It took Taichi an hour to reach the fateful fantasy-themed bar. He paused several times on his trip to check his hair and ensure the flowers remained alive. The tulips just began to open and their pale pink offset the sprigs of baby's breath scattered throughout the bouquet. The wealthy brunet reached the entrance to the bar, but paused with his hand on the door. Customers swarmed around the bar, and Tai could just glimpse familiar red hair among the crowd. Despite his want to see the beautiful red head, he assumed Sora would not appreciate a large scale display of affection. The small sign near the door indicated that the bar closed at 11:30 – late for a Sunday. Tai's stomach rumbled loudly; he obeyed the primal need and wandered away in search of a restaurant. He decided to return right at closing in order to give Sora her flowers. A small Italian restaurant stood at the end of the block; Tai opened the door and entered the hushed, romantic atmosphere. Tables decorated simply with candles and pure white table cloths attracted Tai's sophisticated nature. The hungry gentleman hopefully approached the maître'd.

"A table for one, sir?" the tall man asked through a thick Italian accent.

"Yes, if you please. Have you any room?" Tai asked formally. The Italian man smiled indulgently, glad to have a sophisticated client. He efficiently gathered two menus and smiled.

"This way please, sir."

The maitre'd seated Tai by a window, several tables away from a teenaged couple. By practices etiquette, the head waiter placed the napkin on Tai's lap, opened the menu and filled the water glass. With a discrete bow, the Italian retreated. As the brunet con-man scanned the menu, he wondered about his friends' activities tonight. Sean, he knew, had a date with the Hispanic barmaid. Stephen met a girl at breakfast, so Tai could guess his actions. He idly wondered if Stephen even thought to get tested.

Joshua's whereabouts remained a mystery. Kayla left early that morning and Josh spent the day wandering through the hotel like a lost puppy. He vanished from the hotel around eight thirty that evening, just half an hour before Tai left. The thought of Joshua and Kayla made Tai thirsty for something stronger than water. He reached for the wine list and just made his decision when a waiter appeared at his elbow.

"Would you like to order, sir?"

"Yes, please. I'd like to start with an Insalata Capresi and antipasto platter followed by the Lamb with Salsa Verde. And, I would like to pair each with the recommended wine."

The waited grinned. "Excellent choices, sir. I will return momentarily with some fresh bread."

…

Two hours later, remnants of Salsa Verde dotted Tai's plate. The waiter appeared once more. "How was everything, sir?"

"Wonderful," Tai replied honestly. "I will make a note to return to this restaurant. My compliments go to the chef."

"I will pass on your praise, sir. Would you care for any dessert? The Tiramisu is delicious. Or, if I may be so bold to suggest our selection of fruit sorbet? It would be a wonderful way to cleanse the palate."

"That sounds marvelous, I'll have the sorbet."

"Yes, sir."

The waiter vanished and outdoor noise swelled as someone entered the restaurant. Tai glanced up and nearly choked on his wine. Joshua led Kayla to the maitre'd. Moments later, the pair sat several feet from Tai. The brunet forced himself to remain in his chair despite his steadily growing anger.

"Your sorbet, sir."

"Thank you," Tai replied absently. He ate the fruit flavoured ice without tasting, his eyes fixed on the young couple. Moments later, he paid his check, donned his jacket and walked casually over to his friend.

"Fancy meeting you here," Tai drawled.

Joshua inhaled a slice of prosciutto and nearly choked. Kayla replaced her utensils and smiled coyly.

"Good evening, Tai. How wonderful to see you again."

"You as well, Kayla. I heard you had to work this morning. Did everything go well?"

Her eyes flickered. "Yes, thanks."

"Where is it that you work?" Tai continued.

Her cornflower blue eyes became veiled. "Oh, it's nothing exciting, I'm just a waitress at a restaurant downtown – The Nascar."

"Interesting name. It sounds like fun."

Joshua finally managed to swallow. "What are you doing here, Tai?" he asked bluntly.

"Same as you – eating, but now, I must be off. I promised to meet someone soon."

"Who are the flowers for?" Kayla asked before Tai could turn away.

Tai smiled. "That's a secret." Before Kayla could ask another question, Tai turned and walked jauntily out of the restaurant. He checked his watch – 11:15, and turned in the direction of the Cheshire Cat. On the way, Tai replayed his brief conversation with Kayla. Her face, body language and tone all pointed to one fact – she was lying.

…

Ale smiled as the waiter placed several dishes on their table. She and Sean each ordered three dishes they found interesting and decided to share. Ale nibbled on the salmon ceviche; it reminded her of home.

"How is the salmon?" Sean asked.

" Delicious; you should try some." Ale pushed the plate slightly in his direction. "How is that Thai salad thing?"

"Awesome. So, you're in Ryerson University, then? What are you studying?"

"Radio and Television Arts. So, hopefully, by the end I'll be a director."

