8. Perfect Date

_______________

The rest of the late lunch went by pretty awkwardly. Dad didn't seem to notice, but I could feel the tension. Raymond and I would occasionally exchange words just so Dad didn't think anything fishy was going on, but we didn't hold prolonged conversation. I wasn't in the mood to.

It was frustrating. Raymond knew something and he wouldn't tell me. Kevin knew something and he wouldn't tell me. No one was telling me anything and I was the one in the center of everything.

I had to keep myself from getting up and walking out because I had no desire to be in Raymond's presence.

When it was over we paid and got up.

"I'm gonna head to the bathroom," said Dad as he walked in the direction of the restrooms. I watched him as he went away. When he was out of sight I made my way to the door.

"Wait," Raymond said.

I begrudgingly turned to look at him. The last thing I wanted was to talk to him right now. "What?"

"Look, I know you're upset but-"

"Like I said," I interjected. "If you're not gonna tell me anything, I really don't want to hear it."

"I know you're confused and want answers, but everything will come to light eventually," he tried to assure me.

"When's eventually?" I asked. "I mean, now would be a much better time. Now would be the time to tell me who you were on the phone with. Now would be the time to tell me whose apartment you went to. Now would be the time to tell me what you and Mom were arguing about."

He looked flabbergasted for a second. "You heard your mom and I talking?"

"Yes," I said. "Something weird is going on here. I just want the truth."

He sighed, lowering his head, but didn't say anything. When several moments passed and he said nothing, I turned and headed for the exit.

"Tell dad I walked home," I said to him. "I want some fresh air."

___

The time for the date was near and I was honestly more nervous than I'd initially thought I'd be.

Granted, I really didn't think I'd be nervous at all 'cause it was Sayora. We had history. We were just starting over. No big deal.

But as I buttoned up my shirt looking in the mirror and thought about it more, the damned butterflies started stirring around in my stomach a bit.

My cell phone rang on my bed. I went over to answer it and I saw that it was a call from Jory.

"What?" I said, putting the phone to my ear.

"How's the playboy doing at this moment?" He asked.

"I'm fine."

"No jitters?"

"Nope," I lied.

"He's lying," I heard a familiar voice say.

"Is that Luke?" I asked.

"Yeah, he and Danielle are at my place chillin'. You're on speaker."

"Great," I said, sarcastically.

"You and Say aren't gonna hook up on the first date, are you?" Jory asked.

I rolled my eyes. "If it did go there, that's none of your damn business and technically this isn't our first date."

"Either way, you better woo her," Danielle said. "Her feelings for you never went anywhere. Screw up and you're toast."

"Trust me," I said. "There is nothing that can go wrong tonight."

"Really? Nothing like being late?"

"What do you mean?"

"Sayora's already left to the restaurant," she said.

"What?!"

I looked at my wristwatch and saw that there was still about twenty minutes until eight.

"Why'd she leave so early?!"

"You know how Sayora is," Luke said. "Always has to be early for everything."

I cursed at myself. It was true. To her, on time was late.

"You don't think she's been waiting long do you?" I asked.

"Nah, she just left a few minutes ago," Danielle confirmed.

"Good, I gotta go guys."

"Wear protection!" Jory exclaimed before I rolled my eyes again, sighed, then hung up.

I stuffed the phone in my pocket, grabbed my keys from atop my dresser and started walking to my bedroom door when there suddenly was a knock on it.

My mother peeked through the already ajar door and smiled at me.

"Hi, mijo," she said.

"Hey, ma," I said. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to see you before your date," she said, stepping all the way in and observing my choice of clothing.

"You look nice. Nothing fancy, though," she commented.

"We're just going to Vinny's. No need to be all dressy," I said.

"I'm glad the two of you are going out again," she said. "You know what I always say, you two would make-"

"The best babies, I know mom. Not looking to be a father any time soon, though."

She looked relieved. "Oh, thank God. No need for a talk then."

My eyes widened. "Mom, I'm eighteen, I don't need the sex talk. It was bad enough when you and dad gave the lecture when I was in middle school."

"I know, but you're getting older and you may be more inclined to-"

"Okay," I said, "this conversation is over."

Apparently everyone thought Sayora and I would just be banging since we're trying to work things out, and I was so over it.

"I'm sorry," she said with a giggle. "Just for future reference, you can talk to me about anything."

I was almost inclined to challenge her on that. Could I really? If I asked her about she and Raymond's conversation would she tell the truth? I very seriously doubted that.

