A Loveless Meal

Chapter 11: A Clumsy Love

In the middle of the plaza was a park with a path, winding through trees and around a small pond. All along the walkway were flowers and the occasional bench to rest at.
That was the path Vincent and Rody walked on now, with Rody doing his best to come up with fun questions for the both of them. However, Vincent seemed to struggle with answering even the most mundane of them.

So far, all Rody had managed to get from him was that he hated Summer, he'd had a pet poodle named Miette as a child, he'd had many relationships but none lasted long (Rody: Wow. Shocking), and he gets ill if he eats foods with certain textures.

Despite the higher percentage of questions that went unanswered, Rody was determined to keep trying. He found himself actually genuinely curious to know more about the closed-off man. He was peculiar, completely different from Rody in almost every way and while it made it hard for the two to communicate at all, it was interesting to hear his unique perspective and preferences.

"What's your favorite movie?" Rody asked.

Vincent frowned and crossed his arms, thinking. "I don't really watch movies often... That's a few hours of my time I could spend doing something more productive. Atleast with a book, I can pick it up and put it down whenever."

Rody raised an eyebrow at that and rubbed the back of his neck. He hadn't really met many people who didn't like movies, so that definitely killed an entire branch of conversation. "Alright, then... What's your favorite book?"

His hand going to his chin thoughtfully, Vincent considered that. "Hm.. Well, I mostly read gastronomy books and magazines, but I suppose there have been a few books I've been reading for fun when there's nothing else to do.. I'm not sure I have a favorite, but I'm currently reading The Better To Eat You." Vincent explained.

Rody chuckled nervously, "Kind of... An ominous sounding book for a chef, don'tya think? What's it about?"

Vincent gave him a curious side eye, "I don't see why it should be. It's a murder mystery novel. As for the plot, why don't you read it yourself to find out?"

Rody frowned at him, looking a tad embarrassed, "I don't really read much..."

Vincent gave him a look of mock surprise. "Don't read or can't read?"

Rody's stare was withering, but Vincent merely smirked and pulled his pack of cigarettes out of his pocket, lighting one and puffing on it lazily as they walked.
Rolling his eyes and grumbling under his breath, Rody put another foot of distance between them so he didn't get caught in any of the smoke.

"I've been meaning to ask. Does cigarette smoke bother you?" Vincent asked, finding himself somewhat irked by the new space between them.

Rody blinked and glanced over, a little surprised Vincent was even asking. "Uhh... Yeah, it does, unfortunately. My lungs are kind of sensitive so the smoke really bugs me. Plus it smells bad... Bad memories." he said, his brow furrowing.

Vincent could sense that there was more to it, but he refrained from questioning him. Not my business.. he reminded himself, though a part of him itched to ask.

Rody cleared his throat, trying to keep himself present rather than go down memory lane. "So! Do you have any siblings?"

Vincent's eyes darkened and his expression seemed to become more guarded as he took a long drag from his cigarette. "... Yes. I have an older brother and sister." he answered tersely.

Rody, who'd never been the best at catching hints, smiled curiously. "Oh really? You always struck me as an only child. What are they like?"

Vincent inhaled slowly, his ire only barely being quelled by the acrid smoke. Anything familial was an uncomfortable topic for him, so he really hoped Rody would let it go on his own before he lost his temper. "They're fine."