Lunar New Love

Chapter 1 Vincent Yang arched his left eyebrow at David Lee, one of his best friends and colleagues at the pharmaceutical firm he worked at in San Francisco, California. “The Torpedough? Really?” David rolled his eyes at Vincent while pushing the door of the bakery and making his way inside. “It’s a wonderful place. Can’t you smell the awesomeness of all the baked goods in this amazing place?” Vincent snorted. “Do I need to give you some privacy?” David scrunched up his face, obviously confused. “What? Why?” “So you can j******f in peace while inhaling the awesomeness of all the baked goods in the bakery.” David scoffed. “Don’t be crude, man.” Vincent chuckled while trailing after David, who was now heading straight toward the counter. “You’re such a prude. You’re lucky Toby has such a hard-on for you.” David turned toward Vincent and glared. “Excuse me? There’s nothing between Toby and me.” Vincent snickered. He knew that would rile David up, and he did it on purpose. Tobias Ruiz was apparently one of David’s ex-schoolmates or something. “Oh, please. That silly argument between you and Toby at Pablo’s bar last week was like the most intense s****l foreplay part one. I’m waiting for the next episode.” David blushed and glanced away. “Whatever.” Vincent grinned to himself, partly at David’s adorable reaction, but mostly at the memory of his best friend’s argument with Tobias at Pablo’s bar, The Overrated Llama. Pablo Cotilla, the owner of the bar, was dating another one of Vincent’s best friends and colleagues, Keenan Underwood. “What are you going to order?” Vincent inquired of David while reading through all the different items on the menu. “I’ll probably get a pie or something lighter,” David answered while browsing through his own menu. “It’s four o’clock in the afternoon, and I’m just trying to stave off the sudden pang of hunger that has been plaguing me since the meeting began at half past two earlier. I don’t want to ruin my appetite before dinner tonight.” It took Vincent a few seconds to catch on. Then he smirked at David, who pretended not to notice him. “Davey baby.” “Shut up, Vince, or Justin will kick your ass for me.” Justin Wong was their mutual best friend and colleague, and an expert in Judo, Taekwondo, and Chinese Kung Fu. “Justin loves me.” He loves me more.” Vincent couldn’t deny that. “True, but I’m sure he will be interested to know you’re dating someone in secret.” David narrowed his eyes at Vincent. “Tell anyone, and I’ll break all your bones.” Vincent laughed. “You won’t do that. You love me too much.” David continued to appear really stern and serious for a few seconds longer before sighing. “Fine. I have another date with Toby later tonight. That’s the reason why I can’t make it to dinner with you guys later.” Vincent mock-gasped. “You’re ditching your lovely best friends for a date with Toby?” “Don’t be dramatic. The six of you are going to have a wonderful time without me.” “Five.” “What?” “Keenan has a hot date with Pablo tonight, so he won’t be there.” David’s confused expression cleared up in an instant. “Ah, I see.” Vincent was about to complain about David and Keenan missing out on their dinner when a sexy hunk stepped out through the door from the room behind the counter. The man was about an inch shorter than his own six-foot height and probably ten to twenty pounds lighter than his own weight of one hundred and ninety pounds. What mesmerized him was the man’s jet-black hair and those piercing black eyes. He had the same eye and hair color, but this unknown man’s gaze was intense, and he couldn’t look away. He gaped in shock when the man grinned widely at David and proceeded to run out from behind the counter before wrapping both arms around his best friend’s waist. Then the man lifted David off the floor, and the two of them laughed with each other while Vincent could only stare in bewilderment. “Uh…” David turned toward Vincent and pointed at the unknown man. “Vince, this is Anthony Lim. He’s the owner of this fine establishment. He’s the reason why this bakery is so successful.” Anthony chuckled while putting David back onto his feet on the floor. “Don’t exaggerate.” Vincent offered his right hand to Anthony. “I’m Vincent Yang. I’m the Finance Junior Manager in the same pharmaceutical firm David works at. Nice to meet you, man.” Anthony shook Vincent’s hand and smiled. “Anthony Lim, and I own The Torpedough, but you know that already. Nice to meet you, too.” Vincent snickered. “Yeah. Cool. So, what can you recommend to a first-time customer like me?” Anthony smirked. “As the owner, I’m definitely more than a little biased, so I’ll tell you everything is delicious and to-die-for.” Vincent snorted. “Duh!” Anthony winked at Vincent. “Or I can create something special just for you.” “You can?” Vincent blurted out in surprise. Anthony nodded. “Anything for you.” David cleared his throat and pouted. “Hey, what about me?” Anthony rolled his eyes. “You’ve been here many times over the past one year or so, and I’ve custom-made plenty of orders for you.” “How come you’ve never invited