Blind Date

Sitting at a high-class restaurant such as this is not an occurrence that happens in my life every day. Of course, I'm happy that at least I get the experience to feel this kind of thing: to be served with high-class dishes that is made by the three-star Michelin chef, not to mention that the ambiance is also elegant plus the classical music that playing at the background, all of it makes me like some kind of an elite socialite...though I'm not and really, the feeling that dominates within me right now is nervous. Very much.

"Please be at ease. This is our first time meeting. I hope that bringing you to this place will not scare you off. I just want to make a good impression of myself."

Ah... yes. All of the uneasiness that I feel right now is mostly because of the man that is sitting in front of me. To be exact, he is my... blind date.

Now that I think about it, I won't be at this position if not for the promise that I made when I was deadly drunk...

A week ago, Anna, Kiki, Willow, Minor and I went out drinking after we wrapped up a shooting that went through a whole day. The day after was Sunday, that's why we decided to hit the bar before we went home. Somehow we ended up in a drinking competition and made me so deadly drunk after that. I didn't remember how I went home (probably Anna, because she's the only one that didn't join the drinking competition), nor I remembered what had happened after I drank two full glasses of beer. And that was the beginning of my current situation.

On Monday, at lunchtime, Minor, Kiki and Willow came to my table and asked when I would do what I had promised to them last Saturday. They saw the confusion in my face and Minor showed me a video in his phone. A video of a very drunken me that promised to them to go on a blind date. How the situation went to me made that kind of promise is beyond me, but the evidence is there and I can't make any excuse to run from it. So... I resigned to my fate.

The next Saturday, this morning to be exact, I got a call from Anna and she told me that my blind date will wait for me at this restaurant for dinner. I choked on my breakfast.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked Anna fiercely after drinking two glasses of water. "Do you also join in this thing?"

"I never said that I wouldn't," said Anna. "Besides you should thank me that I'm the one that is choosing your blind date. Can you imagine if it's those three that choose who your blind date will be?"

"... I won't say thank you, still."

"You're welcome."

Anna told me that the man that would be my blind date is her old colleague in university. He's a general manager in one of the famous hotels. Actually, the restaurant that we are sitting at to dine right now is located in the hotel where he works.

"Excuse me?"

"Huh?" I blink several times. "Sorry, what do you say?"

"I just asked about what you've recently finished film is, because I heard that you're a producer. Miracle Finder is produced by your company, isn't it?"

"Ah, yes I am. And... Sorry for not listening to your question. I kinda ... you know, feel overwhelmed with all the situations." Nervous smiles plaster on my face.

In return, he gives me a kind and assuring smile. "I have told you, in the beginning, to be at ease. This is our first meeting and what I want to do is just to have a nice dinner along with a good conversation accompanied by a pretty lady."

"T-Thank you," I say. I can feel that my cheeks are blushing.

We had a nice conversation after that. He told me that he has ordered the food before and it's fine with me. It starts at a slow pace but after some time, I begin to relax and also enjoy the nice chat. Well, at least if this blind date doesn't work out, I can have a new friend that is a general manager at a famous hotel. Nice!

At one point a sommelier came and poured us wine. He talked about something along with the name of the wine when it is produced and from where. But unfortunately, I can't focus on whatever he is talking about because right now, my mind can't comprehend the one question that's just popping out.

What is he doing here?

"Lucien?" The talking sommelier stops his explanation about the wine and looks at me with a discerning smile. "What are you doing here?"

"Do you know him?" My blind date asks me a little bit of a surprise. "And his name is Lucian, not Lucien"

"Lu-Lucian...?" I stutter.

"Do you know her?" My blind date asks Lucien, err, Lucian.

"No, sir," says Lucian. "May you enjoy the wine." Lucian bows and leaves our table.

"You call him as Lucien, as in Professor Lucien?" My blind date asks. "How do you know him? As far as I know, Professor Lucien is not someone that likes to come out in public, nor do many people know about his face."

"Lucien is a consultant for Miracle Finder," I explain. "And because of that, he and I have become friends now."

"No wonder. And by you calling just his name, I suppose that you and he are a close friend."

"Yo-You can say that."

"Do you have another male friend that is also known to many? I know that as a producer you must have known many famous people but, do you also make friends with those people?"

"Yeah, with some of them."

"How about a close friend like with Professor Lucien?"

Some face across my mind and I nod as an answer. But before I can tell who they are, a waiter comes and he starts to put our dish, starting with an appetizer.

