2 The Dinner

Alex reached the restaurant earlier than the appointed time. The restaurant is located on the first floor of a hotel downtown. This is her grandma's favorite restaurant. Her granny, as she calls her, loves fine dining restaurants. After she retired, she started fancying travelling, buying branded items and going to expensive diners. Every time her granny is around, they visit this particular restaurant, making them one of their VIP customers.

Alex decided to wait for her mom and granny in the hotel lobby while playing with her phone. She scrolls Instagram posts from friends and also stalking some gorgeous and sexy women from her friends' friends. As a teenager, her goal is to make as many pretty female friends as possible, opening for possibilities for a deeper relationship with anyone of them. She is not the type of person who would be serious in a relationship, she's still so young anyway and her life motto is to enjoy her youth.

Her mom and granny arrived 20 minutes later. Her mom, Monica Lopez, is in her early forties and still looks very young. Everyone who doesn't know her would think she is only around 30 years old. Her grandmother, Isabella Lopez, is in her late sixties. It is very obvious that she has a Spanish ancestry from her looks. She has freckles on her cheeks and some on her neck. Her granny is escorted by a man in his early twenties. Alex could guess he is more than 6 feet tall and he looks decent. Alex can't stop wondering who he is. It was her first time to see this man and she thought only three of them are having dinner tonight.

Alex kissed her granny's and mom's cheeks as they approached her. The man on the other hand, stood still, half smiling.

"I miss you, granny. Why didn't you visit us often?" Alex asked her grandma like a small girl. She always acts cute in front of her grandma.

"I miss you too young lady. Why are you wearing jeans again? I told you to wear a dress tonight. Everyone who would see us would think you are not part of my family." Her grandmother said which is actually true. While her grandma and mom are wearing elegant dresses with accessories and bags matching their outfits, Alex is wearing a simple tattered-jeans, plain white shirt and running shoes. Alex is used to wearing this kind of outfit, she feels comfortable with them.

“Everyone in here knows who we are. How could they think I’m not part of your family?” Alex opposed.

Her granny is the only one in her family who doesn't accept her gender preference. For her granny, there are only two genders in the world. Having another gender is totally absurd, a typical belief of people belonging in the older generation. Alex doesn't mind her, she loves her dearly and that's what matters. Eventually, her granny would accept her. She is sure of that.

The four of them headed to the restaurant. Her granny is still escorted by the man on her right hand while Alex clasps her left hand. The man's identity is still making Alex curious. She wanted to ask her granny but decided not to.

After they were seated, the waiting staff got their orders. They decided to have hotpot tonight. The man doesn't show any sign of awkwardness. He looks so calm being with the three girls despite still not being introduced.

"Alex, aren't you going to ask me who this man is?" Granny Isabella finally spoke up.

"Not really. I can pretend he doesn't exist." Alex said honestly. She even forgot that there is a stranger joining them for dinner.

"Don't be silly and don't be rude. I invited him to join us tonight." Granny said sounding excited. "He is the grandson of my friend who owns a big farm. You will be thrilled if you can visit there. His name is Carlos Mendez. He is studying engineering and is now a senior student. He also helps his family run the farm. I and his grandfather already agreed that you two will get married after you finish high school."

“HAHA!” Alex laughed so loud after hearing her granny. “What kind of joke is this? And why would I marry this man? I didn’t know that arranged marriage still exist until now.”

Mrs. Lopez gave her daughter a warning look.

“But it’s not a joke.” Granny explained.

Alex was speechless after what her granny said. She wanted to protest but nothing came out from her mouth. Her granny looks very serious. Her mom, continued eating like she didn't hear anything. She looks directly at her plate without looking at Alex nor to her mother-in-law. Carlos is quiet but doesn't look surprised with the announcement.

"The reason why he is here is for the two of you to get to know each other more. He will stay with us for a while and you have to show her around." Granny then looks at Carlos. "Please don't be disappointed with how she behaves and how she dresses. I told you she is quite boyish. She is a very sweet girl, you find her interesting once you get to know her more."

"I think she’s cute," replied Carlos.

Alex can't believe what she is hearing. She is still left speechless. Surely her granny knows that she is a man trapped in a woman's body. How can her grandmother arrange a marriage for her without even asking her opinion? The worst part is she is arranged her to marry a man!

"No one is getting married!" Alex finally found the courage to speak. "Granny, when can you accept that I am not like other women? I never imagined dating a man lest marry one. That's so gross. I have a girlfriend granny. I like to marry a woman someday. I am a lesbian, please respect that."

"How dare you talk to me like that? Is that what you learned from your lesbian friends? The decision is final. You and Carlos are getting married whether you like it or not." Her granny's words are like rules. After her grandpa died, every decision in the house must be approved by her. No one dared to go against her. Not until now.

Alex looked at her mom, hoping she would take her side but her mom is also scared of her granny. Monica avoid her daughter's gaze and continued to look at the seafood she is now eating. Carlos also remained quiet the whole time, just analyzing the situation.

"Why aren't you saying anything? Don't tell me you agree with this?" Alex turned to Carlos. Since she cannot depend on her mom at this time, she is hoping that Carlos would at least make a protest as well. She is sure that he, like her, would not give in to their decision that easily. Besides, he looks like a type of man who does what he wants. But instead of answering, he remained quiet which makes Alex angrier.

"Granny, we are now living in the 21st century. Arranged marriages are not accepted anymore. People nowadays choose the people that they love and get married with them. Same sex marriage is even becoming common these days. I don't care what you and that old man talked about, I'm not marrying this coward!" Alex said in a loud voice which is now attracting attention from other guests. Customers began looking at their direction and started whispering with their companions.

Everyone was quiet the whole dinner. No one dared to speak a word. Alex lost her appetite after what her granny has announced. She was just looking at her bowl with seafood and vegetables which was served to her by her mom. She wants to show how disappointed she is with what her granny wants her to do. She’d rather be starved now than to waste her future with a man.

The dinner ended earlier than expected. Granny Isabella also didn't say a word ever since. She decided not to take the same car with them to go home.

"I need to meet my coach and my teammates. I promised I would join their celebration after our dinner." She lied to them. Actually, she just wanted to be alone. She still couldn't believe that her granny would do that to her. Just thinking about having a relationship with a man gives her goosebumps. And that man, Carlos! He's a chicken! She'd rather be a nun than to marry that man!

Can she really go against her grandmother? She knows that her grandmother gets whatever she wants. She knows that her grandmother doesn’t approve of her sexual identity but she never thought that she would be put in this situation just to make her change her mind.