Creeper or Roses

Is this a date?

"Oh shit, dude!" I shouted before bursting out into laughter as my best friend Ray was about to be beat in his VS video against Ryan.

"Swearing won't help, Michael!" Ray yelled back playfully. "How am I losing in an Xbox game?!" The whole crew laughed as Ryan was taking his last shot at Ray's player.

Ray used his video game skills and dodged the shot and ended up defeating Ryan as a frenzy started in the small Achievement Hunter office. Geoff was recording the whole thing as Jack and I laughed at the whole thing. Ryan stood up in shame as Ray claimed the WWE Champion Belt as his prize for the 5th week in a row.

"Unbelievable! Ray did it again!!" Geoff screeched as he recorded the winner putting his belt on once again. I smiled at Ray as he lifted his head and he flashed his proud winner smile at me.

"So...who am I gonna beat next week, Geoff?" Ray said eagerly to know who he will be versing next time. He looked at me over Geoff's shoulder with hoping eyes that it will be me.

"Actually! That's a good question!" Geoff said with excitement as he turned his phone around so that his face was captured on the screen, "I will be hiring a new employee whom I met last week. So Ray," he turned the camera to a surprised face on Ray's face, "you will be versing your new co-worker!"

"Alright! Cool!" Ray said as he threw up two thumbs for the camera.

"See you next week!" Geoff said and stopped recording and put his phone down in front of his computer. "Alright, I'll edit that later. You guys are free to go now; unless you need to edit something..." Geoff glared at Jack and Ryan. "Alright, let me rephrase that; Michael and Ray, you are free for today. Be here nice and early to meet the new employee."

"Sure thing, boss." I said in a stupid voice and Ray shot up from his desk and grabbed my arm, yanking me from my chair. "Ray! Calm down!" I managed to snatch my phone from the desk just as Ray pulled me out if the room.

"Ray!!" I laughed out of breath as he pulled me out of the Rooster Teeth building and out into the parking lot. "Dude! Chill your tits, I'll follow you!" Ray finally let go of my arm as he nearly sprinted to his car.

"Ok. It's noon. We have the rest of the day to ourselves." He said looking down at his watch and he unlocked the car and hopped in the driver's seat and I got in the passenger's side. He looked at me, "Got any plans for tonight?" I shook my head and he looked at his hand putting the key in the ignition. "Good. You would have had to cancel them."

                    ***

It was now 3:30pm and Ray and I had been playing videos games at my apartment the whole time.  We would start talking about work and life. We talked about failed relationships; his girlfriends led him on or I've never found the right person. We then talked about cool things to do in Minecraft as we continued to play.

At about 5:45 Ray put down the controller. He looked over at me and glanced down at the table as if he was telling me to put mine down as well. So I did. I leaned back on the couch, "What's up, dude? Wanna Coke?" I said getting up from the couch. Even though I was just getting relaxed I wanted to be a good host. I walked over the fridge and I heard him yell, "Regular". I grabbed a Coke for him and a Red Bull for me. I walked back over to the room and placed the can on the table. I fell back in the couch and opened my Red Bull.

I was about to take a sip when Ray spoke up, "Who do you think the new employee is?"

"I don't know, dude. Maybe someone he met at the tattoo parlor." I said shrugging my shoulders and taking a drink from my can as I slouched farther into the couch.

"Yeah. Maybe..." Ray trailed off and finally moved to pick up his can from the table. He opened it and stared into it for a moment before speaking again, "What if it’s a girl? Will you and I be fighting for her? We're the only single guys in Achievement Hunter...and we both want a relationship..."