"Really?" Sean asked. "That's incredible. That must be a dream come true. Is directing what you always wanted to do?"

"No," Ale heard herself say. She paused in surprise. Only Sora knew that she didn't want to be a director – at least not entirely. Before Sean could react, Ale continued. "What do you do?"

Sean made a mental note to return to that topic. "I'm an entrepreneur."

"And that is what?" Ale pressed, her English grammar slipping. "Oh wait, the proper way is, 'What is that', isn't it?"

Sean ginned, "Yes indeed." He took a couple more bites of the colourful salad while Ale finished off half of the ceviche.

Once she swallowed, she asked again, "Well, what is an entrepreneur?"

Sean thought the question out carefully and finally decided to give Ale a very general, almost dictionary definition. "It means that I am the one who hears an idea for a business or a product, and starts working on producing the product or starting the company, or whatever it may be. Usually, I only back things that look economically promising, but there's always risk, you know?"

Ale nodded slowly. "I think I understand. So, if there was an empty building in a good location, and you knew of several people who could cook, you might decide to open a restaurant. Is that a good example?"

"Yeah, that's a perfect example."

"Well then, if I ever find the perfect spot for a restaurant, I'll make sure to call you."

Sean grinned and swapped dishes with Ale. The lemon scented salmon proved difficult to keep on his fork. To draw attention away from his awkward eating abilities, he asked, "Wouldn't you be opening up a movie studio rather than a restaurant?"

Almost too quickly, Ale responded, "Right, of course, a movie studio."

Sean debated how far to push his luck in this conversation. Hesitantly he asked, "Would you rather work in a restaurant than as a movie director?"

The young Hispanic girl fiddled with the remains of her salad. Her body language gave Sean his answer, and so he began to change the topic when Ale said, "I would, but I can't seem to find work anywhere. I took a few years of cooking school at a very prestigious cooking school back in Mexico, and as you know I can bartend. Unfortunately, that doesn't get me a job much better than at a McDonalds. I've tried place upon place, but everywhere they tell me that already they have filled the positions."

Her grammar had dissolved completely, but Ale did not care enough to re-word the sentences. Sean noted the way she reverted to Spanish grammar whenever she became emotional or nervous. He also saw the pain in her eyes when she talked about her attempts to secure a job – the same pain as when she mentioned her family.

"That's racism for you," he said bluntly. "Sadly, it turns up everywhere, even in these so called 'lands of opportunity'. Well, I'll let you know if I find any restaurant openings, I will be sure to let you know." His eyes sparkled. "But, I think I'd have to sample your cooking first, just so that I know who I'm recommending."

Ale laughed softly and accepted the last piece of salmon from Sean's fork. "Are you asking me out on another date, Sean?"

"Well, I think I'm inviting myself over to your house actually." He smiled and felt immense relief when his date returned the grin. "How does Tuesday night sound?"

…

Tai confidently pushed open the door of the Cheshire Cat. Sora stood alone at the bar, a rag in one hand and several shot glasses in the other. A male bartender who Tai had yet to meet mopped the floor several feet away. Sora tossed the shot glasses in a sink, noticed Tai and grinned self-consciously.

"Hello Tai, I wasn't expecting you this evening." She fumbled with the wet rag – it dripped dirty water onto her shoes. She cursed her inability to make small talk in the same way as Ale. For Christ's sake, Ale can't even speak English properly and she still does this better than me. Maybe the secret is being from another country.

"I know, and I won't keep you long because I don't want to get you into any trouble." Tai approached the bar slowly, the flowers hidden under his jacket. "I was just having a late dinner at the Italian place down the street, and I thought I'd surprise you." In a smooth motion, Tai revealed the flowers and presented them to the beautiful red-head.

Sora blushed, the colour obvious on her fair skin. "Oh, you didn't have to go to all of this trouble…"

"It's not trouble at all," Tai assured with a grin. "Well, I won't keep you any longer, but I will see you tomorrow evening. Have a wonderful night, Sora."

The confident brunet strode happily out of the bar, leaving an amazed Sora, her face as pink as the tulips in her hands.

…

Sean and Ale walked lazily around the city and discussed movies they had seen during their lives. Ale gawked with amazement that Sean had yet to watch Casablanca; he reprimanded her lightly for never taking an interest in Alien or Predator. Ale laughed aloud at Sean's comments that Alien had defined a generation.

"How exactly did a horror movie define a generation?" Ale questioned, her grammar back in place.

"It reminded people that there is something to be afraid of. More that your Casablanca movie which is all about true love and horse rides into the sunset." His eyes shone with laughter.

Ale snickered. "It is not! There are no horses and no sunsets…"

"I find that hard to believe."

"Oh, well, I assume there are sunsets, but they aren't the main focus."

Sean shook his head. "See, it sounds like you need to pay attention to symbolism and whatnot in Casablanca. Nothing like that in a classic horror and sci-fi like Alien."

