Two Doors Down

Five

Dinner was beautiful. A bit more crowded with families as it was a Sunday, but they both liked the warmth this lent to the otherwise snobby atmosphere of the restaurant. Patsy took her time at the lamb carving station, while Luigi loaded up his plate with dim sum.

They met back at their assigned table (next to the window, so they had quite a view) and laughed at each other's choices.

"Why's your gravy green?"

"It's chutney. Stop judging my life choices," she said, pulling a funny face at him. He laughed and shook his head.

"I'm not judging! I just don't see why anyone would want mint in anything that isn't toothpaste."

"Don't knock it until you've tried it. Come on, try a slice," she said, offering her plate to him. He looked around cautiously.

"I don't think we're allowed to share."

"Psh. It's not like we'll ask them to just charge for one," she scolded him. "Come on. Just one bite and I'll leave you alone."

"I don't want you to leave me alone."

"Malandi," she hissed. "You're not flirting your way out of this one, 11A."

"Fine. One bite," he said, rolling his eyes and smiling. He obliged and let Patsy put a small slice of lamb with chutney on his plate. Luigi sighed dramatically as he picked it up with his fork and chewed, and Patsy obliged him with a big laugh.

"So...?" she prompted. He chewed. And chewed some more.

"Will my opinion of this affect my chances at a second date?" he asked thoughtfully.

"Only if it's dishonest," she teased.

"Fine. It's tolerable. But I won't eat it voluntarily. I maintain my stand on mint staying out of anything that's not toothpaste."

"And I appreciate your honesty."

"Speaking of honesty," he said, spearing a hakaw dumpling in half, "Remember you having a right answer and an honest answer to my question earlier today?"

"Okay, since you were cool and I feel comfortable now, I'm telling you the honest answer," she mused. "You've seen my sister, yes?"

Luigi blinked.

"Yes."

"If I hadn't quit corporate when I did, I would be turning into her."

Luigi took a bite, thinking hard of what to say. He knew very little about Patsy's sister. His friend Rafa had introduced him to her before, sure, and mentioned that she was working as the marketing manager for a leading shampoo brand in the country. He'd seen Micki a few more times after that, looking confident, polished, and intimidating. Other than this, he didn't really know anything.

"How?"

"It was already happening then. I was on the exact same path. College major, college orgs, the things we were good at, career paths... I only realized how bad it was when our common friends started calling me Mini Micki," she said with a small laugh. "My entire family saw it too. At first it was okay because everything was familiar and comfortable as I had her to coach me. Things were easier because it was a path already cleared and people were helping. But at one point, I just... didn't want to do the same thing anymore, you know? The farthest I've gone or strayed from her that was to work for the competitor. And she and I... we've been compared so many times since childhood. I feel like if I don't stop hanging around in the same spaces that she does, that won't ever stop."

Luigi looked at her thoughtfully.

"I mean, we love each other, sure. But she's going to keep competing with me, and I'm going to keep competing with her. Soon, what? I'll be looking at her direction to see what I should have by now. For instance, a secretary who does everything for her. A driver at her beck and call, plane tickets and conferences on the company's tab. And then there's also the stressful stuff I don't want. She's always on-call during weekends and public holidays. Then there's the tight schedule that gets her so stressed, she mishears 11K as 11A. So much pressure that she starts taking it out on family, friends, and won't even have time to do something so simple as drive up here and hand me a pair of glasses herself."