Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"So how's your day?" Dad asked me while we sat down from the nearby window of Grills and Meals restaurant.

I smiled. I missed doing this with him, eating with my father in these restaurants. Only us, together. I remember the last time we did this last month. He followed us here for a project. And at the same time meeting with me again.

"I'm okay, seems pretty good since your here. Tell me, what did you do this time?" I asked giving him the look of gesture that I already know it was his plan again.

"You know it, I opened a tour discount for your aunt Michelle in L.A." dad said with a plain smirk. "I missed you so much, Sam. I cannot stop it," he explained.

I knew it you, little devil. Well, dad would do it again just for us to see each other. And mom, she just couldn't stop herself from an offer of vacation especially from her best friend Michelle. Dad had been doing this in the past years and I just hope mom won't figure it out. She enjoyed it anyway and so are we.

"We should try the steak this time," I suggested while the waitress stood beside me.

Dad nodded keeping his eyes on me. "Anything for my beloved daughter," he softly agreed.

I shrugged. This is why I like it. He got to let me do anything I want.

"So how's your work?" I started to break the silence between us.

"I am starting a new project in this city, I hope I can get the investments I have been working on."

My eyes opened wide. "In this city?" I asked to confirm, I might have heard it wrong.

"Your right, right here," dad said seriously.

"Dad!" I protested. "What if mom finds it out?" It was my mom who came right away in my mind. He knows mom won't let this slide if she finds it out.

"She won't trust me," dad said confidently. Well, how?

"What if she sees you, for example on the news or maybe if you're walking out there," I shrugged my shoulder. He stared at me watching my reaction over his decision to stay here. "I am just not fine with this idea. Feels like we're going to move to another place again, Dad. I don't want that. I'm tired of moving. So please!" I almost cried out.

Dad stood. He neared me and hugged me tightly. "No Sammy, I'll be careful. And you should be happy I'll get to see you often from now on. Leave the problem to me," Dad said rubbing my back.

I pinned my head at his stomach. It was the feeling I have been craving for a long time. I missed him so much. I could've cried honestly, but I'll save that for later.

Dad patted my back and continued rubbing gently. "Don't worry about it."

We detached when the food was laid on our table and started to dig it in.

Then there was silence again.

I am glad he broke it this time but with the wrong question he threw. "Do you have a boyfriend?" He asked.

I choked myself. "Dad!" I screamed. "What kind of question is that?" As I drink the cola.

"What, I am just asking, I saw someone this past few days."

Wait. What? "Did you send someone to spy again on me?" I asked terribly. I'll probably get mad at him if he's doing it again like in the past years.

"No Sam, it was me who personally saw it while I was having dinner with a friend at Costa."

Oh! At Costa. Let me think. Did he see me with Norton? Or with Khai? I glared at him trying to read his mind.

"Nah. He's just a friend," I said ignoring which guy did I call for a friend.

"And what about the other guy," dad continued to ask.

O gosh! Frankly, he did see them both. I stopped my hand from picking another slice of steak. Then I directly looked at him. "Okay," I laid my back in my seat crossing my hands in my chest. "So which guy are you talking about?"

And he copied me, laying his back and crossing hands on his chest. "You see I was having dinner when I looked at the window, saw you coming out from the car with the guy who probably drove you there. I don't want to assume but then I saw you entering a nearby cafe with a different guy. So which guy?"

"What do you mean which guy?" I asked laughing.

"The boyfriend Sam."

"No one!" I answered hysterically. "One is my best friend and the other one in the car is my enemy," I explained to clear any of his misunderstandings.

"I think you interchanged it," dad, corrects me after listening.

But no. "It is. I'm not mistaken," I assured him.

"So why would your enemy give you a ride to met your best friend?" Dad doubted again.

"It's a long story, I don't want to talk about it."

I tilted my head pulling my back from him. I don't want to recall what happened in there.

"Okay fine. Let's just eat, it's getting dark already," he reminded me spotting the incoming darkness of the night in the city we were in.

