* * *
Tucker sat before his mother’s computer, gazing at the message to Cheeky Cheery on the monitor. It was a dream come true. Finally, the promised virtual land was to be the promised actual land. The message read:
I’m sorry I was so rude to you in my last message. I didn’t realise it was you Tucker, until just the other day. I know now that you were simply trying to give me the chance to get to know you better and after those few brief chats, I realise that I really like you. It doesn’t matter to me that you were pretending to be a girl. I know that the person behind the messages was genuine in his feelings, even though he was pretending to be someone he wasn’t. I want to meet with you. But not in Te Arawa. There is a special private restaurant I love in New Plymouth called “Candy Hearts”. It’s really romantic. Rex takes me there all the time. I’d like you to meet me there on Thursday night at 6:30 pm. Can you make it? Please tell me you can. I really want to spend some time with you alone. When you get there ask for the Dante table.
Tucker examined the money in his wallet. He had enough to get him there by bus, but he wasn’t sure he’d have enough to buy restaurant food, but Vanessa had money, so he hoped she was shouting.
He shivered with excitement when the time came to leave the house. His knees felt weak and his stomach churned, but this was a dream come true and he wasn’t going to let it pass him by. All the way there on the bus he fantasized about how the dinner would go. Fancy it, sitting across the table from the most heavenly creature ever created by God. He almost felt like getting up and dancing around the aisle of the bus, but he didn’t think his legs would hold out on him.
As he approached the Candy Hearts Restaurant he found it difficult to breathe. His heart raced and he almost felt like he was going to pass out. He only just managed to reach the reception and leaned on the counter to maintain his balance.
‘Hi,’ he said. ‘My name’s Tucker. I have a date at the Dante table.’
The man at the counter delivered him a funny look. ‘A date, huh?’
‘Yeah. My darling is waiting for me.’
‘Ahha. Yeah. You’ll find your darling already there waiting.’ He handed him a card with a table number on it. ‘Just wait there at the door to be seated.’
Tucker strolled over to the entrance of the restaurant and peered inside. He’d never been in a restaurant like it. The light was low, a band played slow music and there was a dance floor where a few couples danced. Each table had its own little wall in a half circle around the sides of it for privacy. Only tables for two, many of which had people sitting at them.
‘Oh man,’ Tucker muttered to himself. ‘This is unbelievable.’
A waiter arrived. He spoke in an effeminate voice, ‘Good evening, my name is Fabian and I’ll be your waiter today. Your card please? Ah, Mr Pyles. Your date awaits.’ His eyes gleamed and he gave him a suggestive wink.
Tucker shrunk back in alarm.
‘Ooooh, we have a special table for you, right at the window overlooking the gardens. I just know you’ll love it.’
Tucker peered around at the couples. They were all male and female, so he relaxed, confident that he hadn’t just walked into some gay restaurant. The waiter, Fabian was obviously a little fruity, but then you got people like that wherever you went.
Fabian led him to a table and when Tucker got there he was horrified to see that the person waiting for him was not Vanessa at all, but Shawn.
‘Please, take a seat.’ Fabian pulled a chair out for him.
‘But...’ Tucker gasped. ‘Where’s Vanessa?’
Shawn stared up at him with eyes wide. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘Please,’ Fabian said. ‘The lovely and adorable Vanessa will be along shortly.’
For a few seconds longer, all Tucker could do was stand there in disbelief. ‘You’re supposed to be Vanessa!’
‘So are you!’
‘Please, sit,’ urged Fabian. ‘We have a fine menu for you to select from and you can have whatever you like at the expense of Miss Dante.’
‘Huh? Anything?’ Tucker eagerly took his seat, visions of all the mouth watering food he would get to partake of.
‘Please, choose from the menu.’
Shawn spoke up. ‘She’s gonna be here, right? Vanessa?’
‘Of course.’ Fabian smiled. ‘In fact I can assure you, she is not far away. Please, peruse the menu. Enjoy the view of the gardens. Feel free to dance. Can I get you two lovebirds a drink?’
* * *
Rex and Vanessa crouched outside the restaurant behind a flax bush. Rex had his phone and took snaps of Tucker and Shawn through the window as they sat together with their menus open, glancing every now and then at the main entrance for the appearance of Vanessa, which was never going to come.
‘These are great.’ Rex paused and flicked through the ones they had. ‘Fabian got us the perfect table to photograph them.’
Vanessa laughed. ‘I knew we could rely on him. Look at them in there. It’s too funny. They really think I’m gonna turn up. It serves them right. They both deserve the humiliation. What will really be interesting is to see how long they hang around in there together. Who knows? Maybe a new romance will blossom?’
Rex laughed. ‘That would be a very warped ending to the story.’
‘It would. Hey, we’ve got plenty of time. We can hang around here for a bit. Make out a little... maybe a lot. What do you say?’
‘Sounds bloody good to me.’ He glanced back over the flax to see Tucker and Shawn still sitting there, shifting around in their seats, trying not to look at each other and gazing over the entrance every few seconds. ‘I’m amazed they both came. Well no, actually I’m not. A chance to have dinner with the goddess is enough to make any guy throw aside reason and common sense.’ He turned and gazed into her amazing eyes, gradually pulling her body close to his. Being close to her like this, always stirred his emotions and always made his body tingle. ‘I’m so lucky that I get to be with the goddess whenever I want to.’
‘Nuh uh. It’s nothing to do with luck.’ Vanessa gazed back. ‘It’s a matter of destiny. Of divine intervention.’
‘Oh yeah...You’re absolutely right.’
Jealousy at TAC Page 37
