| Fan Fiction |
by kglove
“Come in.” Gerald heard Kim say when he knocked.
When he opened the door, he saw Kim shuffling through some papers on her desk. She smiled upon seeing him by the door.
“Sorry if I disturbed you. I saw the light on and can’t help but wonder what you are still doing here. It’s way past your working hours.”
“I was just re-organizing the facilitator’s guide for my next class.”
Gerald approached her desk and sat down in one of the chairs. “Can I help you?”
Kim was a bit surprised by his offer and politely declined. “No, I'm almost done anyway. I don’t want to bother you with this kind of stuff.”
“I insist. Two heads, or should I say hands, are better than one. And look at it this way. You can get out of here faster, right?”
“Thanks.”
Couple of minutes later, Kim’s desk was cleared of clutter and is now ready to leave the office. Gerald opened the door and let Kim out first before he locked up. They walked together out of the building.
“Where are you parked?” Gerald asked.
“Actually, I’ll just take a cab. I left my car at home.”
“Well then let me give you a ride. It’s already late and as a gentleman, I want to make sure that you get home safe and sound.”
Kim fidgeted. “And I'm guessing if I refuse your offer you would say you wont take no for an answer, right?”
“You read my mind.” Gerald smiled.
“Okay, I’ll make you a deal. If you’d have dinner with me and let me pay for it, I’ll take your offer.” Kim proposed.
Gerald thought for a moment. “Hmm that is not fair.”
“Very well. Let me call a cab then.”
Kim started waving for taxis passing by when Gerald stopped her. “Okay, alright. We have a deal.”
***
Halfway through eating dinner, Kim was startled when Jane suddenly approached their table.
“Hey you!” Jane stopped when she saw who Kim was having dinner with. “Hello Gerald.”
Gerald stood up and shook Jane’s hands. “Hi Jane. Nice to see you here.”
“Yeah, I was meeting up with my boyfriend and I saw Kim here. I didn’t know you’re with her.”
“Uh, Gerald saw me doing alone in my office earlier and offered to help me. So in return, I invited him for dinner.” Kim struggled with her words, very much aware of Jane’s teasing stare at her.
“I won’t take much of your time then. My boyfriend’s waiting for me. He gets upset when I let him wait for long.”
Kim nodded. “Okay Jane, I’ll see you at work.”
Gerald waited until Jane walked away before he sat down. “Have you met her boyfriend?”
“Huh? Oh, Jane’s boyfriend? Yes, I met him couple of times when he came to pick up Jane. She was still my intern then. Now she’s doing great on her own, I heard.”
“You did a good job with her. I mean, she wouldn’t be good if you didn’t train her well, would she?” Gerald’s stare was causing Kim to be a little conscious.
“Thanks, I guess.” Kim laughed nervously. “Jane is easy to train to begin with. She’s smart.”
“Anyway, what would you like to order for desert?”
“Hmm, I’d take their strawberry ice cream.”
“Great. I’ll have vanilla ice cream.” Gerald placed their orders.
“What are you doing this weekend?” Kim asked.
Gerald was taken aback by her question. “Me? Uh, I was thinking of visiting Ken. I haven’t seen that kid in months.”
“How is he?”
“Oh you know Ken; he loves to go out on parties and stuff. Last I heard he’s dating a cheerleader. Mom said she already met the girl, which is actually a bit surprising since Ken has never introduced a girl to either of our parents. I guess they’re in a serious relationship.”
“Good for Ken. It’s about time he takes relationships seriously.”
“I know, right? I'm happy that at least one of us is doing the right thing.”
Kim suddenly felt uneasy and glanced at her watch. “We should probably get going. It’s getting late and I don’t want to keep you any longer.” She asked for the bill and when the waiter gave it to Gerald, she protested.
“Now, give me that bill. I'm not letting you pay for this. We had a deal, remember?”
Gerald hesitated. “But Kim…”
“No, give me that.” Kim gave him a stern look.
He had no choice but to hand it over to her. As soon as the bill was settled, they walked out of the restaurant towards Gerald’s car. When they arrived at Kim’s apartment building, Gerald turned off the engine and went out to open the door for Kim.
“Thank you for the dinner. Although next time I'm not going to let you pay for it.” Gerald said. “It doesn’t feel good.”
Kim laughed at his remark. “You’re welcome. Thanks for the ride.”
“No problem. So I’ll see at work on Monday?”
“Of course. Thanks again. Drive safely. Goodnight.” Kim smiled and turned around to enter the building.
Gerald hesitated but decided to go for it. “Uh, Kim?” Kim faced him curiously. “I really appreciate this.” She shot him a confused look. “I mean, I know you said to leave you alone.”
Kim squirmed from her spot under Gerald’s stare. “Yeah, about that. Gerald, I'm really sorry if I went psycho on you. It’s just…I don’t know. I… I…” Kim struggled with words.
“Kim, it’s okay. I understand. And feel free to tell on me if ever you think I am going out of line again.”
Kim was spared from responding when Gerald took a step back and waved at her. “Goodnight, Kim.”
***
“Hey dad! What are you doing here?” Kim was totally surprised when she opened the door and saw her father.
