3. Appointment With ARJOFA

After their beauty treatments were finished, the two mothers walked out of the salon with light steps and hearts full of enthusiasm.

"Bertha, I’m hosting a gathering at my house next week. How about we invite them for dinner that same evening?" Mrs. Dina asked while they were waiting for their respective drivers.

"That’s a great idea. I’ll make sure Marsha is free that night," Mrs. Bertha replied with a nod.

The two then parted ways with warm hugs and broad smiles. The sky over Jakarta was still bright and sunny at that moment, as if welcoming the beginning of a new chapter that might soon blossom into a romance between Arnold Zafazel and Marsha Livia, two people who had never met before, but were now being brought together by the sincere hopes of two trusting mothers.

Bright Saturday morning sunlight shone over South Jakarta. The air felt fresh, with a gentle breeze rustling the leaves. Inside the magnificent Zafazel residence, Arnold had just finished his breakfast, which included cheese omelet, toast, and a cup of hot espresso.

At the moment, Arnold was dressed in a navy blue polo shirt and khaki trousers, looking casual yet elegant. A pair of white golf shoes were already waiting near the door.

"Young Master Arnold, the car is ready," one of the household staff said politely.

"Thank you," Arnold replied briefly as he put on his watch and picked up his golf clubs.

Today, the CEO had arranged to play golf with two of his best friends as well as business associates, Joseph and Farez. Since high school, the three of them had been known by the nickname ARJOFA. The two men were like brothers to him. All three were young CEOs who had built their careers from scratch and were now successfully leading their own companies. The golf course where they had arranged to meet was no ordinary place, it was an exclusive club located in an upscale area of South Jakarta.

Upon arriving at the course, Arnold was warmly welcomed by Joseph and Farez.

"Bro! You finally showed up!" Farez shouted while shaking Arnold’s hand firmly.

"I thought you’d forgotten our appointment, Nold," Joseph added with a soft laugh.

Arnold laughed back. "I’m not the type to run away from a match, especially when the opponents are two young dads like you guys."

"That’s why you should hurry up and get married, so you’ll know what it feels like to be a young dad too!" Farez teased.

"Ha-ha-ha!"

They all laughed together and then prepared to start their game. One by one, the three men swung their clubs confidently. The white golf balls glided smoothly through the air and landed perfectly on the well kept green grass. Arnold, as usual, played with precision. Joseph demonstrated a steady technique, while Farez played aggressively yet accurately.

"You’re still as good as ever, Nold," Joseph commented admiringly after watching Arnold successfully sink the ball in one shot from a long distance.

"Ha-ha-ha. Must be because you have plenty of time to practice since you don’t have a girlfriend yet, right?" Farez chimed in with a laugh.

Arnold simply raised his eyebrows and smiled faintly.

After playing for about two hours, they sat down to relax on rattan chairs facing a small lake in the middle of the course. A waiter came over and served cold coconut water and sandwiches as light snacks.

"So, how’s it going, Nold? I heard you’re managing the expansion project into Singapore now, right?" Joseph asked while sipping his drink.

"Yes, it’s still in the stage of land surveys and vendor negotiations. The target is to start operating by the third quarter of this year," Arnold replied seriously.

"Awesome. You’re the only one among us who dares to open a branch overseas first," Farez added proudly. "Joseph and I are still focusing on domestic business for now."

"There are quite a lot of opportunities there," Arnold replied. "But the challenges are no joke either."

The conversation about business flowed smoothly for several minutes, before Joseph looked at Arnold with a teasing smile.

"But Nold, speaking of challenges, when are you going to challenge yourself to get married?"

Farez immediately burst into laughter. "Ha-ha-ha! There we go! That’s the question I’ve been holding back for ages!"

Arnold sighed and leaned back in his chair. "I knew it was impossible for you two not to ask that question."

"How could we not? I’m officially married to Mary now, the girl I’ve been dating since high school," Joseph said proudly. "And Farez has also married Zera, his dream girl since school days."

Arnold smiled faintly. "I know, you two are already winning in life. And I’m really happy to see that your marriages are going well. But me …."

"But you what?" Farez leaned forward slightly. "Don’t tell me you haven’t found anyone yet?"

"That’s right. I haven’t. But this week, Mom and Dad have come up with what they call their brilliant idea," Arnold replied, emphasizing the word "brilliant" with a hint of sarcasm.

Joseph laughed. "Let me guess, a blind date setup?"

Arnold nodded. "Exactly. They want to introduce me to the daughter of Mom’s best friend. Her name is Marsha Livia."

Farez raised his eyebrows. "Nice name. Have you met her before?"

"Not yet. I just heard that she works in the corporate world too. Just as busy as I am, and also single," Arnold replied while spinning his glass of coconut water slowly.

"Are you okay with the idea?" Joseph asked carefully.

Arnold nodded slowly. "Honestly, at first I felt a bit uncomfortable. But after thinking it over well, maybe there’s no harm in giving it a try. After all, it’s just getting to know each other first. Not being forced straight to the wedding altar."

"I agree," Farez chimed in. "I also know several couples who started exactly like that. In fact, their marriages are even more harmonious than those who dated for years before getting married."

"Besides, you’re not the type of guy who can just casually pick up girls anywhere. All your time is taken up by work and family anyway," Joseph added. "Sometimes parents understand us better than we think they do."

Arnold fell silent for a moment, then smiled faintly. "Yeah, maybe you’re right. Maybe it’s time for me to open the door a little bit to something new."

Farez patted Arnold on the shoulder. "That’s the spirit! Who knows, this Marsha girl might actually be the soulmate you’ve been waiting for all this time."

"Next week, I’ve been invited to have dinner with her and her parents. Mom is arranging everything," Arnold said.

"Wow … Good luck then, Bro. Don’t forget to wear your best perfume," Joseph teased with a laugh.

"And don’t be too stiff. Just be yourself," Farez added.

Arnold nodded with a relieved smile. Their conversation gradually turned into light jokes and reminiscing about their university days. However, deep down in Arnold’s heart, a tiny ray of hope began to emerge. Perhaps, just perhaps, meeting Marsha Livia could be the start of a new chapter in his life, one that wasn’t just filled with targets and reports, but also a romance that hadn’t started yet.

"Marsha Livia, what kind of person are you now? Do you still remember me?" Arnold wondered silently in his heart.

It turned out that Arnold had secretly done some research about Marsha just to make sure of something. And indeed, it was true. That girl was actually his childhood friend back in kindergarten. The little girl who had once held a special place in young Arnold’s heart, and whom he had been looking for all this time.

He truly never expected that his own mother would actually think of setting him up with his childhood sweetheart, someone who had remained deep in his heart ever since those early years.