After having a conversation, Bryle made me sign those three pages paper that he claimed as our agreement contract and after that, he invited me downstairs to eat lunch. And just like how I imagined the steak would taste like, it was indeed the most unforgettable lunch I ever have. It was so yummy that I even requested Bryle to cook me more steak and he immediately ordered his cook to make three pieces of steak for me. I thought the cook would get angry at me for being such a voracious person and giving her a lot of hassle but it turned out, she loved cooking me steak because it was her first time that someone else also appreciated her cooking other than Bryle.
I was confused at first. I asked Bryle why would she say that but she immediately butted in and said that Bryle loves her cooking as well though all of his visitors and parents doesn’t have any reactions when they eat. I felt sad just by listening to her.
After eating, he made me wait for him at the fountain outside his mansion. I amused myself with the fishes while waiting for him and when he came back, he brought a camera and two backpacks with him. I got curious as to why he brought two backpacks and asked him what it was for. He just told me that it was for our act.
We would go to different places and would take pictures of each other with different clothes so we would have an evidence of our four months of love. It was such a smart idea. He’s literally a genius.
After that, he brought me to Siam Gallery where he said our love story started.
This is my first time going here and it is really a very beautiful place. From the stalls selling a lot of street foods outside the building until the paintings displayed over the walls inside, is indeed beautiful. If I get hungry again, then I can just buy myself a piece of chicken outside.
I have already changed my outfit into a green T-shirt and white shorts while he changed into a black jacket with a black shirt underneath and jeans.
Bryle is now currently setting the time and date of his cellphone and camera back into March twenty eight, the day we first met.
“Go stand in front of that barbeque stall and try to pout your lips while staring at the steak while I’ll be just right here to take a photo of you,” he orders me and I immediately follow his command.
I walk straight to the stall and stare at the barbeques with twinkling eyes but with a pout on my lips. Just like what Bryle had told me to do, I have to act like I’m salivating at the barbeques but I can’t have it.
I just stood in here for at least a minute until Bryle approaches me with a smile plastered on his lips.
“So, how is it? Do I look good in there?” I ask and grab the camera from his hold excitedly.
“Hey! Be careful! That’s very expensive!” He scolds me but I didn’t make a comeback and just look at the pictures he had taken of me. I’m sure he can still buy a new one if this camera shatters in my own hand.
I stare at my photos in awe. It is so well taken. It indeed looks like he secretly took a photo of me while I was ogling at the barbeques. He’s like a professional photographer, they way he captured my photos. I don’t know if his dad would believe us if he sees this photos.
“Were you really the one who took this? Or you paid someone else to do this?” I ask him skeptically but he just chuckles at me.
“What do you take me for?” He proudly says and my mouth goes agape at that. Is he a photographer?
“Are you some kind of a photographer? Is that your job?” I ask innocently and he shakes his head.
“No, I’m not. I’m a soon-to-be CEO.”
“What?!” I gasp and he immediately covers my mouth with his palm while chuckling awkwardly.
The people around us are now looking our way with curious eyes. I awkwardly stand in my spot and doesn’t bother taking off his hand over my mouth. Bryle slowly uncovers my mouth and smiles at me sweetly. Though I can tell it’s fake because his smile doesn’t reach his eyes at all.
“Babe, don’t be so loud. You are attracting a lot of people’s attention. Some of them knows me,” he says gently and takes the camera from me.
“W-What?” I ask dumbfounded but he just chuckles at me.
“Let’s continue what we’re doing for now. I promise to tell you everything you want to know, okay?” He says and holds my hand with his. “Let’s go?”
He pulls me inside the Siam Gallery until we reach the restroom. He looks around before locking the door.
“What are you doing? Why did you lock the door?” I ask innocently though my heart keeps beating so fast inside my chest.
He sighs and leans towards the sink. “Alwin, I thought you know anything about me?” He ask.
I frown. “What? I don’t know anything about you at all, Bryle. I don’t even know who you are when we met that day. I thought you’re some kind of a rebel rich spoiled brat who keeps giving his parents headache all the time,” I answer honestly and his mouth forms into an ‘O’ shape.
