Page 11 of Michael's Awakening
Zack laughed and nudged my arm. “Yeah, says the dude who devoured like sixsugar-infesteddonuts this morning. I’m surprised your suit still fit.” He mocked me.
I dramatically popped open my mouth and placed a hand on my cocked hip. “Oh no, you didn’t just go there.”
Dad chuckled and interrupted our playful banter, “Alright, you two drama queens. Let’s go get some grub.”
***
We went to one of my favorite restaurants called Pad Thai Cuisine, which as the name suggests, was a Thai place. It was nothing fancy, just a small building located right beside a family grocery store and a pizza place. Thefeng shuiof the restaurant was simple, with cream colored walls, hanging lamps, and oriental paintings that added a nice flair of artistic expression. The tables and booths were spaced out nicely, giving everyone their own little area of privacy.
The waitress came to our table and took our food orders after bringing out our drinks. I jabbed my straw in the glass and began sipping my half-sweet tea. I hadn’t realized how thirsty I was, so the cold liquid felt amazing as it slid down my throat.
“So, you seeing anyone special, Gabe?”
I looked up at my dad and wiped my mouth before responding. I was casually seeing a few people, but sex buddies didn’t count for what he was asking. Shaking my head, I answered, “No. Not really. No one has really caught my eye yet.”
My thoughts automatically drifted to the man I’d seen earlier that night. He’d definitely caught my eye.
“Aw, little bro. Your Mr. Fabulous is out there somewhere.” Zack gave me his notorious dimpled grin and then took a long, loud gulp of his Pepsi.
“Actually, I’m the fabulous one. My man will have to be called Mr. Bodacious or something like that.”
My dad snorted into his drink as he started laughing. “Oh, Gabriel.”
He shook his head, his gray-streaked dark hair falling into his face. He wasn’t old or anything, but most of the older men around our area really let themselves go and he hadn’t. The wrinkles around his eyes creased as he smiled at me, and his blue eyes were bright and amused. Even though he was in his late forties—almost to the big five O—he still had a full head of hair and his wrinkles were only proof of the countless times he had laughed throughout his life.
There had been a shit load of sadness in his life too, though.
From the moment we had found out about Mom’s death six years ago, something had shifted in my dad, like a piece of his soul had died along with her. There had never been a love like the love that was between my parents. Since her death, Dad hasn’t even looked at another woman. One time, I asked him about it, about why he hadn’t tried finding love again. His response had stayed with me to this day.
“Son,” he’d said with a sad smile,“Whenever you find true love, your heart becomes one with that person. Now that your mother is gone, she has taken that part of my heart with her. I don’t want anyone else because she is the only woman who has ever andwillever have my heart. To try and give it to someone else would not only be an impossibility, it would also be unfair to the other woman.”
I craved a love like that. As cheesy as it sounded, I was looking for true love. Unconditional, can’t-live-without-each-other, all-consuming love. I wanted someone who would accept me forme.Someone who could love each side of me unconditionally, and that included the flamboyant feminine side of me who lived for music, fashion, makeup, and all things purple and glamorous.
Not everyone was lucky enough to find that kind of love, and I knew I probably never would either. I mean, only a moron would toss a gem like me aside, but apparently the world was full of those morons. No man could handle me, I was too wild and flashy for their liking.
Whatever. I didn’tneeda man to make me happy. For now, my casual sexual encounters would just have to suffice.
The waitress approached our table, holding a large tray with our plates balanced on it, and my stomach growled in anticipation. Once she set the plate down, I thanked her and then dug in, not even caring that the food was still hot and burnt my tongue. I ordered the Pad Thai noodles, minus the meat, and with extra vegetables. I was in Heaven as the spices hit my tongue with a burst of intoxicating flavor. Groaning, I scooped up another fork-full before washing it down with my tea. Now that I had a little food in me, my crankiness was appeased, which allowed for discussion.
“What aboutyou, Zack? You tormenting any poor women with thatcharmingpersonality of yours?”
His response was to flick a spoonful of rice at me. I squealed as I ducked my head, the rice barely missing my hair. I grabbed my napkin and held it up in a sign of surrender. Once food started to be thrown, I backed out.
Flying food meant stains and Isowasn’t going there.
“I come in peace!” I exclaimed as I waved my napkin. “It was an honest question, even if it was worded for my sheer amusement.”
“Yeah, nice backtrack there, bro.” Zack smiled and shrugged. “No one has caught my eye, either. Work takes up most of my free time anyway, so I don’t really want a relationship right now.”
He looked down and pushed the rice around on his plate.
I could tell that there was more to the story than what he was telling, but I knew not to push him. Zack was the type of person that wouldn’t talk unless he wanted to, and he got pissed if he was pushed about it. If anything, being pushed just made him retract further inside his shell.
When the time was right, I knew he’d tell me.
Discussion was great for the rest of dinner, and afterward, Zack and my dad dropped me back off at home. The night was still young and I wanted to celebrate my awesome performance, Gabriel style.
Which basically meant that I wanted to party and, hopefully, get laid.