"Alright, I have an idea," the Hispanic girl proposed. "You rent Alien and Casablanca for our date on Tuesday, and we'll watch both. That way, we actually know what we're talking about when we argue about the fact that Casablanca is a much better movie than Alien."

Sean laughed loudly. "That sounds like a good plan to me. That way, you'll know the characters' names when you're praising Alien."

The pair had arrived at Ale's small apartment. While Ale rooted for her large keychain, she fretted over how to say goodbye. She hadn't been on a date in years. Fortunately, Sean, always a perfect gentleman, knew how to behave. Gallantly, he placed a kiss on Ale's hand and smiled. "Thank you for a wonderful evening, Ale."

She flushed. "Well, thank you, Sean. I had a lovely time. I don't work on Tuesday but I do have class until six, so how does seven thirty sound?"

"Half seven?" Sean echoed. "That sounds perfect. I'll be here with movies and popcorn. See you then."

He waited until Ale let herself into her apartment before he left, thoroughly pleased with the evening.

On the other side of the thin wood, Ale leaned against the wall for support. Why did I invite him over? she demanded of herself. The apartment is so cramped and…embarrassing.

Despite these thoughts, she couldn't stop smiling when she reflected upon her evening with the Scotsman. It amazed Ale how easily she could converse with this perfect stranger. Absently, she rifled through her mental recipe book in search of a perfect meal.

And besides, another voice reminded, he's already seen your apartment.

…

Sora closed the bar an hour after Tai left. The cellophane on the flowers crinkled as Sora attempted to hail one of the few empty taxis. Brian, he co-worker and supervisor, left almost twenty minutes earlier, and Sora felt uncomfortable walking through the dark city alone. A cold breeze caused Sora to shiver and hinted at an end to the strange spell which had descended upon the city. For the past two weeks, summery warmth had replaced the usual late-March chill. Now, as Sora pulled her thin coat tighter around her shoulders, she sighed in resignation that the cold would return. This change of climate could alter her outfit for the upcoming date.

At the thought of Tai, Sora flushed a deep crimson. His visit and the flowers had shown her more affection than she'd received in a long time. 'No boy has done anything like that for me. Not since Matt anyway…'

A cab finally pulled up to the curb, and Sora gratefully slid onto the warm fake leather, momentarily distracted from her reminiscing. The red-head dumped her purse and work uniform on the seat, but kept the flowers balanced on her knees.

The taxi driver grinned and asked, "Where to, lovely?" His thick Scottish accent reminded Sora of Ale's date and she grinned. After providing her address, Sora grabbed her phone and dialed the young Hispanic's number.

"Bueno?" Ale greeted.

"Hey! How did it go?"

Ale laughed. "I was going to wait until you got home to call you about it, but I guess you couldn't wait, ah? You must have just gotten off work."

Sora played absently with one of the tulips. "Yeah, I just closed up. But that's not the point. How did the date go?"

"Really well," Ale replied without hesitation. "Except, I did something really stupid and invited him over to my house on Tuesday. I'm cooking him dinner and we're watching movies."

"Ale Sanchez!" Sora cried in genuine surprise. "I'm very impressed, but I also want to know what the hell happened to my shy little Hispanic friend." Ale snickered. "Why was it a stupid idea to invite him to your house? I think that date sounds adorable."

"But," Ale paused, "but what if he thinks that now…something is going to happen?"

"Then you tell him flat-out no," Sora replied quickly and firmly. "But, he doesn't seem like that kind of boy. Did he come across as that kind of guy on your date?"

"No," Ale replied after a moment, "he didn't at all, but that doesn't mean…"

"Stop!" Sora commanded. "You are not allowed to dwell on the negative. Just concentrate on cooking the perfect meal and finding an outfit for me."

"Oh right! Do you know where you are going yet?"

Sora caught the taxi driver watching her in the rear view mirror. Immediately uncomfortable, she said, "Not yet. He's being all secretive; though he did stop buy the bar with flowers tonight. I don't have any class tomorrow, so just come over when you're done classes, okay? See you tomorrow!"

"Ciao, Sora!"

Sora placed her phone back into her purse and clutched the flowers more tightly, glad that they had nearly reached her house. The taxi driver smiled, as if he sensed her tension.

"It sounds like I've got a love sick young woman in my car this evening."

Sora flushed. "I'm not love sick – I haven't even been on a date with the boy yet."

"Ah." He grinned. "Well, I'd say that 'es pretty keen on you, judging by those there flowers, love."

"I guess so." She smiled absently. The taxi stopped outside her townhouse and Sora paid the man, thanking him for the ride.

"My pleasure, lass. Now, have a good time on your date, alright?"

"I will!" she replied with a small laugh.

'Strange night,' Sora mused as she entered her townhouse. She carefully filled a vase and placed her tulips in the water. Absently, and with a large smile on her pretty face, Sora stroked the flower petals, unaware that Ale was doing the exact same several subway stops away.

……………………………………………