Chapter 8
The evening comes and I’m almost done preparing the dishes to be served for dinner. I don’t know what Jared likes to eat, but I tried my best picking the ingredients used for each dish.
“Will be like them? These are my preferred dishes after all.”
1 haven’t cooked for a long time. The last time I did was during Lucas birthday 8 months ago. We held the party at one of the five star hotels in the city. He came to me after the party, asking to make him something to eat. It startled me. It was a wonder why he’d do that when there’s so much to eat at the party? I cooked him his favorite soup, anyway. I thought I was special to him, he’s craving for my cooking. You know, people would say the best way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, and I learned to cook in the first place to impress him.
After that incident, Lucas went back to the usual way he treated me. Nothing new, nothing else. I didn’t complain and continued serving him in silence, following every word he’d say, expecting nothing in return but a little affection and appreciation from him. Yet, I got nothing. How miserable. I was pathetic,
“Daphne, stop thinking about him. You should be unloving him now,” I repeated the same sentence many times to remind myself what to do. I wonder, how do people usually stop loving a person! I couldn’t hate Lucas, and hate isn’t the opposite of love. In fact, hating him would only occupy more space in my head and it will be a greater problem if I can’t get him off my mind
But if it is not hate, what is it?
*Ting Ting”
The sound of my doorbell echoes inside the house. I shrug my thoughts off and check the time. It’s already past six o’clock. Jared should be here anytime.
I look at the table to see if there’s anything missing. Everything is in place, the food, utensils, and wine, while I have to keep the dessert in the fridge. In the meantime, nothing seems missing.
“Ting Ting”
The doorbell keeps ringing that I have to rush to the mirror and fix my hair. Even though this is not the relationship that other lovers have, I still want to look presentable in front of my so–called boyfriend.
“Ting Ting”
“Coming!” 1 rush to the door to open it Jared is there, standing gallantly while holding a bouquet of assorted flowers. “Whoat What is this? A festival!” I joke while staring at the flowers. He flinches and shyly gives me the boughen
*For you” is what he said while looking away. “I didn’t know what flower you like so I got you a lot at once.
Pilt: To think that the Vice President of Gold Corp is acting bushful in front of me now.
“Thank you. Come in I open the door wider and usher him inside. “The dinner is ready. This way,
1 lead the way to the dining table, where everything is prepared, “I don’t know what you want to eat, so I cook these foods instead. I’m not an excellent cook but I did my best to make something edible.”
Jared looks dumbfounded as he turns his gaze on the table. What’s there to be surprised by? There’s nothing really special on the menu.
I press my lips together to hold in a giggle. “I’ll get an empty vase for the flowers.”
Carefully, I arrange the flowers in the largest vase I have, Who would have thought he’d bring me a couple of dozen flowers in our first dinner togethert Frankly, he’s the first ever person to give me flowers other than my brother. Even Lucas, who’s been my friend since college, never gave
me a stein.
Ah Lucas. I should really stop thinking about him.
“You made all these?” Jared’s eyes sparkle as he gazes on the table, which looks better after adding up the vase in the center. “Daphne, you just keep amusing me?
Huh? But I didn’t prepare this dinner to amuse you
“Ah, Just consider this as a humble celebration for us getting together although I don’t think it’s worth celebrating” I take a seat and gestures to him to do the same. “Please sit down”
Jared nods his head. He pulls the chair under the table and settles down. “Are you living alone?”
His question perks my ears. “Ols. Yeah. My family’s living in the province. Ah, wait, I forgot to open the wine boule.” I’m about to stand Jared’s hand caught mine.
1/3
dn
when
“Let me do it.” He loosens the grip and stands up. “Since you’re the one who prepared the food, let me do this at least.”
“Okay”
It feels better when he’s treating me like this. Unlike earlier in the morning during the meeting, Jared is nicer when we’re alone.
He pours the wine on our glasses and goes back to his seat. “Something feels missing “Jared commented.
What? What did I miss! I checked every detail earlier, though.
“Hmm. Don’t you feel like we forgot something?” He taps his fingertips on the table while thinking.
“I don’t have any idea. What do you think it is?“Jared, really? I thought you only wanted to know where I live so I invited you for dinner as an excuse for letting you in my house but now.. He’s practically saying the dinner I worked hard for lacks something.
Just tell me if you think my kitchen isn’t that romantic for a dinner date!
“Aha! Do you have a candlestick?”
What? Why is he asking if I have them! Don’t tell me he wants to light a candle.
Jared smirks while nodding his head. “Yeah, Daphne. Why don’t we light a candle in the candlestick before we eat! It’s going to be romantic.”
