章 23: Blackmail

Yves's body went rigid at the unmistakable voice of his boyfriend. He peered over Glenn's shoulder and found Timothy standing about four meters away from them with his phone pressed to his ear while looking up at the elevated restaurant.

Glenn's broad shoulders and tall stature hid Yves perfectly. But if Timothy just turned his gaze a little more to the side, even with just the tip of his light brown hair, his boyfriend would recognize him immediately.

With his heart pounding like a gong in his chest, Yves pulled a considerable distance away from Glenn, whose half-lidded eyes fluttered open when their lips didn't touch. It was only then that Timothy turned in their direction.

"Baby," Timothy called, then returned his attention to the person he's speaking with over the phone. "Ah... Boss, can you please bring it outside? The owner of the phone is here with me now. Thank you."

Yves' heart hadn't calmed down yet, but he smiled when Timothy strode towards him, his smile devoid of any hint of suspicion. He smiled back. "Tim..."

"I was surprised," Timothy said, laughing. "A guy's voice I don't recognize answered your phone. I almost thought you're cheating on me. That got me worried." His golden gaze flicked to the young man beside Yves. "Who's this? Your client?"

"Ah..."

"Sir?"

Their gaze snapped to the man on top of the staircase. It's a food server at the restaurant, but not the same person Yves spoke with earlier.

"I'm sorry, who's the owner of the phone?" he asked.

"That's mine." Yves stepped forward.

The man looked at him, then at the device in his hand. Since Yves had his photo on the lock screen wallpaper, no one could deny it wasn't his, so the food server returned it to him without much questions.

"Thank you." Yves gave a sincere smile to the man and swiveled back to face the two. His intestines twisted in uncomfortable knots at the intense staring battle his boyfriend and Glenn were having.

Glenn broke away with a scoff and looked at Yves. "I told you your phone is not with me. Why would I even be interested in your outdated phone?"

"Y-Yeah. Sorry. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions." Yves walked closer to his boyfriend and reached for his hand. Relief flooded him when Timothy gave a reassuring squeeze, so he turned to Glenn. "I'm sorry again. We'll get going now. You should go home too. I'm sure your dad is looking for you."

"I want to pick fresh strawberries tomorrow," Glenn said suddenly after they turned around, forcing both Yves and Timothy into a halt. "You're available to accompany me to the strawberry farm, right?"

The increased pressure in Timothy's grip told Yves to say no, so he shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I have—"

"I thought you're a professional?" Glenn cut him off, his footsteps padding lightly against the pavement as he approached. "Surely, a trip to a farm isn't going to be a problem, or is it?"

"A trip to the strawberry farm isn't that complicated," Timothy said, facing Glenn. He gestured to the road behind them. "Just take a walk from here and go to the City Hall. There are jeepneys there that will take you to the La Trinidad Strawberry Farm. Fare is cheap, so it wouldn't be a problem for you."

Glenn shoved both hands to his jeans and smiled at Yves. "Do your boyfriend have a say every time you take on a client?"

"No, I don't," Timothy replied for Yves. "I don't care much about who he worked with." He scanned Glenn from head to toe. "But you seemed capable enough to take care of yourself. I don't think it's necessary to have someone to look after you."

"You think so?" Glenn's smile grew wider as he thumbed the side of his nose, as if to give emphasis to the skin-tone medical patch plastered at its bridge. "I've been assaulted twice this week now. I'm starting to fear for my life."

"Then maybe you should report that to the police."

"Should I?" Glenn directed the cryptic question at Yves. "I guess I should tell my dad to file a complaint. I'm sure he'd be happy to know where to find the culprit."

Yves gritted his teeth. How dare he threatened him? Looking up to face Timothy, he tiptoed to kiss his boyfriend. "Can I talk to him for a minute? It'll be quick. Promise."

Lips pressed to a thin line, Timothy's golden brown eyes bore down at him with silent scrutiny. After a searching silence, he smiled, hooked an arm to Yves' waist to pull him in a searing kiss.

Yves squeaked at the tongue that invaded his mouth, but he didn't fight back. His boyfriend was not the overly jealous type. However, Timothy had no qualms in showing his territorial nature, even at places where public display of affection was banned.

Timothy pulled back, wiped the underside of Yves' lips with his thumb, and smiled. "No problem, Baby." He gestured at the end of the parking lot where he parked his motorcycle. "I'll just be right there."

Glenn's gaze still lingered on Timothy's retreating back before he returned his attention to Yves. He sniggered. "Your boyfriend looks threatened."

"What the hell are you playing at?" Yves hissed once Timothy was no longer within hearing shot. "Don't you have bodyguards? Why don't you ask them to accompany you?"

"I told you. I'll prove to you that I'm not gay."

"You don't have to. I don't really care if you're gay, bisexual, or bi-curious because really, your sexuality shouldn't define who you are."

"But I'm still offended you accused me as a phone thief."

"You're not a phone thief, sure. But you're still a stalker. You want to report me for kicking your ass? Go ahead. Let's make a big deal out of it until we get the media's attention. You're on!"

Glenn sighed and fished his phone out of his pocket. "Your boyfriend called earlier while you're in the bathroom, so I happened to get his number. Would you like me to send this to him?"

"What are you--?" Yves' voice faded as Glenn shoved his phone in front of him, his heart sinking to the pavement below.

A video of him and Richard at the chapel played out without volume. It was the time when Glenn's father tried to kiss him. While their lips didn't touch at all, the angle of the video made it seemed like they're locked in a kiss with how intimate they looked.

"Or should I show this to him now?" Glenn glanced across the parking lot where Timothy was perched on his motorcycle. "At least, he can stop thinking that I'm trying to steal his boyfriend because really, it isn't me he should watch out for but my old man."

"You... Why would you—?"

"So, what time should we meet tomorrow?"

Yves' left eyelid twitched, his blepharospasm setting in motion. He couldn't believe he's being blackmailed right now. He didn't know what Glenn was playing at. But whichever angle he looked at it, this seemingly trivial issue might turn his life more complicated if he didn't play along with Glenn's scheme.

"What's your itinerary?" Yves asked with a defeated sigh.

A victorious grin appeared on Glenn's face. "Nothing much. I just want to pick strawberries. I want to do horseback riding and boat riding too, so let's just meet here in Burnham Park."

"Okay."

"Oh, and I want to take a dip in a hot spring, too. I heard there are hot springs here." Glenn leaned down to whisper in his ear. "So bring a change of clothes, okay? Unless you want to bathe in the nude with me."