"Ugh!" Alex throws himself in the bed, grunted. "I am sooo... tired..."
After days of circling selected Westfield malls that Great River is planning to buy in California, they finally arrived in Tukwila, WA, where they're also going to buy the Westfield Southcenter mall. On that day of the site tour, Henry dragged Alex for another wonderfully exhausting and excruciating day of leg exercise.
Right now, Alex's face is planted on the pillow while Henry is lounging on the sofa, unaffected.
"Let me tell you this," Alex said in a muffled tone. "Once Sears gave their space back to you, destroy it and replace it with either a hotel worthy of the mall or a serviced apartment..."
Sears at Westfield Southcenter is, in Alex's lack of better word: a disgrace.
The managing director said it was a shell of its former self and if there's a way, the management will not extend their contract under any circumstances whatsoever.
"Why are you so adamant about destroying Sears?"
"Back in 2018, my uncle saw Sears inside South Coast Plaza, and he wept like a baby," Alex said. "It was his paradise, especially to that little kid inside him when arriving in the American city of Los Angeles for the first time."
"I went inside a Sears store once back when I was in USA for the first time, and the atmosphere reminded me of Matahari in the early 2000s, when all you can see are baskets and baskets of items that are on sale. It's exactly like that but worse."
"So that's why Anton Segerstrom and David Grant were grinning like Cheshire Cat when we talked to them two years ago..." Henry said, remembering his and Maria's interaction with the men of the Segerstrom family during the opening of Sarinah Select. "Sears become a sore thumb to luxury malls like South Coast they can't wait to kick them out when they had a chance... Yeah, I think I get it."
"Trust me on this one," Alex said. "Right now, Sears inside the Westfield mall we visited is the only one left in the state. Also, I've been monitoring Sears for quite a while, and I have to say, Eddie Lampert is an asshole that needs to die stabbed in the chest, and his body left in the ditch on the side of the toll road."
Henry just chuckled as he sat down on the bed beside his husband, "I knew you were such a savage but damn, you can't wish something like that."
"That SOB is making my Mall Tycoon fantasy faded before me..." Alex grumbled.
Alex is not much of a game player, but instead of Call of Duty and DOTA-World of Warcraft, he loves playing construction and management simulation games like The Sims, Beach Life, and Roller Coaster Tycoon 2. Out of all the games he played, he loves Mall Tycoon the best.
Henry patted his husband's shoulders, but he felt heat radiating from it. He shrugged it off and said, "Say, we have a free time tomorrow before dinner with everyone, Jason included. What do you want to do?"
Alex mumbled, "I don't know... I'm too tired to think..."
"How about touring around Auburn? You said you knew the town when you visited thirteen years ago?"
"Just because I went there thirteen years ago doesn't mean I remember the places. The only place I know in Auburn is the Supermall," Alex replied, groaning. "I'm too tired and dizzy to think. I feel like I'm getting sick or something..."
As he said that, a waft of omega pheromone scent started to hit Henry's nose. Henry's Alpha instinct suddenly went into red alert.
Henry asked slowly. "Honey. By any chance, have you eaten your suppressant this morning?"
"I didn't remember. Why?" Alex groaned as he tried to sit up, but failed. "And why do you smell so good?"
Henry cursed, "Shit!"
He ran across the room, locking the door, and called his father while rummaging his husband's suitcase. "Dad, we can't go out tonight... no, he's in heat!"
He found Alex's bag of medicine, taking out three strips of eleven suppression tablets from it and started to count the pills inside the strip. "I believe he forgot his suppression pill this morning... I just counted, he forgot to take one... I'll take care of him. Just go and have fun with Mom and Maria, alright?... Love you, too... bye."
When he came back, he was greeted with a smack of heavy omega pheromones as Alex is seen writhing on the bed, his shirt was opened halfway, he tried to open his pants due to discomfort... he was a mess in bed.
"Henry... help me..." Alex moaned.
And that is when the last cord of Henry's sanity snapped.
*******
"Uuuuuugh... aaaaahh..." Henry groaned and sighed in pleasure as he submerged himself in the warm bathtub. Meanwhile, Alex is still passed out cold in bed.
Henry felt his rawness and exhaustion withered away from his body as rays of warmth from the water entered his sensors. At the same time, he felt sated, content, and relief.
'God, I'm really on fire tonight,' Henry thought to himself. 'We've never been doing this for quite a long time... how long is it, two months? Three? Damn I didn't really remember... I doubted he remembered either...'
