Chapter 20: The Good Time

“Got it, Boss!” Jenny said while lifting her thumb up. “Come, Edward, start eating. We already started first!”

He nodded. “Okay. Lana and I will take the food first. Let’s go, baby.” 

Edward and I strolled to take beef, chicken, and sausage. “Honey, do you want Satay?” I asked him. 

“Okay, but let’s share it.”

“Okay. We must wait until they finish grilling the Satay.” I took the rest of the food. “I’ll take a drink first because I’m thirsty.”

“What do you want? I’ll take it for you.”

“Thai Tea. Thanks, darling.” 

“Go to our table,” he said. “I’ll wait for the Satay.”

Afterward, I returned to our table. When I sat, my friends commented on me. 

“Ah, you’re so smart in choosing a boyfriend! He seems to care about you so much,” Jenny said.  

“Yep! He’s kind to us too. You chose well. I hope it will be happy ever after,” Cecil said.

Anna said nothing. She only smiled while nodding, agreeing with Jenny and Cecil.  

I grinned to hear what they said. “Amen! I feel that he’s so kind. I’m so lucky to have him.”

“Not at all!” Cecil shook her head. “He’s lucky to have you too. You are so kind to all.” 

“Really?” I put my hand on my chest, so touched by what Cecil said. 

Then we stopped talking because Edward came with drinks for both of us. He also brought our Satay.  

“Baby, help me grill everything, okay? I want to choose what we can boil. What do you want?”

“Meatball and dumpling, please? Don’t forget a lot of veggies.”

“Okay. Do you want tofu too?” 

I nodded. “Okay, but just a little.”

He left us again. So I continued to chat with my friends.  

“Lana, I can’t be here too long. My crush wanted to go on a date with me tonight. Is it okay? You know I must prepare well since it’s the first date.” Jenny’s eyes gleamed.  

“No problem.” I smiled at her. “Relaxed. I’m happy you can join us today. It’s rare for us to gather like this..”

“I can’t be too long either, Lana. Michael texted me repeatedly. He will be upset if I go home late,” Cecil said. Michael was her boyfriend. 

“It’s fine.” Then I glanced at Anna. “How about you?”

Anna chewed the food and swallowed it first. Then her tender voice replied, “I’ll go with Cecil. So if she goes home, so do I.” 

“Okay. If you want to go home, it’s okay. Just let me know if you want to go home.”

“Okay!” the three of them said.  

“What okay?” Edward asked. He was already near me.  

“Oh, they can’t be too long. Everyone has things to do after this,” I said to him. 

“Oh, okay. No problem. Before you all go home, let’s eat until full!” He smiled again.  

After 45 minutes, I was full. Edward kept eating while Jenny and Anna ate pudding.  

“Cil, you don’t want to eat dessert?” I asked.

“I’m full! Maybe I’ll drink something.” Then Cecil was quiet for a while. Her face was serious when she glanced at Edward. “Edward, are you serious with Lana?”

Edward stopped eating right away. “Serious? Of course. Why do you ask?”

Cecil gazed at him. “If you aren’t serious, it’s better you tell her right away. She is my best friend. If you aren’t serious, you must deal with me.”

Edward chuckled. “Wow, you give me an ultimatum.”

“Cecil!” I protested. Then I rushed to explain to him, “What Cecil meant was not to give you an ultimatum, darling.” 

“Relaxed. I understand her well,” he said while staring at me, still so calm. “You have a wonderful friend, baby.” Then he stared at Cecil. “I’m serious with Lana. I have no intention of playing her around. So I’m sure I don’t need to deal with you regarding that matter.”

Cecil laughed aloud to hear that. “Great! Though you’re our boss, I’ll be mad if you play her.”

Edward nodded. “I’ll go to Singapore on Monday with Lana. What do you want from there, Cecil?” 

