I looked behind me and saw Mat and his friends. My friends were shocked and ready to interrogate me like they couldn't hold their horses.
"Did you have fun last night?" Ark asked.
"Yes, I was so drunk last night and barely can't remember what happened", I replied.
Then Mat's reaction looked so tense, but he calmed himself down.
Jenna and Ari were looking at me and pulled me back to them and asked, "So tell us what happened exactly."
Then I whispered, "Calm down guys, it's a long story." I'll explain later, okay?"
"So Mike, we need your help", Nate uttered.
"What is it?" I asked.
"My friend here will be buying a guitar, and I guess you're the best option that we have to help him out" he replied.
Mat's face looks so worried. Maybe he's thinking that I will decline his request.
"So how can I help!" I asked.
"Well, we need you to accompany Mat to choose a nice quality guitar for him," said Nate.
I did not notice that my friends were mumbling and very eager to interrogate me about what was happening.
"Okay guys, I'll accompany Mat." I uttered.
"But we're coming okay!?" Jenna exclaimed.
"We're coming too" Ark said.
"Okay stop! we'll all go! " I replied with excitement.
We stopped at the guitar shop and looked at some guitars. My besties are still looking at me curiously.
"Mike tells us, are you guys dating?" Jenna asked,
"No, we're just friends," I replied.
"Hmmm?" "Okay, if you say so, we won't bother you", she reacted.
But she's not convinced by the words I said. I hadn't noticed Mat was staring at me and said;
"Mike, can you help me choose?"
"Okay, Mat, which guitar do you prefer, an acoustic or an electronic guitar?" I asked.
"I don't know, how about you? What do you choose between the two? " Mat asked.
As I picked up the classic green painted acoustic guitar, his right hand followed and held mine as we stared into each other's eyes.
"Oum...I chose you, I mean this green acoustic guitar." I replied with embarrassment but at the same time my heart was pounding so fast with excitement.
Jenna, Ari, Nate, and Ark started staring at us curiously.
"Just a friend, huh!" they uttered teasingly.
Then I pushed him back to interrupt the whole scene.
"I'm so starving!" I exclaimed.
"Guys do want to eat; it's on me," Mat asked.
"Well, of course that's what we like," Jenna and Ari replied with excitement. "You know, Mat, you can date Mike, actually, we don't mind."
I can't believe that these two can be easily bribed with just some free food, and they've already sold me to Mat Adriano, but I adore them.
So Mat chose the green acoustic guitar, and we went to eat with friends. While at the restaurant, we ordered our food and got to know each other better.
"So what do you like, Mike?" Mat asked.
"I like it hot." I mumbled out of nowhere, then all of them looked at me, but Mat seemed thrilled with the words I said.
I don't know, but I was so stupid at that moment by mumbling those words. Mat started looking at me amorously.
"I mean, I like spicy food." I exclaimed.
Then he laughed while looking at me in the eyes. His laughter was so flirty. Maybe it's because I started a conversation I shouldn't have.
"So how about these two?" Jenna asked.
Ark replied, "Who? us?"
"So what about us?" Nate uttered.
"Are you guys dating?" "Are you?" Ari exclaimed teasingly.
Then the four of us laughed, including Mat. Nate and Ark looked so shy at that moment and felt embarrassed.
After we were done eating, the four of them were chatting. It seemed like they were enjoying their conversation.
While Mat started a conversation with me, "Mike, are you busy this weekend?" he asked.
"Nope, I'm free this weekend." "Something wrong?" I replied.
Actually, I need a tutor. "Can you help me out?" he uttered.
"About what?" I asked. He told me that he had promised he would perform a song on his dad's birthday.
"So can you help me out?" he asked.
How can I decline his request with those seductive eyes and smile? So I agreed.
"Sure," "Just tell me when we are going to start okay?" I replied.
"How about next week, Saturday? I'll come pick you up, "he uttered.
"Okay, Saturday it is." I replied.
Then he was relieved and smiled at me with those flirty eyes of his and I also smiled back at him. While staring into each other's eyes, I sense his hunger for sex, but he's just composing himself.
After having dinner with friends,
"So Mike, I'll drive you home," Mat insisted.
"Wait, what about your friends?" I asked.
"No worries, they have their own ride," he replied.
"Okay, if it's okay for you, then let's go," I answered.
"Guys, aren't you coming?" I asked Jenna and Ari.
"Nope, you go first, we'll stay for a bit," they replied.
So Mat drove back home. "I'll pick you up next Saturday," Mat uttered.
"Okay Mat, thanks for the ride. See you tomorrow then. Goodnight." Then Mat winked at me, ignited his car engine and went home.
"Hey mom, I'm back!," I exclaimed.
"Oh honey, did you have dinner?" my mom asked.
"Yup, we have dinner with my friends," I replied.
I went upstairs and took a shower as I reminisced about what happened the whole day with Mat. Being with him is such a different happiness that I have never felt before.
I took my phone and there was a message from Mat saying "Mike, are you asleep?" I smiled and replied to his message.
"Nope not yet, you?".
"Not yet, I can't sleep." I'm thinking about someone, "he replied.
My heart beats so fast as I read his message. "Who", I asked.
Someone who made my day today," he replied.
I'm flattered and blushing at that moment, but I need to compose myself.
