The seminar finally ended. Diana looked at her wristwatch: it's already 5:30 in the afternoon. She
went out of the seminar hall and she already saw Albert from afar. She looked back at Arjay. He was still busy talking to the teachers who went to him a while ago, just before the seminar finally ended. Diana went on. She didn't want to bother them, besides, she had her turn so she let them spend time with Arjay.
She walked towards Albert. He was smiling. She frowned.
"Why do I have the feeling that I don't trust that smile?" she asked him.
"Then your guts is wrong. I just came on time. Let's go?" he asked her and handed her the helmet.
She took it from him and put it on. She seated behind him on his motorbike.
"Hold on tight, ma'am so you won't say again that I'm trying to kill you." he said and laughed.
She hit him on the shoulders and rolled her eyes.
"I can sense the eye roll, you know." He remarked.
"Whatever." She replied.
Albert started his motorbike and drove off. Diana was clueless about Albert's plan. All she thought he was going to take her home immediately so she went with him with no questions asked. But when he went passed their house street, Diana started to panic.
"Hey! Where are you taking me? You just went passed my house street!" she asked nervously.
"We were supposed to go out yesterday right, but the seminar came up, so it was cancelled. So l
thought, we should go out before I take you home." He explained.
"1 didn't agree with that going out thing yet! Take me back." She demanded.
"You didn't agree yet, so it's possible that you're going to agree. Then might as well go with me
now."
"1 didn't say that!" she protested.
"You used the word 'yet'. It's the same thing for me."
Diana groaned but she can't just leap off the motorbike. They stopped at a restaurant.
"We're here." Albert said.
Diana didn't budge. Albert sighed.
"I can't get off if you're not going to get off." He said.
"Well, I won't get off. May I just remind you that I didn't agree to this." She said, the annoyance
in her voice is very obvious.
Albert knew that not informing her beforehand was wrong, but he also knew that if he told her about this, she will just say no again. He sighed.
"Please? Just this once, don't stood me up." He pleaded.
Diana felt guilty about ditching Albert up with dates, but taking her here without her consent is a
foul act. She sighed and got off the motorbike even though it is inimical to her will.
"Thank you. That means a lot." Albert said and removed his helmet.
Diana removed her helmet, too, and handed it to Albert. He put it on the bike's handle.
"Please, don't get mad now. Promise I won't do this again without your permission." He assured her.
Diana only nodded. He smiled at her and led her inside the restaurant. They went straight to the back of the restaurant and to Diana's surprise, in front of her is a candlelit garden dinner date for two.
She admired the effort that Albert put to the dinner date because it was really good and she liked
the table setting, but she secretly wished it was Arjay who did it. How she wished she was with Arjay now
and not with Albert.
"So... do you like it?" he asked, his excitement is evident in his voice.
She smiled a bit and nodded.
"This is actually very nice. I'm embarrassed, I think I'll just go home." She said and was about to turn around when Albert held her shoulders and pushed her gently towards the table.
"Just think of it as a friendly date so you won't feel awkward about it." He smiled.
He pulled out one of the chairs and gestured for her to take a seat. She took her seat. Albert went to the other side and took his seat, too. He gave her another bouquet, similar to the one he handed to her yesterday.
"Oohhh, another sunflower bouquet. Thank you. By the way, how did you know I like sunflowers?
Did you ask Nez about it?" she asked.
"I asked her but she didn't tell me." he replied.
She nodded and smelled the flower. She put it down on the spare chair.
"1 like the garden setting, it's very elegant and the combination of the colors is very pleasing to
the eyes," she stated.
"I'm sensing a hanging 'but' in your statement." He said.
"But, you know you don't have to do this. I'm good with barbecues on the street. I'm not that too
hard to please when it comes to food, you know that. And you told me it's just a friendly date. Friendly dates don't look this fancy, Albert. Even if you try to convince me to think of it as a friendly date, I can't think that because the setting itself is very romantic."
"Are you uncomfortable with the candle lights then? I can tell them to just switch on the lights."
"Is it okay?" she asked. He smiled
"Of course it is okay." He said and called the waiter.
The waiter went to them.