me to this bakery, Dave?” Vincent interjected before David could respond to Anthony. David scoffed. “I have! Many times!” “Really? When?” “But, David, I need to maintain my sexy, curvaceous figure. Oh, David, I wish I could, but my thousand-pack stomach doesn’t just appear on its own,” David said in a high-pitch tone. “Do I need to continue?” Vincent could feel the heat of embarrassment creeping up his neck and cheeks, but he took David’s teasing in stride. “I never said anything like that. I certainly don’t sound like that. Ever.” “A thousand-pack stomach?” Anthony asked with his eyes zeroing in on Vincent’s stomach area. Vincent became a little self-conscious. He wasn’t ashamed of his body. He didn’t have a low self-esteem. He worked hard at the gym to get into the best shape of his life. However, he found Anthony extremely attractive, and he couldn’t help but shiver and fidget a little when he noticed the bakery owner’s appreciative gaze on him. Or rather, on his stomach area. He might be fully clothed, but he felt somehow naked at the moment. “David exaggerated.” “Maybe you should lift your shirt up and let me be the judge of that.” Vincent’s lips went dry in an instant. “May…maybe another time, man.” “How about dinner tonight?” Vincent stared at Anthony in shock. “What?” “Dinner. Tonight. With me.” Vincent gaped for a few seconds longer before speaking up. “Like a date?” “Yeah, man. Unless you already have a boyfriend. I don’t poach on someone else’s territory. It’s not my style.” Vincent ignored his wildly beating heart and nodded while doing his best to act calm and unaffected. “I’m single. Very single and available. Din…dinner sounds good.” “Okay.” “Great.” Vincent and Anthony smiled at each other, and they were both taken aback when David cleared his throat loudly. Vincent rubbed the back of his head while Anthony suddenly found the floor to be interesting and exciting. David patted Anthony on the shoulder and pointed at something on the menu. “As much as I enjoy the highly amusing mating ritual between the two of you, may I have a slice of chocolate and butterscotch pudding pie with a scoop of chocolate ice cream on top?” Anthony’s cheeks grew impossibly redder. “Yeah. Absolutely. Vince, what about you?” “I want—” “A nice, long, hard, thick sausage and two eggs with the white, creamy Anthony-sauce lathered all over them, I presume?” David cut Vincent off midsentence. Vincent was mortified, and he glared at David, who appeared unrepentant. “Dave, can you shut it?” “I can, and I’m sure Tony here will find a way to render you speechless by stuffing your mouth with—umph” Vincent placed his palm over David’s mouth and turned toward Anthony in exasperation. “I’m sorry. David has zero filter whatsoever.” Anthony chuckled. “It’s fine. I’m very entertained.” Vincent struggled to cup his palm over David, who was thrashing and snickering at the same time, while grinning at Anthony. “Surprise me with something.” Anthony nodded. “All right then. Have a seat anywhere. There are a few empty tables left near to the entrance.” “Okay. Thanks, man.” “You’re welcome. I’ll be right back.” Vincent ogled Anthony’s sexy and perky jeans-clad buttocks for a few seconds longer before dragging a laughing David all the way to one of the empty tables. Once they were seated, David gave Vincent a mocking grin. “Anthony and Vincent sitting in the tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G.” Vincent showed David both of his middle fingers. “You’re a menace.” “And you’re embarrassed. You look really cute right now with your red cheeks and all.” “f**k you.” David chuckled. “Sorry, man, but I’m saving myself for Toby. Besides, Tony doesn’t strike me as the sharing type.” “Whatever. It’s just a date.” David snickered. “He likes you.” “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” “Liar. He asked you out on a date earlier.” Vincent forced himself to regain a little bit of his self-control. “Maybe he just wants me as a friend. Like a friend-date.” “Keep fooling yourself. Tony looked at you earlier as if he wanted nothing more than to s*x you up for all eternity. For that matter, you drooled at him just as badly.” Vincent couldn’t deny that. “I did. I still do. He’s hot.” “Duh!” “Just…just don’t tell the other guys about my date with Tony later. I’ll tell them tomorrow.” David smirked. “That’s not possible.” “Why not?” Vincent realized he sounded a little whiny, but he was ready to plead with David if he had to. He wanted a quiet, peaceful date night with Anthony without his overly protective friends checking up on him every few minutes. He knew they cared for him, but his best friends could go too far sometimes. “You promised to go out for dinner with them later. Remember?” Vincent’s eyes widened in shock. “Oh, shit.” “Oh, yes,” David retorted, sounding gleeful and far too amused. “Good luck coming up with a plausible excuse.” “Dave, you have to help me.” David tapped on his lower chin and stared at Vincent in silence, obviously lost in thought. After a brief moment, David’s face lit up. “Tell them you have to meet up with family