Nina felt good. The evening was hot as usual, but a fresh breeze made her walk pleasant. In the afternoon, she had picked up her computer from the service shop and was happy to find it working perfectly. The service technician explained how the repair was performed in a way that enhanced the durability of the original hinge. Nina felt immense gratitude towards the service staff. They had managed to repair her precious tool in record time. To show gratitude, she left them a big Toblerone and a generous tip. Now, she was walking towards the address of Bo's apartment which he had sent after she messaged him the news. She insisted on returning his laptop as soon as possible. Bo lived in a neighborhood very similar to hers, surrounded by a fence with gatekeepers and a ramp at the entrance. After nodding and smiling at the attendant, she headed towards Building E and easily found Bo's buzzer on the intercom. It simply read "Bo," as if he had no surname. Nina chuckled.

Bo must have been right by the buzzer because he responded only mere seconds after she rang.

"Nina, you're here. Come up to the ninth floor, I'll wait for you at the door."

It was only then that she realized she was going to see his apartment. She had expected the handover to pass without entering it, but from his tone, it seemed he had other ideas. She checked her reflection in the elevator mirror and was pleased she had worn her favorite open-back linen dress. It was brick red – one of her favorite colors. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail, accentuating her green geometric earrings.

Bo stood in the doorway of his dimly lit apartment. He wore light gray sweatpants and a black cotton shirt with Chinese characters again. Nina disliked not knowing what things meant. Especially written things. His hair was slightly tousled and gel-free, which made him look more laid back and approachable than usual. When he saw her coming out of the elevator, he gave her a smile she hadn't yet seen from him. It quickly dispelled any doubts she had about him being happy to see her. Maybe he was just happy to have his computer back?

"Come in, thanks for coming," he said, stepping aside. Nina walked past him and upon entering, noticed the whole apartment smelled of mimosas. She took off her sandals and looked around, waiting for directions.

"The living room is to the left," he said, closing the door.

She entered it and began to admire the space. It didn't at all look like a temporary residence as hers did. A pretty big bookshelf dominated one wall, and she noticed two plants by the window, a tiny and a huge one, creating an interesting contrast. An enormous couch took up most of the space and looked exceptionally soft, very unlike anything Nina had ever seen in any Airbnb she had stayed in. She took off her backpack and sank into the dark green velvet.

"Wow, this is so comfy," she said, leaning back. "I can't imagine anyone renting this place out short-term."

"That's because they don't. It's been mine for a year," he said, sitting opposite her, tucking one leg under the other. "When I started coming here regularly, I decided I didn't want to haul my stuff every time and rented the apartment long-term. This way, I can stay longer when necessary, and besides, compared to Chengdu, the rent here is really affordable. Especially long-term. Anan waters my plants when I'm away for longer periods; I've given him a key," he explained.

Silence fell. Nina wasn't sure what to do next. Her plan had been to return the laptop and go home, but now she didn't feel in such a hurry. To hide her nervousness she quickly pulled Bo's laptop from her backpack.

"Here's your machine," she said, setting it on the table between them. "Thanks a lot for lending it to me." She briefly considered explaining why she didn't have a backup one, but fell silent instead.

"No problem. Hey, I'm being super rude," he said, suddenly rising from the couch. "What would you like to drink?" He headed towards the small bar that divided the living room from the kitchen.

Nina puckered her lips, thinking. "Hmm, what are you offering?"

Bo leaned behind the bar and opened a cabinet. "I have beer, coke, whiskey or.. green tea?" he replied, looking up at her.

"Green tea, please," Nina had enough alcohol for some time.

"Good choice, I'll have some as well." He took out a kettle and filled it with water.

Nina got up from the couch and moved to the high stools at the bar to watch him prepare the tea. He took out two delicate ceramic cups and placed them in front of her. Then, he removed a beautiful light blue teapot from a shelf on the wall and filled it with leaves from a container, his effortless movements revealing how often he repeated this routine. Nina thought about how easy it would be to get used to this ritual. Neither of them had spoken for some time. Bo was waiting for the water to boil, watching her.

