"Dating is a pressure and tension. What is a date, really, but a job interview that lasts all night?" - Jerry Seinfeld

+++

Silas's POV

I wait for her reaction. For anything.

And to say the least, I am not disappointed.

Her eyes widen is disbelief. Then joy and surprise and then her beautiful fucking face turns to me and she plants me the most loving hug I've ever had.

Her arms squeeze around my neck while I bury my nose in her silky smooth hair, the scent of lemon and coconut filling my senses. "So I take it you like it?"

She rolls her eyes, those beautiful eyes and gives me a tender kiss. "I love it, thank you."

This took me a little while to arrange. I had to call in a few favors to see if any amusement parks or carnivals were opening up around the city.

When I heard one was about to shut down, I took the opportunity to buy it.

Yes, I bought a whole-ass amusement park for this woman. And I don't regret one thing.

And you know what the best part is? It's completely empty.

No vomiting children or cringey-ass teenagers. No long lines and over-priced food. Aside from the workers and employees that will be running the coasters and restaurants, we are completely alone.

"So where too, milady?" I take a long bow in front of her and wait until I am fully standing to grab her by the waist and pull her flush against me.

God, her dress is beautiful. Perfect on her. Anything is perfect on her. It's a short lavender dress, with ruffles on the skirt and a deep V-neck that accentuates her chest. It's beautiful. She's beautiful.

+++

+++

"Ooh can we go on the roller coaster?!" She asks excitedly. I nod my head, averting my gaze to view at the employees who are no doubt ensuring that every ride is safe and fun.

Because if she gets hurt...

Anyway, we walk to a nearby roller coaster that isn't too crazy but will definitely make my heart fall out of my chest in no time.

Personally, I am not a fan of amusement parks. Just never been my thing. But just from being around Wilson, I can already tell she would love this. And I can't wait for the surprise I have stored later tonight.

She latches onto my wrist and pulls me to a seat, where, low and behold, there's a big round-about, a deep dive, and other crazy shit my stomach and my head are not ready for.

But whatever. I've given her enough shit from me, the least I can do is suck it up and make her happy. That's all I want to do. Make her happy.

And when I look to the side at her beaming face, I know all the work I put into this will be completely worth it. Even if there is a 75% chance I will throw up by the end of the night.

+++

"Did you have fun," I ask her, after we'd spent the last three hours riding roller coasters and eating the most cliche carnival foods you can imagine.

"It was amazing," she squeals. Her arms are wrapped around a gigantic unicorn plushy that almost swallows her whole. I tried to tell her that she doesn't need to play the game to get the toy but she wouldn't listen. So I gave her all of five tries before trying the darting booth games myself and winning her the stuffed animal.

"Okay, are you ready to eat dinner?" I lean down on her face, planting a kiss on her head while she nods softly.

I'm nervous. So damn nervous. I know she'll like it. No, she'll love it. So why the hell am I nervous? Maybe it's the pounding of my heart, or the palminess of my hands, or the way she looks at me like I am this fucking amazing person when I know I'm not, but every time I'm around her, it's like I've ran a marathon and my heart can't calm down for the life of me.

Leading her away from the amusement park, I spot the blanket and picnic basket on the grass, where a huge tree is planted.

When she finally notices where we are headed, another smile erupts on her face. "Is this a date?"

I laugh out loud. "No, this is where I take all my employees. Congrats, you got employee of the month." I smirk in her direction which she rolls her eyes.

We settle down on the soft blanket. While she observes the sky full of twinkling stars, I grab everything I had made today. Yes, I cooked. after re-watching the Food Network for the thousandth time, I think I got some recipes down.

"How far away are we from the city?"

I shrug my shoulders. "About an hour, give or take." I wanted to make this perfect. Perfect for her because she deserves nothing less.

The city has too much noise, too much pollution, too much people. You could hardly notice any stars at all in San Francisco. Here though. It's perfect. I knew it'd be. And I'm beyond grateful that she likes it.

"Let's eat," I announce after setting everything down. I made some of these mozzarella balls as the appetizers because they looked good as hell and were surprisingly easy to make.

"What if people see us and thinks that you're, I don't know, grooming your employee or something?" she asks out of the blue. Her face has gone slightly pale, her eyes wide in panic and fear.

I let out a chuckle. "Grooming? Jesus, Wilson, you're not a child. It's not like this is illegal. Besides, if someone has a problem with us, then they can deal with me. You have nothing to worry about." I rest my lips on her forehand and give her a reassuring squeeze.

"Why were you so mean to me when we first met?" she whispers.

My heart sinks at her words. Why was I an asshole when she was nothing but a fucking angel? Why did I push her away so much, or wreak hell on her life when she was struggling as it is.

A deep sigh escapes my throat. "I don't fucking know. You were just so nice, it was weird to me. And the nicer you were, the more it infuriated me. Because I knew I was an asshole." Turning to her, I cup her cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Caden. I'm so, so, sorry. I will never treat you like that again. I promise."

She gives me a small smile.

I bring her lips to mine and savor her taste, the way her lips mold onto mine, and how her hands travel to the nape of my neck and she starts gently pulling at my hair.

"It's okay."

+++