Chapter 5 Quattro

• "Next time, I'll return the favor."
• "What do you mean?"
• Zack looked at me and pointed at the two of us. "This, Glenn. The dinner, the view, the company ... I want to take you to a place to eat with a view that's just as good as this."
• Luckily I had a beer, so I sipped it to hide my smile. If I kept staring at Zack and thinking about what he had just said, I might have done something silly because I was happy. And why was that? Another dinner meant another date—I mean, another chance to see him again.
• "I don't like eating at fancy restaurants like I mentioned before. First, I don't want to dress up just to eat; secondly, I always think fine dining is pretentious and a waste of money. I hope you won't be offended by that."
• Zack laughed instead. "None taken. Does a restaurant with a great view have to be fine dining? Not necessarily."
• "The point is ... you don't need to go through all the trouble just to return the favor. Dinner here is enough for me. It’s always the company, not the place."
• Even though I had opened the balcony door while eating, it still felt stuffy. I invited Zack to sit on the balcony to get some fresh air. What was on the menu for dinner this time? Grilled Honey Glazed Beef Ribs, Teriyaki Beef, Crispy Baby Beans, plus two orders of tuna salad that Zack had ordered—and paid for—from Bale Bali. I was momentarily speechless, not because of his requested menu but how he had prepared our dinner.
• Even though it was just dinner in the apartment, he set the table as if we were having dinner at an expensive restaurant. There were forks, knives, and neatly folded napkins, just like in a fancy restaurant. None of the guys I had invited to my house/apartment had gone the extra mile like this. He impressed me more than I could have imagined. And I knew I was screwed!
• Zack knew a lot about food, and I often listened quietly to his stories about various types of food I had never heard of. At the same time, I was also afraid because I was starting to become less like myself. Whoever inhabited my body right now wasn't the Glenn Anantara I had known my whole life. Glenn Anantara usually never cared whether the guy he liked had the same feelings. But now I cared and wanted to know if there was a chance for me to get closer to him.
• "Zack, can I ask you something... somewhat personal?"
• "What do you want to ask?"
• "Are you not worried that someone might get angry because you had dinner here? What if someone was waiting for you in Sanur or somewhere."
• Zack simply shook his head. "No one is waiting for me in Sanur or elsewhere, Glenn. Why? Are you afraid someone might get jealous?"
• "I just don't want my apartment door to be knocked on in the middle of the night, and when I open it, there's a guy or girl practicing their martial art with a sword in their hands because they're not happy that I took their boyfriend on Saturday night."
• Zack unabashedly showed off his dimples. Damn you, Zack! "I can assure you that no man will be jealous about me spending time with you. What about you?"
• It was confirmed that he was gay because he took the bait. "If there were another guy, I would have kicked him out long ago." I knew my joke sounded dry, but I couldn't help it. In a way, I also told him that I was into guys.
• Zack just leaned back, tapped his back and grabbed his glass, finishing its contents.
• "By the way, why did you move to Bali? Isn't it better to live in the US?"
• From our conversation during dinner, Zack told me that he had lived in Boston and Manchester after graduating high school. Zack's stories about those two places explained a lot about his appearance and dining-out habits. I didn't want to generalize, but I knew where he got those expensive habits.
• "Maybe because I stayed there for too long, I got bored. I kept going back and forth between the UK and Indonesia; at one point, I just couldn't do it anymore. I love Bali. To me, Bali is a stress-free place."
• "What about your family? Are they in the UK too?"
• "No, my whole family is in Bandung."
• I nodded.
• What I was doing with Zack right now, would anyone consider this a date? Talking about his family seemed too early for whatever it is called that we're doing at the moment. Strangely, I didn't mind if this was an actual date.
• "How big is your family?"
• Zack chuckled. "Around 18? That's just the immediate family because we're five siblings. Four of us are married, so make it eleven, including me and my parents, plus four nephews and three nieces. Not to mention when all my mom's or dad's relatives gather with their in-laws. You can't imagine how big it gets."
• Zack couldn't hide his pride in his large family. "It must be fun to have such a big family like that. I only have one sibling. My brother is still single, while I obviously can't marry a girl. When we get together, Dad and Mom like to tease our family as the most barren family because my aunts and uncles already have grandchildren. But I also feel lucky because my parents never had any issues with my sexual orientation. Maybe my other relatives talk behind our backs, but my parents never cared."
