Chapter 6 - A date, you say?

Z's P O V

We were about to finish the date—I mean, the meal—when my phone rang.

"Do you mind?" I asked Kaye as I answered the call without leaving my seat.

"Not at all." She gave me permission to take the call, nodding at me as if I needed to ask.

I turned myself to the side and uttered, "J?" I looked back at Kaye and saw that she was staring at me.

Kaye looked away, and I didn't leave her eyes while I spoke with J through the phone, "Man, I'm starving; I can't even focus. Where are you? Bring me something to eat, man. This wonderful beast of a father won't let me have my lunch until I finish the report."

I smiled; my eyes wouldn't just leave the beautiful woman in front of me as I replied, "I got you, man. But that's your fault." I scoffed at him in a joking manner and added, "I'll be back in a bit."

"Where are you? I asked!" J cried out loud.

I glanced at my phone, then looked at Kaye again and said with a straight face, "I'm… I am currently on a date, so catch ya later."

"What? You moth—" *beep*

I hurriedly ended the call before he could say more. J can be quite annoyingly loud and will literally just spout nonsense here and there.

"Uhh, that was my friend asking me to bring him something." I smiled awkwardly.

"Maybe I'll just have the same thing to go," I told her as I scratched the back of my head.

She was just staring at me for a couple of good seconds while looking as beet red as a tomato before she casually said, "Of course."

"Oliver! Come here." She raised her hand and, in hushed tones, called out to the same waiter, who had been glaring at me for quite some time. He nodded and came up to us, waiting for her next words.

I took the initiative and said, "Oh, I'll do it," I turned to the Oliver guy and said, "Hi! I'd like one fish and chip to go, please. And can I ask for the bill? Please include her meal." I declared.

Kaye hurriedly reached out and said, "Oh, no, you don't have to. I'll pay for mine!"

"I insist. You can treat me next time, though!" I replied, giving a wide grin.

"Hmph." She scoffed behind her stifled smile that she was excited for the next time.

'o kawaii koto' I thought to myself, imitating Kaguya-sama.

When Oliver returned to fix the bill, Kaye began a new conversation: "So... you work around here?"

"Yeah, just a couple of blocks away from here," I said before I finished up my juice.

There are plenty of offices and establishments near the café, which explains the rush of people going in and out. A few blocks from the shop are skyscrapers and tall offices, where my office is located.

She hummed and said, "I see... Then, I guess, I'll see you here often?" I'm not sure what reply she is expecting because it seemed more like a suggestion to me than a question.

"Sure you will! Though I hope you won't get used to my face." I told her enthusiastically, and she just smiled as Oliver came back with the bill.

"The order will be out in 5 minutes, and, uh, here's the bill." He smiled politely at me.

I settled the payment and waited for the takeout. There was an awkward silence during the wait. I was running out of things to talk about, and the woman in front of me just casually sat there, looking beyond the glass wall.

Oliver soon came out with the order and handed it to me. Feeling down, I took Kaye's attention from outside as I stood up and grabbed my things from the table. "I- I hate to go, but this has been a great lunch; I really enjoyed it. I very much thank you for your time."

"I enjoyed it as well," she said as she stood up from her seat. "If you're in a hurry, don't let me keep you."

I put on my sunglasses again and let my headphones hang around my neck. "So..." I paused, trying to think of what to say next, and settled on, "I guess I'll see you around." I asked, almost pleading.

She smiled at me and replied, "Of course. I'll see you around."

I am at a loss for those smiles. How can someone make such a gesture feel like it's out of this world? This feeling is so foreign that I am taken aback. I forced myself to smile as beautifully as she did, hoping that I wouldn't look weird.

I'm already over my lunch break, and I find myself fighting my urges to not want to leave, so I bid my goodbyes once again and head back to the office.

* Xx * x * x * x * x * x * x * x * xX*

Back at the office, I noticed my friend, J, who appeared lifeless as a result of the frantic scrambling their team had to endure. He was so full of energy this morning, but look at the guy now; I can't help but sigh. His usually unruly hair looks more like a riot now.

I put the food on J's desk. As soon as he saw and smelled the food, the glow in his eyes came back, which made me laugh.

"Hey, take your lunch. You're doing great, by the way." I told him to try and lift his spirit up. He knows how the guy has been seriously hunching over their current project. I guess there was really no need since the food did its job.

"Thanks, bro. I don't know what I'd do without you." J said dramatically.

"Ew, just eat up, will you?" I turned to go to my desk, but he called me out.

"Café Dream... Oh, so you went there for lunch, huh?" He raised his eyebrow and threw a smirk at me. There goes the ever annoying friend again.

"A date, you said?" As his move curled upwards, J said.

"Yes, and so?" I replied nonchalantly, shrugging.

"Oh, you, you know I was with you earlier, right?" He inquired, his brow never moving an inch lower.

"You were practically drooling over that pretty cashier." He teased me while taking the containers out.

"No, I'm not." I kept my face as neutral as I could and showed my usual poker face.

"Stop that. You look like a meme." I added then continued walking out of his office.

We both have our own offices in front of the cubicles of the team we handle, although mine is bigger. The perks of having your friend's parents dote on you, I guess.

"You got it, bro! If you need help from the great dating guru, you know where to find me." He shouts before I close the glass door, and I just give him a deadly glare.

Our parents established the company 20 years ago, and we have been working here since forever. Our parents were generous enough to let us poke around the office when they learned that both of us were widely interested in the art field.

Although we just graduated from college two years ago, we have been under Ethan's wing since our senior year in high school. We began as a nuisance duo, observing how the job is done and soaking up all the knowledge we could.

They were not planning to do it that early, but he decided to teach us everything because we begged for it and since we will have to replace him eventually once he retires.

They never dictated to us which path to take, which I am forever grateful for. I have a great fervor for music and the arts, but due to something unforeseen that happened, I kissed my love for music goodbye. Since J and I share the same passion for arts and programming, we both decided to work for our parent's company. We were both fortunate to be able to put the fundamentals and correct basics into practice while working for the company at the same time. While the fundamentals and proper basics were implemented and taught during college, we were both able to do so.

Our company offers a lot but focuses more on graphic arts and game development. I am a graphic artist/illustrator and web developer, while J is in the programming department. Both of us are team leads and have a team we manage, which was given to us a year after we graduated. Ethan gave us the chance to handle our own team since the company grew and we were taking on more clients, giving both of us our own offices.

He is like a father figure to me and my sister, and J is like my long lost brother. With the help of my other relatives, the Scotts were there for me during my darkest times, and I couldn't thank them enough for everything they have done for us.