Pie has been zoning out after that call from Kim. She's both excited and worried. She wants to clarify the real deal between them but at the same time, she's worried, afraid that the talk will lead them to crossing the line.

She's scared because she knows she won't be able to hold herself back any longer. And what would happen if her mom finds out? Will she hide it? She knows there's no way her mom would accept something like that.

In the middle of her musing, Pie noticed an unfamiliar black car parked in front of their gate.

Mom has a visitor? Oh, wait, was that the reason for the sudden restaurant dinner?

"I can smell a new suitor here," said Pie, kissing her mom who met her right away when she entered the gate.

"Shhhh, lower your voice. I met a new client this morning and we're going out with him for dinner," her mom said, pulling Pie inside.

"We? Why do I still have to come along with you guys? You don't need a chaperone to watch over you."

"No more questions." The older lady pushed Pie into the house. "You look okay with your attire so you entertain him first while I go get dressed, okay?"

"Sure." Pie couldn't help but feel more excited for her mom. She shook her head as she watched the older lady strode upstairs.

She seems excited about this date, huh.

She looked around the area and noticed a tall and slender image standing in their living room. The guy's back was facing her. He's busy looking at the picture frames, an opportunity that Pie didn't pass to observe him a little more. He's wearing white long sleeves polo and black fitted slacks, a coat over one arm.

I must admit that back really looks handsome. I'm glad that mom still has a good taste in men.

The sound of her heeled shoes tapping across the tiled floor made the guest turn around. "Hey," he said.

Pie's mouth fell agape when she found herself staring at those familiar dull eyes. "M-Mike?"

"Uh, y-yeah. What's with the shocked face?" he asked with a smile.

Pie immediately took her eyes away from him. "Uh... I'm surprised to see you here..."

"I was surprised to see your mom too earlier."

"W-where did you guys meet?"

"We're about to hire them for their service. I was the one tasked to go to the meeting," said Mike, putting a hand inside his pocket. "We met and had a little catching up. Then she asked me if I have a date tonight, I said no, that's when she invited me out."

"Ahhh..."

So, that's the reason for the sudden reservation. But wait a minute, she said she had reserved for two only, right?

As if on cue, her mom went down and told them, "Hey kids, mind if you go alone tonight? I'm having a terrible headache."

Pie rolled her eyes. Ugh, mom!

"Are you going to be alright if we leave you alone?" asked Mike. "We can just cancel the dinner so Pie here could look after you."

Pie blushed a little hearing Mike call her name. She was never used hearing him calling her that way. She remembered Golf and him calling her Tiny when they were younger.

"No, I'm gonna be fine, son." The older lady waved a hand. She went over to Pie and winked, pretending to fix her daughter's collar. "You two enjoy yourselves, for now, okay?"

Pie had a quick eye contact with Mike before she eyed her mom and whispered, "This is awkward, mom."

"You said you don't have a boyfriend, right?" her mom whispered back. She turned to Mike and asked with her normal voice, "If it's fine with you, Mike?"

"Y-yeah, it's... it's fine, as long as it's okay with Pie too."

Pie saw her mom's triumphant smile and knows she can't escape this setup anymore. "Yeah, sure, I'm cool with that."

"Oh, good." Mike raised his arm to glance at his watch. "So, shall we?"

---

Restaurant

"I sincerely apologize if everyone mistook you for my girlfriend," said Mike, pouring salt on his food. "I swear, if your mom didn't ditch us this wouldn't seem like a romantic date."

Pie can't stop giggling seeing Mike's embarrassment. "I don't mind, don't worry. Can't blame them. It's the time of the year."

Mike puffed his cheeks and sighed. "Yeah. This is the place where we usually hold meetings with our clients so we're pretty much friends with the staff. I believe this is the first time they had seen me alone with a woman."

"Oh. So that's where their excitement came from."

Mike smiled and shook his head. He put down the salt shaker. "Are you sure nobody's going to kill me for having a dinner with you tonight?"

"Nobody that I'm aware of," said Pie, slicing her steak. She heard Mike chuckle so she followed up, "No, seriously, I don't have a boyfriend."

"Oh. Enjoying your individuality?"

"You could say that. I don't know. Honestly, I'm not really a big fan of dating."

"Being single has its perks," Mike said before bringing a steak into his mouth. "It is something I'm also enjoying at the moment."

"I can't imagine Golf saying that."

Mike laughed heartily. "That dude cannot stay alive single even for a minute only. I already lost count on how many girlfriends he had introduced to us."

Pie continued to observe the man in front of her. He looks more relaxed and vibrant now compared to how he was during New Year's Eve. It just made Pie remember why she had liked him before. And she is glad that their conversation is coming more natural now even though this is the first time they've been alone.

"I never knew that you can be talkative," said Pie.

"Why, do I always seem boring to you?"

"Not really boring but, you know, just a little harder to read compared to Golf."

"Well, we won't be able to enjoy this dinner if I won't talk, right?"

"You're right. Maybe I'm just used seeing you with that mysterious aura all the time."

Mike covered his mouth with the tablecloth as he laughs. "Should I take that as a compliment?"

"Well, you should. Being mysterious can sometimes be attractive."

"Oh, really? You think so?" Mike smirked.

It's just now that Pie realized what she said. "Y-yeah... I mean... there are some girls who really prefer mysterious guys over the talkative ones, right?"

"Maybe... maybe..." Mike shrugged. "Since we're already in this, why don't you tell me what happened to you after we met on New Year's Eve?"

