Tulips

11. Coincidence?

Freen.

I woke up when I noticed we stopped after 3 hours of drive.

"Are we here?"

"Nope. We're just stopping here to get some food. Let's go, let me feed you." Richie said.

I took my purse while Richie went around to open my door. He always does that. Never let me open my own door whenever he's with me.

We were looking at the menu when we heard someone speak from behind.

"Richie! Why the need to hide?" His voice was fierce as if angry, so I was kind of scared to look at him. Richie pulled me behind him then turned.

A tall foreigner was behind us but I got confused for he was smiling.

"Dad! You scared the crap out of me." Richie said as his grip on my wrist loosened. His dad went to him and put his arm on his son's shoulder.

"You did well. You protected your girl. Proud of you son." He said shaking him slightly.

"Dad!" Richie looked at me and his face blushing. "She's not my girl."

"I know. Not yet..." His dad said smiling. He then offered his hand to me. "My son here is too shaken that he forgot introductions. I'm his dad. You're Freen right?"

I took his hand and shook it. "Yes sir."

"Dad. Did you get me..." Someone called him for he looked behind me.

I turned and was surprised on who I saw. Becky stood there staring at me. She's clearly as surprised as me when she saw me.

"Richie!"

"Mom! What is this a reunion?What are you all doing here!?"

He immediately went to her and hugged her. He put his arm on his mom's shoulder and directed her to face me.

Oh shit. I realized just now that I'm meeting his and Becky's parents.

"Mom, meet Freen. Freen, my mom."

"Oh he is right. You are really pretty." She came to me and hugged me which surprised me. "Don't be a stranger."

"I just thought of continuing our plan of hiking. So I called your sister. We didn't know you're going here." The dad said. "We're just stopping by to buy food.

"Sorry for this." Richie said looking embarrassed for the sudden meeting with his family.

My eyes went to Becky who was looking at me. She quickly looked away.

The dad was looking at the menu. "Becky, what did you say you want?" When Becky didn't reply, he called her name again.

This time she heard it and it snapped her from spacing out. She took a quick look at me before going to his dad's side.

"Uhm, yeah. Uh..." It took some time for her to choose. All the time she tried her best not to look behind her where I was.

Becky then went over to our table. "Freen." She said nodding at me while giving a small and quick smile.

"Becky." I replied with a smile as well. Well that was awkward, correction, she is awkward.

She then sat at the far end beside her mom.

"Oh. You both know each other. It's quite new to my ears hearing someone calling her Becky. We're the only ones she would allow to call her that. Well in this case, it's just us four then." She said smiling at me before going back to her phone.

Becky and I looked at each other at the same time. "I just thought Becky fits her more."

It was Becky who looked away first. I noticed her cheeks turned pink. I wonder if she also remembered the kiss we had in Equinox after our brief convo on me calling her Becky.

Richie and his dad appeared with our food. We all ate together. It turned out that this was supposed to be their trip but a few days ago his dad felt his back ache. But after a quick massage in a spa, he said it felt better so they decided to go with the original plan. They didn't call Richie cause when they canceled the trip, he said he'll plan something with me.

The dad was funny, he even tease me to Richie. All the while they're teasing, I was stealing glances to Becky who seemed very occupied with her phone and food.

They asked me what I do. So I told them how I began working first then putting up my business. They also told the story how the Dad came in Thailand and set up his business which is how he and the mom met. Then the topic veered to how the dad began courting the mom. Their story is interesting for the mom didn't like the dad at first. I took a quick glance on my left. She's still quiet there in her own world.

"The truth is, we really want to meet you."His dad said.

"Richie told us about liking a girl but he won't introduce us." Her mother said before she leaned closer to me. I saw from the corner of my eye that Becky was looking. "He haven't like anyone this much before. Our Richie is so kind and gentleman. He's also independent..."

"Jeez mom, don't do that!" He said while putting both hand on his mom's cheeks and turning her head away from me.

"It's okay Rich, she's right anyways. You're the kindest guy I've met."

This shocked all of them even Becky who suddenly turn her head to look at me. As if she's confirming it was me who said it. His mom and dad suddenly looked at each other then clapped and cheered.

Richie, who's now red in the face, put his head on his hands.

I didn't know why I said that but then again it is the truth. But good thing I did said that for that showed Becky wasn't too immersed in her own world. She's even listening to our convo. I smiled liking how she reacted.