'I have no idea that I have been holding on for a long time...' he said (without saying it out loud). 'It really just came to me... but none of us realized it until now...'
'Anyway, there is no way we can go out at this state. We gotta buy some room dining for dinner tonight. And then I'll ask him what to do for tomorrow.'
*******
The next day
"Huh..." Alex muttered as he looked at the building's signage, astonished. "I am sure that this place is called Supermall. Not The Outlet Collection Seattle."
Henry, meanwhile, looking at his phone before saying, "Well, it says here that the developer renamed it from SuperMall of the Great Northwest to The Outlet Collection nine years ago."
"Really?" Alex asked him, "So it's still an outlet mall?"
"I believe so. Why?"
"Then let's get inside! I want to know what it looks like now! Oh, I hope the carousel is still there!"
"Yes, yes, we will be soon," Henry said as he's still looking on his phone. "Anyway, it says here that there's an exhibition inside to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the mall. It features the old map of the building, the mall's old signage, pictures..."
When Henry looked up, his husband isn't there.
"Alex!? ALEX!!!" Henry screamed before he ran inside.
Inside the mall, Alex can only stood still. Henry approached him immediately, grabbed his arm and scolded, "Are you crazy?! You can't just run off like that!! What if you got kidnapped?!"
Alex didn't hear the scolding. He looks confused and dumbfounded by the whole new interior of the outlet mall. "It looks... different."
Sensing Alex's confusion, Henry looked around him before saying, "What do you mean, different? For an outlet mall, this place looks good to me."
"No. That's not it," Alex shook his head. "Where's the Great Mountains mural? Where is the airplane?"
"I'm guessing that they removed it?"
"Oh no... that's too bad..." Alex was saddened by that revelation. "Their thematic center courts are the reason what makes Supermall looks so special and different from other malls out there..."
"Why?"
"It looks whimsical, circus-y, and fun," Alex said. "Makes it screams family mall, literally and figuratively. What I am seeing right now, is as if I'm looking at some random mall we have visited back in the day. It's so good but so boring."
"They renovated the place back in 2012," Henry replied, "and they changed a lot of things. From the exterior to the interior."
"Really? Awww..." Alex was disappointed.
"And if you listened to me before you ran inside," "There's an exhibition that featured the mall's memorabilia, from the mall's old signage to pictures of the mall being built..."
"Really? Such exhibition exist?!" Alex's eyes brightened.
"Yes, but..." Henry was about to motion a 'no' but Alex was first to shout while jumping with excitement:
"I wanna see! I wanna see! I wanna see! I promise I won't disappear without trace like recently! Pleaaaaase!!"
Henry can only thought as he saw his omega husband's cutesy-wootsy puppy eyes: 'This kid I call my husband just saved his life with his cuteness...'
Henry sighed and said, "Alright. But hold my hand, please. I don't want you run off like that again."
"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Alex immediately embraced Henry's arm and hold on to it like a koala. "Please lead the way, hubby!"
Henry chuckled and do as asked.
It didn't take long for them to arrive at the exhibition.
Alex's eyes immediately lit up when he saw various kinds of memorabilia displayed in various corners of the exhibition area.
From the old signboard, the old lease plan in blueprint format, the shovel used for ground breaking, relics of airplanes and trains that previously displayed at the mall, pictures of the mall interior circa 1995 (just like what Alex said, it was very colorful)...
Not to mention, it turned out that in the past, the management and community buried a time capsule that was meant to open to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the outlet mall. It features various children's drawing back in 1995, the first incarnation of the mall management's name cards and letterheads, directory map, the newspaper at that time, and so on.
Alex's eyes sparkled like a child as he skipped along, watching and taking pictures of one display after another in fascination. And Alex didn't even let a chance to take a picture with the old logo's outdoor display slip. For Henry, exploring the exhibition felt like being on a field trip. He learned something about the positive synergy between the mall and the community that surrounding it. After all, without the surrounding community, the mall could've cease to exist.
The visit ended with Alex and Henry riding the mall's legendary carousel.
"Honey, do you think it's weird that I'm riding a kelpie?" Henry asked as the carousel goes round and round.
Alex replied, "Try riding a cat and you'll find out."
Henry looked at the statue that mounted on a post next to him: a cat that is a large of a horse.
He decided, 'y'know what, it's alright to ride a kelpie...'
*******
"Are you satisfied?" Henry asked as he locked the car door.
