My interview is scheduled at ten in the morning today and that means I still have two hours to spare. I decided to make fried doughnuts first thing as a peace offering for Lory. I haven't heard from him ever since that eventful night of me mistaking him for a Grindr hookup which he didn't deserve because he was such a gentleman and took my stupidity with stride.

I don't know if he like sweets, though, so I made sure to keep the sugar levels down for the separate batch I made exclusively for him. I place them inside a light blue box and tie it beautifully with a darker blue ribbon.

I am so excited to see him again even though I'm a hundred percent positive he and his blind date hit it off that night. They're probably boyfriends by now. Maybe they're planning their future already. Marriage, kids, growing old together, and all that jazz. I would be a horrible liar if I say I'm not jealous when, in fact, I am highkey jealous.

I notice that there's no WELCOME HOME sign on the door anymore. I knock on the door twice before I hear the voice of our landlady calling my name from a distance.

“Good morning, Mrs. Bateman,” I greet her, then to her adorable Siamese cat, “and hello to you, too, Mr. Wiggles.”

“Kian, it's so nice to see you! You're looking really fancy today. Isn't it too early for a date?”

“No, I'm not going on a date. I have a job interview in an hour. Uh, by the way, do you know the guy who lives here? Lory Sanders?”

She furrows her brows and mumbles Lory's name several times before recognition colours her entire expression. “Lory! Oh, I remember now. That sexy bloke. I always thought he had a thing for older women because of how much he compliments me but, oh well, I saw him kissing another man. He could be bi, though, right? That's the term for someone who likes both sexes? Bi?”

I nod vigorously, glad that she knows that bisexuals exist. “Yeah, you're right!”

“My gay son used to tell me all the terminologies people like him use like top and bottom. So, I don't know if it's offensive but I really wonder which one of them is the top or the bottom because both of them are really, you know, bulging and big! I don't know how they even decide who gets to stick it in and who gets to receive the stick.”

Oh God, I'm going into a full-blown meltdown. I don't even remember how we've reached this territory into our conversation but alas, here we are and I just want out immediately.

Thankfully, she doesn't go on with that and pets Mr. Wiggles who's looking grumpy. Maybe because hearing his master talk about top and bottoms made him lose his grip on reality as well.

“He moved out yesterday,” Mrs. Bateman says out of the blue.

“Oh.” Taken aback, it takes a moment for her words to sink in. “Oooooh. Do you… do you know why?”

“He said he bought a house somewhere so he had to temporarily live here while they're making his dream house a reality. I guess his dream house is already built.”

I am relieved to hear that he moved out for other reasons and not because of what happened between us. Am I being overdramatic? Probably. But it still scared the shite out of me to think that the reason he moved out was because of me.

I suddenly remember the box of doughnuts I'm carrying. “Uh, Mrs. Bateman, I made doughnuts?”

“This is for me?”

I nod. It was supposed to be for Lory until a few seconds ago. “It's not too sweet, though.”

“That's fine. We are a family of diabetics.”

I don't know I should laugh at that or what so I just say, “O…kay?”

I can finally breathe knowing it's the end of our conversation that went several dimensions in a span of two minutes. “I should get going now. I hope you like my doughnuts!”

“We will, child. We will. Good luck on your interview!”