Chapter 2 - 02-date
They took their seats.
The restaurant was an upscale fusion place, warm lighting flickering gently across polished wine glasses and bone china plates. A pianist in the corner played something soft and romantic — background music carefully chosen to not distract, only to enhance the ambiance.
Fine food and wine were soon served. Morrison reached for the bottle of red wine he’d asked the waiter to decant earlier, intending to pour Lilian a glass. But she quickly raised her hand, shielding her wine glass like a knight defending a castle.
"I don’t drink, Mr. Morrison. Besides, you shouldn’t either — you still have to drive later, right?"
A law-abiding citizen through and through. Morrison couldn’t help but smile at the earnest look on her face.
"No worries," he said smoothly, tilting the bottle just slightly in teasing defiance. "I can call my driver."
He then motioned for her to move her hand. "Come on. Just a little. After all, it’s our first dinner date. A little celebration wouldn’t hurt."
Lilian bit her lip, hesitating. Her hand remained in the air for a moment longer, caught between defiance and curiosity. Finally, she withdrew it. First date, huh? Maybe it was worth marking the occasion after all.
Morrison poured her a glass, then topped up his own. The ruby-red wine caught the candlelight, casting tiny blood-colored ripples against the rim of the crystal.
Bathed in the warm glow, Lilian found herself staring at the man across from her. His face was all clean angles and elegant symmetry, like something carved from marble by an artist obsessed with control and precision. His hands moved with practiced grace as he poured the wine — not too fast, not too slow. Every motion exuded confidence.
She remembered how, just days ago, she’d signed up for an anonymous online account under the name "Lilian Dejan." It had been a whim. A soft rebellion against the otherwise well-mapped path of her life.
The idea: to record the one and only romantic relationship she ever planned to have.