for some last minute preparation for the Lunar New Year celebration. It’s less than two weeks away.” Vincent sighed. “Justin will be suspicious. He will question me endlessly.” Among his group of friends, only he, David, and Justin were of Chinese descent, so the three of them were aware of the customs and traditions involved with the Lunar New Year celebration. He could put off his other friends, but Justin would be difficult. “Justin is the most empathetic among our friends. Tell him the truth. He will cover up for you.” “I know. It’s not that I don’t like for the other guys to know about my upcoming date with Tony, but I’m worried they won’t stop messaging me. I just want a nice first date without my friends’ nosy, albeit well-meaning, intervention.” “They care for you. We all do, especially because your family…” David trailed off and shot Vincent an apologetic smile. Vincent beamed at David. “I know, and I appreciate that. Thanks, man.” “You’re welcome. You know you can always visit my parents’ house on the first day of the Lunar New Year if things get too much to handle at home.” Vincent nodded. “Yeah. Thanks, Dave.” “You’re welcome. I know how difficult it is for you every year during the Lunar New Year.” “I’m used to it.” “Vince—” “It’s fine, man,” Vincent interrupted and forced a smile at David. David obviously wanted to continue with the conversation, but Anthony approached the table at that moment. Vincent was grateful for the brief respite. “Hey, guys,” Anthony greeted while placing a plate with a generous slice of pie and a jumbo scoop of ice cream in front of David. “That’s for you.” “Thanks,” David said before digging in and moaning loudly. “Holy s**t! This is incredible.” Vincent rolled his eyes at David. “Were you raised by gorillas or something? Chew and swallow, man.” “Whatever,” David retorted before taking another bite and groaning even more obscenely than before. Vincent ignored David and turned toward Anthony. “Where’s mine?” Anthony chuckled before offering Vincent a plate of ganache-topped chocolate cake with plenty of fresh strawberries on top. However, instead of giving him a slice of cake, Anthony brought him a whole cake that was around twenty inches in diameter. “That’s yours.” Vincent darted his eyes back and forth between Anthony and the cake. “But…but I can’t finish this. Maybe you should cut—” David kicked Vincent’s shin under the table, causing him to yowl in pain. “Tony, are you busy?” “Not at all.” “You should join us. I’m sure Vincent will be delighted for you to join us,” David responded immediately before turning toward Vincent. “Right, Vince?” Vincent rubbed his shin and glared at David before grimacing at Anthony. “Of…of course. Please.” “Are you sure?” Vincent nodded. “Yeah.” Anthony’s brilliant grin almost took Vincent’s breath away. “Thank you. That will be awesome.” A few seconds later, Vincent became rather self-conscious when he noticed Anthony staring at him as he scooped the first bite of chocolate cake and one strawberry into his mouth. Then he forgot about it when the burst of incredibly delicious flavors exploded inside his mouth. “f**k,” Vincent mumbled softly as he savored the taste of the cake. “This is…shit!” Anthony appeared stunned and mortified. “What?” Vincent apologized in a hurry. “Sorry. It’s the good kind of s**t. I was surprised earlier. There was an unexpected hint of mocha flavor.” Anthony beamed at Vincent. “And some almonds?” “Yeah. This is the best cake ever!” Anthony was obviously pleased. “Great. Thanks. I finished baking and decorating that cake less than an hour ago.” “You made this?” Vincent inquired in shock. David rolled his eyes. “Tony owns the bakery, Vince.” Vincent’s cheeks flushed in embarrassment. “Sorry. I…I thought you simply hired people to bake things for you.” Anthony smiled. “Nope.” “Tony even told you earlier about him creating several custom-ordered items for me in the past,” David pointed out before continuing to eat his pie. Vincent chuckled. “I didn’t realize he meant he did it personally.” David rolled his eyes. “Well, he did.” “I get it now.” Vincent was about to cut another smaller piece of the chocolate cake when David kicked his shin. Again. The same spot, too. He glared at David, who simply c****d his head at Anthony. He stared back at David in confusion. David heaved out a long-winded sigh before turning toward Anthony. “You should help Vince with the cake.” Anthony blushed and shook his head. “Oh, no. It’s fine. I’m glad to know Vince is enjoying the cake. Besides, there’s only one fork on Vince’s plate.” Vincent grinned at Anthony. “You can grab another fork from the kitchen or something. This is a huge cake. I can’t finish—ow! Dave, what the f**k? You’ve kicked me in the same spot three times now!” David gritted his teeth before beaming at Anthony. “You can share the same fork as Vince. You don’t mind, do you?” “Dave!” “No!” Vincent yelled at David at the same time as Anthony responding to his best friend’s question. He was definitely astounded to hear Anthony’s reply to the question, and he raised his left eyebrow at the