Just Another Date 3
...continued
His message read: "I made dinner. What time are you coming?"
My hands started to shake. I checked the message details and saw that it's been almost 20 minutes since the message was sent. There was no time to waste. I made a quick deliberation and called him.
“Hey cutie!” He said the juvenile word again when he picked up.
"Hey! Did you just send me a message?" I asked directly.
"I didn't just send it. I sent it a couple of minutes ago. I thought you were ignoring me.” He said the last sentence in a very sexy, charming voice.
“I’m sorry. This is too short a notice. I am not a 30-minute delivery service. You should've called last night.” That’s how I had planned to answer him before I pressed the call button. I intended to play hard-to-get. I didn’t.
My bedroom widow was slightly open to let the smoke from my cigarettes escape my chamber. The winter air filled my room and defeated the warmth the heater beside my bed emitted. As soon as I heard his answer to my query, the cold that possessed my room disappeared magically and I felt my forehead break a cold sweat. My mouth refused to open and say anything. My head was suddenly occupied by Joey G and the rest of Side A where they played, in a deafening, hypnotizing volume, the words:
“You were just a dream that I once knew… I never thought I would be right for you…”
“Are you coming?”, he asked me again.
Instead of delivering the speech I had prepared, I answered in the affirmative. “Yes. I’m just about to leave work. I’ll probably be in your side of town in 40 minutes. I just called to ask for your address.”
“Ok. I’ll sms it to you.”
“Cool. Thanks.”
“See you in a bit, cutie!” He hung up and I wasn’t able to say “see you in a bit.” That word! That word made me speechless again.
Forty minutes or so. That’s all I had in my hands. I needed to be in HK Island in 40 minutes or else, he might change his mind. I had to do everything in a flash. Smell check. Passed. Thank God for the showers at work. Facial hair check. Passed. It’s been about 9 hours since I shaved. It’s ok. A little bit of facial hair is sexy. What to wear, what to wear? Goddamit! White RL collared shirt. Clean and casually sexy. Oh! I’m glad I did my day 1 workout today. My chest and biceps look as though they’re fighting against Ralph. They look as though they’re being held hostage and they’re trying to break free! Toothbrush, toothbrush! Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck! Why did it have to run out of battery today? There are batteries in my closet. Go get! Now! There’s none. But there’s a disposable toothbrush I took home from Disneyland hotel last year. Savior! Alright now, bag. Which bag? Beige Esprit tote or white CK duffel? The tote looks a bit too big. He might think I’m considering to move in. Duffel bag it is. Cellphone, wallet, cigarettes, house key --- in the bag, everything. Lip balm. Which lip balm to bring? Burt’s Bees, Carmex, Body Shop, Viviendo Virgin Coconut Oil? Meenee meenee miney moe. Just bring all of them, moron! Got everything. Now, go!
Oh! And moisturizer. In case, just in case I have to go straight to work tomorrow from there.
Call the taxi company to the MTR Station.
MTR --- The sign read: Next train departs in 2 minutes. Ruuuuuuuuun!
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I got to his place in less than 40 minutes.
With a shaky hand, I pressed on his buzzer after standing by his doorstep for 10 counts, trying to catch my breath. He opened the dark wood door and he stood before me like an apparition. He was in a light grey double-breasted suit with a muted pink Paul Smith patterned shirt under it. The first two buttons of his shirt were open and the tuck was a bit loose. The next thing I noticed was his smile. He looked different; very different from the way I would see him at Volume on weekends. A lot less causal. A lot less relaxed. A lot more gorgeous. A hell lot sexier.
“You didn’t tell me this dinner was gonna be a formal event.” I teased him.
“Silly!” For a while I thought he said cutie again. “Sorry I didn’t have time to change anymore. I just got in too. I was still in the office when you called," he said with a cute little pout. Then he added, "Come on in.”
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