Her mind was slowly approaching panic mode. She tried to think of something to say but came up short. Seconds ticked by as they just stared at each other. She laughed at the awkwardness of the moment when the kettle clicked, signaling the water had finally boiled.

"Saved by the bell, again." Bo said and made her recall their embrace in the elevator. The room was shortly echoing with the sound of their laughter. She relaxed a bit but as he was filling the teapot silence fell again. Nina couldn't understand what was happening. Could it be that now that the project was almost over, they had nothing to talk about?

"When are you going back home?" she asked.

"To Chengdu? I might go back briefly next week, but there's a lot of work to be done here before the new studio is up and running smoothly," he replied, taking the high stool beside her.

Nina was acutely aware how alone they were in his apartment. The air seemed to thicken as they sat side by side.

Bo slid her teacup in her direction. "When will you go back to Croatia? I mean, I assume you will go at some point?" he asked.

Nina wasn't sure how much she was looking forward to returning. She did miss her friends and the sense of security that her home country provided. She longed to be where everyone spoke her language, and doctors were trusted family names. In Thailand, even minor medical issues filled her with trepidation. It wasn't a very relaxing feeling – being ill in a foreign country.

"I will probably go in the summer for a couple of months. Hey, you should visit Croatia!" she exclaimed, suddenly excited at the prospect.

"You think?" Bo's eyes lit up. "To be honest, after we met I did some googling and that place looks breathtaking. I immediately wanted to visit. Is the sea really as crystal clear as it looks in the pictures?" he asked, taking a sip from his cup. Nina realized the tea had cooled enough and copied his movements.

"Especially around the islands. It's a bit colder than here though," she smiled, remembering. "I like to swim in late spring before the tourists swarm. And early autumn is nice too. The second half of September is the best, you know – for a visit," she said, imagining Bo lying on a towel in the shade of her favorite beach.

"Cool. Will you still be there by then?" he asked, leaning a bit closer. Nina found it hard to maintain his gaze. If she moved just as much towards him, their noses would touch. She scanned his face. His forehead was smooth and for the first time she noticed tattoos peeking out of his bushy eyebrows. She couldn't make out what they said. His eyes seemed even darker and more focused than usual, his lips sensual. She realized she wanted to get to know them better. She considered rising from her stool, nestling between Bo's legs and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Yes, that's my favorite time of year. The days are still long and warm, the beaches half-empty and the town gets quiet and kind of serene," she admitted, leaning back in her chair. Just a few days after she had promised herself professionalism, how was it possible that she was almost ready to throw herself into his arms again? She tried to think of something to steer the conversation back to neutral waters and distract her from imagining Bo's semi-nude body on the beach. But Bo seemed unwilling to let her pull away. It appeared he took her retreat as a challenge rather than a rejection.

"That sounds great," he said, stepping down from his stool. He stood motionless for a second, giving her time to adjust. Then he turned her stool towards him and stepped between her legs. He placed his hands on the back of her chair and leaned towards her. Nina felt his nose against hers, his breath on her lips and realized she had already closed her eyes.

"I hope this is okay," he said, pressing his cheek against hers in a sweet, smooth motion. His scent enveloped her as she felt his hips press against her thighs. She was getting ready to slip her arms under his, and pull him closer.

In that moment, Bo's phone vibrated on the table beside them and began blasting loud music, jolting them both from the trance. They remained frozen for a few seconds, but the combination of clattering plastic against glass and the loud music was impossible to ignore. Finally, after a grunt of annoyance, Bo grabbed the phone and looked at the display. He was still standing between Nina's legs.

"Unknown number," he declared.

"You should answer it," Nina said before he could suggest otherwise.

He looked at her with raised eyebrows and obeyed.

"Hello?" A short pause. "Yes, this is Bo." After another pause, he finally moved away from her and sat back down on his stool. Nina suddenly felt cold.

"What happened? Is he okay?" he asked in a serious and worried tone, his free hand pressing against his forehead.

She realized something was wrong and anxiously awaited the end of the conversation to find out what had happened. Bo hung up the phone and stood up from his stool.

"Anan is in the hospital. It seems I'm on his contact list."