“GA!” Skya squealed, patting her hands on the table.
“Oh, so sorry. You are as well, little poppet! This table is full of glorious people, I must say.” The man chuckled. “That being said, I think…” Bellamy looked at the watch on his wrist with a frown. “It’s time for me to go. My, my, it’s been three hours already. I hate to leave, but I have an appointment.”
“Three hours?” Seri gasped. “It hasn’t been that long, has it?”
“Afraid so.” Bellamy’s gaze flick to him. “Which is why it’s a bit curious how you are still eating.” The man’s brow rose. “That must be cold by now.”
Severo set his fork down. “I…”
Had he been stupidly staring and not eating much? Yes. Yes, he had. But he would rather sit and listen to Seri talk than eat. Besides, he figured Seri would realize how much time was passing if he had finished. So, he’d…been pushing shit around for a while, taking a bite here and there. He couldn’t say the meal was as good cold as it was hot, however.
“Severo,” Seri gasped.
“It wasn’t on purpose.” He grimaced, and then took back the lie. “Okay, it was.”
“I feel I am missing some context clues.” Bellamy laughed.
“He eats fast. He sometimes finishes before me, even when he is the one who cuts up Skya’s food. Even when he feeds her. I…am, admittedly, a slow eater.”
Severo frowned because rather than calling him a slow eater, he’d say Seri was a hesitant eater. And often wouldn’t finish his food, which is why he had started to slow down when he ate.
Severo wasn’t completely sure why Seri didn’t, but part of it, he realized, was his fault. Like, the Nymph, for some reason, believed he was holding him back in some way. When really Severo was content to just sit there beside him.
Seri suddenly gasped again.
“Oh, I can just see a realization coming,” the other Nymph drawled. “OH…I feel if I leave I’m going to miss something important… Can I cancel…no…” The man frowned as he continued to talk to himself out loud. Severo was pretty sure neither of them were supposed to answer that question.
“You have been finishing at the same time as me lately,” Seri accused.
“I feel I tend to rush you when I eat too fast, so then you don’t finish. Besides, I decided there was nothing to rush to the finish for. I’m already where I want to be, beside you, eating a meal and talking.”
A slow smile slipped onto Seri’s face that had Severo’s heart beating faster. Ahhh, he loved him so much!
“AWWWW, you two are so cute! Couple goals. Making me feel incredibly single, though. But that’s life… Okay, I need to go, because my therapist is mean to me, and if I miss, he will be extra mean the next time! But first, a picture!”
“Oh, right!” Seri said.
“Lean in!” Bellamy instructed as he pulled out his phone.
They did. There was a click, no flash thankfully, and that was that.
“Okay, give me your number, Seri, so we can chat. I’m afraid after this you have both been officially friend-zoned! I’m guessing you have no social media…probably for the best for now. But if you ever open a private account, let me know!”
Seri laughed. “Yeah, no social media.” The Nymph quickly gave him his number, and let him out. Bellamy ruffled Skya’s curls, before waving and walking away.
Alone again, Severo smiled at Seri. “So, I think this was a success.”
Seri met his smile with one of his own. “I think you are right.”
“Let’s go home and do?—”
“Laundry,” Seri said sternly.
“Laundry! Yes, that is exactly what I was going to say!”
“Mmhmm,”
“It was!” It was not, not at all.
