We had a couple more events for Valentine’s Day, sprawled out among a couple weeks, so the last one before our first official date… was… laser tag. 

  “Are you ready?” He asked. 

Everyone was grabbing their packs and I had actually practiced some with my family a couple years ago before they both got so dragged in work they couldn’t anymore… so _yes_ I was ready. 

  “Yes! I’m ready! Let’s go kick some butt!”

 We both found our spots before they called “Go!!!” 

  Jason and I checked both of our sides, there were cut outs on each side, and we heard other people shooting at each other. 

  “Over there!” I told Jason, and he turned around to shoot someone on his left. He had perfect aim! 

  I squealed, this was so much fun. 

We moved into the upstairs area, looking around for targets. You didn’t get out if you were caught, you just got more points for aiming right on their pack. 

  “Emma! Too your left!” He exclaimed. 

 I shot the person with the right aim by pretending I was in a movie—closing one eye, pressing the botton and holding the top of the laser gun.

We quickly high-fived each other then moved back into game mode.

  I felt the adrenaline rush pulsing through me. 

I pointed ahead, and he followed behind me, protecting my back.

  Other couples were actually doing really good, we were pretty good too. Let’s just say, we’re _competitive_. 

  We only had 10 minutes left and in total I’d say we got 12,000 points, most couples normally got 3,000, so we had a fair chance—_if_ I was right. 

   “Follow me,” he whispered. 

I followed him and we tag teamed another couple, even saw Lora and her jerk of a date. 

   “Yes! You go Jason!” I hyped him up. 

“Everyone head to the front!” The voice said. 

  We all headed there, realizing we got 2nd place! 

“Yes!” We said in unison, high fiving and letting our hands intertwine.  

  We got another gift card and they’d announce who actually won the valentine partners of the year in a couple weeks! 

   ••••

Time had gone by so fast, it was finally the day of our date!! 

  I slipped on my red wine dress—the material a beautiful satin, the bodice a v cut. I felt like a princess wearing it, even the length was perfect—a couple inches higher than my ankles. 

  I finished by adding some jewelry—a gold heart necklace and some gold bracelets, then applied some mascara and lipgloss. 

  I turned around, looking at myself in mirror, even adding a curtsy. 

“I’m ready!” I exclaimed out loud, I truly was ready, even though my nerves were off the charts, _but I knew it’d fade. _

  This past year I’d wondered what it felt like to truly know someone, I’d known people in my life—but I’d never known you could deeply know someone so fast till I met Jason. It’d been a couple weeks already, and we’d get to know who won on Valentine’s Day. 

  How could someone so special be so hidden from me? How did I never notice him? And why did I believe everything everyone said? 

I slipped on my high heels and headed out the door, there he was waiting to take me to the Chinese restaurant. 

  He opened the car door in a nice black and white tux, slicked back hair, and church shoes.  

   While driving there, breaking the akward silence, I said, “I’m nervous, how about you?”

  “Very.” He agreed. 

“But you look—wow.” He paused to look at the road, then looked back. “You are marvelous, you are the true model in this duo.” He did a double take, taking me in. 

  “Yeah, I love this dress. And you look handsome yourself.” I smiled at him, and he smiled back, his eyes disappearing.

“Wait, one question?” I asked. 

  “Yes?”

“How did you remember all of those things about me?” 

  “I may have been hidden for you, but you were never hidden to me.” 

 I was speechless, what could I say? 

  “Thank you for everything.” I smiled _again_—wow I was smiling a lot tonight. 

 “I have a question for you?” He mocked. 

  “Yes?” I mimicked him this time. 

“How are you so beautiful,” He grabbed my hand on the arm rest, and held my hand.

  “I don’t know, but maybe you can see how beautiful I can be if you feed me food.” 

  “Oh! Wow! There’s more?” He gasped and put his free hand on his chest sarcastically. 

 “How much more?” He grinned. 

  “Gosh, you’ll just have to find out.” I smiled. 

He turned onto the parking lot, put the car in park, and then he opened my door, even lending me a hand out of the car. This man was a full on ladies man!! 

  _Wow_. He wasn’t wrong, this place was fancy, it was so beautiful. Wooden beams on the ceilings, white walls, plants and candles everywhere, this was a place of my dreams! 

  He opened the door, “Thank you,” I responded as he made a gesture to continue ahead. 

  “Here is your booth.” A blonde waiter said. 

Jason was too busy looking at me to notice how pretty she was, he never once looked at her, just said thank you. 

  “Thank you.” I said as well. 

We sat down at a red booth with a white table cloth, plates and sliver-wear placed nicely on it. 

 “You were right, this place is fancy.” 

He grinned, “I knew you’d like it.” 

  I grinned back, “You were so right!” 

We order water and I glance around the room again, taking it all in. 

 “Okay so what do you want?” 

“Hmm, I really want chicken and rice.” 

  “That sounds great.” He agreed. 

“I’m thinking maybe a burger for me.”

  “They have everything here!?” 

“Yes, continue looking at the menu.” 

 I looked and wow… They had so much stuff! 

  After we ordered our food, it came a little while later. 

  We said Grace then ate. 

“This food is amazing!” I said, licking my lips. 

  “I know right, I like to go here a lot.” 

“You come here a lot with your other dates?” I joked. 

  “Actually yes!” He joked. 

“Mhm very funny,” I grinned. 

  “I have a trip coming up…” 

“Oo! I love trips!” I elebow him, “You also said you wanted to travel more.”

  “Yes, and I was wondering if you’re family and you wanted to come?” He asked. 

 “Oh—well I’d have to ask, but I’d love too. Where are you going?”

  “France.”

“Oh. My. Gosh.” I almost spit out my water—or  choke on it. He seemed entertained and waited for my response. 

  “Wait really!” I freak out.

“Yes!” He smiled. 

  “Okay—so can we go tomorrow?” I joke.

“Sure, I’ll ask my dad to bring the private plane.”

  I pause, confused, then he adds, “Oh.. you were joking!” 

  “Yeah,” I then laugh, and he does too. 

The night turns out to be a hit, I don’t know why I was so worried. 

  Our food was gone in like 10 minutes—it was _that_ good. 

 He grabbed my hand, and I took his. 

  “Do you want dessert?” He asked. 

“Is that even a question!” I exclaim, my eyes going wide, then grab the menu. 

  “Oo! The chocolate cake? No… hmm..”

I look at him then smile, “What,” he asks. 

  “What do _you_ want?” 

“The chocolate cake.”

  “Good, cause that’s what I wanted.” 

He chuckled again. 

 “You know you’re oddly easy to guess.” 

“Huh?”

  “Like you just are repeatedly doing the same things.” 

   “Like this,” I put some of my sauce on his nose, which gets us both laughing. 

 “No… not like _that_, but you’re fun.” 

   “Thank you. I have never been called fun before,” I grin, jokingly. 

  “Well, you are.” He grins. 

We talk about random stuff, order the cake, and we eat the cake really fast. 

    “This cake!!” I smile, taking another bite, going to heaven. 

    “Is this what heaven feels like?” I ask. 

  “Honey, you’re in a sugar coma.” 

    He says it so sassily too. I can’t! That gets me laughing so hard my ribs feel like they’re going to collapse. And of course, he joins me. 

After the date, he drives me home and we say our goodbyes. 

  “See you soon,” I smile and wave from on my porch step. 

 “See you soon,” He smiles, waits till I go in, then drives off. 

  I felt so alive from the date—like I could fly. I could barely sleep, it took me 2 hours to fall asleep—my last resort was looking at the photos and that somehow showed me it was real, pacing around, then went to sleep.