Inside the kitchen of Cocotte Farm and Roast Winery restaurant, the head chef is busy performing his duty as the last line of defense in the pass, checking every dish to see if it meets his standards. Those that do will be brought to the person who ordered it, while those that don't will be returned back to the one who made it to be redone.

After approving a Beef Wellington to be served to Table 7, the main man of the kitchen looks at his wristwatch – a black Rado Centrix Diamond – and notes the time it is telling him – 3:55 p.m.

"Guy's, I'll be going in five minutes," announced Chef Gameplay to his squad. Preferring to be called Gameplay outside of work and chef inside the kitchen, his team is composed of him; one senior chef, Plan Rathavit Kijworalak, who takes over when Gameplay has left or is not around; and four sous-chefs.

"Yes chef!" exclaimed the others in unison, acknowledging the verbal notice from their leader.

"Don't worry chef, I'll man the pass," assured Plan while he is cooking one of their signature dishes – Truffle Risotto.

"Okay," returned Gameplay with a smile. After doing some more quality control over two starters and two desserts, he walks over to his office at the back, just after the industrial convection oven.

Stopping by his table, which is surprisingly arranged and tidy, Gameplay pulls out his phone to look if there are calls that registered or messages that needs responding to. However, all he finds are notifications from his social media accounts, as well as new mails in his Gmail inbox. Afterwards, he returns it to his pocket and takes off his chef's gown, which is white with black edges, because it reeks of multiple dishes. It also has a brown stain that is probably from a gravy for something made of meat. He folds it then puts it in a spare plastic bag where it will await its turn for the washer. Walking back to the kitchen with his things, Gameplay stops by one of their cold storages to get his tumbler with the juice he had prepared earlier.

Giving Plan a pat on the shoulder, Gameplay officially passes the torch to his senior chef, as if telling him make sure that every customer leaves their place with a smile on their face.

"Take care, chef," said Plan back as final parting words, to which their leader responds by giving him and their team a wave as he walks out.

Once he reaches the dining area, Gameplay walks over his favorite spot – the round table at the corner and to the right the main door. Capable of sitting two persons, it has a Reserved sign put atop it, which he himself placed earlier just before they opened. He has this penchant of putting that notice on there if someone is to come and see him later that day, and today – a Thursday – he is expecting a visit from a particular someone.

Sitting down with his back facing the other customers, Gameplay opens his tumbler and takes a gulp of his lemonade with strawberry syrup – made from scratch. After downing his drink, he glances to his right, facing the bar, which serves alcoholic beverages from simple beer and liquors to exquisite cocktails. Looking at the barista, who is shaking his mixing glass, he recalls something from the past.

"How about this GP. We order and try to drink the cocktail of the other," dared Jeff. He and Gameplay had just sat down on the two highchairs in front of the bar.

"Is that a challenge?" asked Gameplay.

Jeff nodded using only one eyebrow. "First one who passes out loses; the one who is unable to finish his drink also loses," he stipulated.

"And the winner gets what?"

"The winner gets to be on top of me later."

"You're on."

"You took me to a happy place the last time I was flat on my back, GP."

Gameplay did an enticing wink as if he told Jeff that he should deliberately lose if he wanted a repeat of it. "Sunny Californication, right? I'll have Boss prep it," he said after. The barista he referred to, Boss Thapanat Athikompokin, had his back turned on them, as he was busy picking bottles for the drinks of the other customers on order.

"Yeah. Your's is Piña Colada, right?"

GP nodded then waved at Boss to call him. While he did, Jeff pulled out something from his pocket and concealed it inside the balled fist of the same hand.

"Yes chef?" asked Boss as soon as he reached Gameplay.

"Boss, I'm not on duty. Gameplay please."

"How about GP? Can I call you that?" There was a smirk in Boss' face.

"Ahhhuuurrmm!" exclaimed Jeff, just loud for the three of them to hear.

"Oh. Apologies. I forgot that only one man can call you with that name." Boss looked at Gameplay momentarily, then turned back to Jeff. "Mea Culpa," he continued, placing a hand on his chest in a playful manner.

"Good that you know," said Jeff back, his eyes were sharper than any Daisho ever made.

"What can I make you?" asked Boss, looking back at Gameplay.

"Sunny Cali for me and Piña Colada for Jeff."

"Isn't it the other way around?"

"No. Those are what we'll have."

"As you wish." Boss walked away to get the liquors for their drinks.

Afterwards, GP looks at Jeff, but before he can say anything else, the latter used the moment to steal a kiss on Gameplay's lips. However, the other is prepared: GP held Jeff by the nape so that the other couldn't let go as easily as he could.

After they separated, they saw Boss looking at them while he was shaking a covered container. Between him and the two lovebirds was a goblet full of a creamy, yellowish concoction topped with a couple of pineapple slices.

