Plan Four – Operation Do The Date
'This is going to be the hardest to set up,' Lita said, looking at him with more than a little bit of nervousness.
'Understatement,' he replied simply. Chris took a deep breath. 'It's best if we get started on it as soon as possible. I think it would be best if you talked to Steph, and I to Helms. That way, it wouldn't be super obvious when we bump into them.'
'Good idea. Next, we need to set up the two dates, something close to each other, but not too close if they compare notes.'
'Man, this is way too much trouble,' Chris said, shaking his head. 'I mean, why don't I just-'
'No kidnapping!'
'Fine!'
'Good!'
'Okay!'
'Shut up.'
'You shut up.'
They looked at each other, and then burst out laughing.
'Come on, find out where we're going to be next week, and find a couple of decent restaurants.'
*
'Hey, Helms!'
'Hi, Chris. What's up?'
He acted nervous. 'Well…there's something I want to tell you, but I'm not sure I should.'
Helms raised an eyebrow. 'Okay…what does this have to do with?'
'Stephanie.'
A surprised look came over his face. 'Steph?'
'Yeah. The reason why she doesn't want to go out with you next Wednesday night-'
'What?!' he interrupted, looking stunned. 'What do you mean she doesn't want to go out Wednesday night?'
This was the trickiest part of the plan. Making it seem like a date that didn't yet exist was being planned. 'Oh…I…I mean, I heard that you guys were going out for something special next Wednesday?'
'No, we hadn't even planned that far ahead yet.'
'Oh, okay then. Well…bye!'
'No, wait! Come back!'
'Look, Helms, I really don't want to get between the two of you.' Much.
'Why would she be planning a date next Wednesday? I thought she was going home on that day?'
'That's the whole idea. She wants you to think that she's going home, but she's actually planning to surprise you with a date.'
Helms looked closely at him. Uh oh…was his plan so easily see-through? 'Well, thank you for the info, but why exactly would you be telling me this? I mean, shouldn't you let her surprise me with this?'
'Aren't you going home on Wednesday as well? How could she surprise you with his if you aren't even around to be surprised?'
He looked thoughtful. 'Good point.'
Hook, line, sinker. Chris smiled at the other man. 'Just remember to ask surprised when she walks into the restaurant, okay?'
*
'How did you go?'
Lita shook her head. 'Man, that girl is one smart cookie! It took me forever to convince her to show up at the restaurant!'
Chris looked up from the note he was writing, smiling at her. 'This is going to work for sure, I just know it. It's fool proof. How can it not work?'
'Oh, I can think of a few hundred reasons.'
'It's half full, Lita,' he reminded her. 'The cup is half full.'
'Whatever.'
Chris nodded at the piece of paper sitting in front of her. 'How's your note coming along?'
Lita looked down at it critically. 'Let's just hope she hasn't written him too many love letters for him to recognise her writing.'
He looked down at his own note, his thoughts echoing hers. This plan was pretty much their craziest, riskiest, most stupidest ever. It was also their big gun. It had to work.
*
'Uh…Steph, is that you?'
Stephanie looked stunning in a simple evening dress, however, she looked quite forlorn sitting in a table at the intimate restaurant all by herself. She looked up at him. 'Chris? What are you doing here?'
'I met a couple of friends at the bar for some drinks.'
'Oh.'
He looked down in concern at her. 'Is everything okay?'
She glanced at the simple gold watch that adorned her wrist. 'Well, other than Greg being half an hour late for our supposed surprise date, and not even bothering to call me to tell me he isn't going to show up, everything is just lovely.'
'Well, maybe he's stuck in traffic?' he suggested. He couldn't make it too obvious that he was making a play for her.
'Or maybe his note was just a big joke!'
'Note?'
Stephanie nodded, staring at the elegant setting in front of her. 'Yeah. It was all secretive and unsigned, but I know it was him. He had been dropping hints about it all week.'
'Do you…I mean, would you like me to wait with you?' Chris offered, hoping he didn't sound too eager. 'After all, it's never any fun waiting all by yourself.'
She looked closely at him for a few moments, then finally nodded. 'Why don't you pull up a chair?'
He did as he was told. 'I'll leave as soon as Helms gets here,' he promised her, knowing he would never show up.
'Wait, what about your friends? And you're looking quite all dressed up tonight.'
Chris wanted to hit himself on the forehead as hard as he could. Why hadn't he and Lita covered that part? 'Um…uh…well, you see…my friends were actually trying to set me up on a date with this girl, that's why I'm dressed like this. And…and…you see, my friends…they kind of…well, they ditched me.'
He hoped it had sounded like he had been embarrassed about the situation, rather than having been making up some unintelligent excuse.
Stephanie smiled wryly at him. 'Friends, huh? Can't live with them, and that's why they're called housemates.'
Chris wasn't too sure what she was talking about, but he laughed nonetheless as he pulled up the chair opposite hers and sat down. It was more a laugh of relief than anything really. Things were going absolutely, splendidly perfect.
'Looks like it's just you and me then,' Stephanie said, looking at him across the extremely romantic setting.
He had been dreaming of this moment for such a long time, and it was now finally coming true. He opened his mouth to answer, when a shout from across the room interrupted him.
'Stephanie!'
Chris and Stephanie both stood up and looked towards the rude individual who would dare intrude upon his dream-come-true. His heart dropped. Helms. With an evening gown-ed Lita following close behind. He glanced at Stephanie, and was disheartened to realise that she was beaming towards her boyfriend.
'Greg!'
Helms reached Stephanie, kissing her deeply before wrapping her tightly in his arms. Across them, Chris's eyes locked with Lita's, and he imagined his face mirrored hers. Angry, jealous, frustrated, and extremely disappointed.
'Ohmigod, what happened?' Stephanie asked when the two finally managed to break away from each other.
'I went to the wrong restaurant. I was getting worried when you were late, and then Lita showed up and she told me that there was another restaurant in the city called Lili's. The one I went to was spelt with two l's.'
'How strange. But we're together now, and that's all that matters,' Stephanie said happily.
Helms turned to look at him. Finally. Chris was almost beginning to feel unwanted with the other man totally not acknowledging his presence. 'Hey, Chris.'
'Helms,' he greeted, forcing himself a smile.
'And Lita,' Stephanie greeted the other woman. 'Well…why don't we make this into a double date?'
Helms nodded enthusiastically. 'That would be a great idea!'
Lita smiled, although it was a shade too bright. 'Yeah, great!'
Chris walked over towards his friend, taking her by the elbow. 'What did you do?' he demanded.
'It wasn't my fault,' she whispered back. 'He just looked so lost and confused, and so adorable, and I couldn't let him go thinking that Steph would ditch him. He looked really upset!'
But Chris wasn't too angry. Seeing Stephanie's melancholy face had been more than enough for him to change his mind about the whole plan as well. Chicks were way too easily susceptible.
'Well, it looks like we're out of plans,' he muttered under his breath.
