Until You

Oh no, it's you

NomCom's second-level area was far quieter than the ground floor, making it easier for patrons to listen to the shows on the ground floor, even if seeing the performers depended on where you were seated. It was cozier there, too, with more sofa-style seating made for families and groups rather than the chairs and tables downstairs.

Charlie led the way to O-Beer the Counter for craft beers. Feliz, the stall owner, gave Sid several recommendations, ultimately landing at Manila Caramel, a NomCom favorite. Sid insisted that they also needed to have food, so they made their way over to Taco Tingin, giving Jamie, the owner, first-row seats to their argument on who gets to pay for it. He won.

"Think of it as a supplier-sponsored dinner," Sid said as he handed over his money. Charlie just pouted.

They found an empty two-seater table in one of the corners of the second level, which didn't have a good view of the stage, but they could still hear the performances well. With the table next to them pushed to combine with another table to accommodate a big group, their spot felt pretty private. As if it was a date, a fact that didn't escape Charlie. If Sid noticed, he didn't give any indication.

"So, I've always wanted to ask you this," Sid said midway through eating. "You're not vegetarian, nor vegan, but you sell that food. Why?"

"I just want to." Charlie shrugged. "And fine, my sister also has her own food business, but it's all desserts, so I didn't want to go down that path. But also, I have fun doing this."

"But did you ever think of eating plant-based?"

"Yeah, and I even did it for a while when I was starting. But I realized that I can't let go of meat and grease and cheese."

"Even if it's unhealthy?"

She made a face. "Food is food. I don't think there are any good or bad ones. Maybe some have too much sugar or too much salt or whatever, but it's not necessarily unhealthy. It just depends on what makes you feel full. And sometimes, a choriburger hits the spot. Or a taco."

"Huh, I never thought about it that way. Thanks for making me not feel guilty about this, then." Sid picked up the rest of the taco and took a big bite, a line forming between his brows as he made a loud Mmm! sound.

"And that's how you enjoy food." Charlie laughed. The combination of meat, veggies, cheese, hot sauce, and crunchy taco felt like heaven in her mouth, making her do a little happy dance. Sid joined her, making them both laugh. She really liked hearing him laugh.

"But you, Mister Fruitman," Charlie said after taking a drink from her beer. "What's your story."

He coughed, almost choking on a nacho. "Mister Fruitman? Excuse me?"

"What?" Charlie said innocently. "You sell fruits, and you're a man. What's wrong? Or do you want me to say, Mister Veggieman?"

"Corny mo rin minsan, ano." He laughed as he reached for his beer. "What story? What do you want to know?"

"How did you end up doing what you do?"

Sid leaned back, his brow furrowing as he pursed his lips. "Three years ago, I went on a mission trip with some of our parish's singles group—Toby, Raffy, and the other people with them; they're part of that. I stayed with Toby with this family, who owned a fruit farm. It was a simple farm, not like those tourists visit and pick fruits for a price. While we were there, I found out how little they earned despite selling so much produce because many of those corporations who bought from them didn't want to pay a fair price. That stayed with me for a long time until I had an idea—why not set up something to help them sell their products and reach the people who really want it, like you. So I started with this family, then met more farmers and had more to sell. And now, we're here."