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He told me to get up and change when we finished watching on Netflix. I asked, "Can I not go? I don't even know how to swim." Someone invited him to a pool party, and somehow he brainwashed me into agreeing to come with him. I don't even know why I said yes.
"Just because it's a pool party doesn't mean you have to swim." He said, and I gave him a strange look.
"Then why is the called a pool party if there's no swimming involved?" Isn't that the point of a pool party? It's why it's called a pool party.
"I know it's stupid. Just go get changed." he said.
"Fine. What do people wear at pool parties?" I asked him.
"Ummm, swimwear." He answered with a shrug, "Bikini? I guess. But you don't have to." he added. I got up and headed to my room to get ready. I check my closet to see what to put on. I do not want to wear a bikini.
I slipped into a long-sleeve crop top and paired it with high-waisted shorts. This is okay, I suppose. Even though I won't swim, it kind of seems like it's designed for swimming. I see myself in the mirror, and I believe I look good. I'm genuinely proud of my buttocks. It makes me appear good wearing these shorts or any skinny jeans that I wear. Thank you Mom and Dad.
I came out of my room and asked Beni, "Beni, do you have sunblock?" He looked at me, stood up, and crossed his hands.
He grinned and exclaimed, "Ay yay yay! Mami! Que buen culo!" I rolled my eyes at him. (What a very nice ass!)
I'm not sure what he's saying, but it's clear that he's staring at my butt. I asked him again, "Do you have sunblock? Quit staring at my ass." He laughed as he left for his room and returned moments later with a sunblock. I took it from him and put some on my neck and legs. I handed him the sunscreen and said, "Help me put some on my back and face.
He told me to turn around, and I did. I felt his hands rub the cream onto my back and neck area. He put some on my face after that. He changed into a sleeveless t-shirt and shorts. Of course, he didn't forget to wear his sunglasses and hat.
We arrived at the party venue around 4 p.m., and there are a lot of people. Some are drinking, dancing, and just talking. I enjoyed the party we went to yesterday because I met a new friend, but that doesn't mean I would like to party every day.
Beni introduced me to some people. I don't recognize their faces. They spoke with me briefly after Beni introduced me before ignoring me once he left to talk with his other friends. I like the first party more. Not that I care about their opinions. I went to the snack bar and immediately began to eat. I'm hungry. Why the hell are people not eating these foods? Is it just for decorations?
Someone called out my name while I was shoving food into my mouth. I turned around, and it was Beni.
He told me, "My friend is interested in you and wants me to give him your phone number."
I asked, "Who?" He pointed at the guy in the corner, and the guy gave me a wink. Why doesn't he approach me and ask for my number directly if he is interested in me rather than asking my friend?
"Are you really friends with him? Are you two close?" I asked him.
"Yes. I've known him for years." He answered.
"Be honest, is he someone who gets into serious relationships?" I asked him.
"No." He flat-out answered.
"Then don't give him my number." I said before eating my grapes
"You don't like guys?" he asked.
"Obviously, I like guys, and I'm open to dating, but," how should I say it? Should I be honest with him?
"But?"
I told him, "I would date or enter a relationship with marriage in mind, not just some casual dating."
He went silent for a while, and I resumed eating the food on my plate. Although many people back home share my opinions, many here have different perspectives on dating. But still, in my opinion, dating someone I love and who loves me would be a better use of those years than wasting them in a casual relationship. Simply put, I'm seeking a committed relationship to get married.
"Do you have any ideal types? Like the age?" he asked after a few minutes of silence. I don't know why he turned silent after I told him my dating views.
"I think someone older." I answered.
"How old?" He asked
"As long as he is not someone older than my Dad." I told him.
He asked, "How about someone between your age and 30? What if he has the financial standing of someone older?"
"He doesn't need to be rich. Starting a family is hard, and money is also important. Love won't always be enough to keep two people together. I'm not suggesting that the man should make six figures. That's being unreasonable. As long as it can cover all of our expenses and is sufficient for us to eat three meals per day." That's how we were raised.
He said, "Money will surely not be an issue." which caused me to raise an eyebrow and turn to face him. He sounds as though he already knows that my future husband will be a wealthy man.
"How will you know that you want to marry your boyfriend?" he added.
After giving it some thought, I replied, "I will marry him if he can prove to me that he is a man I can trust, that he will be devoted to me, and that he can provide me security, assurance, and affection."
"At what age do you want to get married?" he asked.
I replied, "I hope while I'm still in my 20s, but if not, then it's okay."
"What if, say, after being married to the person you love, he wants you to give up your work and remain at home instead?" he asked.
"Sure. There's nothing wrong with being a housewife. I can compromise with that." I told him, adding, "My mom explained that to have a good or healthy relationship, both parties must make compromises and work together. A husband and a wife have particular roles to fulfill. It's a give-and-take relationship."
He asked, "Be honest. Have you been married before?" and I chuckled.
I replied to him truthfully, "Maybe in my past life, no, I'm simply basing that on what I've observed from my parents and relatives back home."
"They raised you well." He said.
I smiled and said, "Thank you."
"Do you prefer foreigners?" he added.
"Yeah, why not? In the end, not all people end up with their ideal type of person, so don't take it too seriously. If ever someone you know told you that they're interested in me, tell them that I don't like casual dating and prefers a serious relationship with marriage in mind." I'm just being honest, but I truly hope that my future boyfriend will end up becoming my future husband.
