How do you punish a thief,,, when you were the one that wanted to leave your things outside in the first place?! That doesn't sound right- Max is way more than a thing, he's my son. But he must've felt like that, and that's probably why he hates me.
"And one, two, three!"
Their choreographer can break even the hardest moves into simple steps. Of course Genesis7 is talented, but at the pace she works at it's less stressful to learn. Wait…
Maybe that's what I should do- make a plan and chop it up into easier steps. For some reason nobody can tell when I'm smirking, so that's exactly what I do.
"Oh, Bea~ can you get me a notebook? Preferably a pink one."
"Sure thing, Clarissa- wide or college rule?"
Gosh, even paper is so advanced these days. We've come a long way from rag paper…
Is my age the thing that causes a disconnection?! I suppose the first thing to do is be more relatable. I flip open my new notebook and jot a few things down.
Apologize to Dylan
Make myself more approachable to him
Get him to be friends with me
Find out his weaknesses
Exploit them
Tell Max all the bad things about Dylan
It feels shameful for a moment, but then I remember why I was angry in the first place. Dylan hates me because he's the anti-cupid, and he's the reason I lost everyone! I can't even recall having any hatred for Max's father until he walked by us all those years ago…
So I should probably tell Max about that too, shouldn't I?
"Hey, I-"
"I'm allergic to seafood."
"What?"
Our menus are gone. We sat down twenty minutes ago, and our food could come any minute… so why is he telling me this now?!
"Dylan, why didn't you tell me this before? There was an Italian restaurant nearby!"
"It's not that bad, only a bit of a rash will come from it."
"So why did you tell me at all?"
"Because all we've been doing is sitting in silence for ten minutes. I should've gone with Max instead, he would've been more chatty-"
"Don't bring that name up again. We're not here to talk about Genesis7, I wanted to apologize. I shouldn't have written a letter with such bold accusations on it."
"It's okay, I forgive you. If you're nervous about losing my blessing, food is one way into my heart. His, too."
"Blessing…? For what?"
"To date Max, of course!"
"What?! I don't-"
"Your secret's safe with me, Clarissa. Oh, look- the food's here."
My lobster suddenly looks less appetizing. Has everyone been thinking that? Is that what Max thinks?! I'm not into college boys! I stare at my food, and the table is silent once again as we both eat.
"I prefer to chew, so don't gobble up your food like that. It's not going anywhere."
Dylan drops the shrimp in his hands, and looks bewildered. Did I say something wrong? He eats like such a kid. I take a napkin and dab it at his mouth, but my breath hitches when he puts his hand over mine.
"I didn't think you could be so brazen, you know? If you preferred older men, you could've just said so! My, is that why you asked me out? It's alright, I'm all for women making the first move these days."
"Huh?"
I pull back like my hand's been burnt. My face looks even more shocked than his.
"Are you so flustered now? You were all confident before-"
"I prefer to chew."
He pauses, and I stare. The understanding clicks. But I prefer even this saucy lobster to such a man.
"I see…"
"I mean- you were right, though! About my intentions… I asked you out, because I want to get to know you better. You're definitely intriguing, to say the least."
Okay, I've run with the lie. I don't know how I got myself into this mess, but it's actually going the way I want it to. We can get close this way.
"Wow, I'm flattered. Are you sure you're not a gold digger?"
You're joking. I was born centuries before the Roman empire even fell, and he thinks I want his money?! I have more money than he ever could… but at the same time I'm actually not even a billionaire. Who cares, though?- It's because I have morals!
"No, I don't need money. I'm literally a CEO. But if you think this is so funny maybe I shouldn't have-"
"Oh, that joke was in poor taste… I'm sorry. You're quite brave. And spontaneous. I guess in the end, I'm a little curious about you, too."
"Same here."
That was all that needed to happen for both of us to instantly become more comfortable. We talked about animals, since we were eating them, and then he told me about his job.
"You're… a teacher?"
"Yeah, I've always been fond of children. I was only a teaching assistant when I met Max, though- I learned about his situation, and I asked my father to take him in. After I graduated university, I adopted him myself."
I find my heart conflicted. I want to ruin this guy's life, yet he's been there for the person I should've been for- but at the same time, this must've been to pay his penance right? Making a family of his own because he destroyed mine?
"Do you really not know me?"
"What? I mean, you're the CEO of Kassel Music, the manager of Genesis7… you've definitely helped some pop artists shine. However, that's all that comes to mind. I wanna know more about you."
"Actually?"
"Why not?"
He pays the bill and walks me to the driver's car. I stare at a quarreling couple in the parking lot, and send rose petals their way to resolve their argument faster.
"Does your arm fall asleep easily?"
"Hmm?"
I stare at my extended arm, then back at Dylan. He really likes messing with my brain, doesn't he. Anti-cupids can see the powers of the others and their cupid counterparts, yet he looks puzzled.
"You're the weird one, not me."
"Goodnight to you too, then."
That was odd, but I feel… lighter. I haven't felt like that in a long time. Maybe it's because the first step of my revenge plan has been carried out- yeah.