The First Date
As the loud noise echoed around them, July jumped. Some applause caught July’s attention and took her focus away from Chansel.
She looked around at the smiles on the faces of a few people. The others waved their hands in disappointment. They expected a riot. July finally breathed a sigh of relief when they stopped paying attention to her.
“I told you, it’s embarrassing being the center of attention!” July muttered as she stood up.
“Oh? Who’s the main instigator of this incident?” Chansel seemed to disagree with July’s words.
“It’s you!” July pointed her finger at him.
“Come on! You’re the one who created the drama!”
“And who started the drama in the first place? You did!” July refused to back down.
“Can I hold your hand?” Chansel said.
“Huh? What?” July blinked her eyes several times.
“I shouldn’t have had to ask your permission!” Chansel hissed.
July held her breath. Chansel’s fingers slid between hers. The man tightened his grip, and July felt the warmth of his palm.
“Will we walk?” he asked again as if he needed her consideration. July looked up at the man and nodded. “Do you need flowers?”
“Flowers? For what?” July furrowed her brow in confusion.
I don’t want you to tell people I didn’t buy you flowers on our first date.”
“Dates don’t need flowers.” July rolled her eyes as she realized what he had just said.
Date, he said. So she was on a date with Chansel?
The thought of it made butterflies flutter in her stomach and her heart beat faster. Chansel was her date, which meant that this man belonged to her. It was something she hadn’t dared to imagine before.
No, she hadn’t even dared to dream about it ten minutes ago. It still felt like a dream. But when she looked down and found Chansel’s fingers intertwined with hers, Everything became real.
Their relationship was not a mirage and vanished when approached.
“So what do you need?” Chansel asked again as if he still hadn’t given up on getting her something to prove their first date.
“I don’t know.”
“How about we get something to eat?”
“Eat?”
“I’m hungry.” Chansel rubbed his stomach.
“Alright.” July smiled at him.
She followed the man’s footsteps as they walked side by side, glancing at their intertwined hands. All she had to do was make sure she still held Chansel’s hand. She was afraid that the connection between their hands would vanish without a trace.
Chansel entered the restaurant in the mall. He doesn’t ask too many questions about the menu that July wanted. It seemed he was hungry and wanted to devour instead of pondering the choice.
July remained silent. She followed Chansel’s lead as he chose a seat in a corner of the room near the bookcase. Soon after they were seated, a waiter approached their table, menus in hand.
“What would you like to eat?” he asked. “Pick something you like.”
“Sure.” July perused the menus in the book. “I want the loaded chicken carbonara cups!”
“All right, one loaded chicken carbonara cup, miss,” the girl wrote in her book.
“Since I’m hungry, I’ll have the fagioli al forno.”
“Fagioli al forno will be served, sir.”
“Yes. And for drinks?”
“Mineral water!” July replied.
She still didn’t want to drink anything sweet. She was still scared. She had spilled a soft drink on her clothes earlier.
“I’ll have the same.”
“Let me get this straight: one order of chicken carbonara and one order of fagioli al forno. Water for drinks?”
“Yes,” July replied with a smile.
“Your order will be out shortly, so please be patient,” the server said as she was on her way out.
“Thank you,” July replied with a smile.
The employee went to the kitchen, and the atmosphere around the table fell silent again. Chansel remained quiet as well, while July struggled with the situation. Especially since her heart has been acting up lately.
“Spaghetti Cupcake, your menu choice is also cute!” Chansel started a conversation with a soft chuckle.
“What?”
“The loaded chicken carbonara cups are noodles in the shape of cupcakes.”
“I was curious, so I ordered that menu,” she admitted. “It looks so adorable. I can try to make it at home later.”
“When you make it at home, make sure you cook a big portion!” Chansel reached for July’s hand, which rested on the table.
“Why?” July still looked at her hand, which Chansel held.
“Because if you cook that dish at home, you have to invite me, and I will not settle for a small serving.”
“I-I forgot.” July looked down as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. She didn’t want to show her flushed face.
“I’ll remind you if you forget, so don’t worry!”
July held her breath as Chansel squeezed her hand. Her heart beat even faster, and her breath seemed to shorten. Fortunately, her order came before July could pant and run out of breath. July breathed a sigh of relief when the man finally let go of her hand.
They served two cupcakes on a plate, along with nuts and boiled asparagus. Meanwhile, Chansel’s order arrived in large part. It fits with the words from a few minutes ago when this guy mentioned eating in large portions.
“Thank you,” July said as the server finished placing the dishes on their table.
“Would you like to try this?” he asked, spooning out some baked noodles dominated by yellow and red colors. July replied with a shake of her head. “You said you were hungry before.”
“I can order more later.”
“You should eat a lot to stay healthy,” July insisted. She cut her noodles and ate them with steamed sugar snap peas.
“Okay, if you say so, I won’t protest anymore,” Chansel said with a smile.
“You’re obedient, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I am. But I’m only obedient to the person I love.”