"Very..." Alex sighed as he leaned into his seat, right after fastening the belt. "I feel very satisfied, like after we have sex but we're not doing it..."
Henry raised his left eyebrow. "Are you saying that..."
"No, no. Our sexual activities are always on the top of my list. Do you have any idea how many times you made me assgasm before we erupt?"
"And don't you ever, ever forget it."
Henry started the 2019 Porsche 991 Carrera S he rented and drove away from the shopping center that is formerly called Supermall.
Henry asked as the car entered the highway, "Alright. We're off to the city Seattle for lunch. What do you want to eat?"
"I actually don't know what to eat," Alex muttered. "And I know you only wanted to eat me."
Henry chuckled at the statement, grinning as he drives through the toll road. "Ain't that the truth."
He then turned on the radio.
"Ladies and gentlemen, Alphas and Omegas, boys and girls! Back with your homie EJ on Hits 106.1! We just got a request on or WhatsApp, and this girl, Anna from Tukwila, Washington, wants me to play the 10 minute version of Taylor's All Too Well, uninterrupted!" the radio announcer announced. "But Anna just got beaten by another girl, Emuu, from Auburn, Washington! She requested, Way 2 Sexy by Drake!"
Henry looked at Alex, confused. "What kind of mother named a daughter Emu?"
Alex shrugged. "Beats me..."
"So we're have it, for now! Keep requesting, guys! Next up, we have Sia's 'Snowman', Kelly Clarkson's 'Christmas Isn't Canceled (Just You)', Drake and after that, Taylor Swift, with the 10-minute version of All Too Well!" the announced said and Sia started singing the first verses of the song.
The Porsche 992 drives through the highway for 20-ish minutes, entering the city Seattle while the driver and his passenger talks about any strange topics they can think of and sing songs playing on the radio.
Let it be known: they literally sang 'All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor's Version) (From the Vault)' at the top of their lungs.
Right now, while driving the vehicle in the middle of the city, both of them looked to their left and right, searching for food.
The radio, meanwhile, sang out :
"I'm drunk in the back of the car,
And I cried like a baby comin' home from the bar (Oh!)
Said, "I'm fine," but it wasn't true.
I don't wanna keep secrets just to keep you and I!"
"It's so hard to find a place to eat when we think we've eaten all kinds of cuisines around the world..." Alex grumbled.
"No, it's not." Henry interjected. "We ate at fancy restaurants way too often. Because of that, our taste expectations are often already too high, so it's hard to find a decent restaurant just to eat..."
"Not exactly..." Alex replied. "Remember that one time I took you to Bakmi Pejagalan for the first time and you were skeptical?"
"That Chinese Indonesian comfort food restaurant?" Henry remembered."Yeah I was skeptical at first. That place was small and sort of cramped, but their food is good."
"It was cramped because you're like a Hulk, not that I complained..." Alex said, before mumbling silently, "And before I met you, my JO fantasy was with Hulk..."
"What was that, honey?"
Alex quickly glanced at Henry, replied, "Nothing."
Alex suddenly remembered as well, "Speaking of Chinese food, I also remember the time we're too hungry from exploring Mangga Besar, and then we saw this random restaurant called Kantin China..."
"Oh yeah, that small Chinese joint..." Henry's mind ringed its bells. "When we went there, we literally clueless, but it looks like we were fine. All they serve are all authentic Chinese, like that dongpo pork... it was really sublime. So does its pig ears, mapo tofu, spicy kangkong stir fry..."
"I don't think spicy kangkong stir fry was part of authentically Chinese cuisine..."
"Is it not? I thought it was."
"Well, no... but I don't know for sure. Last time I ate spicy kangkong stir fry was at that restaurant, Sentosa..." Alex muttered. "you know, the one we went before we went to the airport.."
"Ah.. that place..." Henry nodded. "Their fried shrimp is actually really good though. It's like eating Indomie Goreng."
"That's my first thought too, because of that acquired taste. Speaking of shrimp, remember Sunda Kelapa restaurant? The one where I treated you to grilled udang galah (giant river prawn)?"
"Oh yeah! That lobster lookalike one with the gooey tomalley! Slurrrrp!"
"Too bad they're not as good as they're used to..." Alex sighed.
It was right then and there that Henry had an idea.
"Hey. All this talk about seafood we ate gave me an idea. Why don't we go for Indonesian food?" He said. "You previously said that there's a lot of Indonesian diaspora here in Seattle, so there should be a Indonesian restaurant nearby..."
