Robert and gavi

Chapter 4

"Are you sure you're okay?" Pedri asked him again from the driver's seat, concern etched on his face.

In the waiting room, Pedri had surprised Gavi with not only a bouquet of roses but also lunch reservations to a popular seaside restaurant. Gavi made the first excuse to come to mind and insisted he was not dressed for the occasion. After all, he was wearing old track pants and a t-shirt. But Pedri, dressed appropriately in a button-down and slacks, said it didn't matter and whisked him away.

Gavi sat quietly in the passenger seat, feeling like a stone was sitting in his stomach. The scent of the roses on his lap was cloying and enveloping. Pedri's green mini, usually a comfortable little cocoon, was now downright claustrophobic. He cranked the window down to get some air.

He'd swallowed his nausea when his boyfriend met him with the bouquet of roses, congratulating him on his full recovery. He asked to see Robert so he could properly thank him too but Gavi told him Robert had another client, which was the truth.

He didn't tell him that Robert had kissed him in their final session together.

Even now he was having a hard time processing that it actually happened. Was it Gavi's fault? Did Robert interpret the hug as an opening for more physical contact? Gavi should have just shaken his hand. He had to go and be all affectionate on him. It was his best and worst trait.

"I'm fine," Gavi lied. "A bit tired maybe."

"We don't have to go to the restaurant. We can save it for another day." Pedri's eyes were more on him than on the road. It would be a relief if Pedri crashed the car. "Did you do too much on your last day? You look ... off."

"I'm just overwhelmed, I think," Gavi said vaguely. "We can go to the restaurant. It's fine." He wasn't in the mood to eat but he also didn't want to be alone with Pedri in their apartment. Different surroundings would pull Pedri's focus away from him.

At the restaurant, they had a table on the deck overlooking the water. Gavi noticed the contrasting light blue of the sky with the darker hue of the ocean. Robert's eye color was somewhere in the middle. Gavi sighed, trying to push the thought of him aside.

Their oyster appetizers came. Pedri ate a few, announcing that each was better than the last. Gavi ate one. He took another sip of his wine, glass almost empty compared to Pedri's.

"I thought you'd be happier on the last day of your treatment," Pedri said, searching Gavi's eyes for a clue. "Your body is basically at one hundred percent now. What is it that's got you so moody?"

Gavi hated that his face was so transparent. He could never hide an emotion.

"I'm fine," Gavi lied again.

Pedri gently nudged Gavi's sneaker below the table. "I think I know what it is. You're going to miss being waited on hand and foot like royalty. You're spoiled, Gavi." He reached over to hold his hand. "Lucky for you, I don't mind looking after you."

Gavi forced a chuckle. "Heh, yeah. That must be it."

A waiter came by to take away their plates while another immediately appeared with their lobster tail entrees. The buttery smell opened up Gavi's appetite. By the time their ice cream dessert arrived Gavi devoured it. Pedri got the check and when they walked back to the car, Gavi gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "Thank you. This means a lot to me."

Pedri smiled and kissed him back. "I love you so much."

"Love you too," Gavi said.

Gavi had come to a logical decision while in the restaurant. The kiss between him and Robert meant nothing. He would never see him again. So it barely counted as cheating. Telling Pedri about it would only upset him unnecessarily.