WHAT IF

Dinner Mate (2)

             I rolled up the window and did as he asked, as soon as the cars started moving I moved out of the line parking aside and he parked behind me. He came out of his car then walked towards mine,
            "Fuck!!" I found myself gasping at how hot he looked even through the side mirror. He opened the door sitting in my car.
            "Aren't you supposed to be celebrating?" I asked.
            "Should we celebrate the end of my birthday together?" He asked then turned looking at me with a simple smile. I remained silent for a while.
             "I guess not." He said sounding disappointed.
             "No, I mean yes, thats great." I said immediately.
He smiled and I smiled back.
             "So lets go." He said then got out of the car. I stayed seated looking at him wondering if we were going to use his car.
             "Aren't you coming?" He asked.
             "I am but why don't we use my car." I offered. He laughed then walked to the side of my door opening it,
             "We are using no car" He said. He held my hand getting me out.
             "But aren't people staring?" I said worried about any reporter or Andrew's tails taking pictures.
             "We get more attention while we are in cars." He said.
             "Hey, it's my day so I get to decide I am the pilot here." He said.
             "Yes Sir!" I said.
He closed the door then held my hand tight leading the way. My eyes were glued to the way he was holding my hand, this makes it the second time and I won't lie I like the way he holds me, like he will protect me, and guide me. Just a few blocks away we entered a store with shoes and clothes, he picked up some sneakers, a pair of jeans, a shirt and hoodie.
              "Wear this." He said.
              "Something wrong with my outfit?" I asked.
              "You look beautiful." He said.
              "Thank You." I emphasized.
              "You need to loosen up a bit, with me you don't have to put on the perfect picture." He said.
              "Thanks." I said getting the clothes I was supposed to change to. After changing, I got out of the dressing room, I felt really free, the clothes were baggy yet cute and comfortable.
              "Beautiful." Hayden said.
              "I know." I said .
Hayden paid for the clothes and we walked out.
              "How has the party been?" I asked.
              "Apart from the gifts I received earlier the day is just beginning to be enjoyable." He said.
             "Thanks to you." He added.

             I looked at him and for real maybe he had his own problems .
            "Honestly I'm starving." I  admitted.
            " I know the right place " He said.
In no time we were there, it was a truck food place,
             "How did you know such place?" I was amused.
             "Every time I felt like home and work were suffocating, I moved around and discovered a lot." He said
             "That's great." I smiled.
             "Sorry, not the suffocating but the findings." I immediately added on realising that what I had said was wrong.
He just giggled and I found myself smiling.
             "I totally get." He said.
             "Now go grab us a table before they are all filled, I will be in line." He said then stood in line.
             "Okay." I said.
             "Val" He called as I moved to get a seat.
             "Yeah?.." I turned back to him.
             "I hope you don't mind if I order for you." He said.
             "I would appreciate it." I said then walked away.

             Just after a while Hayden was done with getting the food, he walked close to me but according to his face expression I knew what he was going to say.
            "Before you say anything Mr William, I have a good explanation for why I am standing here instead of being seated." I immediately said.
            "I'm listening." He said.
            "I had actually got a seat but that pregnant lady with two young kids had missed so I offered ours." I said.
            "I didn't know you're that kind." He said.
            "I don't look kind to you?" I asked.
            "Not really." He said as he walked away.
            "Mr William!!!" I called following him from behind,
            "Are you going to tell me you're offended?" He asked as I reached up to him.
            "A bit, yes." I said finding it even embarrassing to accept.
            "There is no place for the kind hearted in this world, only the selfish survive and reach higher heights." He said.
I stood still his words replaying in my head, he stood as well at just a further distance.
           "I don't believe so." I said in deep thoughts. 
He walked back to me with a different face expression, the happy one was gone.
           "It was selfish of me to ask you to be with me now, I just didn't want to be alone so I had to make sure you come with me." He said sadly. Then it was also selfish of me to accept to be here because I didn't want to be home but I only thought that to myself.
            "It's not being selfish, it's having strong reasons why." I said as he walked away.
            "I would like to be here with you to help you get over  your sadness besides all my other reasons." I quietly added. Hayden froze at that my statement. I walked close to him faster. He looked at me with a slight smile on his face.
             "I hope you don't mind eating from the roadside " He said as we approached the roadside  bench.
I just sat before he even did to show him I was more than happy to sit, he sat next to me giving me my food.
"Thank you, Mr William" I sadly said, I was sad and happy at the same time.
             "For what?" He asked after quietly looking at me for a couple of minutes straight.
              "For eating with me." I said while chewing.
              "That's nothing to be thanked for." He said without minding at what he was saying
              "It is to me." I deeply  said.
He looked at me thoughtfully.
              "You sometimes don't understand the worth, value and importance of something till you have never had it or after losing it." I said sadly looking at him. Hayden leaned backwards thinking so hard about it. To me, having someone to eat with meant a lot, I could give a million dollars just to have someone to eat with everyday.
               "With  your husband." He said.
I looked at him silently, debating on what to say.
               "It's no secret to the both of us that our marriages are wrecked." He added.
               "We don't eat together, sometimes the food would be brought to us if by chance we were in the same room and I hoped that could be my chance," I deeply said.
              "But he would still leave me there." I added.
            
              "I will be your dinnermate from today onwards" He said  abruptly.
              "Do you understand what a dinnermate is?" I asked him.
              "Someone you eat with." He replied.
              "It's someone who wishes you well, someone who cares and cherishes you, it's not a mere friend, it's someone who really loves you, someone willing to be with you through the worst and best." I said  then turned and looked at him.
               "I didn't know but now I do and.." Hayden said then turned and looked at me quietly.
               "And?...." I was eagerly waiting for his answer.
               "And am sticking to eating with you because eating alone is very lonely." He said.
               "But I also want to be that person." Hayden said looking straight in my eyes. His words played in my mind over and over again, our eyes locked into each other's with a lot of silence.
               "Now eat." He cleared his voice saying, he looked away focusing on his food.
              "Thank you Mr William." I brightly smiled then turned to my food as well.
I don't think Hayden understood the heaviness of the meaning dinnermate but I was happy he was willing to eat with me.
              "By the way Val?" He said his focus on food but his voice heavy, I knew what he was going to say was going to be heavy.
              "Yes?" I replied.
              "Why do you call me Mr William?" He asked.
I was silent wondering if it was wrong to call my best friend's and half love's father "Mr.", He giggled on seeing me so thoughtful.
              "Are you kidding?" I smiled.
              "No I'm serious." He bluntly said.
              "Do you want me to call you Hayden?" I asked.
              "Yes, the casualness is what I want from you because....." He swallowed his words looking away from me.
              "Because what?.." I immediately asked.
              "Because our relationship is not professional much as you try to brand it professional." He added locking his eyes with mine.