If Only You Can Stay (BL/BXB)

XIII

"Where are we going? So I could see reviews online if the food or service there was good." I asked. If I would ever get killed by this lump of muscle I wished the place to be known so my Aunt could give me a nice burial if ever.

"You don't have to worry about it. It's a good place." He gave me the assurance I never Knew I would be needing. However, I did still have doubts but my guts were telling me to actually believe him and kind of enjoy this moment myself. At least, find something that I would probably waste my time on before attending the orientation.

The drive was quick or the coast going there was clear that he basically flew the car to the place. I believed that even the cars who were about to get to the road were scared like a cat by how his car rushed through the empty streets. I was holding onto my seatbelt the entire time like my life depended on it.

"Slow down next time." I commented the moment I escaped the roller coaster ride.

"My bad," He just nervously smiled. "But I guess we made it on time."

"Yeah, and thankfully you didn't get ticketed."

"Trust me I wont. I'll be your good boy next time."

"Fuck off." I tried to look around and the place was jam packed with people. Maybe because it was lunch and a lot of people were trying to dine out.

"The place was right over there." He pointed to a place. Though I wasn't familiar with the place, I did try to look it up on the internet. It did have good reviews and it was a Filipino restaurant.

"A Filipino restaurant?"

"Yeah, you don't want that?"

"I just never thought that you would be this thoughtful."

"What do you think of me as a monster?"

"No, a lump of muscle I suppose."

"But now, I just upgraded into a thoughtful lump of muscle?"

"I guess. Then, how can I upgrade my status then?"

" I don't do promotions." We started to walk towards the restaurant.

"Well I am your only employee right?"

"Well, you're not qualified enough for any position plus I only do sole proprietorship so I only need myself." I rolled my eyes.

He took the door knob before I could even do it and pushed the door in. He motioned for me to come in with a quick jerk of his head. I entered the restaurant and my nostrils were struck with so many memories of home with just the scent of food here. The thought of me and my sister helping each other out while cooking in the kitchen resurfaced at the back of my head. I could smell the minced garlic as if it was yesterday and the smell of broth from boiling adobo was a faint memory I couldn't forget.

"It smells like home right?"

"Right." I told him. A lady welcomed us and offered me a place to sit. We followed her and she gave us their menu.

"I'll order the adobo one."

"Oh, it's their best seller?" I asked.

"Yes, Sir. A lot of people do love our Adobo."

"Then, I'll order one too."

"For drinks?" She asked.

"Are you good with a can of soda?" He asked me.

I nodded.

"Two of those please. That's all for now." He faced the lady and we watched her walk away. She came back with the drinks and I took a sip from it. He was closely observing me like I was some ancient artifact that was on display in a museum.

"What?" I asked after I gulped and put back the can where the lady placed it.

"Your eyes were beautiful." My brows flinched. It twitched from what I just heard and I was taken aback by what he just told me.

"Well, that was all those main leads in romantic comedy films say." I told him as I recalled every romantic comedy film and books I just watched and read. Just like the one with the girl in it in the middle of the road and she just ran off after the guy told him the same exact thing. I guessed, I could have run and ditched this whole place as fast as I could. I wanted to run away from me. He shouldn't be saying that to me. I should have left the restaurant but at this time I was just glued to my seat. People back home would go nuts if they saw something like these on TV and they would hurl curses as if we were a plague and at some point in life I did think I was one.

"Well, I guess we are in one." That's it. My life was not a romantic comedy film, not even a chapter of a book in the same genre. I was fantasizing my whole life to experience hearing this kind of word from someone I would be falling in love with and not get played by people. I spent my whole life creating delusions in my head of having this meet cute at a coffee shop with toe curling sweet dialogues that I really wanted to hear in my life and now that I heard one, I wanted to run.

"Well, I have to say we're not." I told him.

"Why do you say so?" He asked.

"Uhm," Can I possibly tell him that I was not what he thought I was. Or, maybe, he was trying to recruit me for the gym so he could get a discount for the membership or something. But, damn it. I had to tell him that I was part of the rainbow so he could fuck off.

"Well, I believe everyone is in their own romantic comedy film. Cringe as it may seem but I believe everyone has their own love story." He told me. He was not breaking his eye contact. Well, I believe that too. Everyone had their own love story but fuck my life because I wouldn't be having one, or maybe fate told me that it might not be in this lifetime.

"I might not be getting one." I told him.

"Why?"

"I'm gay."