The Rules of the Game

Chapter 4 - The First Date

***Thanks to everyone who's been reading this story! Again, thanks for giving it a chance! I really appreciate it. And am having so much fun writing this one.

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CHAPTER 4 – THE FIRST DATE

Pilot: I'm here. Where are you?

Me: Walking. Almost there.

Pilot: I'm wearing a blue shirt with white stripes.

Me: Okay. I'm wearing a black and white polka dot dress.

Alright, Lex. One step at a time.

I glanced around me at the mall and saw people lazily strolling by. I got an Uber to go here and I triple checked the plate number this time before getting in. That incident with that guy at the airport was embarrassing enough as is. It makes me cringe every time I remember it.

By the way, this one's a hard-ass rule. Always meet-up somewhere public – at least for the first few dates while you get a feel of the person and figure out if he's a serial killer or not.

My heart was pounding so hard inside my chest that I felt like I was going to have a heart attack soon. But there was also this hope inside me. Put everything together and it was like I was going on a date for the first time in my whole life. While it's true that this is my first date with someone I met online, I shouldn't be this nervous. Right? I'm a grown-ass woman for pete's sake.

"I'm here," I texted. I looked inside the restaurant. It was small and there weren't a lot of people around but there was no one there wearing a blue shirt with white stripes.

My heart started beating faster again. Is this it? Was I being stood up? Was I tricked?

"Oh no!" I muttered. The people walking near me looked at me as if I'd gone crazy. I walked outside the restaurant and circled it. Maybe he was outside taking a phone call? Something? Damn it, the panic was rising.

Suddenly, my phone beeped. I was clutching it like a lifeline at this point.

Pilot: You look much more beautiful in person than in pics.

I gasped. So he was here? I looked around again. I'm sure I looked like an idiot at this point but I didn't care. At least I didn't get stood up on my first Finder date.

Then, a tall guy wearing a striped white and blue shirt stepped out of one of the big marble columns. He had a huge smile on his face as he stared at me. He stepped out of the shadows and approached me.

Books would say that my heart stopped as I gazed at his perfect, chiseled features. And that my breath was knocked out of my lungs as he came closer. Or that it was like all the puzzle pieces falling into place and that's how I knew he was the one.

Nope.

All of that didn't happen.

What happened was that I was still so nervous. This guy might still turn out to be a serial killer or a huge creep, you know. I also was surprised at his height. I never asked him in one of our conversations since it didn't matter much. But seeing him up close, on my estimate, he's no less than six feet tall.

And he looked way better in pictures.

Cringe. Double cringe. But truth. Here's to honesty.

"Hey," he greeted.

"Hey. Sorry I'm a bit late. Have you been here long?" I asked a little breathlessly.