"Are we going to serve the appetizer now, sir?" the waiter asked.
"Five more minutes. Kindly just switch on the lights. My friend is uncomfortable with the candle
lights."
"Okay sir. We'll just switch on the lights and you can blow the candles afterwards."
"Yes. Thank you." he said and the waiter went on.
"Are you sure it's okay with you to turn off the candles?" Diana asked.
"Yes of course. Don't worry about me, you're the special guest tonight." He smiled but deep inside,
he's a little disappointed.
Why did he even think that Diana would like this kind of setting? How could he forget that she is
a simple lady who appreciates simple things? He felt like a dumbass. But, people learn from mistakes, he
knows what to do next time. No more fancy pants.
"So, should I call in the waiter to get the appetizer?" he asked her.
"Yeah sure, I'm quite starving, actually." She said.
Albert called the waiter and when he went to them, he's already holding two plates of fries in
cheese dip. When the waiter left...
"I assumed you will like this since you like fries." He said.
"I did! This is great. Thanks!" she said and started digging in.
"So, how's your seminar?" he asked while they were busy eating the appetizer.
"Well, it was quite fun, especially during the activities. By the way, don't get too surprised if your
mother asked whether you cut classes during high school or not." She told him.
"Why would she asked me that?" he asked.
"We had this activity called never have l ever and I kind of shared something embarrassing that
we did during high school.
"Which includes?"
"Actually, it's 'particularly'."
"Okay... particularly what?" he asked.
"Particularly about cutting classes and hitchhikes...?"
"You told them about that!?!" he exclaimed.
"Yeah... well it was the best of times! And they asked particularly about it."
"Why would they asked particularly about that??? That was the worst of crimes we committed during high school!"
"Okay, let me enlighten you about what happened. So this activity, never have I ever, will reveal
something you did that others did not. So the statement given was, 'never have I ever hitchhiked in any
kind of transportation." She stopped.
"And...? That doesn't explain anything." He reacted.
"Yeah I know. Okay, so let me continue. Those who already experienced hitchiking will stand,
and of course, since I experienced that, I stood up. And then by the time the game ends, turns out, I'm
the least inexperienced person in that room, so I have to share one thing that I did. And they asked about the hitchhiking thing." She explained.
Albert called for the waiter, and the main course and the beverage was served. They continued eating while talking.
"And you told them who you were with?" he asked again.
"Not in particular, I just told them we were 6 or 7 people who cut class and a combination of girls
and boys."
"My mother would definitely asked me about that. She knows you were one in my circle of friends."
he said and shook his head.
"Hey, on the bright side, I told them we learned our lesson. Which of course is a half lie because
we tried to do that again, only on the second time, we were caught before we could cut class." She laughed.
Albert smiled. At least now she's more comfortable.
"Hmnn, this steak tastes great. You should complement the chef who prepared it." She remarked.
"Don't worry the rating will be based on to your experience." he told her.
"Well, it's definitely, 4.5 now because I like the table setting, I like the appetizer, I love the main
Course... wait, let's taste their juice." She said and sip a bit. "It's delicious, too. How did you find this place?" she asked.
"The Mayor held a meeting in here before the Christmas holidays. That's how I found out about
this."
She nodded. When they were done with the main course, their plates were removed and the dessert was served.
"Wow... my tummy's so full now. I don't think I could still eat that." she said.
"We can just take it out." He suggested.
"Will that be okay?" she asked.
Albert called for the waiter and told him to pack their desserts. They sat there and talked some
more. When the waiter arrived with the packed dessert, Albert left a tip on the table and they went on.
When they arrived at Diana's house, she handed him the helmet
"Thank you for the dinner and the ride." She said to him.
"You're welcome... And thank you for spending the night with me even though you didn't agree with it."
"Just promised me that you're going to inform me next time."
"Yes, ma'am. Here's your dessert." He said and handed her the paper bag.
"Why are you giving it all to me?" she asked.
"I won't be able to eat that at home." He said.
"Fine. Thanks again." She said and turned around.
Albert waited for Diana to enter the house. When she was already inside, he sighed in contentment and drove off.