Tetris in Red

30: Tetris in a Date

30: Tetris in a Date

Rhys

"What?"

Alec has been staring at me for the whole thirty minutes we've been having breakfast. It's beginning to weird me out. I pat my face for any bread crumbs or a spot of chocolate, but found no remnants of the two. I give him a tilt of my head in silent question, but he only shakes his then continue eating. A scoff leaves me.

"Not so weird at all, Alec," I say, ignoring the familiar tingles running through me every time his eyes will find me.

He chuckles, giving me the stare again. "Would you like to go out on a date with me?"

Silence.

I slowly bring down my utensils and grab my coffee. Taking a sip, I eye him over the rim of my mug. Alec throws me a blinding smile before winking at me. I choke. "A date, huh? What do you have in mind?"

I haven't gone on a date for like... never. Well, that is if my prom date doesn't count. I've been focusing on building a life for myself and my career that it hasn't been in the cards for me. I'm no saint in any form, though. I had my fair share of experiences with men. Like casual sex, if we're going to be more specific. It brings me pleasure with zero complications, but the sharing of food before everything is just too impersonal that the word 'date' doesn't cut it.

Getting to know them is a waste of time if you're not going to see each other afterward, anyway.

Alec pouts his lips and narrows his eyes at me as if he's thinking. "Have you gone to the pier?"

He tosses the question into the air so casually that I thought I heard him wrong. But the mischief in his eyes, the widening of his smile and the lift of his shoulder as if he's bracing himself for trouble all tell me that it's not the case.

Even so, I pretend that I have no idea where this conversation is going and answer the question. "Rosie and I did once, but we didn't really linger long since we both have jobs to do."

He nods. "That's too bad..."

"What about you?"

He leans against his seat, getting comfortable with himself while I'm dreading what he's about to say. "Ahuh. My mates and I played there with other street performers six years ago. A little time before we began getting some bar gigs." He snaps his fingers. "Lots of tourists, so much good money."

"Too bad I didn't witness you performing. It would've been a great comparison with the crowd you have now."

Alec brushes off my comment with a flick of his hand before the evil glint in his eyes return. There's a long moment of silence that you can hear a pin drop. I resume eating, ignoring his stare. "It's a no, Alec. Too risky."

"Why not? It's going to be fun."

I roll my eyes. "It would be if you're not famous."

Alec's face drops. "Okay, but I'll still take you out."

"I trust that your backup idea is less risky," I say pointedly.

He snickers before leaning closer, gray eyes pinning my green ones. "Wear something comfortable. I'll see you in an hour."

With that, he disappears to the front door before I can reply.

Well, that was easier than I thought. Alec's usually pushy when he's not being understanding. I have learned that the hard way.

Regardless, I can't help but smile at the prospect that I'm going on a date with Alec. I don't even care where it is or what we are going to do. I just love the mere fact that he thought of bringing me to one.

He keeps on raising the bar I set for him and that's more than enough for me.

x.x.x

"ARE YOU GODDAMN SERIOUS?!" I yell into the car because I have never heard of a more ridiculous idea than this one.

We are a little far from the entrance of the Santa Monica Pier. The morning crowd isn't too bad, but spending so many years in LA meant I have since learned that mornings aren't always too bad. It's the afternoon and night we should be worried about. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't think about getting caught red-handed by the paparazzi. Even with a disguise.

Asia visibly sinks onto the driver seat. "Oh no, man. I do not exist. I repeat, Asia does not exist at this moment—"

"Shut the fuck up," I hiss, then turn to a less anxious Alec. "A full-blown disguise when the sun is literally glaring at the pier?! How do you suppose this would work! It didn't work the first time, if I must remind you."

He reaches up and squeezes the side of my arm, then caresses them. My heaving breathes relax a little, but I'm still glaring at him. No reservations. Because if he thinks he can convince me that this is a good idea, well, let him see that he can never be more wro— "Shh." He puts a finger on my lips. "Relax, love. In and out with me."

I do as he says. What the fuck.

"That's right. You're doing good—"

"Alec—"

"—Keep going, love. Inhale." We inhale. "Exhale. Good girl. Now listen to me," he begins. I listen. Again, what the fuck, who does he thinks he is? "No one is going to recognize us. I'm going to wear a mask, like a Korean Oppa with an insanely thick set of eyebrows. While you are going to do this cute make-up routine and turn yourself a Korean, too. We are going to be a cute Korean couple that's just enjoying a good day at the pier. Got it?"

I mentally facepalmed myself. It's stupid the first time I heard it and it's still stupid the second time around. "I see the look on your face. Just do it while Asia fixes my eyebrows."

I roll my eyes, because everything that's coming out of his mouth is just dumb. I hear Asia snickers. My head snaps to his direction and his hand who's doing Alec's eyebrows raises in surrender. "My lips are zipped," he says, doing a zipping motion.

I huff, picking an eyeliner and proceed to do my make up. "If this thing backfires, I'll never go on a date with you again."

"Now, let's not speak in vain. You know you'll still do."

"Totally not."

A chuckle. "It's not going to backfire. Live a little, Red. We're going to seize the day. No one's going to recognize us."

He winks at me while I send a silent prayer to the gods that we'll hopefully return safely tonight... preferably, without a picture on the tabloids come morning.

—

worst date experience?

mine is when this guy i really liked for months turned out to be a really boring guy who badmouthed my fave music artist in the middle of our meal. it got so bad that i told him midchew "wow, you really live day by day with that conversation skills." i didn't mean to say it, and i really felt bad afterward. but yea, good thing it's done uwu