Then I replied, "Goodnight Mat, see you tomorrow" with a blushing emoji. Then he replied, "Sweet dreams" with a kiss emoji too.
As I woke up, the sky was blue and the sun was looking brighter. I checked my phone, it's 7:31 am, then there's a message from Mat saying "good morning, I'll be there at 8:00 am."
After reading Mat's message, I rushed to take a shower and put on my outfit of the day. I wore a summer short-sleeve with a white floral design and paired it with jeans since it's already summer. I went downstairs and my mom prepared breakfast, but then Mat arrived. I went outside to check him out.
"Hey! Mat!Did you have breakfast? " I asked.
"Nope, not yet," he replied.
I didn't know my mom, Liz, was eavesdropping. "Why don't you join us first before both of you start practicing guitar?" she uttered, and she looked at me teasingly. Then we have breakfast together. While my mom keeps staring at me and smiling teasingly, I know what she's thinking.
"So how was Mike? Is he naughty?" she asked Mat.
Then Mat looked me in the eyes and said, in a flirty tone. "Very naughty."
"Mom, stop! "You're making me feel embarrassed," I exclaimed.
She laughed and said, "I'm just kidding dear. Come on, let's finish the dish."
After we had breakfast, we went to Mat's condo. His condo unit is really good, together with his few million-dollar antique collection.
"So you like to collect antiques, huh?" I uttered. "Nope, they're gifts from my aunts on my birthdays and I decided to put them here as a display ." he replied.
"Shall we?" he uttered. Then he led me to his balcony, and the vibe outside was so relaxing. He picked up his guitar and I also brought mine.
So I'm going to show you first the easiest chord, then you follow, okay?" I uttered. Mat is a quick learner and very talented, so he can easily understand my instructions.
"Okay, I'm going to show you the easiest chord. It's the 'A' major. "
Then I demonstrate how it is done. Then he learned it so quickly. "Okay, very good," I uttered. But I hadn't noticed that he was staring at me. "Don't you think that there's a missing chord here?" he uttered. "I believe it's complete, but what is it?" I asked. "That's 'U' he replied, smiling, and my heart quivered. It felt like I was hypnotized by his pick-up line, and I was feeling so stupid at that moment. But then I realized that I needed to compose myself and not to make it so obvious that I liked him ever since senior year began.
"Mat! focus!" I exclaimed. But he's getting closer to me. His intensity, his sex appeal, and his beauty made me lose my focus. As we stared into each other's eyes, my heart and mind were drawn to him. When he touches me, it feels like an electric shock has filled my whole body. As his fingers brushed gently against my cheek, I felt the heat of his skin. Then he whispered, "Let's eat." And he laughed teasingly. I pushed him away.
"Mat, stop teasing me," I exclaimed.
"Okay!""But it's already lunch time and I'm starving," he replied.
Then we went out to eat at a French restaurant nearby, and we ordered "salmon en papillote." It's a French fish dish. And for dessert, "hazelnut dacquoise," is a classic French cake, and some iced tea.
While tasting the classic French cake, I suddenly remembered a quotation that a culinary student would say about baking a cake.
"Don't you think that life is like baking a cake?" I uttered.
"Huh, how?" he asked.
"Cuz" when you bake, it's so messy and time-consuming, but when you create the cake that you love, it's so satisfying." I replied.
"Well, for us culinary students, that's how we view life when we bake." I uttered
Then he smiled at me sweetly, sweet enough to melt my heart. While chatting with Mat, I noticed that a guy in a black suit was looking at us. I couldn't tell what his face looked like because he was wearing a black sunglasses. I told Mat about what I saw, but then when we looked back he was gone.
"Maybe you're just imagining things." Mat uttered.
"I swear, I saw him staring at us.", I exclaimed.
After we ate, we went back to Mat's condo. A guy wearing a khaki sweatshirt and jeans is waiting on his balcony. He looks older than Mat, maybe his uncle.
"So you're back!" the guy uttered.
"Charlie! "What are you doing here?" Mat exclaimed.
Charlie didn't take his gaze off of me. He looked back at Mat, smiling and ready to tease him.
"Ah, so you're the boyfriend," he uttered.
" No I'm not, I'm his friend", I exclaimed.
"Actually he's my..." Then Mat looked at me and smiled teasingly.
"Okay, okay, Mat." I need to talk to you in private, "Charlie whispered."
Both of them went to the balcony, and they looked very serious while talking.
"They're back, Mat, Bastardos are back," James exclaimed in his Spanish accent.
The "Bastardos" are a group of gangsters who roam around the city, and their main goal is to be wealthy enough to take control of illegal transactions and businesses in the black market.
"Did you inform my father about this?" Mat asked.
"Yes, he already knew about this, but I'm worried about your friend. I'm sure they will do everything to threaten your family and take all your wealth.", Charlie replied.
"That won't happen. I'll protect Mike no matter what," Mat exclaimed.
"But Mat, you should stay away from Mike while there's still time." Charlie replied.
"No! I think I like him, I'm so happy when I'm with him", Mat uttered
Then Charlie walked out of the room, but before he left, he looked me in the eyes with an upset expression.
I went outside the balcony and saw Mat staring at the skyscrapers.
"Mat, is there something wrong?" I asked.
Then Mat rushed in and hugged me tight, feeling the warmth of his body.
"No matter what happens, I'll protect you, Mike," he whispered in a caring tone.