bakery owner. “You don’t?” Anthony shrugged. “If…if you don’t mind. I’m healthy. No diseases here. I swear.” “I’m sure Vince is more than excited to swap spit with you,” David muttered softly, but Vincent could hear it clearly. “Shut up, Dave.” David winked at Vincent. “Just trying to help move things along.” Anthony glanced back and forth between David and Vincent. “Or I can get another fork.” “No, it’s…it’s fine,” Vincent mumbled out before cutting off a smaller piece of chocolate cake and offering it to Anthony. Anthony seemed pleased, and Vincent was certain he was doing the right thing. “Thanks.” “You’re welcome. Now, open wide.” David choked and snickered simultaneously. “I bet you’ll be saying the same thing in the bedroom later tonight.” Vincent narrowed his eyes at David. “Can you not?” David winked. “I’m done. You’re on your own now.” “What?” David pointed at his empty plate. “While the two of you were practically undressing each other with your eyes and flirting in the most horrible and pathetic manner possible, I never stopped eating the pie in front of me. I’ll return to the office first. I’m sure you can find your way back. It’s not that far from the bakery. Ten minutes tops on foot. Bye, Vince. Take care of the bill, will you? I’ll pay you back later. See you next time, Tony.” Vincent and Anthony bade farewell to David. Then there was silence at the table. Vincent racked his brains for something witty and hilarious to say in order to alleviate the abrupt tension between him and Anthony, but he failed. Hence, he kept his mouth shut and continued to enjoy the chocolate cake. Not that he could finish the entire cake. Even with Anthony helping him, that would be impossible. “How old are you?” “Twenty-eight,” Vincent replied, both amused and relieved at the question. “You?” “Thirty-two.” “Okay.” “Yeah. Too old for you?” Vincent chuckled in surprise. “No. Why?” Anthony shrugged. “Some younger gay men can be weird about dating men in their thirties or older.” Vincent snickered. “Not me. Older men are hot.” “Yeah?” “Absolutely.” “Awesome.” Neither of them uttered a single word for the next few minutes. Instead, they focused their attention on the chocolate cake while the awkwardness between them continued to build up in momentum. “Hey.” Anthony glanced up at Vincent. “What?” “Are you serious about dinner tonight?” “Yes. Do you not want to?” Vincent noticed the slight mixture of resignation and trepidation in Anthony’s tone of voice. “I…I think you’re hot as fuck.” Anthony’s face lit up with delight. “I think you’re hot as f**k, too.” Vincent felt a wave of relief coursing through him. “Cool. Do you want to meet up here?” Anthony shook his head. “Give me your number. I’ll pick you up at your place at seven o’clock. Is that okay?” “Of course.” After exchanging numbers, Vincent decided he should pack the remainder of the cake and finished it slowly over the next few days, explaining to Anthony he couldn’t eat any further. Besides, he had to return to the office. Anthony simply blushed. “I went a little overboard, didn’t I?” Vincent nodded. “Kind of, but I’m definitely surprised and grateful.” Anthony laughed. “A nice surprise, I hope.” “It is,” Vincent confirmed before grinning at Anthony. “Glad to hear that.” Then there was another brief period of silence between them. Vincent had no idea what to say, so he figured he should just leave the bakery before the awkwardness intensified. “Can I get the bill, please?” “Nope. It’s my treat this time around.” “But—” “You can pay for dinner later.” Vincent was stunned and amused at the same time. “Fine. It’s a date.” Anthony smiled. “It is.” “I can’t wait.” “Me neither.” Vincent chuckled. “Cool.” After that, Anthony instructed one of his employees to pack up the remainder of the cake before turning back toward Vincent. Neither of them knew how to continue with the conversation. There was an extended moment of silence until Anthony spoke up. “This is weird.” “It is,” Vincent agreed, and he could feel his cheeks heating up a little. “It’s not uncomfortable, though. Right?” “No, it’s not. It’s…it’s all good.” Anthony’s employee returned with the cake packed inside a small paper box. Vincent stood, and he was astonished when Anthony pulled him into a tight hug and whispered next to his ear. “I’m looking forward to our date tonight.” Vincent tentatively wrapped his arms around Anthony’s waist. “Same.” Anthony moved back slightly and smiled at Vincent. “See you soon.” “Yeah. Absolutely.” After that, Vincent left the bakery. He still found it hard to believe he had a dinner date later. It was unexpected, but he was definitely excited about it. After watching his best friends falling into relationships one after the other, it was finally his turn. At least he hoped so. He had felt an instant connection with Anthony earlier. Not that he was in love with the bakery owner, but he could envision them together in the future, going out on dates, hanging out, and having fun. He would just cross his fingers and think positively. After all, there was no harm in wishing for the best outcome possible.