Jamie looked down at his clothes for the fifth time that night as he walked, unsure whether he was dressed appropriately. He had put on the best shirt among the remaining clean ones and some dark jeans just to make it a little casual since he was not sure where they would eat. Mr. Humble always made him do the reservations, even for his family affairs. So at the moment, he was very unsure of his whole get-up.

To be honest, James was unsure of a lot of things that evening. Since leaving the hotel room, he and Mr. Humble had not spoken much. Yes, he was also unsure if he is really allowed to call him Eric nor why, after all these years, was he given the privilege to do so. He was also uncertain why his boss suddenly invited him to dinner and why were they walking so leisurely.

“We’re here.”

Jamie was pulled out of his wandering thought when Mr. Humble spoke. They were now standing in front of a very familiar garden where a beautiful white gazebo stood in the middle. Jamie looked around them, a small frown on his face. “We’re still in the hotel,” he stated unsurely.

“Yes,” Mr. Humble said with a chuckle. “I was waiting for you to notice that we were just going around, but you keep looking at your clothes. Is everything alright, Jamie?”

James’ cheeks suddenly felt warm. Has he been obvious? He mumbled a sorry and followed the man towards the center of the garden. There was a table in the middle of the gazebo that James just noticed now that he got closer. Several dishes were laid on the white mantelpiece with a lit candle sitting at the center. It was like one of those cliche romantic movies he forced Mark to watch with him.

“This is beautiful, sir.”

“Eric.” Mr. Humble replied, turning to him with a small pout. “You’re not allowed to call me Sir or Mr. Humble during this date.”

“Date?” Jamie’s eyes bulged at the word, and he tried his best to ignore the seemingly sudden rise of the temperature around him. He watched as his boss pulled out a chair and gestured for him to sit.

“Yes, a date,” Eric nodded as he seated himself. “I’m sorry if I was not clear when I asked. I was nervous.”

“A date!” Jamie exclaimed, more to himself than the man who was looking at him sheepishly. The assistant looked at the food on the table as the word finally sank in him. There were mashed potatoes, barbecued chicken, buttered corn, and seasoned vegetables. If his guess is right, a strawberry cake is hiding under that one covered dish. “These are my favorites.”

Eric’s face split into a smile, and Jamie watched as he served him with a little bit of everything. “Yes, I had them ordered for you.”

Jamie furrowed his brows. “Why?” He cannot help but ask. He should be ecstatic about being on a date with the man he has his eyes on since forever. He should be blushing hard and shyly looking at the man. He should be grateful for this chance. Instead, here he was frowning and confused why he was sitting there in front of him. Why is he on a date with Mr. Humble, his boss of five years, and mentor.

Eric looked up to see his date with a confused look. “Jamie,” he started gently. Jamie almost melted, but he kept quiet, waiting for the man to speak. “I like you, always have. I want to get to know you better, more than what I can pick up on during these five years.” Mr. Humble let out a small chuckle.

The assistant bit his lip, overwhelmed and unsure. He tried to open his mouth to speak but only ended up closing it again. His cheeks flaming in the duration of all this. And if it was humanly possible, he might have melted when a hand reached for his.

“You don’t have to say anything now. Just open your heart to me.”

“This is so sudden,” the younger finally managed to say. His eyes still fixed on the hand holding his.

“I know, but I realized I much rather watched you laughed because of me than someone else.”