But I didn’t mean it to be romantic! Can’t we just have dinner like how other people do Why do we need candles and candlestick suddenly?
These are questions in my head that I badly want to ask him, but couldn’t.
I don’t have candlesticks here, but I have candles. So, how many do you want to light?” I didn’t want to round sarcastic, but his idea of having a candlelit dinner is unexpected. The light in the ceiling is already bright, there’s really no need for candles
“Is that so! We can put them in the glass. I think three candles are enough if they’re medium size and two if they’re large. Jared seems to be having fun in his response. His lips are widespread in a smile that’s too blinding.
Please, stop showing off your pearly white teeth.
“Alright. I’ll be right back. Excuse me,” I said, excusing myself.
I head to my room and look for candles inside the drawers. I remember buying a dozen a month ago.
Even though the facility in the building is well–maintained, it’s inevitable to have occasional power outages when there’s natural calamity like typhoons in the area.
Well, I keep them in case there’s an emergency blackout.
I hate it when it’s dark, thanks to my claustrophobia. So keeping a lot of candles and other emergency lights has been my habit since childhood.
“There you are.” I grab the box with scented candles. I could use a non–scented one but to think it will be for Jared’s romantic dinner idea, I guess he’ll prefer the ones with spent. “Let’s go with this lavender scent then.”
I go back to the kitchen with a box of lavender scented candies. “I’ll get some glasses. Hold on a sec.
Jared bobs his head as he watches me place the box on the kitchen counter to get the glasses. After choosing the most appropriate glass which could perfectly fit the candles, I also grabbed the match.
“Phew. Done.” I return to my seat with lit candles inside, the glasses in my hand. “I wish this would suffice with your romantic dinner idea, Mr. Vice President
Jared laughs at my remark and helps me with the candles. “There’s nothing else I could wish for,” is what he muttered before dropping another bomb, “So, should we switch off some lights? Just this one right above us. He said it with a sweet smile that I want to squish his face.
Good thing I’m able to hold it in.
“You do it I don’t want to be the one turning off the light. I rather close my eyes now so when the lights are off, my vision could easily adjust. Otherwise, I might shriek like a maniac while having a panic attack
Will it be alright though? Well, there are candles so it should be fine. But Jared’s definition of romantic isn’t really my taste.
Okay. Where’s the switch?
“It’s on the wall on your left.” I close my eyes after responding to him. “Tell me when you’ve turned it of
“I wih. But why are you closing your eyes, Dapline?”
2/3
Why! Just because. It’s necessary so don’t mind me.
“N–Nothing. Just do it quickly so we can eat. I’m famished.”
I remain in my seat, shutting my eyes while waiting to hear the magical ‘click‘ of the switch. After that, Ell only have to count 1-10 before opening my eyes again.
“Whoa! Look at this, Daphne. It’s marvelous!” Jared sounds excited, just like a young boy who’s having a good time.
How can he enjoy himself in this epic situation?
1 can hear the familiar footsteps coming towards me.
He must have turned off the light already.
I shake my head. “Is it dark now? I told you to let me know when you’re done turning off the light”
I couldn’t help but frown when I didn’t hear a reply. What’s up with him?
Jared”
I flinch when I feel his breath on
h on my face. Since I shut my eyes, I do not know that he’s coming closer to me.
Jared.. S–Stay away.”
Eh! Why? I just want to see you up close. You can open your ey
now, Daphne.”
With what he said, I slowly opened my eyes, which I eventually regretted.
O HUI
His lips touched my forehead in an instant. It’s brief, but I can feel my heart skipping a beat.
“You’re truly beautiful, Daphne. It’s just a simple compliment from Jared. The compliment I often heard from others. But when he said it himself, it felt ten times better.
T–Thank you
Jared caresses my face and pecks on
s on my f
forehead again. “For our first romantic dinner, shall we
I nod my head, smiling. “Yeah. Let’s eat.”
He goes back to his seat while smiling at me.
The room isn’t too dark yet, it’s still uncomfortable. With the lights in the living room and on the kitchen counter, there’s no way it would suffocate me. I just have to hang on until the electricity is back. There should be at least some emergency power source, not
The fire on the candles, gently dancing with the wind, catches my attention. It makes our table look fancier. Indeed, 1 may have not considered in before, but Jared’s idea isn’t that bad.
I’m almost moved to tears with the lovely candlelit dinner set in front of me when the rest of the lights went out. Followed by the roaring thunder and shocking lightning visible through the glass windows. I realized the day isn’t over yet.
It’s only getting crazier,
Come crazy! Embrace me!
“Daph kish now kam
