A Promise Of Romance (MewGulf AU)

🌞Chapter 44🌻

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When Gulf got home and told Bright about their dinner with Mew at the Hotel Ritz, his friend was just as exuberant as Gulf had expected.

"What? With an aristocrat? Awesome!" Bright exclaimed. "I'm glad I brought a necktie."

"You brought a necktie?" Gulf asked.

"The guide book said so," was the explanation. "It said to be prepared for anything and bring along a suit. I wasn't going to at first. But you can't go to the Hotel Ritz unless you're wearing a tie, can you?"

"Really?" Gulf asked, horrified.

He thought back to the last time he was there. He couldn't remember ever going except dressed as a woman. But all the men had been wearing ties.

"What's wrong Gulf?" Bright asked.

"I don't have a necktie," Gulf confessed.

Bright was surprised. "Really?"

If Gulf had realized his lapse sooner, he could have found someone to borrow a tie from, but now it was too late. The only thing he had that was nice enough to wear to the Hotel Ritz was a short dress he had brought with him from Mew's apartment to wear tomorrow.

He hesitated.

"Bright, you can't tell anyone about what you see today," he suddenly said.

Bright looked confused.

"Absolutely, and I mean no one," he insisted. "If you tell anyone, I really will stop being your friend this time."

Bright was intimidated by Gulf's expression. He nodded without understanding why he couldn't say anything.

Gulf took the dress out of the closet. He started to change silently in front of Bright, who was flushing and going pale by turns.

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Bright's flight would leave early the next morning, so they brought his bags with them to the hotel he had first rented. They left it there then headed to the meeting spot.

Mew was already waiting in the lobby.

"Sorry we're late," Gulf said, smiling brightly.

Mew seemed truly surprised at how Gulf was dressed.

"I didn't think you'd come dressed like that voluntarily," he remarked.

"I dodn't have anything else that I could wear to a formal hotel like this," Gulf replied glumly.

"But it looks good on you," Mew said earnestlty. "It makes me want to hold you in my arms and kiss you right here, but I suppose I shouldn't in front of your friend?"

"Obviously," Gulf snapped, slapping down Mew's suggestion.

Bright seemed very nervous to be standing in front of Mew in the middle of an expensive restaurant. But Mew spoke to him in his broken Thai language and Bright answered in awkward English, and the dinner passed in peace.

"Don't forget our meeting tomorrow," Mew whispered quickly  as they parted so that Bright wouldn't understand. He smiled with relief at Gulf's silent nod.

TBC