I am so astonished with the restaurant in front of us. It’s in an old classical, two-storey corner building with a triangular shape, situated on the spot where two of the busiest shopping streets of the town merge and exit on one of the most beautiful central squares, just opposite a magnificent baroque fountain.
The whole façade is covered in big, curve-top windows, surrounded by white, gypsum, lavishly ornamented frames, standing out against the pastel orange color of the walls. The attic floor is lined with shiny, metal sheets. A beautiful turret is peaking above the entrance.
The place indeed looks very elegant and stylish.
“Wait. I thought we’re going in a Mitchellin Five Star?” I ask confusedly.
Bryle shakes his head, “No. There’s no reservation until next week due to a lot of customer service. It’s currently fully booked. So I tried to find a more elegant and jaw dropping restaurant we could dine in,” he explains and intertwines our hand together that make me look up at him in pure shock and embarrassment, “Come on!” He adds then drags me inside.
“Why do we have to hold hands? I thought it’s just the two of us?”
“Who says it’ll be just the two of us?” He smirks, “I told you to be surprised.”
‘So, that means, he invited his parents?’ I think to myself and roam my eyes at the surroundings while walking in side by side with him. And the moment we pass the threshold, we find ourselves in another time, far in the past.
It’s an old cellar with stone walls and arched galleries, curving inwards, dimly lit by enormous, wrought iron chandeliers.
Vintage wooden racks are mounted on the walls, piled with hundreds of bottles of different types of wine from the floor to the ceiling.
Paintings of elderly women in local national costumes, preparing food in antique kitchens and old men, making wine, are hanging everywhere.
It’s like an ancient castle.
A beautiful hostess immediately approaches us with a wide smile plastered on her face. “Hi! Good evening, gentlemen! What can I do for you?” She says in a friendly tone.
“Kraisee reservation, please,” Bryle answers in a polite manner and the woman beams happily.
“Ah, yes! Come this way, sir! They’re all waiting for you!” She informs and leads us through one of the galleries to our table, which is in a separate chamber with a large stone fireplace.
I am shocked to see my and Bryle’s parents sitting at a table beside ours chatting happily with each other— well, not everyone. Bryle’s father is just listening to them with a stoic face. It almost seems like he was forced to come here.
I let go of Bryle’s hold in mine and directly go towards everyone with a shocked expression on my face.
“Mom, dad?!” I call out to them and they immediately turn their head in my direction.
“Sweety!” My mom exclaims happily and stands up to hug me. “You finally came!”
“What’s happening?” I confusedly ask and Bryle’s mom chuckles at me.
“Oh, honey. We’re here to witness your special month for the first time since you two became lovers without telling us!” She explains.
“W-What?”
“What, what? Bryle invited us all here. He wants to celebrate your fourth monthsary together with us since you two are finally legal in both sides!”
The hell? Why does he want me to act surprise if he literally surprised me? I didn’t expect my parents to be here at all!
“Come on, sweety! Sit down!” My mom says and drags me to sit at another table beside theirs with just two chairs. I guess this is our table?
“Where’s Bryle?” I ask when I didn’t see Bryle in front of me and then, I hear a clearing of a throat a little bit far from where we are sitting.
I look for the source of the voice and see Bryle standing between the stone walls of the cellar, in front of the burning fireplace. He looks like the incredibly handsome but deadly dangerous master of the castle.
I blink once, twice. Even though the place is a little bit dark since the fireplace is the only thing that is giving us light, I can still clearly see Bryle as the light from the fireplace is illuminating his handsome face. I then feel my heart starts racing at the sight. What is happening to me again?
“Alwin...” And then he mentions my name gently that make my knees buckle up. Thank goodness I’m sitting down or else, I’ll fall to the ground. My eyes go wide when he suddenly starts walking towards my direction and I can hear our mothers squealing in the background. He then extends his hand in front of me indicating that I should take it so I hold his hand and he then gently pulls me to stand up on my feet. “Ever since I met you, I’ve never felt this happy my whole life. Meeting you was like a dream come true. I didn’t expect us to come this far at all. But seeing that we’re here right now, together with our family, celebrating our day, I will never ever regret being with you. I’ll cherish you and never let you go. I love you, Alwin.”
I just stand frozen on the ground, unable to move. I am so shocked to say the least. ‘Wake up, Alwin! He’s just acting! You’re just acting! He’s not confessing to you for real but much more on convincing his parents that you love each other to get away from the arranged marriage that was setup to him by his father! None of what he had said is real!’ My mind keeps on shouting at me to wake up but my heart is saying the opposite.
Everything he said feels so real to me that I don’t know if I’m just hallucinating or hearing things. I am unable to say anything and just stare at him. He then smiles at me and proceeds on kneeling beside me that make my heart pounds even more. I then hear his mom talking in the background with an excited voice.
“Oh my gosh! Is he proposing?!”
But when Bryle starts talking again, I can’t hear them anymore but Bryle. “That day before I met you, my purpose was only to go there to relax myself from everything and take captivating photos to collect. But my camera unintendedly captured a very beautiful sight that made me curious. You were sad and hungry. You wanted to eat a steak but you don’t have any single penny with you. I was so amazed how can a guy like you be so cute. I pitied you so I approached you but what I didn’t expect was that, that was the start of everything that we are and have right now,” he pauses and pulls out a very shiny gold ring from his back pocket, “I love you so much and I will never let you go. Marry me, Alwin Chaidee.”
Suddenly, a tear escapes my eyes and I just realize it when I feel my cheeks dampening with tears. I don’t know why I’m so emotional even though I know that this is just an act. I don’t even know what made me cry, the fact that his message was heartwarming or the fact that everything is fake but I still feel like it’s so real that it pains me.
“B-Bryle...” I stutter his name in a hush voice, “I-I... Yes, Bryle, I will marry you!” I unwillingly say those words. What should be done should be done.
He happily smiles at me and put the ring on my finger before standing up from one knee and hug me so tight. When he pulls away from the hug, he wipes my tears and stares at me longingly. I can’t understand a thing his doing anymore.
My parents and Bryle’s mom cheer for us and congratulate us before the women start chanting, “Kiss” to us that make me blush so hard.
I hear Bryle chuckle beside me and cups my face in his palms then starts leaning in towards me. My eyes widen for a while before I close my eyes, anticipating the kiss we’ll share for the first time.
Our lips sealed into a kiss. Right then and there, I finally understand the feelings I’ve been feeling these past few days.
I’m finally in love with Bryle Kraisee...