The Estuary of Desire Baruna
Eps. #19 Different Feelings

Baruna sighed slowly and looked back at Flo's blue eyes more closely.

"So at the club, I overheard a transaction between a woman and the man who wanted to arrest you earlier, Flo. All this time I've also heard rumors that you're gonna ..." Baruna stopped her speech. When he saw Flo lowering her face again, Baruna chose to undo her intention to ask something that was still stuck in her mind about Floretta.

"I know, Baruna. Not just you, everyone must have expected that to me," Flo replied quickly cutting out Baruna's unresolved question sentence. Slowly Flo raised his face and looked at Baruna.

"Even if I told you it wasn't true, I'm sure you wouldn't believe me, Bar." Flo shook his head. His words this time implied a lot of meaning.

"What do you mean talk like that, Flo? Actually, what's going on?" baruna asked, full of curiosity.

"I dare to do the job, so I also have to be ready with all the risks, Baruna." Tears continued in Flo's eyes. The feeling of pressure was increasingly evident from the look on his face.

"I do need living expenses, but I have absolutely no intention of selling my chastity for the sake of earning a lot of money, Baruna. Although my work is despicable, but I don't want to humiliate myself as low as that, Bar!" said Flo with a careless tone.

"It's all that's been causing misunderstandings all this time. I just found out that outside of my knowledge, a pimp at the club set me up. He deliberately promoted me if I was going to sell my girlhood. The aim of the pimps was to do all this just to get their own benefits," Flo sighed. There was a sense of annoyance and disappointment in his heart, because it had felt lied to by the person who hired him at the club.

Baruna continued to stare at the pretty face before her feelingly. Suffering, that was all he could feel from everything Flo told him.

"I understand how you feel, Flo." Baruna slowly wiped the tears on Flo's cheek with her palm.

"I really believe in you, Flo. I know you did everything with great force. Therefore, I reiterate once again to you, leave the job. You don't deserve to work in that place anymore, Flo! Look for a much more decent job without having to lower your self-esteem again!" firmly Baruna continues to try to convince Flo not to work at the club anymore.

"What job, Baruna? What can a poorly educated, inexperienced woman like myself do?" Flo seemed to hesitate.

"anything. The important thing is not to work as a dancer at the club anymore" Baruna said. Of course because he was also very confident that he would be able to find a more decent job for Flo.

Flo fell silent without wanting to reject everything Baruna had affirmed to her.

Baruna smiled, for a moment she and Flo stared at each other. Although no words were spoken from their lips, it was as if their four eyes were speaking. It was as if there were different feelings as it filled their respective hearts.

Flo can now start putting a smile on her lips. Although he did not know much about Baruna, somehow he felt very confident that Baruna would be a helper in his life and could help him to get a better future.

"Hmm ... Who are you and what do you do, Baruna? Why do I see you at that club almost every night with your friends?" Turn Flo who now asked Baruna. In fact, that curiosity was also in Flo's mind. From Baruna's appearance, Flo could guess that Baruna was no ordinary man.

"I-I'm .. I'm nobody, Flo. I'm just a newcomer. My goal is to travel in this city. Besides, I'm also looking for a job here" Baruna replied a little nervous about not telling Flo the truth about who she was.

"If I mentioned my name, Flo would immediately know who I am, and Flo would definitely feel awkward towards me" Baruna thought inwardly. Therefore, he chose to hide who he was to Flo.

"How long have you lived in this town, Baruna?" flo asked, trying to get closer to Baruna.

"It's only been a month" said Baruna lying again.

"Oh yeah, Flo. Where do you live?" asked Baruna to divert immediately.

"I live in a small contract not far from here, Baruna," Flo replied.

"You live alone, right?" baruna asked as she continued to look into Flo's eyes which had started to stop her crying.

"Yes" said Flo briefly and Baruna also only responded by nodding her head.

Baruna and Flo kept talking in the villa's living room. Without feeling almost an hour they tell each other and both look increasingly familiar.

Baruna was very happy with Flo. Similarly to Flo, he felt comfortable and there was no sense of awkwardness towards Baruna.

Although in the villa they were just the two of them, but Flo had absolutely no worries that Baruna would do anything bad to him. Baruna's polite treatment made her feel safe. He could very well confirm that Baruna was definitely a good-hearted man.

"Baruna, it's early morning. I am going home! You must be sleepy, right? If I were still here you wouldn't be able to rest" Flo said, not wanting to stay in the villa where the Baruna was staying.

"I'll take you home, Flo. It's still dark, this clock is still very crime-prone" Baruna said. He couldn't bear to let Flo go home alone. He didn't want anything bad to happen to him again.

"Thank you very much, Baruna. You've always been kind to me" Flo replies happily and doesn't reject Baruna's offer to take her home. There was a Baruna nearby, making him feel safe and comfortable.

"No problem, Flo," greeted Baruna also smiling sweetly to Flo.

Baruna then took Flo out of his village and ordered a taxi to take him to Flo's rented house which was not too far from there.

In the taxi that took them to their destination, Baruna and Flo sat next to each other in the passenger seat. However, the two were just silent without any more conversation being heard between them.

Sometimes they look at each other and throw a smile, but both are just silent. Both are busy with their own feelings.

Baruna was very impressed with the determination and honesty of the beautiful girl sitting next to her. Without realizing it, there was a different feeling he now felt towards Floretta. A feeling he never even felt towards any woman he had ever been close to. Thus, there was a desire to always look after and protect the girl, now growing in her heart.