She's One in a Million

Twenty-two

"Wow." Max couldn't believe that the evening picnic under the stars that she wanted was more that she could think of. The city was beneath them, its beautiful lights shine over the darkness of the night. 

A large white blanket was laid on the grassy ground with a picnic basket on it. There were candles around-well, actually they were cans that seems to be punctured in different designs and inside are candles. They really made things romantic. Their vision is way over the top.

But there was one more thing that Max was breathless at the sight of it. It was the constellations in the night sky. Has the sky ever look like that before?

"Too much?" Ian asked beside her.

"A little bit, yeah." Max said under her breath and let out a chuckle. "It's really beautiful."

"It's hard for me to believe you've never been to a romantic date."

"Why is that?"

"A beautiful lady like you, a guy should fall into their knees just to have you."

Max shook her head. "Naah. The only sweetest thing a guy has ever done to me was...I couldn't think of any."

"Seriously?" Max couldn't help but chuckle when she saw Ian's face in disbelief.

"What's with that face?" She tapped Ian's nose with her point finger before she sat on the blanket and opened the basket.

"It's kind of unbelievable."

"Well, not all guys are like you."

"Like what?" Ian sat beside Max, took the glasses and the wine.

"Gentle and kind and charming and quite a dancer-" Ian gave out a soft laugh. "Kind of like a real life Prince Charming."

Ian scoffed. "Please. I don't like being called like that. People expect too much and it's hard to keep up at such status."

"Well, what do you want people to call you?"

"Should I really have another name? I'm just...Ian."

Genuine and humble, if I may add. "What's the difference between Ian and Prince Charming?" Max begin to test Ian. He cleared his throat, took the the two glasses from the basket and began pouring in the red wine.

"I'm real." Ian said in a questionable tone before giving out a chuckle. "I'm not perfect. I don't understand why people always look up to me so much when I'm just a man. The kind of man that has flaws too. I don't know with Prince Charming though but, I'm from the real world and people can't assume that I'm perfect."

You acting like that makes it even harder for me to believe you're real. Who does that? Who would say such things? Are you really like this, Ian? Are you always the honest and pure type?

She watched Ian took strawberries and chocolate truffles from the basket. Why would he join this show anyway? Isn't it easy for him to get women all on his own?

"Do you want to hear a story?" Ian asked.

"What kind of story?"

"It's both beautiful and sad."

"Surprise me."

"Two of some of the brightest stars were Altair and the other is Vega. Both of them were lovers-passionatley in love with each other. But both of their parents didn't like their relationship so they tried to separate them. So both were banished to the opposite sides of the river-the Milky way. On the 7th day of the 7th month, the magpies would make a bridge for those two so they can have that only night of the year. " Ian finished with a smile but seeing Max's starring at him, he loosen the smile. "What's wrong?"

Max lightly shook her head. "I'm sorry-it's just that-are you really this romantic? Like you could use some spinning crap to girls like me?" She asked.

"Spinning crap?"

"Yeah. The whole star-crossed lovers meeting only once a year- thing. " Max's voice began to get firm and fast.

"Are you mad?"

She looked away in a swift motion. "I'm not. I'm not." But of course she was. She was in complete denial over the fact that she almost fell for that "spinning crap" she just heard. Over the years, she never felt anything special to someone nor even to anyone. But, rather than a young maiden falling in love, she shut it down.

"Hey."Ian held Max's chin to look at her. He looked at those emerald green eyes, about to get moist. But, before Ian could even asked, Max leaned to him and gave him a kiss.

It was deep and the kind that didn't linger. It was almost like a need and almost desperate. Max held his hair-feeling the softness of it through her fingers while Ian couldn't move. His eyes were rather opened, his body couldn't cope up within that second.

He was usually the type of man who reaches in slowly-all soft and passionate. But to be kissed in that certain manner was enticing yet wrong. And it saddens him when he tasted her tears.

He held Max's shoulders to broke off the kiss.

"What's wrong?" Max asked. Ian cupped her petite face with his hands, and wiped the tears from her cheeks. He could only look at her-for she was both beautiful and tragic at the same time. Max could only look away, embarrassed to let him see her in that manner.

"I'm sorry. I don't want you to see me this way."

Ian rubbed her shoulders, giving her comfort. "Don't worry about it. It was not that bad."

"Gee thanks." Max said, sarcastically.

"Really. It wasn't. You know what, I got ice cream somewhere in this basket. I'm sure it'll give you some comfort." Max watched Ian opening the basket and indeed, took out a vanilla ice cream. He called one crew to give him some glasses and silverwares.

"I know one constellation." Max began to share.

"Really?"

"Yeah. That one. The Orion's belt."

The whole night, they enjoyed each other's company with conversations from their pasts as they ate their ice creams and some sweets.

Max went back at the Mansion, silently. She sneaked in the room, saw Casey sleeping with her eye mask on. Laying down, she found herself starring at the ceiling thinking about the night, the two star-crossed lovers and for the first time, she thought of Ian.