"Oh don't mind me," winked Boss as he looked at them. Not so long after, he pulls out another goblet from under the table. In it, he poured an orange-colored liquid, which brought out sizzles as he did. At the top of glass, foams had formed, which served as a bed for slices of orange he put as garnish.

"Here are your drinks, gentlemen," said Boss, pushing the orange Sunny Californication towards GP, and the whitish Piña Colada to Jeff.

When the two got their respective glasses. Boss bade them farewell, then, walked to the other side of the table.

"GP. GP," called Jeff, as he put one hand on Gameplay's shoulder.

"Hey! What?" GP could feel Jeff's chest through his arm.

"Look at that car." Jeff pointed to the Mazda 2 outside using the same hand. The vehicle, at that time was immobile, which was maybe because of a stop light.

"The red one?"

"Yeah."

"What about it?"

"It looks nice, right." Jeff dropped the ring he was hiding in his hand on top of Gameplay's drink, which landed on the orange slices.

"It's an old design of a Mazda 2, Jeff. Maybe from 2 years ago," answered Gameplay in an unbelieving tone, who had to squint as he looked.

"Doesn't it look great?"

"No." GP let out a little laugh either for Jeff's lack of taste for design or his faulty eyesight.

"I thought you would find it beautiful because of its crimson and shiny color."

"I should have ordered you a square meal rather than a Piña Colada, Jeffy," mocked Gameplay further as he gripped his glass.

Upon seeing this, Jeff took a big gulp from his drink, treating it as something that will give his morale and confidence a boost for what is about to happen next.

As Gameplay raised his glass in front of him, he saw something not in tangent with what is normal that he stopped halfway. "What is that?" he asked after he moved his glass back to get a good look of what he saw.

"What's what, GP?" Jeff asked back, rolling his lips together. He felt his inside lurched: he did not know how he will react when Gameplay sees what he put in his drink.

Looking at the mouth of the glass closely, Gameplay almost missed a heartbeat. "Jeff...it's...," he stammered.

"Shiny?" Jeff forced a smile amidst trembling that he felt. If it had not been for the gulp of the cocktail he took earlier, he could've collapsed.

GP placed his glass back on the table, then, picked up the metal halo on top of the fruit slice using the thumb and pointer of his free hand. "It's a ring," he said afterwards in almost a whisper.

"Ahhhh...uuhhhmm...what is that doing in there? Hehe," said Jeff as he took another gulp of the Piña Colada. He could feel that the effects from the one he took earlier had worn off.

"Jeff, it's a ring. Who put..."

"I did." Jeff's hands started to tremble.

"You're shaking, Jeffy."

Jeff took a deep inhale, then said in an earthquake of a voice, "I'd...uhh...like to ask you...some...thing...GP."

"Yes; Yes yes yes; You don't have to ask; Yes, Jeff."

After hearing GP's response, Jeff became a little calmer. He, then, took the ring from GP's grip. "Garnpaphon Laolerkiat. Will you be my fiancé?" he asked while his heart banged in his chest loudly.

"Yes. I will. Yes," answered Gameplay in an equally low tone. He, then, gave Jeff a kiss in the forehead.

Jeff put the ring in Gameplay's right ring finger. "Will you marry me?" he asked again as he locked eyes with his husband-to-be.

"You don't have to ask, Jeff. My answer is the same." Gameplay gave Jeff another kiss, but this time, it was on the lips. Though only momentary, that moment felt like an entire day's period for the two of them because of the vivacity it gave them – unparalleled. Afterwards, Jeff emptied his glass of Piña Colada. Gameplay, on the other hand, had only a sip of his drink so far.

On that day, their bet ended up with GP losing, with him only able to finish three-fourths of his glass of Sunny Californication, while Jeff finished two glasses to the last drop.

That same night, they had a couple of rounds in the bedroom, which surprised Gameplay because he thought that the two servings of the cocktail had weakened Jeff. However, his fiancé had an amazing stamina. The following morning, which was fortunately a Saturday, Gameplay had a hard time walking and sitting, being on the receiving end the other night.

Looking at the bar, Gameplay shakes his head, thinking that it will make the memories drop off like apples on a tree. A warm hand on his shoulder completely snaps him out of his recollection. As he feels the touch of the man with a tight grip, he closes his eyes, then raises his tumbler and takes another mouthful of his juice. "You're late. I almost called for a search on you," he said afterwards.

"Hello GP," said a voice behind him.

------

Author's Note

Sleek move isn't it? Dropping the other half of a paired ring on top of a drink, and pretending he did not know how it got there. Yeah, nice move Jeff - two thumbs up. Hahahaha!! 

But...OH MY GOD! Did Jeff break his word and went on ahead to visit Gameplay? How will their meeting end up? Will GP have a heart of stone or will he soften up like warm bread for his former partner? 

Stay tuned for the release of the next chapter - Summons- in the following days.

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