The hidden plan

Today is Friday, again, and that means there’s a group dinner, and Mariella and Leonardo didn’t skip this time, so it’s basically everyone gathering together. Martin is a little eager to meet Giorgio tonight since it’s been a while since they had a meal together, where Giorgio got busier with classes and starts using his lunch hour for completing assignments, and only eats when Martin brought food for him during his free time.

But today Martin feels down after going through halfway of the day, since he got hit by a series of misfortunes. First, he forgot to study for a quiz, and now worried that he might have a low score for that. Secondly, he tripped when he was on the way to another class, and his phone screen actually cracked this time, making him cussed and reprimanded by one of the old fashion professors that doesn’t tolerate curse words. Thirdly, his last class of the day ends an hour later because Professor Buccio got distracted when one of his classmates entered the kitchen area with muddy boots, and everyone had to spend an hour just to clean all the mess together until it’s spotless.

He sprints off the moment the class is dismissed, and he hopes that he gets to at least walk with Giorgio without the others’ presence so he can spend more time alone with him. He quickly texts Giorgio on his whereabouts, and he sighs when Giorgio replies he is already at the restaurant after getting on the shuttle bus with Leonardo, Mariella, and Ricci.

Martin knows the shuttle bus service has already ended, so he quickly calls Alfonso and asks for a lift, and luckily Alfonso is still in campus, so he rushes over to his office and sees him talking with the familiar hair owner, Tao, and he enters after knocking slightly, “I didn’t interrupt anything?”

“Hey Martin,” Tao greets and he grins, “I have to go now, happy weekend. Thank you, teach.”

“Anytime, Tao. I’m glad you come to me for that assignment topic. Good day.”

When Martin and Alfonso enter the car in the car park, Alfonso asks after he starts driving, “you don’t look good this week.”

“Huh? Oh, you saw through me huh?”

“We have been through thin and thick for many years now, so I’m sure I can pick up whenever any of you are lying. Do you want to talk about it now? You know, alone, without the others to hear about it.”

“Erm,” Martin clears his throat, trying to find the words to describe this feeling of his towards Giorgio, and when he thinks he is ready, he quickly spits it out, “I think I fell for Giorgio.”

Alfonso didn’t say anything and they are already approaching the familiar looking neighbourhood of their apartment, and Martin quickly continues, “at first I thought it’s a simple crush, but it’s getting more and more unbearable. I can’t keep him out of my mind! I have crushes all the time in the past, but he is the first to actually make me think how nice it would be to actually have him in my arms, to actually be the one making him smile, and to be able to wake up every morning just to see him safe and sound, sleeping beside me.”

When the car is parked, Alfonso exits the vehicle and Martin follows silently, and they start walking together towards the restaurant, “do you remember what I told Leonardo previously before he confessed to Mariella?”

“Erm, just go for it?”

“Exactly. Just tell him.”

“But- what if he doesn’t like me the same way I do? And then we can’t be friends anymore if he feels uncomfortable with me!”

“Martin,” they reach the restaurant in the meantime, and Alfonso is already pushing open the doors, “are you content with just being friends?”

“I-”

“Alfonso! Martin! There you guys are!” the unmistakable voice of Leonardo calls them from their usual table, and Martin waves at him and he is stun when he sees Giorgio.

Giorgio’s usual coat is hanging at the chair, revealing what he wears today, which is surprisingly, a blue colored shirt with a huge and low v cut that showcased his toned chest, and he has star shaped ornaments around the top. This afternoon Martin only sees Giorgio in his lab coat, so he didn’t know that he was wearing this the whole day. He looks so good in this- no, he actually looks good in anything, even in a lab coat.

Alfonso already takes a seat beside Rizzo and he pecks his cheek, and Martin takes the seat right beside Giorgio since that’s the only one empty seat left, and the waiter starts bringing in the food, “oh! You guys had ordered for us? Sweet!”

“You are late though. What happened in class, Martin?”

“You can’t believe this, but someone in my class dared to trot into the kitchen with muddy boots! We were all penalized by Professor Buccio to clean the whole place until it’s spotless and shining!”

The rest of them laugh and Giorgio just smiles, and they start eating. Leonardo is being playful and starts snatching Mariella’s food, making her whines and tells him to stop, and Leonardo asks for kisses as exchanges. Ricci rolls his eyes and tells them not to play with food, while Alfonso chuckles about how it’s fine once in a while.

After they’re fed and the table is cleared, Martin feels his phone vibrate and he looks at the broken screen, and he frowns when it’s a text from Mariella, making him look at her for a second before he checks the message.

PinkyMM: Martin

PinkyMM: I gt something important to ask u

PinkyMM: mind if we step aside for abit?

MartinMartin: erm ok?

MartinMartin: leo coming 2???

PinkyMM: no

PinkyMM: let me giv excuse b4 u come find me at the entrance

“Let me go freshen myself for a bit,” Mariella stands up and she wears her outercoat and winks at her boyfriend, “I will be back soon.”

“Yeah, careful!” he waves and she walks off, and Giorgio actually stands up, confusing Martin for a while, and he says, “I’m going to the gents.”

“Oh! I need to take a leak too! Let’s go together,” Leonardo gets up and the both of them walk off together, and Ricci shakes his head, “something’s up and I’m not sure what.”

“Maybe yes, maybe not.”

“Erm, I’m going to take a leak too,” Martin stands up and he quickly walks off, but not before catching Alfonso looking at him with a knowing look. When he reaches the entrance, he sees Mariella standing outside and he quickly steps out, “what’s so important to meet up in private like this?”