, following the direction of Devan’s footsteps. She greeted Lucky warmly, while Devan, who walked in front of her, ignored everyone there.

With his usual expressionless face, Devan held the doorknob for Elena to enter. Now, Devan no longer cared about his pride. He didn’t mind if people laughed at him for liking a young and spoiled girl like Elena. He didn’t care about other people’s opinions. After closing and locking the door, Devan pulled Elena’s body, embracing her tightly.

“Forgive Uncle, El,” Devan whispered, tightening his embrace as he felt Elena’s body trying to resist. “Uncle missed you,” Devan said without caring about his pride. The longing had tortured his heart enough. Now, Devan no longer cared if everyone knew about his misplaced feelings.

“Let go, Uncle. Let go!” Elena said, still trying to free herself from Devan’s large embrace. Honestly, Elena wasn’t ready to accept Devan’s actions and confessions at the moment.

“Let go, Uncle! I can’t breathe!” Elena’s words finally made Devan loosen his grip. Immediately, a heavy exhale was heard from Elena’s lips.

Reluctantly, Devan released Elena’s entire body. He held both of her shoulders. Elena became more nervous as Devan’s eyes tried to delve into hers.

“I need to go to the bathroom,” Elena interrupted with flushed cheeks, then hurriedly walked toward the bathroom in the corner of the room. It was the only way to free herself from Devan.

Devan smiled and tousled his curly hair. Finding his own behavior amusing, he sat on the sofa, waiting for Elena with a broad grin.