“Bribe me, Boss? As long as you take care of her well, but if you buy me a luxury bag, I don’t mind at all.” Then she laughed out loud. “I’m just kidding, Boss.”

He laughed too.  

I was glad. My friends accepted him well. However …. 

“Crap! What the ...,” Edward yelled. The soda in a glass that Anna held poured into Edward’s hair.  

“Please don’t be mad at me! It’s Jenny’s idea,” Anna said. Her hand trembled, and her face was pale.  

“It’s a baptism, Boss. Now, you are officially accepted as Lana’s boyfriend,” Jenny said lightly while grinning.  

Fortunately, he laughed again. He waved his hair to remove the soda there. 

I took some pieces of tissues and wiped his hair. “Oh, please! You’re so naughty!” I said to Jenny. A small pack of tissue turned to red as it absorbed the red soda from his hair. I patted a drench on his shirt too. At least it wasn’t too much soda that Anna poured.  

He patted the back of my hand, trying to calm me. “It’s okay. I’m glad your friends treat me like their friends.”

“See? He isn’t mad either.” Jenny grinned while observing both of us. 

Cecil laughed too. When glancing at her wrist, she yelped, “Ouch! It’s four already! It’s time to go home. Sorry, Lana, Edward. I must go.”

Jenny stood too. “Oh, right! It’s good you tell us. I must go home too. See you next week, new lovebirds. I hope both of you last forever!” 

“I come with you.” Anna rose too. “Thanks for the treat.” 

Edward stood and shook hands with my friends.  

I hugged them one by one. “Edward, you continue eating. I’ll send them first to the door.”  

He shook his head. Then he followed me to send three of them. “Thanks for your best wishes. I’m so happy today.”

“You are welcome,” Cecil, Anna, and Jenny said.

“Thanks for the treat, Boss. I don’t mind if you treat us frequently.” Cecil grinned while winking her eye at Edward.  

Edward laughed and raised his thumb up.  

Afterward, we returned to our table and continued eating. Actually, it was he who continued eating. I only accompanied him. 

Later, he went to the toilet. When he returned, his hair was wet and also his shirt, but the red stain because of the soda was no longer there.  

“I’m sorry. I don’t expect they would pour you with soda.” 

“It’s okay.” He shook his head. “I’m jealous of you.” He sighed. 

I widened my eyes. “Jealous? Me?”

“Yes, you have kind and genuine friends. They are authentic people.” He was quiet for a while. “Thank you.”

I tilted my head to the side. “For what?”

“Because of you, I have new friends like them. Though I haven’t been as close as you with them, I’m sure I can count on them to be themselves and straightforward with me.”

I smiled at him and nodded. 

“Oh, I need to change my clothes. I’ll go to the car first. I have extra clothes there.”

“Okay, I’ll wait here.”

I didn’t need to wait for long. He returned soon. He changed his shirt into a fit-body T-shirt. Wearing a shirt or a T-shirt, he looked so handsome.  

Afterward, he paid for what we ate and sent me home. When we arrived home, my dad walked to the living room. When he saw Edward, he asked him to play chess.  

They played it seriously. My dad frowned while thinking, then smiled a little, probably thinking about the next steps. Edward was serious too. They were quiet while playing. However, once in a while, they commented on each other’s moves.  

Since I was bored waiting for them to finish playing chess, I left them to take a shower. I changed my clothes into a casual dress so I would be more relaxed and comfortable.  

I had little time to talk with him, but his eyes gleamed when I walked him to the door.  

“It’s one of the most enjoyable days in my life. Thank you,” he said. 

“Really?” I gaped. “What happened today?”

“I could meet with your friends. Then I could play chess and talk with your father. It was fun for me. Thank you, baby.” 

I hugged him, then whispered in his ear, “Thank you for coming into my life.”

He smiled sweetly. I waited for him to leave, but he asked me to go inside the house. Until I couldn’t see his car anymore, his sweet smile was still in my mind, even a second before I closed my eyes to sleep.