Yeah, it's getting dark. I need to be home by this time but it's okay actually since mom is not home. Talking about mom, I suddenly remembered the other night mom was crying.

"Dad?" I asked for his attention one more time.

He looked at me. "Yes?" He answered not looking back at me.

"Mom missed you," I purposely murmured.

I knew he heard me even though that was a sound of an ant. But he did not respond to it. Then there was the atmosphere of quietness between us.

Still, we ate and hurried back home.

"Let's go, Mark," dad ordered his driver.

As the man in the driver's seat, I see for the first time answered attentively. "Yes sir." Probably a new driver he hired.

You can tell it. Yes, my father is rich and owns a private company but I don't know. I don't care about all of his assets. I just care to have him by my side as a father to love me all my life.

As we approach our house, dad went out of the car to say his goodbye and hugged me one more time.

"Call me if something happens. I'll see you tomorrow again," he said and kissed me on my forehead.

"I will, thanks for the time dad," I smiled and turned my back from him as I thrust the key on the keyhole. He was still standing by the car until I got inside.

Then suddenly, a sound like the ringtone of my phone hit me. Oh yeah! so I left my phone in this house out of excitement to have dinner with dad.

And guess who is calling.

ITS MOM!!!

My eyes widened as I picked up my phone from the counter.

"Hey mama," I answered happily.

"Hey Sam," she mimicked me. I know she will brag about the missed calls. "So why are you not picking up my call," mom complained.

"I left---" No. I shouldn't tell her. "Yeah I was having a shower upstairs, I forgot my phone here in the sala." That should explain it.

"Do you know math?" she suddenly asked.

What's with math? What's the connection! Why does she suddenly ask that? Strange.

"And what's with math?" I asked confused. "Of course, I know math! I am a proud genius in Math, I have honors in math. I joined contests of math! Now, why do you ask that?" I proudly presented myself. What does she think of me, I don't know math?

"Because if you calculate the time, you are kind of telling me you were in the shower for 3 hours. Sam, I started calling you 3 hours ago!" Mom yelled.

"Okay fine," I stopped her. Thinking! _*[LOADING/+**..:? Brain Loading!")}] !! "I slept okay? I slept, I just woke up now," I answered.

"You slept? Why did it take you too long to answer " She continued to probably investigate right now? Sheeks!

I kennat whew! "Mom, you can tell I am lying but I don't want to tell you the reason why I missed that many missed calls," I said honestly. She cannot do anything anyway and I just want to be honest to not let things go wrongly far.

"Sam! Wait till I come home, I'll beat your legs till you can't walk!" Mom yelled.

I dropped the phone from trembling fearfully. What the heck mom! Planning to kill me eh?

"Sam! Are you listening!" She continued to yell at the carpets.

I picked up the phone. "Mom it's personal, I cannot tell you about it," I explained.

"Sam! I am counting! Where did you go? What did you do to not answer my calls!"

!! Brain Loading !!!

What to say?

I cannot tell her what exactly happened. Gotta find an undoubted reason right now!! Or she'll doubt dad.

"Sam!! Tell me now!!"

"Okay okay. Just don't. Just stop yelling, my ears are hurt," I stopped her no more. "I spent time with Khai--Norton. It was Norton." It should be Norton damn it stuttering.

"What do you mean Khai-ai-Norton! Sam I am telling you right now. Don't lie about this!" Mom was still yelling on the phone.

"It was Khai, okay!" Wait, what? Got the wrong name again. Damn it. It should be Norton. Ughh!!

"It was Khai?" Now, mom's voice suddenly changed to hearing me out interestingly. "So what happened between you?" She continued to push me to tell her about it.

"Mom!" I yelled annoyingly pretending not to want to tell her about it since there was nothing to tell anyway.

"Did he take you to a date by chance?" She continued to tease.

I rolled my eyes. And kept my silence.

"Or did you at least kiss by accident?"

"Mama!!!" Now it was the perfect time to end the call.

So yes, I just tapped the red button.