"The appetizer-"

I whip my head to see the waiter's face because right now, from his mouth comes a very familiar voice that belongs to an officer that I know so well.

And not only has the voice, but his face also belonged to that officer.

"Gavin?!" I blurt out his name in flabbergasted. "W-What are you-"

"Sorry, ma'am. I think you're mistaking me with someone else."

How can I mistake that cool tone and attitude of him with SOMEONE ELSE?

"His name is Griffin, not Gavin." My blind date tells me while pointing to Griffin's nameplate on his chest.

"... Are you really not Gavin?"

"Positive."

"I- I'm sorry then. Please continue."

Gav-, no, Griffin bows and continues to explain the ingredients of the appetizer that we have. And same with Lucian, his words just passing through my mind without me focusing on what he says. With that, he continues to serve as the course until the end.

My blind date will ask me about something and I will provide him with the answer. And that flows until the end of the dinner. The dinner is good. No... It's super delicious! The food is on par with Souvenir and not only that, I have a feeling that it is Victor himself that cooks all the meals that I eat through dinner. But that's impossible. I really enjoy the food, but honestly, I can't focus on what my blind date is talking about. My mind is busy thinking of Lucian and Griffin.

Are Lucien and Gavin twins?

If not, why do those two look like an exact copy of them?

Are my minds playing tricks on me?

Is it because of the wine again?

Time flies so fast when your mind is occupied by something. We are at the end of our dinner and right now, we are waiting for the dessert to come.

"Do you have any preference for music?" My blind date suddenly asks. "If you want, you can also request a song from our musician. They are right behind you."

Throughout dinner, we are accompanied by a quartet that plays classical music. I turn my head to look at the musicians and when I see one of the violinists, I almost fall from my chair.

"KIRO?!" This time I really blurt out loud the name and point my finger to the blond violinist. "That's Kiro, right?"

"Kiro the singer?" says my blind date. "Unfortunately he's not. He's just a musician for today's performance. If I remember correctly, his name is Keys."

I look at my blind date like he has grown another head. How in the world does he can't recognize the famous Kiro? My head is pounding for the absurdity of it.

I take a glance at Keys and he just gives me a nod to greet me.

Great. Just... great.

I turn back to face my blind date and surreptitiously heave a sigh. After my meeting with Keys, right now I'm waiting for the twins' Victor to also come out and give me the shock. But in the end, the thing that comes out is our awaiting dessert.

"Pudding?" The familiar-looking pudding is served as our dessert. And for some reason, I know how it will taste. Gingerly, I take a spoon and scoop the pudding into my mouth.

Gulp.

I put the spoon on the table with a loud bang and demand to know where the kitchen is to my blind date. He's surprised with my action but points his finger in one direction. I go in the direction and find the big kitchen door. I push the kitchen door hard and the loud bang of the door startles the staff in the kitchen.

"Where is the chef that cooks today's dishes?"

All the startle staff just give me a blank and shock expression. I enter and look around the big kitchen. But I don't see him.

"Excuse me, Ma'am," one of the kitchen staff approaches me. "The chef has already gone home after he made the dessert."

"What's your chef's name?"

"His name is Chef Vince."

"..."

I offer my thank you and come out of the kitchen. When I get back to my table, my blind date has finished eating his dessert and he has taken my jacket from the front door.

"Ready to go home?" He asks me politely. Without saying anything, I just wear my jacket and exit the restaurant. Somehow this blind date has gone to the weirdest date I've ever attended. Mostly with all those three guys-twins and the mysterious chef. Then, when I get home, I just remember that the hotel we just came from is one of the chain hotels that Victor owns.

Immediately, I call Anna to ask if this is also one of the plans she's included for the blind date.

---

"She's not as dummy as I think," Victor said to the other three guys via online calls. "She knew that the chef is me from the moment she eats the pudding."

"That's Ms. Chips for you!" Kiro said chirpily. "I can tell that she must think your general manager has grown another head when she looked back at him and didn't recognize me at all. And your general manager is a good actor I must say."

"I will never ever want to remember all those food names again," complained Gavin. "Enough is enough."

"Well, at least we succeeded in intercepting the blind date," said Lucien. "The last thing that we have to do now is to make sure this kind of thing will never happen again. I will make my first move then, gentlemen." Lucien ended the online call.

The other three also ended the call while thinking of how they would make their moves to a producer that they knew so well.