Chansel’s answer almost made July choke. But she didn’t want to delve into this topic any further.
“By the way, why did you order this menu?” July asked.
She tried to change the subject. She knew that Chansel ordered his food because he was hungry.
“I wanted to eat something that would fill me up. I was happy to see your face, but my stomach needs food,” he said, pulling another spoonful from the serving plate.
“You’re right.”
“Do you agree?” Chansel sounded incredulous.
“Your words are true, so there’s no room for me not to agree,” July replied.
“I’m surprised that you’re not angry at me for saying it rather than trying to flatter you.”
“You don’t always have to sugarcoat it. Eat when you’re hungry because you’re hungry.”
“Yeah, I guess so.”
July smiled. To be honest, the man’s straightforward behavior didn’t surprise her anymore. A man like that reminded her a little of Elliot. But Elliot was in a different league when it came to charming girls and his superior loyalty. She was sure that Elliot would say the opposite: “When I look at you, I feel full.” It was annoying, but when those words came from a handsome, blue-eyed man with a seductive smile, what could a girl do?
“Why do you smile at yourself?”
“Ah! I remembered my friend. You don’t know him.”
“Who?” Chansel tilted his head.
“Elliot Evans, the biggest hotel tycoon in town.”
The man raised an eyebrow. “Do you know him?”
July nodded. “I told you, he’s my friend.”
“A friend? Are you kidding me?”
“Yes.”
“Do you know him?”
“That asshole. I know him,” Chansel shrugged. His expression showed that he didn’t like Elliot. But he continued to devour the food on his plate, undisturbed. He seemed to be more concerned about starving himself than being in a bad mood.
“Asshole?”
“Damn, that Evans guy came to my office once to design his new house. He said all my designs were stiff because I don’t like cake. What’s the connection? You understand that none of this has anything to do with it, right?” Chansel spoke with a fiery passion. Her hand even tightened around the handle of the fork. “I want to throw him out the window, but unfortunately he’s an important client with a high project value.”
“Elliot said that?” July laughed. “I can imagine his expression when he said all that to you!”
“Yeah, baffling, right? Even crazier that you’re his friend!” Chansel almost squealed.
“Don’t shout; you’ll choke!” July pushed the glass of water in Chansel’s direction. The man started to cough and choke. He had a piece of tomato or pasta stuck in his throat.
“How do you know someone like that? I heard he even raped a young girl, got her pregnant, and then forced her to marry him.”
“Yes?”
“And you’re befriending someone like that?” Chansel’s eyebrow raised in disbelief. “You can’t be serious!”
“Well, I am.” July smiled. “He’s always been kind of mean and rude, but he’s never been in trouble with friends like me and Becca. But it was that young girl you’re talking about that changed him. He’s a good person. You could visit him once in a while. Your relationship will get better.”
“Like I want to,” he snorted.
“If you want to be with me, you’ll have to meet him often.”
Chansel grumbled. He seemed to dislike the idea. July reached out and held the back of his hand. Chansel looked up. He could see the man’s eyes on her.
“I would also like to meet your friends.”
The man inhaled, and his eyelids lowered. “Unfortunately, I have no friends. I’m different from you.”
“You can introduce me to your brothers and sisters. How about that?”
“One day, I’ll introduce you to her.” The man shifted his gaze. He didn’t seem to be in the mood to talk about friendship or anything like that.
“Are you mad at me?”
The man turned his hand over until it was on July’s palm, then he squeezed it. “Why would I be mad at you?”
“Well, something about Elliot or other things made you mad.” July wanted to make Chansel feel better. The man pouted. She wanted to pinch his cheek.
“Like Elliot, or whoever knows you better than me,” he whispered. He stopped eating altogether. Either he had lost his appetite, he was already full, or he was afraid that he would choke again.
“Isn’t that obvious? But don’t you want to get to know me better?” July tilted her head. A smile played on her lips. “You said you wouldn’t make me regret loving you, right?”
“Yes. But you have more than I can give. You have friends, and I don’t.”
“Is that important? My friends can be your friends. Besides, I want you.” July speaks louder. “Not Elliot or anyone else.”
“I don’t like it when you mention his name around me!”
“Well, then you have to make sure that I only say your name and not anybody else’s!” She challenged him.
“Alright!” Chansel smiled and lifted July’s hand to place it on his lips. The man planted a quick kiss on the back of July’s hand. “You better get ready.”
July smiled back. They didn’t talk much. But it made her happy to talk to Chansel without getting stuck on one topic. Besides, today she could see the pouty expression on the man’s face. He was adorable.
“I’ll get ready for that, sir,” she said.
“Chansel!”
“What?”
“Not sir or Mr. Jadwin. Chansel, July. I’m your lover today,” Chansel said with a smile.
“Oh, all right.”
“I want to remind you; that you’ve forgotten that you belong to me.”
Chansel’s last words brought a smile to July’s lips. He said she was his, which meant Chansel belonged to her as well. Ah, at the thought of it, she had butterflies in her stomach.
