His Sensible Taste (SPG)

Chapter 2

"Are you done scolding them? You see, I really wanted to try your pasta recipes here. Can you serve one for me?" the man asked in his manly, sexy voice.

Rico tried his hardest to control himself and cleared his throat. He glanced at his side and looked at his employees. "You heard him, right? Move!" he ordered them, then, the people behind him quickly sprawled out and left the dining area. Rico glanced back to the man.

The guy smiled at him. "I'm totally entertained." He looked up and observed his surroundings with awe on his face. He nodded afterwards. "This place is a lot cooler than I thought. It has a very catchy name..." he commented. He returned his gaze back to Rico with his serious eyes. "Sensible Taste..."

Rico's goosebumps suddenly felt by him in his arms. He immediately brushed them all away and looked at the guy in ridicule. "J-just feel free to choose a table here, sir. I will call somebody to take your order." He was about to leave the place when the guy spoke again which made him stop from walking away.

"You're not going anywhere. You stay here and join me at one table." The guy put his hands back to his side pockets and smirked. "Would that be fine with you?"

Those were the memories Rico will never forget. In a distance, his heart is already recording the treasured moments with this man. His apple...

"Mr. Villaverde?" the host called him again.

It was when Rico finally came back to his senses. Was it too obvious that he blacked out a while ago? "Y-yes?" he asked.

The host laughed indifferently. The audience laughed with her, too.

"Oh! My bad. Was I thinking too much of what I'm about to say?" Rico joked. That humor somehow saved him from humiliation. He's somehow thankful that he was saved by his own jolly personally.

"Your fans are eager to know. Who is the lucky one? Are you dating someone already?" the host asked again.

Rico smiled and faced the audience. "Umm... I have someone special in my heart..."

The audience went crazy as he said those words. He smiled at them in his shy, pompous smile. He's really not used to all the attention he's getting. He admits that knowing that he's special to most of the people made him flushed and out of words. He's too busy with his businesses and yet, his unknown fans are out there admiring him all the way.

"Oh, my gosh! As you can see, the audience here in the studio are real die-hard fans of yours!" the host announced as she clapped her hands along with them.

Rico isn't stupid. This stardom he's in is something a lot of people like him wanted. But there's this void in his heart that he wanted to surpass. This void is something he wanted to put to a stop, but what could he possibly do when the very reason for him to be complete is getting away from his watch?

At that point in time, Rico knew that he will only still choose to distract himself rather than filling up that void he's feeling. He's used to it. Two years really used to it.

****

Rico came home, feeling exhausted. As he opened the door to his condo unit, a popping sound, and the lights startling him occupied the whole room.

"Happy birthday to you!" the people inside the room began to sing.

Rico froze at that moment and gave them an amused smile. "What are you guys doing here?" It was his family plus Lyka and Carmelli and their family members.

"It's your birthday today, Ricky! Duh!" Carmelli rolled her eyes and approached him. She hugged Rico and gave him a peck on his cheek.

Lyka also walked closer to him and gave him a tight hug. "Can't believe you're forgetting your freakin' birthday!" she exclaimed.

Rico laughed. "I'm pretty busy with work, duh!" he rolled his eyes and grouped hugged his two best friends. He missed them so much. They're so busy with their own families. He also missed playing with his godchildren, Lyka's and Carmelli's children.

"Hey, we saw the interview earlier!" Lyka pointed at him as if he was being accused of doing something morbid. "You little sneaky snake! Why aren't you telling me about your love life? I hate you!" she joked.

"Oh, bestie, aren't you tired of saying that to him? He will always say that he has a lot of boyfriends, blah, blah, blah!" Carmelli added as she waved her candle-like fingers in mid-air. "Like, OMG! He never arranged a date with us. He's always busy."

Rico shook his head at Carmelli. "Shut up! You never told me that Brixie's been baptized!" He was referring to the third child of Carmelli.

She opened her mouth and gasped. "I sent you an invitation last week! I even called your number," she reasoned out.

"I know. I was just kidding. I'm really busy this month. You know it already," he said looking away.

"You're making yourself busy because...?" Lyka asked.

Carmelli scoffed. "I told you to stop giving yourself false hopes, Bestie! That good-for-nothing guy will never come back," she declared.

Rico sighed. He sat on the couch, so as the two who were already frowning at Rico's frustrations. They're also worried about him, he knows that. But how could he stop himself from hoping?

Lyka and Carmelli knew how he's holding up since the day his boyfriend left him for Spain.

His name is Levi Dancel, the real deal in showbusiness. He's the most charismatic guy he has ever met in his entire life. Ricky will be a liar if he tells people he's not attracted to him. Levi is someone who people thought would never mingle with other guys like Rico. Rico is a very proud LGBT member. His family and friends knew about it. No one gives a damn. They all loved him for who he is. He walks manly but his gestures and the way he talks are actually the proof that he is a remarkable person. He is a friend and a good son to his parents. He had always been the adviser to his two best friends. But, when Levi came into his life, he knew that he was that missing puzzle in him...