"Wow, you take being in a relationship that seriously." He said, his face displaying obvious shock.
"Of course. I don't want to play around. I'm 25, and unlike males who age backward as they get older, women simply get older. I don't want to waste my years gallivanting with other guys." I told him honestly.
He asked, "You don't want to be a boss b*tch like what woman wants to be these days?
"I don't want to be a b*tch, but I can be a boss in terms of confidence, self-assurance, or something like that." I told him and added, "Do you prefer a boss b*tch?"
"Yeah, why not? But if I want to get married, I prefer a woman who is wife material. You understand what I mean?" he said and I nodded.
"Yeah, I know. I just remembered a similar story, do you want to hear it?" I asked him. I don't really want to bore him that's why I asked him first.
"Tell me." he said, even leaning close to me. He looks genuinely interested, which made me happy. Likewise, I scooted my chair closer to him.
I excitedly related the story to him, saying, "Well, my cousin is a playboy. He has the body and face that nearly all women find attractive, plus his family is wealthy. He met a girl who he claims is wife material, but he chose to remain friends with her instead of making any advances."
He chimed in, "I think I know why. He is not looking for a wife or a commitment. He probably just wants someone he can be with for a short time and wants someone he can f*ck."
I rolled my eyes at him before saying, "Exactly. Mind your language."
"Are they still friends?" He asked with a grin.
"Yes and even better, they're married. She is now my cousin in law." I told with a wide grin on my face and he seems quite shock after hearing what I said. He moved even closer towards me.
"Tell me more." He said and I laughed. He looks really eager to hear more of the story.
"Before I continue, are you sure you don't want to get back to your friends? This is a party after all and it looks like were the only one on this snack bar."
"I've been to so many parties that I'm getting sick of them.I'm more interested in your story." he answered. Why did we even come here? We should've just stayed home, and I could tell him more stories.
"Wait, let me drink water first. Do you want some?" I asked him. I just finished eating the foods on my plate, and I need water to flush them down.
"I'll have wine instead." he answered.
"Okay, just a minute." I stood up and went to the table where the drinks were placed. I got water for me and wine for Beni. I returned soon after and gave him his drink before sitting back down.
"Hurry." he urged. I chuckled because he looks like a gossiping middle-aged woman who hangs out on the side of the road just to gossip. Just like our neighbors.
I continued with my story, "Obviously, she likes him too. She told me herself. Unfortunately, she is one of those ladies who fell for his charms. She is a very traditional Filipina woman, so even though she likes my cousin, she never told him that. We were told not to ask guys out and to wait for the guy to make a move. My cousin made it clear to me though that he won't make a move on her because he himself admits that she is too good for him, and apparently he's still too young to take relationships seriously."
I stopped to drink water before continuing my story, "They remained friends for like a year and then one day I told my cousin that someone else is courting her but it's not true. I lied, I just want my cousin to wake up and she really likes him so I want to help her. After a week, he suddenly went to her house, met her parents and officially ask for their permission to court their daughter. My cousin in law, being the traditional woman that she is, she let him suffer and court her for months before agreeing to become his girlfriend."
"Wait, I thought she liked him. Why does he need to wait for months to become official?" He curiously asked.
"Because she wants to get to know him better and see if he is really someone who wants commitment. They didn't even kiss while courting her. She did show him that she likes him, but she still wants him to put in an effort because she knows my cousin's past. She's afraid that after he gets what he wants, he might leave her. That's why she let him wait for months. They're practically together, except they don't kiss or do other intimate stuff until they become an official couple. In my opinion, she should've made him suffer for a year before agreeing to be his girlfriend." I explained.
"Are you close with your cousin in law? It looks like she tells you a lot of personal things." He said.
"Oh yeah. She's my best friend and college classmate. They met because of me. My cousin would often glare at me whenever I interrupted their dates or showed up in their house unannounced, but he couldn't show that he was mad at me around her because she would get mad at him in return. She becomes really scary when mad. She's kind most of the time, but when she gets mad, everything just turns silent and everybody becomes well behaved." I said.
"I certainly wouldn't want someone 3'rd wheeling on my date with my girl. I understand why he's mad." He chimed in.
"I know. I love seeing him get irritated, but he can't say anything with my best friend around. They dated for 3 years, got married last year. Now, she's pregnant. That reminds me, I should buy baby clothes before I go back." I told him with a hint of envy. She is a pretty great catch for my cousin to change his views. How sweet is that? Their story resembles a scene from a romantic novel or movie. When a decent girl falls in love with a bad boy, who then becomes a good boy for the girl.
"He really loves her." he said and I do agree.
"Speaking of dating, I have to admit that I'm quite shocked by the dating culture here. Back home, if I say that I'm dating someone, we don't usually hold each other's hands or be intimate. It takes months before we allow a guy to hold our hands. Holding each other's hands means we're already an official couple. But here, people say they're dating and, you know, having sex and all that, but they still aren't together." I said.
"Meaning if I hold your hand like this, we're already considered a couple." He said as he held my hand.
"Yeah. I promise you that if you come to my country and my relatives see us holding hands, they'll start asking when the wedding is. But don't worry. I don't think like that about you. I'm not delusional." It's just so different here.
"Enough about relationship talk." We've never had this kind of talk before. It made me realize how close we are. I don't think people talk about this kind of stuff with people they are not close to. I'm quite pleased, to be honest, to see him take interest in my stories. He really showed that he was interested in what I had to say. I do appreciate that.
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