“Then why didn’t you ask me when we were still in my house?” He asks frustratedly.
“I’m sorry, okay? I was so engrossed with our plan that I forgot to ask you about yourself. It literally just slipped off my mind,” I say while facepalming myself.
Being nosy is really not my thing because my parents taught me not to be so busybody as it is not a good behavior. And when I think about it, I should have really ask him if it is this important to him.
“It’s okay. We will discuss that some other time but for now, let’s just finish what we started, okay?” He suggests and starts walking towards the door then unlocks it.
I stand here for a second before following him outside. I see him stops in front of a very beautiful landscape painting so I walk up to his side. I look at the painting and try to understand its meaning but I couldn’t. All I can say is that, it’s beautiful and quite familiar. There are a lot of Orchids surrounding the small hut. Near the hut, there is an old styled swing attached to a two huge mango tree and a little bit far from it is a large fountain with two Mermaid Medusa statue in between and the fountain was surrounded by Daisies. Wait, this is too much familiarity! It literally looks like Bryle’s enchanted garden or it is indeed really his enchanted garden? Oh my gosh! Did someone intrude his place?!
I gasp. “Oh my gosh! Isn’t this your enchanted garden?!” I exclaim and come more nearer to the painting and examine it.
“Alwin, you’re being loud again!” He scolds me because the people are staring at us again.
“Oops, sorry! But seriously! Did someone intrude your place and then copied its landscape?” I ask exasperatedly and he just chuckles at me while shaking his head.
“Of course not, silly. I donated it here two years ago,” he says.
“Really? Then who painted this?”
“Me.”
What?! He knows how to paint? He’s so Mr. Perfect! What else can he do? Is there something he couldn’t do at all?
“Is there something you couldn’t do?” I ask in amusement.
“Well, I don’t know but if you ask me what I can do, then I can name some of my talents to you,” he jokes.
“So, what else can you do?” I ask excitedly.
“I can sing, play any instruments, paint, and draw,” he answers while counting his talents with his fingers.
My mouth goes agape at him. He’s that talented? Is that the reason why his father wants him to get married with their friend’s daughter?
I wonder if I were in his shoes, would I also ask someone to be my fake lover? Or would I just follow my dad’s request of marrying a woman I don’t love? It’s the very hard decision I will ever make. Going against the parent’s will is disrespectful but freedom is what everyone wants.
“They say, paintings have meanings and I believe that though whatever I do or analyze it, I can’t seem to understand its meaning. How about you?” I change the topic and he turns his head towards me, “Can you understand them?”
He stares at me for a second before looking back at the painting in front of us with a small smile plastered on his lips. “If I answer your question, will you shout again?” He answers me with a question.
I think I already know the answer to my question because he asked about my reaction. He certainly understands its meaning.
I smile sheepishly at him. “Well, I think I already have an idea regarding your answer but I still want to confirm it from you. Don’t worry, I already briefed myself.”
He shakes his head in amusement. “Of course, I understand it’s meaning, Alwin. Though, this painting doesn’t really have a meaning because I just painted the landscape of my garden, that’s it,” he says.
In fact, I couldn’t deny how beautiful and obsessive his garden is. Even me, if I just know how to paint, I would have already painted this and if the outcome was good, of course, I would really sell this on a price that could pay off for my parents medications.
“If this painting is already over two years ago, then how come this is still here?” I ask.
It’s a wonder why this painting is still here even though it’s been two years since he donated it here.
“Because I asked the owner of this gallery to not sell this painting and just let it hang here for everyone to see. Not everyone has seen this painting yet and I want them to appreciate and be inspired by the beauty of this painting,” he answers, “We’ve been consuming a lot of time just by standing and talking here. We should go so we can finish this early,” he adds before starting to walk out of the Siam Gallery.
I excitedly follow him. When we reach his car, he suddenly stops and turns to look at me.
“What? Is there a problem?” I ask but he just shakes his head and pulls me back to the food stall.
“It’s not enough to have only one picture of us here. We need more,” he says and sets the time of his camera and phone again, including my phone.