Rico remembered that first day he met him. He was sitting across a table where he could freely look at Levi silently eating his garlic pasta. He was a bit mindful of himself.

Who would be sitting in front of a stranger and just watch him eat the pasta he requested to be made by him? It was the weirdest thing he has encountered in his corporate life as a CEO of Sensible Taste. He has found an alien feeling beginning to rise from his chest. He should shake this off of him. Besides, he's too busy for cheesy things. He's not even a teenager anymore to even think of focusing his eyes on love.

The guy looked at him and smiled. He just finished his meal before wiping his reddish lips. Those lips that really bothered Rico's whole system. He gulped at the sight and tried many times not to look at him again, but his eyes were betraying him. "Done watching me? I was hoping you could tell me more about your restaurant..." the guy started, sounding a little dismayed.

Rico felt a pang of guilt inside of him after hearing him say that. Right. He's obviously busy avoiding the man's gaze or even just waiting the time he'll leave the restaurant in peace. He's quite distracted at how he looked at him. Maybe, he's just too sensitive. His moral and business ethics are already leaving his body at that moment. He wanted the whole ground to swallow him in that instant.

Rico cleared his throat and shifted his weight to the other side. "What do you want to know?" he asked.

The guy smiled. "Sorry about that. I think I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Levi. Levi Dancel," the guy uttered.

Rico's brow raised at his introduction. "Levi Dancel? Actor?" he asked. It really does ring a bell when he first mentions his name.

Levi nodded at him. "Yup. You know me?" He pointed at himself.

Rico puckered his lower lip. "I was really asking myself that question because I think I've seen you somewhere. Now, I'm convinced. You're really him..." he said blandly, trying not to show how excited he was when he found out that he's a celebrity. Not all celebrities like Levi could be seen coming inside Sensible Taste. It's an honor for him, besides, Levi is cuter in person rather than on TV. He personally loved seeing his brilliant and angelic smile of his. Especially his expressive eyes. He was like looking at him in his nakedness.

Gosh, Ricky. You're really insane for thinking like that! he scolded himself.

Levi suddenly leaned forward which alerted Rico. His eyes were darted to him alone. He couldn't even feel his face at that moment. Levi stopped where he's satisfied to look at Rico's face at that angle and distance. He moved his upper lip upward. "I'd like us to discuss this more often. I'm really interested in promoting this restaurant." He looked at his side with awe on his face. "This sure has what it takes to compete internationally. Would you want that?" he asked.

Rico sighed. "I'm always aiming for that goal."

"So..." Levi extended his hand in front of him, waiting for him to shake hands. "Is it a deal?"

Without further ado, he took his hand and decided to accept his offer.

Their business relationship became a little deeper one day. Rico felt an intense feeling he has never felt in his entire life. He has never been this open to someone before, not even to those he just treated as excess baggage, those who just made him feel complete in bed. But when Levi made him feel those intense and real emotions, he felt whole inside.

All those void he somehow thought were telling him to be normal has now completely been answered by his kisses, his touch. It was very serene and lovely. It was all that he wanted. It was all that he wanted. It was all that he didn't know he desired inside of him o so long ago...

Rico was all alone inside his study room in his condo unit. The party did last too soon. He was somehow relieved that his family and friends left too early to give him time for himself. He's thinking too deep again. He unlocked his android phone and the image of Levi flashed on the screen. His bright smile has greeted him.

He smiled wryly. People would think he's crazy for still waiting for this man. He will be deemed delusional and obsessed. But, what should he be feeling, then? He couldn't be more pathetic if he has to play pretend in front of everyone and say that he's not affected or hurt. He is hurt. Really hurt to the core.

All those void Levi completed have now been left alone, unpuzzled for two straight years. He wasn't able to cope up with loneliness that much, though people around him think he's okay. He smiles and could even make a wise decision for Sensible Taste, but they didn't know how broken he is inside. He longed for Levi's touch, his voice, and his smile.

Every night, he would just spend his time looking at Levi's recent pictures circulating on the internet. He would save them all to his phone and just stare at them as if he would actually talk and say to him those things they usually talk about. He wanted him to say the real deal about their relationship. Because he's starting to doubt it. He's starting to overthink. Who wouldn't overthink at such a lengthy time that Levi hasn't told him the reason for his migration to Spain.

He wanted to hate him, the universe knows how much he wanted to blame Levi. He wanted to accuse him of cheating, but he knows that he couldn't do that. He knows that their relationship, right from the start, is a secret to everybody including to Levi's parents.