"You know the windows are tinted, right? No one could recognise you unless they opened the door to look in." Zander's one hand is on the steering wheel, the other on the gear. He's looks so at ease as he glances my way, clearly amused. 

I finally give up with the incessant ducking and hiding. I smoothen my hair which really is a lost cause by now and lean back against the seat. It feels like the material has moulded to my back, the comfort making me yawn. 

"Wow, I must really be boring you." 

I shoot him a look, crossing my arms over my chest. "Aren't you exhausted? All I did was watch the game and yet I'm in dire need of a bed and a massage." 

"I do give really good massages." Zander smirks, his eyes fixed on the road ahead. 

"I meant a professional one. You know like the ones they do in Bali." I've been there once growing up -before the dark times- and remember following my mother to a massage parlour a few times. Not only were they cheap, the massages always managed to ease up knots I never knew I had. The same can't be said for here. Everything is either too expensive or of terrible quality. 

Zander holds up a palm, drawing my attention to his tanned skin and forearm which looks so strong with it's prominent veins. "Nothing about these hands are unprofessional, Danielle." 

"I beg to differ." I counter immediately. "You might be the golden boy of Daltech but everything about you screams unprofessional." 

"Care to elaborate?" He turns down a road and I notice we are heading for the city. 

"Umm, where do I start?" I hold up my fingers, putting down one after each point. "You blackmailed a completely unprepared girl into a date she never consented too, right after humiliating her after the match today." 

"Permission to object." He interrupts. 

"Overruled." I say sternly and he chuckles as I continue my rant. "You date girls and get bored of them quicker than Ariel the barista changes the menu for his orange flavoured lattes. You might still be dating Brooklyn and yet here you are with me. You were the last one to join rehearsal yesterday--."

My eyes go wide as I snap my mouth shut. I did not expect to blurt that out and now Zander has turned my way. His attention focused solely on me and it doesn't help that we've stopped at a red light. 

"Sounds like you really do notice me." He murmurs, clearly satisfied. " But everything you've noted might as well be null and void because those points don't reflect my professionalism or lack thereof at all. First of all, I didn't give you that bouquet to humiliate you. I genuinely made a point, exactly like you wanted." 

I wince in response, unable to rebuke that explanation.  

"Also me dragging you out for dinner would hardly be called blackmail. More like I care about whether your stomach is empty or not."

"How touching." I mutter sarcastically. 

"Also Brooklyn and I aren't together. Yes, we were dating but I ended it with her over the weekend, before I planned to ask you out. So if you saw the picture of the two of us on those silly forums, it's because I took her out for dinner to let her know I was interested in someone else." 

My stomach churns uncomfortably and I look out the window, studying the rainbow coloured awning of the ice cream shop across the street. 

"How do I know you're telling me the truth?" I ask him and an audible sigh escapes his lips. 

"I'm not a liar. But if you really must do a double check, you could always ask Brooklyn." 

My shoulders slump and I suddenly feel bad for doubting him. Why do I feel bad? This guy is the enemy!

"No, it's fine. There's no need for that."

Brooklyn and her friends will probably beat me up and throw me in some garbage bin to rot after what happened today. I'm sure she must have put two and two together after Zander dumped her and after the game today. 

I shiver with dread and make a mental note to avoid that group of girls at all costs. 

"We're here." He pulls into a parking spot and I gape at the long line of people waiting to be seated at this Michelin star French restaurant taking up the corner lot. The guests standing outside are dressed to the nines and here I am with unwashed hair, cakey make up and sweaty clothes. 

Normally, I would have loved to try out a place like this. My mum's a foodie and we grew up trying all kinds of cuisines together. I've never been to a Michelin star restaurant before and would have never turned down such an opportunity but today the idea of it is so unappealing. 

"Zander, look at all those people." I gesture to those sleek, figure hugging dresses and long diamond studded earrings and then to myself. "I look like the part timer they hired for the evening shift." 

His eyes sweep over my bare legs, then my body and finally my face. "I don't see anything wrong with what you are wearing. And no ones going to be judging your dressing here. The booths are very private."

There's a devilish glint in his eyes and I realise that this is moving too quickly, too fast. I'm not playing by my rules anymore. Zander's taken the reigns and now he's pulling my strings. I can't let him have his way and make it too easy for him. 

"I have a dress in the back. You could change into that if you like?" He proceeds to get out of the car when I grab his hand unexpectedly. 

He stares at our hands, his fingers slowly enclosing around mine. 

"Could we please do this another day? I know you must have went through a lot to get this reservation but I would much rather have some burgers and fries instead." 

The atmosphere is tense, quiet. I broke a cardinal rule in my ten steps playbook. That is to resist physical intimacy in the initial stages of dating but here we are holding hands in a tinted car. 

"It's really no big deal. I could always reschedule to another date." He finally concedes, his gaze still fixed on our hands. 

I slowly slip out of his grasp and nod appreciatively. "Thank you." 

"I suppose it's my fault." Zander says whilst we walk down the bricked footpath, looking for a nice burger joint to settle into. "I should have given you a heads up." 

"It is definitely your fault." I say and he nudges me on the shoulder playfully. 