“Nice to see you too, sweetie.” Mr. Chiu teased his daughter.
“Come in, dad.” She stepped aside to let her father pass before giving him a welcome hug.
“I was in town for a meeting which finished earlier than expected so I figured I’d visit my daughter.”
“Sorry I haven’t paid a visit in weeks. Things are a little hectic at work.”
“No worries. What are you doing today?”
Kim thought for a moment before answering. “Actually, I don’t have any plans today. I just want to stay home and rest.”
“So you don’t mind if I stay here?”
Kim’s eyes lit up. “Of course I don’t! I’d love to have you here. When are you planning to go back?”
“Well, JP won’t be back from their retreat until tomorrow. Is that okay?”
“Sure thing. I might need to go out and get some groceries though. I wasn’t planning to cook but since you’re here, I want to prepare something special.”
“Okay, not a problem. I’ll go with you.”
“I’ll just grab my purse and we can go.” Kim paced to her room excitedly and few moments later they are on their way out.
***
Mr. Chiu spent the entire day with Kim. They went to the grocery together and Kim even gave his dad a quick tour of the city. During dinner, Kim cooked his dad’s favorite sinigang and enjoyed dinner together. When they finished eating and was just unwinding at the living room, Mr. Chiu brought up a topic that Kim didn’t expect.
“By the way Kim, how’s Gerald?”
“He’s okay. Why?” Kim asked curiously.
“Oh, nothing. I just remembered bumping into his mom recently and she said he has visited her twice in the last month alone. Being single has its perks, apparently.”
Kim dropped her stare on the floor. “Good for him. I know he also visited Mr. Anderson and from what I know he is with Ken as we speak.”
“So you two have been keeping tabs about each other, huh?”
“Dad, in case you’ve forgotten, we work for the same company and department. It’s very hard not to see or hear things about him.” Kim said defensively which amused Mr. Chiu.
“Honey, you never told me why you broke up with Gerald. I respected your decision not to tell me the reason but I'm really curious.”
Kim smiled nervously. “Why are we talking about me and Gerald? This is supposed to be a father-daughter bonding and it’s not really necessary to talk about things like that.”
“Exactly. I want to know what’s going on with you.”
“It just didn’t work out, dad. Some things are just not meant to be.”
“But you guys were so in love with each other; I always wondered why it is taking you so long to get married. You see, I wasn’t very keen about you living together at first. Then again when I think about how happy you are with him, I know that you will eventually end up with him anyway. So it really shocked me when I found out that you’re not together anymore.”
“Like I said, we were not destined to be together. Sometimes, you may not like what fate brings to your doorstep but you have to deal with it no matter what.” Kim said. “If it matters, he and I are trying to be friends. It takes a lot of work for both of us, I think, but we’ll get past the awkward stage and eventually get comfortable around each other.”
“I sure hope so. Gerald’s a great guy. He may have taken a wrong turn somewhere along the way but I know he has a good heart.”
“I know.” Kim stood up and reached for Mr. Chiu’s hands. “Come on, let’s call it a day. I know you’re tired already and I want you to get a good night’s sleep. We can go to church tomorrow before you head back home.” Kim walked her dad to his room. “If you need anything, I'm in the room right next yours, alright?” she kissed him. “Good night, dad.”
***
Gerald was just about to open the door to his condo when his phone rang. He fumbled for his mobile in his pocket. When he saw who’s calling, it took him a few more seconds before he was able to answer.
“Hey, what’s up?” Gerald excitedly greeted the caller.
“Uh, are you busy?” Kim hesitated on the other line.
Gerald shook his head as if Kim can see him do that. “No, I just came from Ken’s house. Why?”
“Nothing.” Said Kim. “Well, actually my dad is here with me right now. He’s already sleeping but he asked me to invite you for lunch tomorrow. I told him you might be spending it with Ken but he insists that I try to convince you so here I am.”
Gerald beamed upon hearing Kim’s invitation. “Really? Tell Tito William I’d love to. What time do you want me to pick you up?”
“Gerald, you don’t have to pick us up. Besides, we still have to go to church tomorrow. How about just go here around 11 AM? That way you can spend some time with my dad and I can cook lunch.”
“How about I just go with you to the church and we can cook lunch altogether?”
Kim rolled her eyes. “I know you hate waking up early so…”
Gerald cut her off before she can finish. “Kimmy, its fine. I don’t mind waking up early. It is not everyday that your dad is here and wants to have lunch with me. I think he wants to adopt me.” Gerald and Kim laughed. “But I won’t let him adopt me.”
“Why not?”
“Well, if he adopts me then I can’t be with you, right?”
Kim was rendered speechless with Gerald’s assertion. On the other end of the line, Gerald was surprised at his own declaration as well. He was thinking of the right things to say but he was out of words.
“Uh, Kim, what I mean is…”
“I have to go. See you tomorrow, Gerald. Goodnight.” Kim immediately hung up without waiting for Gerald to say goodbye.
***
Gerald was already waiting at the church when Kim and Mr. Chiu arrived.
“Gerald, hijo, I'm glad you’re here.” Mr. Chiu and Gerald shook hands. “Kim, you didn’t tell me that Gerald is coming with us.”
