Floriography: Red Roses

Chapter 3

Tracy got out of her cab right in front of an old hijau-hued restaurant that read "Hudson's Steakhouse" and hurriedly walked into the restaurant. Tracy was almost half an hour late, she hadn't been out of the house for a long time and dressing up was so nice that she forgot about time.

Tracy cast her gaze all over the side of the room in search of the figure of Steve Elmer whom she remembered. Bespectacled, with black hair that neat box and skin slightly exotic brownish skinny flat. But wherever she looked, Tracy couldn't find her figure. Until someone waved at Tracy from a distance, and Tracy squeaked as she walked over.

Yes Forgive. Thought Tracy.

Is that really the old Steve Elmer?

Indeed Tracy only knew him about two years because the last year in Junior High they were not one class, but anyway the person did not look like the Steve Elmer he remembered.

Tracy approached the man with a somewhat awkward feeling. He still doubts, is this really the same Steve Elmer or maybe this guy is plastic surgery? Besides, his body is much bigger now. Not big in the sense of fat, but big as he diligently push-ups a thousand times every morning.

Spontaneous Tracy cleared her throat to dispel her mixed thoughts and smiled when she was close enough to the man claiming to be Steve Elmer.

“Hey.” Greet the man while standing up.

“H-hey.. Em... Steve?” Tracy asked, still hesitating. Steve laughed before finally returning to his seat after allowing Tracy to sit down.

“Yes, it's me. I know my face is replaced with someone else's, but it's me. You also changed a lot Trace, but I can still recognize you.”

Trace was about to reply to Steve, but just then the waiter approached them to ask for their order, and as he had planned, Trace ordered a plate of Earl Grey's steak and tea, as he had planned, while Steve ordered their Pesto Penne.After the waiter left, Steve looked back at Trace. Trace watched the man. Why would that incredibly geeky Steve grow up to be like this?

Well, Trace used to be interested in Steve for his cleverness, but... Oh, those brown eyes were like drowning him in a warm gaze. Geez, Trace knew and admired him from childhood, but was unaware of that warm gaze. Steve Elmer, whom he used to love, is very sweet in his eyes, but now...

“So.” Said Steve. Trace was almost aghast, and her face heated up. From then on he seemed to notice

Steve sharply without even realizing it. His embarrassment was immediately covered by the action of reaching into the bag to find the thick script, then thrust it on Steve.

“It. I haven't checked it yet, but it looks like it's an edition I've revised and fixed. Hope you like.” Trace smiled faintly as Steve received the script then looked at the main page with a smile.

Oh. Her smile.

Why did Steve grow up to be such an amazingly attractive man? And even worse, Trace had never realized her attraction before. Once again, Trace liked him not because of his looks but his seriousness in learning.

“Thanks. I'll read it at home.” Steve stuffed the script into his black backpack, then looked back at Tracy deeply. Or actually the man just saw it, but Trace felt as if the man could see directly into his soul.

“So, how? I heard from your sister's broadcast a few days ago that you're finishing your new series.”

Trace's smile slowly faded away. For some reason, he was always upset, when everyone - especially men - who asked him to speak always started his sentence with "Your brother" or "Grace". Tracy forced a smile back up, but this time she did not look at Steve.

“Ya, there you go.” Trace opened her mouth to continue her sentence, but she closed it again.

"Honestly, I love all your writing. You always deliberately take on the themes of a market story, but the further back, the book will feel like the most unique book ever." The man smiled broadly. Tracy just shrugged her shoulders. Inevitably Tracy's spirit is a little pumped up with Steve who talks about something that people rarely realize about his works.

“Yes, that's exactly what I think about when choosing a topic. It feels good that it is also realized by my readers.” Trace smiled as she flicked her fallen pony covering her eyes. Steve nodded.

“It is precisely for that reason that I love your works.Maybe you had time to think why a man like me can like romance-romance stories for women, but your work is different.”

Trace smiled just like that, she didn't like being praised. And what the man in front of him really did

sounds like an all-out compliment.

“Hm, now it's my turn to ask you. Where was the old Steve? I know you were invited to take a scholarship to Germany by the teachers.” Trace propped up his chin.

I mean there are many factors that cause me to cancel my departure.”

“Cancel? Then did you agree to leave that time?"

Steve nodded while awkwardly rubbing his nape.

"More or less so."

Tracy waited for Steve to continue his explanation.

"Well..." Steve began to continue, "My father died before I could leave, and after that I could not bear to leave my mother alone at home."

Tracy immediately sat up straight, her smile receding and disappearing.

"O-oh. S-sorry. I didn't mean-"

"Look easy." Steve said quickly while laughing. "I did have a lot of consideration at the time. Come to think of it, I'd rather be here. And well, there are a few other factors."

Trace was already feeling guilty and the mood of the chatter had become heavy. The atmosphere was then thawed by waitress who drove their food to the table.

"By the way," Steve broke the silence while cleaning his cutlery. "I really couldn't believe it when I heard you were a writer and Grace went on to model alone. No offense, but I used to feel weird when our schoolmates idolized Grace High School and then they kind of thought you didn't exist, buried Grace's existence."

For some time, Trace's heart seemed to stop. This was the first time, there was someone who realized it—other than Violetta who had been with him for a long time of course. Trace wiped her lips, then asked Steve for an explanation through her eyes. Once again he was shocked when Steve realized the question and continued his sentence.

“I mean, Grace herself doesn't try to cover up your existence for fear of being rivaled or anything like that, I know. But from my view.” Steve looked at Trace with a look for permission, then spoke back. “Well, this is just my mind, once again no offense, but as if you were the one trying to bury yourself behind Grace.”'s fame

Trace swallowed her food vigorously, and sighed to dispel her hot eyes. Why did the man he had only met again after all this time seem to have known him since he was born? Though all this time he had not spoken anything about it to anyone other than Violetta.

“D-where did you realize that?”

Steve pulled his shoulder. “It won't be hard for you to be the same or even more famous model than Grace, but instead you shut up and support Grace from afar. From there I instantly understood how much you loved Grace, and decided to sacrifice yourself.”

Trace remained silent. This man looked deep inside him. Trace could not argue.

“You know, someone once told me that all that a writer spills on his paper are just two things, one, the things he always wanted but hadn't achieved, two, heartache, heartache, and his dissatisfaction with something, so he made his own story about it.” Steve paused for a moment to trace Trace's facial expression. “You always tell me both, well, at least in my opinion. Some parts often remind me of you, and instead make me wait for your presence in the entertainment world, along with Grace.”

Trace smiled bitterly. “I'm sure it's not just that, because I don't talk so much in my book, though

your words have a point too. But then again I'm sure there are other factors that make you so understanding.”

Steve was stunned, then tried to turn his attention to his plate of food. But Trace is still waiting for an explanation.

“You really want to know about that reason? I don't want you to regret it after hearing that."

Trace's heart beat twice as fast, then finally the girl nodded.

Just don't tell me you approached me to get to know Grace. Her thought.

But the truth is more complicated than that.

“Maybe it's too soon for me to admit this, but I've liked you since Junior High.”