The Past. | Completed.

3. Lunch isn't cheating.

"Hey, dude. We still on for lunch?" I surprised Zachary as I cornered his desk at level 15, the photography and editing department.
"Sure.  And can you stop doing that?"
"Doing what?"
"The 'surprise' thing," he replies,  pointing at me and somehow, doodling in the air.
"That was the first time," I mimicked Cher Horowitz from Clueless. Her voice, at least.

He laughs and I joined him too.  Everyone who knows me knows that I'm very easily entertained. Just a laugh can make me laugh. I'm weird, I know.

I dropped myself on his chair and wheeled myself towards his desk and took a chip and then away from his desk.

"Dude," he threw his hands up in the air as a sign of defeat.
"What?" I responded as I plopped a chip in my mouth.
"Don't you have work to do?"
"No, not really. Do you? "
"Nah..."
"Wanna ditch?" I manipulated him.
"Ditch? What is this,  high school?"
"Not if you're acting like that,  we aren't," I grinned.

We didn't ditch because unlike the Zachary Goldstein I once knew,  he was scared. So we waited until lunchtime to go out. We just had a light lunch at a café nearby. We both had coffee considering we had to wake up early for work. 

Zach: So, tell me more about you and Izaaq.

Me: Well, I had a crush on him on freshman year.  But he had a girlfriend,  and then they broke up,  but we dated after high school.

Zach: Wait,  freshman year? Didn't you have a crush on me on freshman year?

Me: Well, yeah.  It was after him.  I liked him first.  Then I liked you.  Then,  I was back to liking him. And then, I had a few boyfriends in sophomore and junior and senior year. 

Zach: Wait.  So,  were you using me to get over him?

Me: Yeah,  pretty much. What about you?  Where did you go to college to?  I remember you saying you didn't know what you wanted to become or what cost you wanted to take or where. So, what happened?

Zach: Well, I was hanging with my friends. We had a road trip between us... And then,  it was sunset.  And I just took my phone out and took a picture of the scenery.  And,  my dad's friend who was a photographer saw it and said it was really good.  And I guess I just loved it.  So,  that's where it started.

Me: But, you didn't take art in high school?  How did you get into college?

Zach: Well,  my dad called in a few strings.

Me: oooh... You are lucky.

Zach: What about you?

Me: Well, my mom died in the local bank in New Jersey. She worked there and she got shot when a gang of criminals was pulling a bank robbery. And I read the article about it in the local newspaper and they didn't mention her and I guess I was pissed. So, I don't know, maybe I just started there...

Zach: Damn.  Compared to your story,  I think now mine's really dumb.

We laughed and finished our food. After our lunch,  we ordered dessert.  I would order ice cream but too bad,  they don't have Ben&Jerry's. So instead,  I ordered a slice of New York Cheesecake. Meanwhile, Zach ordered some chocolate ice cream.

We talked and laughed and it was like we were friends again.  It was nice.  This was nice.  I haven't felt this feeling in a while.  It's different with Izaaq or Nicole or the twins.  How?  Well,  Nicole and the twins are my best friends.  I have known them for a long time.  Especially Nicole. And for Izaaq? Izaaq was shy when I first started dating him.  He was quiet despite being an ambivert.  We bonded quickly and our chemistry was unexplainable. But Zach?  Zach is an outgoing guy.  He is friendly and loud
And he is an extrovert.  I haven't had friends like him in a long time. 

We finished our dessert and returned to work.  We entered Fiona's office because we had to attend the staff's meeting. We got our assignments and I spent the whole day working on the article and going out for interviews.

"Hey,  girlfriend!" The voice of a demon called me. JK! It was Nicole.  It was girls nights out tonight.  So, Nicole,  Jaclyn and I are going out for karaoke tonight.
"I am in the shower!" I shouted as loud as I can.  Making sure Nicole could hear me.

I get dressed and head out with the girls. The boys, of course, does the only thing they're good at; video games. They just stayed home playing games all the time. I kissed Izaaq goodbye and waved at both Wyatt and Brandon. 

Jaclyn is our driver.  She loves driving for some reason.  So,  for every road trip that we have,  she will,  forever and always,  be our driver. We entered and as it turns out,  Nicole had made a reservation. We made our way to our specific room and thanked the guy in charge as he taught us how to change songs and stuff. Pfft!  As if we don't know! We are masters at the karaoke stuff... Just don't know the specific names for each of the specific buttons.  Since Jaclyn is our designated driver,  Nicole and I drank our asses out.

"So,  anything happened on lunch?" Nicole asks me while Jaclyn is singing Stitches by Shawn Mended.
"God,  for the last time, lunch does not mean a date. And so, lunch does not mean cheating. Now, shut up. I wanna hear Jaclyn singing a Shawn Mendes song," I say. Trying to change the subject.

Ever since I told her about having lunch with Zach, she keeps on saying that I shouldn't go through it. She won't admit it but I know exactly what she was thinking in her devious, little mind.

I guess she just also wanted to listen to Jaclyn singing Stitches because she gave up already.  Which is very unlike her.  She barely gives up. Never,  if possible. But sometimes,  that comes in handy.

We sang our butts off and took some selfies together. I guess Nicole and I were very drunk that the guy in charge at the karaoke had to help Jaclyn carry us to get to the car.  But,  in a way,  we also helped Jaclyn because she managed to get the guy's number. And that,  that is a sign of early love.

Jaclyn sent me home and Izaaq somehow managed to put me to sleep. 

This morning, I woke up with a hangover. Izaaq gave me an aspirin and said that I didn't have to go to work today because he already helped to call me in sick. That sweetheart. He also will be staying home today because he told his boss that he had to take care of me.  Well,  in a way,  that was kinda true. 

I lightly kissed him on the lips while mumbling thank you.  He also had prepared me breakfast in bed and they were my favorite breakfast meal. Pancakes,  waffles and honey and maple syrup.  That man.  That man that I absolutely love.

We spent the whole day in bed, watching movies while eating some nachos and chips with dipping. We watched classical 90s movies like Titanic,  10 Things I Hate About You,  Clueless,  Sixteen Candles and She's All That.

Later that night,  we all went out for dinner. Us both, and Wyatt and Nicole including the twins.  Along with Jaclyn's new boyfriend,  Aiden.   He was the guy from karaoke.