"Oh my God, that's a great perfect idea! I love you so much, husband!" Alex shrieking in delight before giving his husband a wet kiss on the cheek. "Indonesian food let's go!"
It didn't take long for them to arrive at Info Cafe, Seattle's go-to place for Indonesian food, popular among Indonesian-Seattle diaspora.
When they enter the premises, instead of Indonesian pop music like Alex had envisioned, the restaurant played Taylor's All Too Well (10 Minutes Version) (Taylor's Version) (From The Vault).
"Daaaaamn... All Too Well is everywhere..." Alex whistled. "And here I thought they're going to play 100 Degrees instead."
"What are you trying to expect? You're the one who said it before that Taylor is this year's global pop music regent," Henry snickered. "Not even BTS came close with the domination of her re-recorded music and her last year's sister albums."
"True... I indeed said that..." Alex said as he sat down. "Besides, we just sang it recently on the radio anyway. Do you want to share or just individual portions?"
"Either or is fine. Your choice. I'm famished."
A waiter came over them, and said as she gave them the menu book, "Welcome to Indo Cafe, here are your menus."
Alex interjected, "Oh, we already know what we want. One ikan goreng lalap, one kangkung cah terasi, one nasi pedas, and one ayam bakar cabe ijo. Nasi sudah termasuk kan?"
The waiter look flustered by the sudden language change before composing herself and said, "Yes. It's included."
"Alright. Two glasses of hot tea, please. And please keep the menu, in case we want some more."
She nodded. "Alright. The tea is coming right away, sir."
As she left, Henry scrolled the menu before he looked at Alex skeptically. "Nasi pedas? Are you sure?"
"I am very sure. Have you seen the picture? It looks nothing compared to what we've seen."
"It looks spicy to me..."
"Not as spicy as ayam taliwang, though."
*******
The dishes finally came and everything looks delicious, especially to those who are hungry.
Both of them didn't wait long and immediately ate the food in front of them, as well as sharing the fried fish and spicy kangkong in front of them. However, Henry is still concerned whether the fried rice Alex ordered is too spicy.
So he looked up, and it looks like he didn't have to worry.
Alex enjoyed his spicy fried rice to the fullest. He occasionally moaned with pleasure.
"Hmh! Enak!"
Henry, of course, was curious. "Is it really good?"
"Very!"
"Can I try?"
Alex looked skeptical at his husband before saying, "Fine, you can try. But I want pieces of the green chili chicken though."
"Deal."
While sharing his chicken and trading it with the fried rice, Henry's senses realized something.
"You know something?"
"Hm?"
"Here we are, in another town, well, in another country, eating our hometown meal. Isn't that... something to you?"
Alex stopped for a minute, digesting what Henry is trying to say before replying, "Now that you mention it... it sure is something..."
"I mean, there must be a reason why we or other people decided to eat their hometown meal. Mostly the reason is because they miss their hometown. But for some people, sometimes they ate their hometown food even though they don't want to, is because there is nothing that attracted to them, they're just clueless of what to eat, or plainly bored with what's available. Like in our case, we don't know what to eat for lunch, so here we are."
Alex then gulped his glass of tea before continuing, "Plus, not everyone has the opportunity to return to their hometown. Economic issues and other reasons, not to mention, COVID issues."
"So places like this restaurant can quench their thirst of returning to their hometown."
Alex grinned. "Eeee-xactly. Now you understand why Miss MC is raking from her Sarinah Select sales?"
He then went back to consuming his meal. "Mhm! Delicious!"
Henry followed suit, shrugging to himself that he can't keep up with his husband's logic.
*******
It didn't take long for all the food on the table to run out without any leftovers. Both Henry and Alex are eventually satisfied with the whole plethora of delicious hometown meals, and Alex himself is currently under food coma.
"How is it, sirs?" The waiter asked as she stopped by the table.
Henry answered, "We love it. Everything is perfect."
"Glad to hear that. Thank you for the compliment, sir."
"Send our compliments to the chef, and can we have the bill, please?"
"Sure. Coming right out."
The waiter left. Henry then moved next to his omega husband and tried to shook him out of the food coma.
"Honey, woke up. We're going back to the hotel, alright?"
Alex moaned, and said, "I'm too full. Carry me."
Henry sighed. "You're impossible."
In the end, Henry cradled Alex as he paid the bills, and carrying him all the way to the car.