Page 7 of The World
“Alright, Ethan. Now, Candie, how about we pick Ethan a date for his adventure, hmm? Pick a good one!”
Yes,Candie,I begged silently.Pick a good one. Pick the perfect one.I’d been so focused on the travel part of the prize, I’d forgotten there would be another person involved, but that could make it even better, as long as it was the right sort of person. A sparks-flying, ice cream-compatible sort of person.
“The winner is… 48503!”
The crowd cheered and stomped. I held my breath. No one appeared.
“48503!” the emcee repeated. “If you’ve got number 48503, get on up here and meet your date!”
The crowd looked around expectantly, but no one held up a ticket. I felt my face grow hot. Finally, someone reluctantly stepped forward — a tall, sexy, someone with floppy hair covering his gorgeous brown eyes.
Oh, man.Really?
“I know you're not happy,” Taika whispered a minute later as we stood onstage and posed for a picture with our prize. “But I promised Simone I'd try, so I’d really like for us to make the best of this.”
I glanced up. He was cool and confident again, but I could see that hint of vulnerability when he talked about Simone. It was pretty likelyIwas the asshole around here, judging him harshly based on one interaction, writing him off because I was jealous.
“Yeah,” I told him, grinning. “Yeah, we can definitely do that. Stick with me, Taika. We’re going to havefun.”
This guy needed to learn how to smile, and I was just the guy to teach him.
Three
~Taika~
Ethan:Seafood, yes or no?
Taika:Right now?
Ethan:No! In general. I'm trying to figure out our travel plans. Did you think I was asking you for lunch?
Taika:Or breakfast. I was asleep. It's two AM here in Melbourne.
Ethan:Australia? Fuck. Um. Sorry?
Taika:It's fine. Yes, I like seafood.
Ethan:What's Melbourne like?
Taika:Dark.
Ethan:Roller coasters, yes or no?
Taika:Another general question? Yes.
Ethan:Did I wake you again?
Taika:Would you care if you did?
Ethan:Yes.
Taika:Then no. I'm in Tokyo. It's 6 AM.
Ethan:What's the view look like?
Ethan:Uh, that's a picture of a laptop, Tai.
Ethan:Are you scared of heights?