“Tito, Kim told me last night that you wanted to see me so I'm here.” Gerald then turned his attention to Kim who was standing awkwardly beside her father. “Good morning.”
Kim smiled shyly and started walking. Gerald and Mr. Chiu followed her to one of the empty pews.
“Go on, Tito William. I'm right behind you.”
“No, go ahead. Sit beside Kim. I want to sit by the aisle.” Gerald was left with no choice but to obey. When Kim looked behind her, she blushed when she saw that Gerald was next her.
All throughout the mass, both Kim and Gerald were stealing glances to each other. They just would smile ineptly when their eyes would meet. Kim’s hands were shaking when they had to hold hands for Our Father. Meanwhile, Mr. Chiu was aware of what Kim and Gerald were doing. He would smile to himself every time he caught the two looking at each other.
When the mass ended, Kim, Mr. Chiu and Gerald walked to the parking lot together.
“Where are you parked, Kim?” Gerald asked.
“Actually, we just took a cab earlier. Kim doesn’t want to bring her car, afraid that she would have a hard time finding a parking spot.”
“Wait for me here, Tito, Kim. I’ll just go get my car.”
“But Gerald…”
“Kim, I can’t let you take a taxi. I have my car with me and I would be offended if you don’t ride with me. In case you’ve forgotten, we are all going to the same place.”
“Gerald has a point, Kim. Go ahead; we’ll wait for you here.”
When Gerald left to get his car, Mr. Chiu faced his daughter. “Are you okay, Kim?”
“Yes, dad. Why?”
“Well, you have been very uncomfortable since we saw Gerald. Is there anything wrong?”
Kim shook her head. “No, I'm okay.” She put her hands to her father’s arm. “Maybe it’s just the time of the day. To be honest I'm not really used to waking up early on a Sunday. But I'm not complaining. Hearing the mass with you is what I miss the most.”
“Good to hear that. Because I missed it too.”
Gerald’s car came into view and he immediately got out of the car as soon as he stopped and opened the door for Kim and her dad.
“Kim, why don’t you take the front seat? I’ll sit at the back.” Mr. Chiu told Kim when he saw that Kim was about to sit at the back.
Gerald smiled apologetically at Kim as he closed the back door and assisted Kim. He did the same thing when they arrived at Kim’s apartment building.
“Dad, can you stay with Gerald while I prepare food? Ge, is it okay if I serve you snacks first? But if you’re hungry I can cook something for you.” Kim asked as soon as they were inside her apartment.
“Don’t bother, Kim. I already ate breakfast before I went to church. Thanks anyway.”
“Okay. Make yourself at home then. I’ll be right back.”
Kim left Gerald and her dad. She can hear them laughing about something. Her dad has always been very fond of Gerald. It was one of the things that she loved about him. Among the guys that tried to woo her, Gerald was the only one who got along well with her father. Even her ex-boyfriend didn’t get the approval of Mr. Chiu. She remembers her dad being upset when she told him that they were broken up. He kept asking her to talk to Gerald to try to work things out. So it was really hard for her to tell her dad the reason of their break up because she doesn’t want him to get mad at Gerald. Up until this day, her dad doesn’t know why they broke up and she wants to keep it that way.
“Kim?”
She jumped upon hearing her name.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” Gerald smiled regretfully.
“It’s okay.”
“Well, Tito William said he’d be taking a nap so now I'm offering my services to you. How can I help?”
“No, I'm good. Why don’t you take a nap as well? I'm sure you’re sleepy; you’re not used to waking up this early, are you?”
Gerald laughed. “No, I'm not. But I could use a cup of coffee to last me through this day.”
“That’s what I thought. Hold on a second, I’ll make you one.”
When Kim handed Gerald his coffee, she was taken aback when Gerald held her hand. Kim looked at him curiously.
“Kim, thank you for inviting me.”
“It was my dad’s idea, actually.”
“Yeah, I know. But you could’ve said no and yet you called me still. I really appreciate it. Your dad is like my second father.”
“He considers you his son as well.”
“So I'm guessing he doesn’t know what happened to us?”
Kim nodded and pulled her hand away from Gerald’s grasp. “What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him, right?”
“Right.” Gerald took a sip from his coffee. “Kim, can I ask you a question?”
Kim shrugged. “Yeah.”
“What exactly are we?” Kim looked at him questioningly. “I mean, are we friends? Are we doing this just because your dad is here? What about when we had dinner together the other night?”
“Gerald…”
“Kim, I didn’t mean to pressure you. I guess I just want to know where I stand in your life at the moment. I don’t want to repeat the mistake I did before when I assumed we are friends and yet for you we’re not.”
Kim was silent for a couple of minutes. She was weighing her words carefully.
“Look, about that. I want to apologize for my behavior in the past. Maybe it was my fault that you assumed back then that we are friends. Back then, I wasn’t really ready to be your friend. But I know what happened between us was just as hard for you as it was for me. Let’s leave everything in the past, shall we?”
Gerald stepped forward and offered her hand to Kim. “So we’re friends?”
“Friends.” Kim took Gerald’s hand. They stood in front of each other smiling.