WORLDS APART (Completed ✅)

CHAPTER 5 (IT'S OKAY TO BE JEALOUS. I WAS JEALOUS TOO)

New bit into the burger. His eyes followed Tay as the man took out the onion and cheese from his burger. They had driven to New's apartment after the conversation in the parking lot. Tay's shirt was folded up to his elbows. His brows furrowed as he struggled with a burger. It was quite amusing.

He finally fixed his burger and he looked up at New. He froze with the burger halfway to his mouth. A smile slowly overcame his face. "You're smiling." he pointed out. New hadn't realized he was. He pressed his lips together. Much to Tay's disappointment.

"I won't mention it next time," he said then took a big bite. He smiled as he chewed. His smile got wider and New discovered he had returned Tay's smile. "Your smile is indeed beguiling."

New narrowly avoided choking on his burger. Tay and his strange words. "I should've smiled when I read you the letter." He joked.

Tay stopped smiling. He put the burger away and sighed. "Why did you hire me after what I did?" he asked. "Did you not find it strange that I wanted a job?"

"I did."

"So why? I had no qualifications. You could've easily turned me away."

"You looked like you needed it. I contemplated turning you away. But as you said, people go through a lot of shit but try to be kind to others. Do you know why?" He leaned forward. "It's because they know how cruel the world is. We are humans, we're all we've got."

"I knew you were a good person but now I think you are an angel." It would've been corny coming from another person. But Tawan seemed to believe it to be true. "You haven't asked why?"

New shrugged. "It's your story to share."

"I am currently estranged from my family. Father," He exhaled. "He wants to control my life again. When I rebelled, he cut me off. Off has been kind to take me in. I have so many qualifications but I can't do much. Father's influence runs through every industry. No company would hire me. I got bored just sitting at home doing nothing. Then by divine mercy, I saw your sign." He frowned. "Off is a good friend but he has been controlled by his family all his life. He believes I'm being too stubborn. He believes in the system. I feel suffocated by it."

New took his hand. "That sounds stressful."

"I know people have it way worse. I am still rich. I have my trust fund from my grandparents. It'll take a couple of years for that to be depleted." he glared at the burger like it hurt him and took a bite. New smiled. "I believe we can expand your shop with the multitude of customers we pull in. Should we maintain the numbers, we can employ more people and—,"

"Tay," New lay a hand on his leg. "Stop talking. Let the businessman rest for now. This is a date, right?"

"Silly me," The frown dissolved into a small smile. "Of course, it's a date. I like dogs. What do you like?"

I know. New smiled back. "Cats, I love cats."

******************************

Flirting with customers made New uncomfortable now. Tay had not said out loud that liked New. Nothing of their relationship was discussed after that date in his apartment. However, it felt like cheating whenever he winked back or held someone's eyes a little longer.

He didn't like the attention Tay was getting either. Before, he could stomach it. But since Tay called him, was it, dashing? And said his smile was beguiling, he felt strangely possessive of the man.

New exhaled after putting up the closed sign. He went to his station behind the counter to clean the cups and the Espresso machine. Tay joined him after a few minutes. He dried as New washed. They worked in silence for a while.