Pie looked around the room while trying to recall anything from these past few months. "Umm, nothing really special. I'm still working in the same office, taking care of the interns."

"No tripping or whatever?"

"I went to Centara Grand resort in Pattaya last month with a friend."

Mike's face lit up after hearing the resort's name. "Ahh, yeah, that place is awesome, right?"

"Yes." The place is indeed a paradise but Pie seemed to remember just the moments she had there; the Nam issues, Shone's kindness, Zee's words of wisdom, especially moments with Kim.

"You sure it's just a friend?" asked Mike.

"Huh?"

"You said you went out with a friend, right? You sure that person is only a friend?"

Pie blinked. "Y-yeah... Why?"

"I dunno. Your mood just changed when you mentioned that friend of yours."

Pie looked away and realized that she needs to change the topic. "How about you, what happened to you after New Year's Eve?"

"Honestly, it wasn't easy," Mike sighed. "I'm not sure if you can remember but my dad was correct when he said before that I recently broke up with my long-time girlfriend."

"Was it a bad break up?"

"It was, for me. She was my girlfriend for five years and I just can't believe everything's over like that... just... just in a snap," he said, snapping his fingers.

"Why did you guys break up — if you don't mind me asking..."

"All cool, don't worry," said Mike. "Sarah is the outgoing type of person while me, like you already know, is a boring one. We, or should I say she, started having issues with my dullness and I guess she just wants some adventure that I'm not capable of giving her."

So, her name is Sarah.

Partly, Pie somehow envied the ex-girlfriend for getting a chance to date her childhood crush. "You took it the hard way?"

"I did. I've been crying every night for the first few weeks," Mike admitted with a chuckle. "It's just recently that I was able to regain myself again. Maybe just like a month ago?"

"Well, that's good news."

"Yeah. It serves as a lesson to me. To lessen my boringness next time," he joked.

"You're not as boring as you think you are," said Pie, looking at him. "You just haven't found your right puzzle piece for you yet."

Mike just smiled. "Thanks."

---

After Mike dropped her off, Pie entered through the front door and saw her mom sitting in the living room, watching TV.

"How was it?" the older lady asked.

"It was okay."

"Did you guys have fun?"

Although Pie always imagined that it would be awkward to be alone with Mike, surprisingly everything went well tonight. "Yeah, I had fun... I guess... I just don't know about him..."

"Are you worried that you bored him?"

"No, not really."

"Do you think he likes you?"

"Ugh, mom, I still haven't forgiven you for setting me up for a date, okay?" Pie grunted.

"Well, I thought you enjoyed it?"

"I did."

"Then what's the matter?"

Pie brought her palms to her cheeks and said, "It's just embarrassing. I think he knows that you just set us up."

"Isn't it a good sign that he stayed even though he felt that it was a setup?"

"He just stayed because he can't say no to you."

"Well, I believe you got it wrong, Pie," her mom said, crossing one leg over the other. "I just got him to say yes when I told him that I'll invite you over."

"No way. Mom, I know you like him but you're being delusional."

"I'm not being delusional."

"You are..."

"Are you telling me that you don't like him anymore?"

Pie knew she should say yes but it just didn't come out. She cleared first but before she could say another word, the news on the TV caught her attention.

"Authorities have received reports of some flooding and landslides after the storm made landfall in Indonesia..."

Pie stared blankly at the TV screen, somewhat worried about the person who's been giving her the unexplainable feelings.

Kim...

The real reason she didn't like what her mom did is because she felt like she was betraying Kim for going out with Mike tonight. And the fact that she enjoyed their little date made her feel worse.

"I'm not forcing you to him," her mom said, breaking Pie's thoughts. "I just want you to give yourself a chance, to be with the right one for you."

"Are you're saying that he is the right one for me?" asked Pie, pointing at herself.

"I didn't say that. What I'm saying is you should try letting some men get in your life. You always reject anyone who tries to court you."

"It's because we don't click. You know that mom. It's not like I never tried going out with them. And if I remember it correctly, you never liked any of those guys too, right?"

"Yeah, you're right," said the older lady. "But I like this one now. I've known him since your diaper days so I'm comfortable with the idea of you going out with him. And don't you think there's a reason why we met today, why you both met again today?"

"But mom —"

"You wouldn't know if he's the right guy for you if you wouldn't try it with him, right?"

Pie's shoulders fell at the term ‘the right guy for you’.

She reiterated the statement in her mind as she turned her attention back to the TV. She knows that no matter how much she likes Kim now it won't matter because her mom will never agree to it. On the other hand, Mike has already gotten a ticket for her mom's approval.

"We don't even know if he likes me or not," said Pie instead.

"Then why don't we make a deal?"

"Deal?"

"If Mike comes back here and asks you for a date you'll try to go out with him. If he doesn't then I would never set you up with another guy, okay?"

Pie stared at her mom for few seconds, trying to sense if she's serious about it. But her mom didn't flinch a bit. "Why are you doing this, mom?"

"Because I know that there's a part of you in there that still likes him. Just give it a try. Who knows, you might be thanking me after this."

Pie didn't have to think it thoroughly. She knows that Mike hasn't fully moved on from his ex-girlfriend. Although at some point she still likes him, she's not hoping for anything. If what happened earlier happened long-time ago, she would be the happiest girl in the world. But things are just different now.

Knowing that the chances of Mike coming back are slim, Pie agreed to it, "Sure, mom. Deal."