Like The Water That Sustains Me

Two Spicy Southern Dishes

Jay realizes he wasn't dressed for a day out in the market. He was still wearing his clothes from the previous night, a used oversized shirt and shorts. They are cool enough, but he doesn't feel too comfortable going out with his sleeping clothes. So he opens the modular cabinet and looks for clothes that are in his size.

His choices are a white linen top or a blue one. And khaki shorts this time. Either top is not bad at all, they're very versatile, and of good, cooling material. But he feels like wearing the white one, so he changes into it.

He goes down with the hat, sunscreen, and his phone in tow, he bids the staff he sees 'bye' and they enthusiastically greet him back. Some are even telling him 'Susu Na!'s and 'Good Luck!'s and he smiles and nods to it, but not quite understanding why. But he shrugs it off and rushes towards the elder who has been waiting for him for some time now.

He sees the elder leaning on a shiny, black Mercedes Benz car, which he's quite sure he has never seen yet. It was one of those convertibles that look so tiny but huge at the same time. Huge because they are intimidating with how pretty they are.

Jay never considered himself a car person before, but this car makes him want to be. He fishes his phone out and takes a picture. For research purposes of course. He googles the image and google results say, 'it's an AMG GT. A luxury car that costs $115,000,'

Jay gawks at those numbers. And then it makes him think again, this car rental company is amazing. The luxury cars they have under their inventory are quite impressive. First, it was the Audi RS, then now this. Wow. And then it makes him reel back, with the fact that the elder can afford these luxuries as easily as batting an eyelash.

Jay saves the picture in the hidden section in his photos and pockets it in time before the elder notice him.

He brings the hat and the sunscreen up, and the elder nods at him and then goes to the driver's seat. Jay feels a little intimidated to get in the passenger seat of such an expensive car.

It's not his first time or whatever, but it was never in this type of situation. On an island, along with the elder alone, on the way to a market for relaxation.

Jay bites his lips, and swallows an imaginary lump, and opens the car door. When he sits in, he can certainly understand the price and the luxury. The leather of the seat, the size and the feel of it, how he fits in just right.

"Do you want the roof down or up?"

Jay looks at the elder and hands him the hat and the sunscreen.

"It isn't that hot yet, Khun C. Let's just have the roof up for now, and if it gets too hot, we can have it down,"

"Okay,"

Khun C takes the hat and puts it on Jay's lap, then opens the bottle of sunscreen. He squeezes some lotion on his palm and brings it up to show him.

"Can I?" The elder asks him. For permission. To put sunscreen on him.

Jay is rendered speechless. He leans back on the seat, not knowing how to properly act from your boss asking your permission to put sunscreen on you. But he nods. He vapidly nods, and leans forward again, and lets the elder put it on him.

He feels the light pat on his cheek, then feels it glide across his nose. He taps on his face some more, then squirts some more lotion on his hand. Jay sees that hand approach his face again, and then dab some more on his nose, and then his forehead.

Jay looks at the elder's face. His tongue is peeking from his teeth, and his nose scrunch from concentration and his eyes move, following the movement of his hand as they apply the sunscreen on his face.