SLIP OF THE TONGUE

Kaye didn't know what to say to her friend since her speculation was true. Even so, she tried denying it. "I don't like him. Stop spouting nonsense." Kaye refused to admit the truth.

Lexi's eyes lit up and she even moved closer but her voice was low. In a whisper, she asked "So who do you like?" However, with Ivan's enhanced sense of hearing, it was more than enough for him to hear the question.

"Right, who do you like?" Kaye was startled to hear such voice behind her. Ivan's voice was cold like a devil beckoning her from hell.

"Ivan!" Kaye exclaimed upon seeing him behind her, her hand on her heart, trying to calm it's beats.

"Oh you just admitted it. You like Ivan." Lexi smiled mischievously at her best friend.

"I..I...You set me up! I said 'Ivan' after seeing his face behind me." Kaye tried to reason out without glancing at the man who took a seat beside her.

Ivan pulled his chair closer to her, looking at her flustered face which was almost dripping blood from its redness.

"Do you want to change your answer?" Ivan asked with a raised eyebrow, giving her a smile that didn't even reached his eyes.

Kaye felt so nervous around this cheeky cousins. How was she supposed to answer that?! If she said no, he would surely be upset at her. If she said yes, he might misunderstood her.

"That's not what I meant. I wasn't even answering the question when you came." Kaye turned to Ivan with a helpless look but Ivan wasn't letting her off this time.

"Well, it's time for you to answer then." Gab interjected with an encouraging smile but it made Kaye more embarrassed.

"Why am I in a hot seat? This isn't fair." Kaye sulked on her seat like a child. Ivan chuckled seeing her expression.

"Alright we won't be teasing you anymore." Ivan pinched her nose to make her feel at ease.

Kaye was still restless over the topic but it soon faded when the food came. Ivan put some rice on her plater while she was busy getting some barbecued squid. She didn't forget putting some on Ivan's plate as well.

Their interaction looked so natural to the people around them that they would mistake them for a couple having a double date.

"This is really delicious. The meat is really tender since their ingredients were fresh." Kaye commented after taking a big bite.

"You like it?" Lexi asked her best friend. Kaye nodded her head without knowing the trap that she was in. "Which do you like better, the squid or the Ivan?"

"The Ivan." Came Kaye's quick answer which stunned her and the other three people around the table. Without waiting for them to react, she immediately added "Ivan can buy me lots of this. Of course, I'd choose Ivan."

Ivan on the other hand was gaining some hope at first but when she added the last state, his hope was dashed away.

Kaye didn't know what was going on but she could see now that her friend was really doing her best to matchmake her and Ivan.

"Stop it. You're making Kaye uncomfortable." Gab pushed a wrapped meat in a lettuce leaf inside Lexi's mouth. She still wanted to say something, but her mouth was so full she could only mumble her words.

"Your cousin was really pushing me to you. If you're uncomfortable, just ignore her nonsense." Kaye said while talking to Ivan which the latter didn't take to his heart.

"Let's just eat." Ivan whispered back before putting some fish meat on Kaye's plate.

"Thank you." Kaye was so happy seeing the fish meat on her plate. She saw Ivan removing the bones of a milk fish earlier, but she never thought it was for her.

"When was the last time you ate a milk fish?" Ivan asked to change their topic.

"The last time you removed the bones for me." Kaye answered with a bright smile on her face. "I don't trust anyone else when it comes to removing its bones. I don't want to do it myself as well. It was only you who could make me eat this."

It was indeed true. When she didn't meet Ivan yet, Kaye was given a fried fish by her evil mom. Without knowing how to eat it, she ate it like how cats eat since she had seen her cat eat a fish.

However, a bone was stuck in her throat. She was teary eyed and a bile was rising due to panic but no one helped her. She didn't know what to do. Facing with only the rice left, she shoved spoonful of rice in her mouth until her cheeks were bulging. Without chewing it, she swallowed them altogether and drank a water after. She did it a couple of times until she felt nothing was left in her throat.

From that moment on, Kaye detested milk fish with its large bones sticking on its meat. Even buying some fish cutlet would take her time because she double check the meat to make sure that they are boneless.

When Ivan came into her life, he would always tell her that fish meat is a source of protein. In the end, he was tasked to remove the bones of the fish for her so she could it the meat without any issues.

It was already a habit for Ivan to do such task when her mother would cook fish for them when they were young.

"I'm glad that you didn't let anyone else do it for you. That should always be my responsibility." Ivan stated with a serious face while placing more boneless fish meat on her plate.

"I trust you would do that for me." Kaye responded, oblivious to the two pairs of eyes looking at them with mischief.

"One of them should get drunk." Lexi mouthed to her fiancee who readily agreed and ordered some beers for them.