Leaving Behind

44. Brownie, Chocolate, and Latte

VEGAS

He looked at me in disbelief. Even his mouth agape, surprise meeting me in such place. Fortunately, there was no anger nor annoyed from his expression and from the way he looked at me.

"I promised you we will meet today." I smiled at Pete confidently and looked proud.

"How---"

"He tortured me." Khun said while staring at me with both of his hands on his own hips. "And begged. So we're even." He changed his tone and expression from looking angry to look very pleasantly satisfied in one second.

"It was worth it," I  shrugged, making it seem like it's no big deal, like the cool guy.

-Flashback-

I called Khun for like the twentienth times. If he thought I would stop at 20 missed calls, he was wrong. I kept on calling him until he finally answered.

"For f*ck's sake, I'm not giving up Pete for you!" Khun shouted. Luckily, I've already put some distance between my ear and my phone. "I'm not cancelling my plan tomorrow!!!"

"You know he is stressed. Why would you want to add more stress to his already stressed self by going out with you and your two other bodyguards?" I can hear Khun grunted. What a music to my ears, a pleasant to my soul.

"Beg." That one stunned me.

"What?" I asked in disbelief. I case I heard him wrong.

"Beg me then. If you want me to let you spend tomorrow with Pete, beg me."

-Flashback End-

To protect my privacy and dignity, "I'll stop here." Pete giving me a side eye once he knew that he would not get what he anticipated from the beginning of my story.

Meanwhile, Khun turned his back from me with gusto, making sure the scarf wrapped around his neck hit Pete. Pete turned himself so that he could face Khun. He chuckled, knowing Khun deliberately doing it.

Khun looked at his two bodyguards. "We are leaving Pete here. Let's go!" Khun put each of his arms on both bodyguards.

"But... what about the dessert? Khun No---" The tall bodyguard protested even though he should have known that Khun would never give a f*ck about anything aside from what he had decided.

Pete chuckled while watching them getting farther and farther until he lost his sight of them. While I watched him, I witnessed the side of him that I've never seen before, only heard from others. The cheerful and energetic him.

He turned, then looked at me. He caught me staring at him. With an eyebrow raised, he asked, "What?"

"When was the last time you were seen smiling this genuinely?" I asked him without taking my eyes out of him. Without even blinking.

"I've been like this all the time." Pete defended.

I just nodded, thinking that was what he wanted people to see him, or at least that was what he believed. "Let's go." I escorted him to our table that was booked by Khun for himself and his bodyguards.

We sat, we ordered, and we waied for our orders to arrive. I can tell that Pete was truly fascinated with the cafe's interior. His eyes wandered around the cafe.

"Do you like it that much? This cafe?" I asked, curious.

"Are you kidding? This is so Khun Noo!" Pete chuckled. I raised my eyebrows, but I still do not really get what he meant by that. "This is horrible!" He continued while laughing.

He gave me a little creep over there. I can accept everything about Pete, but not this. The pink wall was decorated with bling bling curtains with frames of Disney's princesses.

I was not sure if this was just my imagination, but I can clearly see other customers' eyes glancing towards our table, looking at me specifically. I looked around. This cafe was full of moms with their children and girls teenagers.

I looked at Pete. He wore a white t-shirt covered with a light blue jacket and light blue jeans matched with his jacket. His smooth, silky, black hair moved as his head moved only added more to his cuteness. Somehow, this cafe's theme suited him, while I...

"You are so out of place." Pete commented. I looked at my outfit. I was wearing black jeans with a silk marroon collared shirt, with a pair of sunglasses that were hung at the pocket on my shirt. My hair was gelled and slick back.

"Everyone is looking at you. You stand out so bad. Who would have thought dark colour outfit could be more noticeable than the lighter one?" Pete teased me.

"Shall we go out then?" I asked, knowing he would refuse.

"No! I ordered their best dessert and drink according to the reviews I read on the Internet, and I'm not backing off." He pouted, crossing his arms.

"You even looked it up on the Internet?"

"Well... who knew if I would be coming here again. Since I'll be going here, of course I should get their most popular dessert." Pete was still in his defensive mode.

Pete was right, though. "Besides, it's a quest from Khun Noo. To escort him here. Until someone appears." He added. Suddenly, he furrowed his eyebrows, "Will my annual leave be deducted from this?" He asked.

"Well... There's nothing wrong with that. Maybe I should bring you out fore date more often. You'll do the research, I eat the best food you recommended." I purposely ignored his question, focusing only on the cafe and the food's part.

Right before opening his mouth to say something, a waitress arrived to serve the dessert and beverages we ordered. I ordered a glass of iced latte. The taste was just like I liked it. The coffee bean they used was not too acidic, and the tasted was not too sweet or too bitter. They balanced it well.

Meanwhile, Pete ordered a glass of iced chocolate with whipped cream and the cocoa powder as the toppings. The whipped cream helped to lighten the bitter and the thick taste of the iced chocolate.

The dessert Pete ordered was the most well-known dessert sold from this cafe. It was dark chocolate brownies with vanilla ice cream as topping. It was decorated with chocolate syrup. "This is perfect!" I can gear Pete muffled.

After Pete finished his dessert, I went to the counter to settle the bill. Pete seemed awkward by my gesture, but still, he let me be. We went out to the place where I parked my motorbike.

"Let's go eat rice. I bet you haven't eaten a proper meal yet, have you?" I decided for us to go get a proper meal.

"I just ate, you know." Pete complained.

"There is no way you can be full only after eating a plate of flour with egg and sugar." I know how big Pete's appetite was. He can even eat two people worth of meals at one time. "Come on. It's on me." I offered him the blue helmet I just bought a few days ago while I wore the old red one.

"No worries. The restaurant is pretty far from here. Once we arrive, your stomach will start to growl again." Pete pouted hearing my joke. Pete accepted the blue helmet I handed to him. The helmet switched hands.

We arrived at the restaurant about an hour and a half later. We ate our early dinner and it was already past five o'clock in the evening by the time we finished our meal. "Let's go somewhere else." I suggested to Pete.

He seemed reluctant whether to agree or to disagree. "It's almost dark. Khun Noo will throw a tantrum if I am not back in an hour. Even the journey from here to the main family mansion will take more than an hour."

I chuckled. "What are you? Cinderella?" I said jokingly.

"I'm not joking." Pete said nervously. I don't know why, but his reaction somehow offended me. Does he still not fully trust me?

"I am also serious." I said with my sharp voice. Pete seemed taken aback by the change in my tone. I soften my voice, "We need to talk."

"Talk?" Pete seems confused.

"There is something you want to talk with me. I want to hear it. I also want you to hear what I want to say." I said calmly.

It took at least 15 seconds before Pete finally agreed to my suggestion. We rode the motorbike to the park we used to come before. It was the park we went the night after the grenade incident night.