"I've been meaning to tell you something," Bernie stopped eating his food, and Ray looked at him and stopped eating his. He is waiting for him to continue.
"You did not sleep here one night last week," he said. "I forgot to ask you about it."
Ray could not remember a single night in the last week when he slept in another place.
"The last time I slept in another place was when I was out of town with Daniel." he said.
"No. You were not home. You even left your door open. I was trying to make amends, although we have been talking, but I knew I had to apologize. But you weren't there," he repeated. "How could you not remember?"
Ray tried to recollect what happened last week; he was either in the headquarters for Vogue, or he was at the station with Emily. He slept here every night, or at least that's what he knows.
"Maybe I was just sleepwalking."
Bernie did not push on the topic further. "Well, just like what I said, I just want to finally formally apologize to you."
That is one trait of Bernie he has always liked. He can apologize easily if he knows that he may be in the wrong. Ray has the same attitude, and that is why they are able to live together for so long, but maintaining their friendship has not been easy at all. They almost ended it when they had a serious argument about Ray wanting a pet dog.
"I have cynophobia," Bernie said. "If you can't not have them, then I'll just go."
Ray kept on insisting. "But you are not going to care for them. They won't be your responsibility, I'll do all of the work."
In the end, Ray caved in and got the dog he has always wanted. Bernie slowly learned like the dogs, they were two golden shepherds who were very obedient. Ray started having allergies, so they had to give them away.
However, aside from their major arguments, they didn't have any serious conflicts. That was until their last discussion about Ray's offer, when Bernie didn't hesitate to say what has been bugging him for quite a long time.
"It's okay," Ray replied. "I know I'm in the wrong."
Bernie changes the topic. "If you can't remember not being here at night, then I'm sure that you're well-aware of your busier schedule than the usual. Everything okay at work?"
He knows what Bernie is talking about. Ever since his stint with Emily, he is spending less and less time at home. "It has gotten busier, that is all."
====================
"We're planning to make a short film about Jake's career," Gabriel said. "But that is only if you'll approve it, and I know you will."
Ray knew that he could not say no. Jake deserved to live an honored life, and this is one way to do so.
"I'm in," he said. Gabriel's face lit up in a subtle but obvious joy. "Do you have ideas how it will go?"
Gabriel sits, and Ray knows this is going to be a long conversation. "That's the thing. We are not as creative. Maybe you can help us? But if you do not want to, then that's okay. There are a lot of creative people we can talk to."
Ray has always been their go-to person whenever they need creative ideas, and he, himself, knows this. He immediately had a flow of how the film may look like. It would be thirty minutes long, and will be different clips of Jake and his work. They would ask their other colleagues of their experiences with him, and they also have many videos of him working.
"Wait a minute," Gabriel said, and when he is back, he is holding a stack of magazines. "Jake worked on all of these. I looked for those that had his name on them."
