Written for OTP AU Competition – Round 5: I'm your waiter on your horrible date and you right your phone number on the receipt AU

Written for If You Dare Challenge – Prompt15: The Future Is What We Make Of It

Serendipity

"I can't believe you are going on a date with Tim!" Melanie exclaimed in disgust when Rose told her that she was meeting Tim, a fellow acquaintance, for dinner.

"Desperate time calls for desperate measures," Rose replied with a sigh.

"Come-on, you aren't that desperate, are you?" Melanie inquired.

"Well yes, I'm! I have to bring my boyfriend to meet my family, if I don't introduce him to them this time, they are going to give me hell."

"Is it really going to be so horrible?" Melanie asked skeptically, with a raised eye-brow.

"Yes," Rose sighed. Her entire family was under the impression that she was in a steady relationship with someone. Every time they had gotten nosy – well, had even just asked his name – she had ignored them artfully. It did help that she didn't see them often, though. They had reached a point where her boyfriend was referred as 'the boyfriend' and nothing else. Rose knew that her family was sure that she didn't have any man in her life and them forcing her to bring him to their annual get-together event was their way of checking if they were right.

"If you have agreed to go with Tim, I'm sure it's horrible," Melanie laughed.

"I'm glad my state is entertaining to you," Rose snapped.

"Sorry, sorry! I hope he's not as obnoxious as he usually is," Melanie consoled her.

"Yeah, I hope so too," Rose mumbled. Tim was the kind of a person with whom Rose would never go out with – he was completely self-absorbed and boasted about his family's riches and took pride in them. For some weird reason, he had taken an interest in Rose, and in that moment, she was glad. It had only made her asking him out easy.

Rose only hoped that after their dinner, they could meet up more often that week, and then she would ask him to accompany her. Yes, she had a full plan ready.

"All right, do I look okay?" Rose asked, turning to Melanie for her opinion. She was wearing a short black boat-neck dress with minimum accessories and shimmering make up. Her hair was tied up in an elegant looking bun, and she wore some charcoal black stilettos.

"Really hot," Melanie told her, smiling widely.

"That's fine, right? For a first date, I mean. Maybe I should forgo the heels and wear some other shoes –"

"You look fine! And it's not too much. Please relax," Melanie cut her off.

"Okay," Rose nodded, taking some deep breaths.

"Better get going . . . have fun!" Melanie said, and hugged her goodbye.

"Thanks," Rose replied and walked out. She was glad that she had ordered a cab and was going to meet her date directly at the restaurant. She really hoped that he would surprise her and tone down his personality. For all she knew, he was actually a great guy beneath all his obnoxiousness.

". . . and of course, I swooped in a grabbed the little tyke right by his hand and pulled him out!" Tim finished grandly, and looked at Rose so expectantly that she hoped that she had an appropriate expression on her face.

"Wow, I can't believe it," she responded, praying that he didn't hear the sarcasm in her voice.

"I know, right?" Tim said, gulping down the rest of his drink and turning toward his food.

"Let me tell you about this one time when I –" And so it went on. Ever since they had been seated at their table, Rose regretted her decision to ask him out.

Firstly, he had leered at her openly and made her feel extremely uncomfortable. She could only imagine what he would assume if she invited him to her family's country house as her boyfriend where the get-together would be taking place. Secondly, he hadn't shut up about himself from the moment he had opened his mouth. Rose couldn't believe how one person could be so boring and disrespectful! Story after story, he had gone on and didn't seem like he would be stopping any time soon. He hadn't asked one thing about her!

Dinner with Tim had to be the worst date ever Rose had ever been on. She began to appreciate all the other guys with whom she had been with after witnessing Tim's rude behavior. Moments in the date, she had decided that she wouldn't ask him to accompany her. She was disgusted by him! There was no possible way that her family would be convinced that he was her boyfriend.

The only saving grace of the date was the food and their extremely good looking waiter, named Scorpius. He threw amused looks at Rose every time he brought them anything. Which was quite often since Tim wasn't satisfied by their service and kept Scorpius on his toes. It was almost as if she and Scorpius were in on a secret. She knew it was wrong of her to check someone out while on a date, but with Tim, Rose didn't care much.

As Tim went on droning, Rose observed the fine features which Scorpius possessed. Though she preferred dark haired men to blonde, she thought that she could make an exception with Scorpius. He had very pale blonde hair, was maybe a couple of inches above six feet, and was just enough muscular – she didn't like guys who were too muscular either. She wished that it was with him that she actually was sitting. She liked how he always smiled when their eyes met, it made her blush. Also, the light feeling in her stomach was welcoming.

"Rose?" Tim's voice disrupted her thoughts.

"Sorry, yeah?" Rose asked.

"I just finished about – never mind," Tim said with a frown.

"I'm sorry, I was feeling a little er-not well," Rose apologized lamely.

"Oh, are you okay now?" he asked, sounding somewhat miffed.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm okay," Rose answered, wishing that the date was over already. She decided that she could bear her family's fussing over Tim's big headedness.

"Maybe we should leave, you look very flushed. We don't want to embarrass ourselves now, do we?"

Rose looked at him and felt horrified. Was he really that indecent? But it seemed that he didn't realize that he was being just plain rude. Not that it gave him an excuse to behave like that.

"Of course not, let's just leave," Rose replied acerbically.

Tim asked for the bill, and paid it in a stand-offish manner, refusing when Rose offered to split the share.

Rose made up her mind that she would never go out with him. Ever. She couldn't believe how one person could be so off-putting. She shouldn't have acted in such a rash manner and asked him out. It was her own fault that she had to bear his presence. She couldn't really complain. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. It would be all over in sometime.

As Scorpius came back with the change, a plan began to form in Rose's head. Maybe she could . . .

"Let's go." Tim said standing up, grabbing his coat.

Hoping that she wouldn't be seen, Rose quickly slipped a card which contained her name and number in between the change. Rose looked up to find Tim watching her; she panicked, not knowing what to say to cover up.

"I have given him enough tip. You don't need to add any."

"Of course," Rose replied and quickly got ready to leave, all along thanking the gods.

Before walking out, Rose cast a glance back, and was satisfied when she saw Scorpius picking up the book which contained his tip and her card.

It was too far-fetched, but Rose hoped. Something told her that she wouldn't be going to the get-together alone. Maybe the date wouldn't be a complete waste after all.

A/N: I'm in love with my OTP. I wish I could involve more of Scorpius in this, but it didn't seem to work. Anyway, let me know what you thought of it. :D