But instead, I said nothing and just gave her a nod.

"Thanks. I really need to go now, though," I said.

"Of course," she said, stepping aside so I could leave. "Love you."

"Love you, too," I said, walking past her, down the stairs and out the front door.

___

I pulled in the parking lot of Vinny's with about three minutes to spare until eight o' clock.

I immediately noticed Sayora standing by the entrance as I stepped out of my car. When I made my way over to her, she had a smile on her face.

"Look who decided to show up," she teased.

"Oh, God you haven't been waiting long have you?" I asked sheepishly.

"Not really," she said. "And that's not really something you should worry about. I don't expect everyone to conform to my special 'on time' policy."

I smiled. "Good."

"Well, lets go on in," she said reaching out her hand.

I took her hand in mine and we entered the restaurant together.

___

Sayora and I were well into our time together and it couldn't have been going any smoother. It was as if we  were just able to effortlessly pick up where we left off. The longer the date lasted the more I realized how much I actually missed her. I missed her laugh. Her jokes. Her endearing know-it-all attitude. All of it.

She was perfect.

"Oh, come on," I pushed. "You don't know anything?"

"Not a single word," she shook her head with a big grin on her face.

"How?"

"I guess the same reason why you don't speak Spanish, I don't speak Korean."

"That's not because I don't know the language," I replied with a chuckle. "I just don't like speaking it."

"Well, at least you've got the luxury of knowing the language that's a part of your culture," she said. "I don't know, I guess it's because my parents were both born in America as you know. None of my grandparents were alive when I was born to properly teach me."

"Have you ever tried to learn on your own?" I asked.

"Yeah, but that shit's confusing," she said with a laugh.

I joined her. "So much for you being the smart one around here."

"Shut up," she said jokingly. "So why don't you like speaking Spanish?" She then asked me.

"I don't know," I said with a shrug. "I just don't."

"Great answer."

"Serious," I said. "It's not even my first language, English is. Probably why I don't like speaking it honestly. It's kinda foreign to me."

"But you can speak it."

I shrugged again.

"Say something," she said.

"What?"

"In Spanish," she clarified. "Say something to me in Spanish."

I sighed playfully. "You know, I'm not really in the mood."

"Don't be a jerk."

"I suppose for you," I started, "I can say a little something."

She batted her eyes. "You make me feel so special," she said in a flirtatious tone.

I chuckled as I thought of something to say. "Okay, I think I've got it."

"Spit it out," she said.

My expression turned from playful to sincere as I looked her directly in the eyes. "Eres la chica más hermosa que he visto en mi vida."

She smiled sweetly at me. "What does that mean?"

I smirked grabbing my drink. "Look it up," I said before taking a sip.

"You ass."

"Bet you're regretting dropping your Spanish class right about now," I mused.

"You're not wrong," she said. She then stood up. "I'm gonna run to the restroom. Be right back."

"Aw, I'll miss you," I said with puppy dog eyes.

She just shook her head and laughed as she walked away.

I used the fork I had to eat some of the pasta I'd ordered and sat back in my chair, satisfied.

In that moment, I was so happy. So at peace. I really needed this. Sayora made me forget all the wrong that was happening around me. It was tranquil.

But it was short lived.

My phone vibrated in my pocket.
I expected it to be one of our friends asking how the date was going. Most likely Jory or Danielle. They were the nosiest.

I reached for my phone and pulled it out only to see a message from an unknown number.

It wasn't Kevin.

It was a picture message. I frowned when I opened the message app and saw the picture. It was a house. Whose house it was I had no idea. On the first level of the house there appeared to be lights on and a silhouette of a person in a window.

I narrowed my eyes, confused. Whoever took the picture was too far away from the house for me to make out who's silhouette it was. That's when a second picture came in.

This time, the picture was zoomed in on the window where the person stood. I could make out very clearly who it was.

Travis.

He seemed completely oblivious to the fact that someone was taking pictures of him.

A third picture came in that almost made my heart jump out of my chest.

It was a selfie of the masked guy. The one from the cemetery. Kevin's attacker. The mask stared at me with dark eyes and a wide smile that I was beginning to both fear and hate.

I swallowed, fear taking hold over me. I was frozen. Just staring at the picture. Moments later a fourth message came through. It was text this time: An address.

It didn't take a rocket scientist to know that it was Travis'.

All of these things were striking fear within me. But what really shook me to the core was the fifth and final message that came through:

He's Next.

_______________