Brad sat down across from me behind the circular table. A full set of silver cutlery, a white plate, and a flute was delicately laid in front of us. A waiter stepped towards us and began pouring champagne into our glasses as I fixated my gaze on the stem glass being filled to the brim with bubbly golden liquid.
Brad politely thanked the waiter and turned to me. "You have to try the Wagyu steak here, it's phenomenal,"
I picked up the à la carte menu. "Bourbon Steak", read the name of the restaurant printed underneath a logo of an orange cow.
"What's a 'foe-y grass terrine'?" Puzzled, I asked.
"It's called foie gras terrine, and it is duck liver cooked in pottery,"
"Are you sure I don't have to pay for this?" I tugged my collar nervously, knowing I would never be able to afford this considering my current savings. I was just a college student, after all. And this was a really fancy restaurant, one I'd never go to by myself.
"Nonsense," He waved his hand and began to order.
"Just order whatever you want, it's on me,"
Brad was only seven years older than me, I thought. His previous job must have paid him well.
While waiting for the food, we chatted about topics that covered everything from our families to our hobbies and even past relationships.
"I've only ever dated two guys and one girl before," He explained. "How about you?"
"I've never dated guys before," I admitted.
"Really? I find that hard to believe, with that adorable face of yours."
I blushed and gave him an awkward smile.
The food eventually arrived. I had ordered a thick and aromatic medium rare Japanese Wagyu A5 steak with a side of charred asparagus covered in chili, anchovies and garlic butter. Brad had ordered the same, along with a dish of tuna tartare with avocado and soy sauce. He insisted I try the Wagyu so I realized there was no point in declining.
"I'm so hungry," I said, stuffing a piece of steak into my mouth. The chewy steak paired with the butter gave it a tender and juicy taste as I indulged in the fatty steak bite after bite. The flavorful steak melted in my mouth and was so soft, I wondered if I could ever eat meat like this again.
I felt someone staring at me so I looked up, only to see Brad's brown eyes gazing back at mine.
"Glad you enjoy it," Brad licked his lip.
-----
"You're mixed, right?" I asked.
"My mother is from Puerto Rico and my father from China," He clarified. "What about you?"
"I'm mixed as well. Chinese and Irish,"
"You've always known you were gay, right?" Brad then questioned.
"Sort of, but I've never really confronted those feelings until four years ago when a friend tried to experiment with me."
"Who's that friend then? Do you still keep in contact with him?"
"Yes," I answered dismissively, not desiring to further explain.
He sensed that I was uncomfortable with said topic, so asked, "Ped, do you want dessert?"
"Sure, I'm fine with anything,"
"Anything?" He asked in a slightly different tone, raising his brow.
It was something dirty again, wasn't it? I raised my glass to take a sip, and replied, "What do you have in mind then?"
"Hmm, I don't think what I want is on the menu," He smirked.
"I need to use the washroom," He said, exaggerating the word "use" almost comically. Fixing his shirt, he winked at me and left for the toilet.
I sat in silence, partially in awe of how open he was and curious to see what he would do this time. It was an invitation for something else, right?