Chapter 7

"Sorry, but I ve been dying to hug and kiss you for a while now." Joshua chuckled. "It s fine. I m a big boy. If I didn t like what you do, I would have punched you in the face. I can protect myself just fine." James laughed. "Okay. That s good to know. I m really excited now. I can t wait to have dinner with you." "Me neither," Joshua admitted before also leaning in to kiss James on the right cheek. "Later, man." "Later. Thanks for breakfast. You have a great day at work." "You re welcome, and same to you. I ll shoot you a text message the moment I arrive at the office." "I m looking forward to it, Josh." They exchanged another brief hug before Joshua walked away. He couldn t help the sensation of butterflies fluttering about in his stomach, though. He was nervous and excited at the same time. He reached the entrance to the bakery before he turned and waved at James, who returned the gesture. Then he stepped outside and made his way to the office. His day was suddenly so much brighter now. He had a date with James that evening, which he certainly hadn t expected to happen when he woke up that morning. Nothing was going to spoil the day for him. It was going to be one of the best days of his life. 3 James exchanged an awkward smile with Joshua as they sat across from each other in the restaurant later that evening. "Too much?" Joshua chuckled and shook his head before picking up the dozen red roses and sniffing them. "They re beautiful, and they smell awesome. Thank you." James grinned. "You re welcome." "Most people don t bother to bring flowers or chocolates for their dates anymore. I really appreciate the roses. You re very sweet." "Thanks." Joshua nodded. "You should open the box I gave you. I hope you ll like the contents." James snickered while pulling out a rectangular-shaped, violet-colored box from inside the paper bag on top of the table. "Okay." The width of the box wasn t anything spectacular, but James estimated the length to be about fifteen or sixteen inches. He untied the champagne-colored ribbon before lifting the cover up. Then he gasped. There were eight macarons lined up neatly, and they all had different colors. At the very top of the box itself was a velvet cushion with a silver keychain embedded within. He tugged the keychain out and smiled at the sight of the tiny chef hat, which was made from crystal, dangling on it. "Do you like it?" James glanced up at Joshua. "Yes. This is a thoughtful and exquisite gift. Thank you." "You re welcome." "My flowers feel so inadequate all of a sudden." Joshua snorted. "I love them just fine. Believe me." "But your gift—" "Just accept the gesture, man. This isn t a competition." James huffed in amusement. "You re right. Thank you. Again." "You re welcome. Again." The two of them burst out laughing. The slight tension between them dissipated even further when the server stopped by their table with a bottle of red wine before walking away and promising to return with their food once they were ready. Upon toasting and sipping on their wine, James inquired further about the macarons and the keychain. "Where did you find something like this?" Joshua smirked. "I m a social media specialist. Aside from finishing my tasks at work, I spend most of my hours in the office researching various things on the Internet, which includes browsing through several social media accounts." James raised his left eyebrow. "Some of which aren t exactly work-related?" Joshua chortled and blushed a little. "Maybe. I m one of the few employees in the office who is provided with an unlimited access to the World Wide Web. Most of the others have their work computers or laptops barred from visiting any social media." "And porn sites?" Joshua guffawed. "Those are strictly prohibited at work. Well, unless you don t mind getting fired from your job." James placed his arms on the table and leaned forward. "I don t know about that. When I have some spare time, I love to watch a porn clip or two. For research purposes, of course." Joshua rolled his eyes. "Of course, and may I know how those porn videos are supposed to assist you in your catering business?" "They relieve my urges, which in turn allows me to focus better at work." Joshua snickered. "I guess your point is valid." The two of them guffawed almost at the same time while maintaining eye contact with each other. James could feel himself relaxing even further. He had been anxious for several hours after leaving the bakery earlier that morning because he was worried Joshua might change his mind about going out on a date with him. He cleared his throat gently before speaking up.