Say Please

Date Night

Life was a blur without Chan near me. I fell into my normal routine: home, house tidying, sub-par dinner making, half-watching reruns while social media scrolling, all until I slunk into bed.

I knew I was in deep; everything reminded me of Chan. While folding laundry, I came across the oversized shirt that I took to LA. As I sat alone with my sub par dinner I pictured him sitting across from me, giving me those loving eyes he does. With Michael Scott's voice in the distance as I scrolled, I remembered that Chan was a 'little studious.' I couldn't help but think about the previous night in bed as I slid under the sheets.

He was always on my mind.

This was a problem.

Yes, we were going out on an official date now, but was Chan wanting to casually date? I didn't even know if he was seeing anyone else before our work convention. Was he going to continue seeing them? Did I want to know the answer to any of these questions? An ache in my heart told me the answer was no.

To make things worse, Voss had me on a mission with the artistry team at work all day, going over visual after visual and scrutinizing each line, swirl, and color choice: i.e. no chances to see Chan. The only thing that kept me going was our date after work.

In the midst of discussing the difference between hues of orange and the mood they intend to give off with the cover, my phone buzzed.

Chan: How many copies of Lane's cover page has he forced you to look at?

I giggled quietly, only one person noticing my demeanor change. I responded.

Skye: Only one short of a million. How long til the day's over?

Chan: 39 minutes, but whose counting? ;)

Skye: Me. Very much so.

Chan: Don't worry. You're getting wined and dined tonight.

My heart fluttered and butterflies shot to my core.

Skye: Oh, really? Which one comes first?

Chan: You, always ;)

I turned my phone upside down on the table. I couldn't focus if this turned into more than some casual flirting right now.

"So, which one do you think has a tone of tenderness but also loneliness?" Lane eyed me encouragingly while he waited for an answer I didn't have.

"Uh, I think the bronze orange does a good job of that." Lane's palm slapped the table in full dramatics.

"Damn, I thought you'd say burnt orange." Same thing.

——

Finally, the day was done. As I grabbed my things from my desk, the door behind me opened.

"Well, hello beautiful," Chan grinned widely.

"Hello, handsome," I responded, shooting him a wink.

"Ready?" He held out his elbow, which I tangled my arm in. Surprisingly, I didn't care about this small public display of affection—even if it was at the office. Earlier I had thought that it would be weird to show our coworkers whatever relationship Chan and I had with each other. But now, it felt reassuring to me for the same reason. Chan was openly showing people his affection for me; his interest in me wasn't a secret.

"So," I began as we entered the elevator, "what's for dinner?"

"That's a surprise," Chan began. He opened his mouth but shut it quickly, shaking his head with a smile.