First Dinner Date

. . .

"Wow, this place is legit fun," Zeirenne said upon stepping out of their hotel.

Tourists crowded the beach, even more than daytime. There were lots of flashing lights and neon signboards promoting different pubs and restobars—customers were flooding in and out.

Some people who didn't live the night kind of life, either dipped themselves in cold water, or simply enjoyed their time on the sand.

From a far distance, there were fire dancers entertaining the crowd with their stunts. This caught Zeirenne's attention.

"WOAH," she said, the fire reflecting in her eyes, "Let's watch that!"

Jin looked at the yacht docked in front of their hotel.

"Seems like you wouldn't be put into use too," he thought to himself. This time, though, disappointment didn't flood over him. Instead, he felt his chest fluttering.

How can he possibly forget? It doesn't matter which car you're riding, neither do the place matter. If you're with that one person, nothing can possibly matter more than them and the time you spend together.

In the darkness of the night, he felt his cheeks burning. He was not a romanticist, but whenever she's around, he finds himself writing lovestruck poems inside his mind. Poems he could never read out loud.

Zeirenne pulled him towards the mini show, and he let her lead him, feeling the sparks in his hands as she gripped it with her warmth.

"Waaaaah!"

Pois glowed into mesmerizing steaks of light following every dancer's movement. Following them, Zeirenne's eyes sparkled in amazement. She even found herself clapping like a child when one of the dancers started blowing fire out of a torch.

"Don't even think about it," he warned, measuring her excitement when one of the fire dancers surveyed the crowd for those who wanted to try it. She pouted from his remarks and he pinched her cheeks.

"We'll be eating dinner. How can you possibly fill your mouth with gas?"

Her shoulders hanged low from disappointment, and he put his arms around them, ruffling her hair into a mess.

"Come on, we need to hurry or the food will get cold."

He certainly knew how to lift her spirits up—if it's food, Zeirenne will never not rejoice.

"Okay, let's hurry!"

As she ran forward, Jin's arms fell off her shoulders. He placed it inside his pockets to keep the sparks from gushing out, before watching her getting giddy from a distance.

"Hurry!"

Within a few minutes, they arrived in front of a small bistro with bunch of tables outside. They were all occupied by tourists who feasted on the freshly grilled fish. A waitress approached them after a moment, "Table for two? Ma'am, Sir?"

Zeirenne took out the tickets from her pocket before presenting them to the waitress.

"Here, we won this earlier."

The waitress took the red tickets. She bowed before the two, calling one of her coworkers. After a few seconds, another attendant lead them inside.

The restaurant was packed even on the inside. There were people of different nationalities raising their toasts for one another. Some of their employees dined with gusto, and before they could even stand for the formalities, Zeirenne and Jin both raised their hands to stop them from doing so.

"This way, Ma'am and Sir."

Away from everyone, a veranda showcasing the colorful beach welcomed the two. Red roses colored the balcony, and they were all potted. A few hanging plants gave of a fairytale-ish vibe, and Zeirenne found herself admiring the blissful decorations.

"Wow!" Her eyes sparkled as she faced Jin, "This place is amazing!"

He smiled while pulling the chair for her, and she sat down, still with wandering eyes.

"Good thing you didn't slow me down while I was eating earlier. We wouldn't have won those tickets."

He glared at her before shaking his head, "As if you'll listen to me. How's your stomach?"

"Hmm. The food certainly burned its way down," she said while tapping her chin, "But it doesn't matter now."

About four attendants interrupted their private talk.

"Good evening, Ma'am, Sir," one of them said, "We hope you'll enjoy our cuisines." They all bowed before serving all the dishes.

The table barely accommodated all the plates bearing different dishes. And Zeirenne's eyes barely stopped moving frantically. Every dish sparked her appetite and her eyes windowed everything.

"Okay let's pray now."

About to dig in right after prayer, her ears itched from a subtle click. They both sighed before looking at each other.

"I guess they never take breaks," she said and he innocently nodded, eyeing Assistant Colton, who was hiding under the palm trees, on the sly.

Jin almost broke his plate when Zeirenne carried her seat to his side, "Ahhh," she said while holding a spoon out in front of him.

He was in a trance for a few seconds before feeling her nails pinching his hips. She whispered, "Come on, act your role better," and he cleared his throat before opening his mouth for a spoonful.

The flavors greeted his mouth, burning his tongue. It was the spiciest food he'd ever had!

Zeirenne flashed a sweet smile on her face before handing him a glass of water, "Oh no, are you alright?"

Inside her mind, a devil was smirking, "Who are you taking as a fool huh?"

Her eyes were clear enough to recognize Assistant Colton from a distance, and somehow, she had to punish the boss for his subordinate's blunder.

"Shhh, here have some water," she said while rubbing his back, "Do you want more?"

"No. I'm good."

About to stand up, a gush of wind tainted her skin. There was someone standing behind her, wearing Stilettos—she could guess.

"Good evening, Mister Young," the woman said in an irritatingly soft voice. At least for Zeirenne, it sounded irritating.

"What are you doing here, Miss Villanueva?"

Her high-pitched laughter reverberated around the balcony, "I told you to call me Lucy, didn't I?"

She took a step closer, "Oh, sorry, I didn't notice you're with someone. Oh my, who could this... uhm... simple girl be?"

Zeirenne took a sip from her pineapple juice before standing up, flipping her hair upon facing Miss Villanueva. She stood taller even on her sneakers, and Miss Villanueva, who looked like she was in her thirties, shivered from her intimidating gaze.

"Hi Miss Villanueva, I'm Zhi Lin. And if you haven't heard the news, I am this guy's girlfriend. It's nice meeting you too."

. . .