With a Stranger // Taylor Zakhar Perez

4: Bet

I couldn't even open my mouth to speak nor eat. Getting to know him is like surfing tidal waves while on heels. Who would have thought that this stranger, dreamed by teenagers through his charm, has taken me on a lunch in his own restaurant.

When the world turned fast, I bumped on piled fortune.

"What else do I need to know? Your net worth? The mansions and cars you own? Goodness, I can't even take a bite! I feel like I owe you a lot." Letting those words come out of my mouth like bubbles, he managed to pop them one by one through his smirk.

"Please, don't make my tummy ache. Just enjoy the food. You deserve that." What on earth did I do to deserve being treated like this?

Every delicacy set on a platter captivated my eyes, but one locked my soul onto it. The sauce that lingered on its body felt like the ocean waves calling my name. I took the entire half of the grilled steak and laid on my plate. Seeing its juice slid as I slice it into piece is worth savoring. I couldn't contain myself from putting my energy on cutting until it was a clean silver platter again.

What made the entire meal embarrassing was the sudden burp that awfully came out of my system. I covered my lips with a fist and slightly looked down.

"You look so cute." Please. Don't. Compliments are flaring me up.

"It seems like you're suggesting me to burp all day." 

The VIP room became a box full of unexpected laughter and talks. Mom's right. One day, you'll meet people that would flip your world upside down and change your entire perception of life.

The good thing here is that I didn't look for it. It just came.

He just came.

---

After having ourselves full from lunch, we headed out of the restaurant in glee. The anxious face I tried to conceal moments ago, completely vanished in just one meal. Now I'm comfortably held by this man I look up to.

His big hands locked its fingers onto mine, carefully pulling me to places he had on mind. There were still a lot of people eyeing at us. It bugged my inner peace, thinking I might be doing something wrong. But the tighter he grips on me, the more secured I feel.

"What's the title of your film?" The question left my mouth all of a sudden. His head vaguely snapped back as his eyes widened in awe. Don't give me that look, man. I ain't no fangirl.

"Are you gonna answer me or what?"

"Wow, easy there baby girl. You know, there's this quote from somewhere. It says that the shorter a woman is, the patience just vibes along and pairs up." Before finishing his sentence, my hands were ready to slap the hell outta him. The next act I pulled didn't work out, for pulling my hand out of his grip was really a wrong move for a small girl like me.

You admit being small?

Shut up. Every girl is small, 98% as I say. The remaining 2 are I don't know, are they even girls or blessed human beings favored by heavens?

"Well, I'm a model." My feet automatically halted as I heard his initial answer.

"Come on, I know it's obvious." He dragged me again to continue our walk. Promptly glancing ahead opened my mind to a new adventure he's taking me to. A trailed staircase piled towards the shore, where the waves carried by the winds crashed against the sand.

"I starred in The Kissing Booth 2." 

"Kissing booth? Never heard of that before? Is it written to solely come up with a movie or it was a book?" I am not really a fan of anything that isn't Paramount produced. Well, they should be paying me for being such a fan.