• "I feel lucky, too," Zack said with a smile.
• "We're both lucky then."
• Zack nodded affirmatively. "At first, my dad had a hard time accepting it, but maybe because of my mom's influence and my other siblings, my dad eventually accepted it with open arms. Whenever someone teases me about when I'll have a boyfriend again, my dad becomes even more enthusiastic about encouraging me."
• "It's only Gio who likes to tease me about my singleness. He tried to set me up on a date a few times, but it never worked."
• "I wouldn't want to be set up like that," Zack laughed.
• "Anyway, what do you usually do besides dining at fancy restaurants in your free time?"
• "You hate fine dining that much, huh?"
• I just rolled my eyes.
• "Sometimes I ride my bike along the beach, one of the advantages of living in Sanur. I usually find a nice spot and read there. And if I'm in the mood and someone invites me, I play golf in Nusa Dua. It depends on which idea comes up first and which mood is the strongest," Zack answered with a grin.
• "And you want to trick me by saying you're just an ordinary employee? Your hobbies alone are expensive," I joked, reminding Zack of his answer when we first met.
• "Expensive is relative, Glenn."
• "Playing golf and dining out are not cheap hobbies for me. Maybe our dinner tonight lowered your standards for dinner."
• Zack looked at me before giving a broad smile, making his dimples more visible. "Would you believe me if I said I also enjoy eating street food?"
• "Nope. I won't buy that."
• "Glenn, nothing beats the deliciousness of meatball soup, chicken noodles, or fried rice from street vendors. Trust me. I don't mind eating anywhere as long as the place is clean. I'm not that picky."
• "But you wouldn't dress up like this when eating at street vendors, would you?"
• Zack furrowed his brow. "What's wrong with dressing up even when eating at street vendors?"
• "Your attire is too expensive for eating at a roadside stall, Zack. Do I need to tell you that?"
• "People will never notice me if I wear nice clothes or not. As long as I’m not naked."
• This time, it was my turn to laugh. This guy could crack jokes too.
• "How about we exchange houses for once?"
• "What do you mean?"
• "Like in the movie 'The Holiday.' It would be nice to wake up, see the sea, and enjoy the sunset every evening."
• I finally understood what he meant and said, "Oh."
• "If you want to stay here, there's a guest room. You're welcome anytime. It's free!"
• Shit! Did I just invite Zack to stay over? My tongue needed a beauty class. It was a brave move, but it was too late to take back.
• "Thank you for the offer. I'll think about it," Zack replied.
• Dammit! He took my invitation seriously. Damn!
• "Do you have any plans tomorrow?"
• I looked at Zack, trying again not to get too excited. Okay, inhale and exhale, Glenn. No need to be conceited, Glenn. Maybe he would ask you to be his babysitter. But seriously, that question freaked me out.
• "Where are you taking me?"
• "You're straightforward, aren't you?" Zack replied with a smile. "If you don't have any plans, I want to take you to Ubud. My friend's friend opened a gallery in the Penestanan area, and I couldn't make it to the opening yesterday."
• "What kind of gallery? Paintings?"
• Zack shook his head. "Stone and wood carving."
• Thank God it wasn't a painting.
• "Sure, it's been a while since I last visited Ubud. I can also show you some great places to eat there. Who knows, it might be a recommendation."
• Yep! Congratulations, Glenn. Get ready to torture yourself all day long.
• "You hate eating out, but how do you know all these great places to eat?"
• I sighed. "Every time Gio comes home, he always takes me out to eat. Sometimes when my clients are in Bali, they invite me to restaurants. I'm not completely clueless about good places to eat, but I don't know much either."
• Zack just nodded.
• "So, what time should I pick you up tomorrow?"
• "For Ubud? We'll finish at the gallery around nine or ten from here by lunchtime."
• "How about I pick you up at 9:30?"
• "Why not 9:37?"
• Zack burst into laughter at my response. "They say being punctual is a virtue."
• "Well, whatever you say."
• At least I wouldn't have to wait days or weeks to see Zack again. In less than 24 hours, I would see this smiley guy with adorable dimples again.