"Something tells me that with you, it will always be my fault." He chides making me laugh. 

The sky has darkened but street lights flood the busy streets in the city. There are bars and restaurants all around us. Somewhere ahead, a drunk man has started to sing on a microphone, his crooning making Zander and I wince. 

"That looks alright." He points at a small dinner with a signboard that boasts the worlds best Sloppy Joes. 

We take a booth by the back and I order a chocolate milkshake and chicken burger. Zander orders an extra large set and double the amount of fries. His grin is sheepish after he finishes the order. 

"I'm starving." He admits. 

"What are the rest of your teammates doing? Surely there must be a celebration party tonight." I lean in curiously, my thoughts flitting to Luke. I had refused to look at him before running off to the dorms after the game. 

I've also been painfully aware that there have been no texts from his side ever since. I should congratulate him on the win. I should say or do something, instead of being the asshole girl who texts one person and then goes out with his best friend but somehow I can't find the nerve to do anything. 

"There's a party over at Greek row again but I might call it an early night." He eyes me suggestively and I wonder if that was an invitation. Is that how his dates usually end? Because there's no way we're doing anything remotely romantic tonight or ever. 

"Luke's your best friend, right?" I ignore his flirtatious gaze and the moment I mention his friends name, Zander sits up straighter. 

"Yes, why?" His tone is downright defensive. 

"Does he know you're out here with me?" I don't even know why I'm asking but some part of me is itching to know. 

His eyebrows knit together in a frown as he recollects. "I guess so. We were all in the room when I was getting ready."

"Oh." I try to keep the disappointment out of my voice but he catches it. 

"Why would you ask about Luke? Is there something going on there?" 

Our food arrives before I can answer. The waitress takes her time to lay out the table, completely unaware of the rising tension between us. I take a sip of my milkshake but Zander doesn't move, he's staring at me, waiting for my answer. 

"We're friends. Why, did he tell you anything?" It's true, Luke and I are just friends. I mean I definitely felt something and hope that it wasn't one sided but that's the extent of it. 

"No, he's never mentioned you before." Zander answers, cutting that fabric of hope into shreds. 

I nod solemnly and take another long sip of my drink, hoping it's sweetness can override the resultant disappointment I feel. A small voice echoes in my head, jaded from years of hurt and regret. 

It was never supposed to be about love. 

Stacy's right. I can't have it both ways. If I choose to avenge Elizabeth I need to forget about Luke but why does it always sound easier in my head but harder in my heart? 

I shake off those thoughts, realising that Zander's been studying me ever since I mentioned Luke. He doesn't look too happy about the way I've reacted to this topic. 

"This looks amazing." I say, picking up the burger that has been topped with caramelised onions, cheese and grilled mushrooms. I dig into it, savouring the taste and ignore his hardened gaze. Eventually he starts eating as well and we must both be so hungry that we finish our meals without much conversation. 

Once we are done I lean back, satisfied. 

"Should we head back?" I ask him once he's done. I really need to get back to that paper. 

He finishes his drink and chuckles humourlessly. "So eager to get rid of me, huh." 

"It's not that." I say as he calls for the waiter and pays the bill, leaving a huge tip. 

We head outside and there's music and chatter drifting from the shops all around us. I've never seen so many couples out and about. They hold hands and laugh, some even kissing and then there's the two of us, walking quietly side by side. 

I definitely killed the mood with my stupid question earlier. 

When Zander proceeds to lift up his car door, I stop him. "Are you mad at me? For ruining tonight?" 

I've been making so much progress, it was dumb of me to get sidetracked like that. 

Zander doesn't answer, instead he leans against the side door. 

"I'm sorry we canceled your reservation. I'll make it up to you--." 

He takes a small step forward, obliterating the space between us. 

"How?" 

Cars whisk by on the busy street behind me but it's all white noise. All I can see is the intensity in Zander's honey brown eyes and how close he is, so close I can smell his signature perfume and suddenly I'm unable to keep eye contact. 

"I'll make another reservation." 

He shakes his head and I take a step back, onto the busy road. A car honks loudly and suddenly I feel a hand wrapped around my waist, pulling me back. 

It takes me awhile to register that my face is plastered to his chest, his smooth, very chiseled chest. I can feel his heart beating against my skin. My brain screams in protest as I jump out of his arms and run over to the passenger side.

There's an awkward silence in the car as he drives us back, it slowly becomes stifling. 

"I'm so clumsy." I say it with so much self loathing. 

"No, I cornered you. It's my fault to begin with." He reiterates.

"If you say so." 

"Remember," He adds. "It's always Zander's fault." We both chime in unison and then we laugh. My body is still shaking from the near accident and then being in Zander's arms but it feels good to joke about it. 

"So," He says after a long pause. "If it were Luke who had asked you out today would you have gone out with him?"

Oh God, he's still hung up on that conversation. 

"I'm here with you, aren't I?" 

"Not exactly a no," He states. "Are you interested in the both of us? Tsk tsk and you call me a player."

I slap him on the arm playfully. "No. I'm a one man girl."

"Then prove it." He stops the car and I realise we're already reaching campus. "Come with me to the party tonight as my date."