His Room Pt 02

Part 2 - His Date

(A few years ago)

"Happy Birthday, Tyler!"

Daisy stood in front of me holding a cupcake in the little clubhouse our dads had built for us in my backyard before I was born. She had a big smile on her face; her gold-flecked brown eyes were glowing with happiness as she watched me blow out the candle. Before the actual party for me began, we'd bring each other out here every year and celebrate together.

I kept the door open and made sure our parents knew where we were, as per Rodney's wish. It's been two years since he died, and even though he was gone and technically didn't have any power over me anymore, I wasn't going back on my word. I was going to make sure this vision in front of me was safe in my company as long as I was able.

I took the cupcake from her, and gulfed it down, which caused her to giggle adorably.

"Don't hurt yourself!" she said amidst more giggling. "I need you alive for the rest of the party, so try not to throw your head back like a duck every time you swallow."

I gulped down the last of the cupcake, and cocked an eyebrow at her, daring her to test me. She only shook her head, and playfully patted my shoulder.

"So what did you want to talk about, anyway?" I said after a while.

Her pretty brown eyes widened, and she bit her lip nervously. "Talk? What makes you think I want to talk about anything?"

"Daisy... You know you suck at lying to me." I pinched her arm playfully, and she smacked my hand. "Is there something wrong? Did your boyfr- did Reggie do anything?" God, I hated this. If she was my age, I'd have had her in a heartbeat, but that damn barrier was always going to be there to haunt me. If Reggie did anything to hurt her, I swear to freaking Christ, I'm going to-.

"I broke up with Reggie," she said, and I immediately felt tension I didn't even know I was holding leave me. "It's not that, it's just... This is our last month together, Ty. I'm just feeling super nostalgic right now."

"Aw... You love me!" I mocked, beaming at her unspoken declaration. "Daisy loves Tyler! Daisy loves Tyler!"

"What are you, five?!" She shouted in annoyance, but I couldn't help myself. She loves me! She loves me!

I scooped her into my arms, and twirled her around, laughing as she squealed. She playfully whacked at my face as I held her, growing more and more embarrassed as I spun her.

"Come on, admit it!" I said after the twelfth spin. She looked like she was getting a bit dizzy, so it won't take long to break her. "You love me, don't you?"

"Of course I do, Ty." My heart nearly stopped, and my smile threatened to break off. "But I could love cheese." God damnit, woman! "It's not just love, Ty. I'm falling in love with you. I consider love and being in love totally different things."

"So you're in love with me?" I said, feeling my heart quicken. Come on! Say it! SAY IT!

"Yes." She finally said. "I'm madly in love with you, Tyler!"

"You're damn right you are, Delicia Joseph!" I said, spinning her again as she giggled. "You're mine. You always have been. It's so nice to hear you say it."

"Kids! Come in here! Frank just came back with the cake!" Melissa yelled from outside. Daisy's face paled, and I laughed.

"Just a second!" I yelled back, finally setting Daisy back down and kissing her forehead. Her eyes were clouded, and filled with worry. Crap! "Don't wuss out on me, girl. I know that look!" Her eyes met mine, and she bit her lip. I took her face in my hands, and pulled her into an embrace. God, she's so short... "We have an entire month left before I leave. Let's make this count."

Her eyes lit up. "Does that mean we can finally -?"

"No."

"But Tyler, I'm so ready!"

"No you are not. You're still too young. I'm not going to defile you."

"But it won't be-."

"Yes it will. And I love you too much to hurt you." She sighed, and I smirked. "We've got the rest of our lives for that, okay!"

"'We've got the rest of our lives'? What eighteen year old talks like that?! Why you gotta be so damn romantic all the time? Aren't guys into like titties or whatever?"

"Aren't girls into, like, ponies or whatever?" I mocked, and she huffed.

"All I'm saying is you can't turn up your Romeo speech and not expect me to like it!" Okay. She has a point. "If this is going to work, no more romance talk until I'm of age."

"Okay." We started walking out of the clubhouse. "But I'm still going to call you Daisy Joseph."

"Fair enough."

Then we walked into the house and had a normal day. A few old friends came home for the party, and Daisy and I talked about our life goals and her love of animation. Little did she know that I already had a plan brewing from that point on. I'd already gotten her to admit that she loved me, so seducing her wasn't going to be hard. That wasn't the problem.

That girl's got walls, and I got to tear them down one by one. But for the moment, I'm going to enjoy the little time we have left as friends before I leave for college.

My plan will work. I just have to be patient.

*********

(Present Day)

The dress was perfect. Gold satin clung to every dip and curve on my body, making it practically look like it was painted on my skin. Knowing Tyler, he probably asked the designer to make the minor length adjustment, cutting it up to about three inches above my knees so that nearly all of my legs were showing, and if I sat down I'd have to be careful to not flash people, but I was okay with it when I saw the look in his eye as I came downstairs. The way his eyes devoured every inch of my body made me feel like the sexiest woman alive... Until they stopped on my gold converses.

He smiled, and met my gaze. "Really, Daisy?"

"I can't walk in heels, so I'm not going to bother." I smirked, and raised an eyebrow at him, daring him to try me. "If you have a stiletto fetish, then you'll have to find someone else."

"Nope. No heel fetish here, but I'm up for anything if you want to try." He scratched the back of his head, and bit his lip. "Damn. That's really a deal breaker for you?"

"Those contraptions are the stuff of monsters. And I'm just stubborn like that, I guess." I walked up to him, and took his hand. "You look absolutely delicious, by the way."

I meant it. Tyler looked absolutely stunning all cleaned up - almost regal. The dark suit he was wearing illuminated his pale skin, somehow giving it an ethereal quality. He wore a blood red shirt underneath that clung to every muscle on his torso. He topped the look off with a green tie and a red and black pair of Jordan's; it was wonderful! He looked like sexy Christmas!

He smirked. "You stole my line."

As we walked outside, we spotted a few of our neighbors going into their homes. One couple in particular made a bit of a show when they saw us - the Stevenson's. Mrs. Stevenson's eyes widened in shock, and Mr. Stevenson smiled knowingly, winking at me as Tyler and I loaded into his car.

Hmm... Strange.

Oh well. I turned to Tyler.

"What you got planned, Romeo?"

He smiled. "It's a surprise."

"Your secrecy is beginning to get a bit annoying."

"Don't worry. You'll love it! But first..." He leaned over, and his lips connected with mine. The momentary show of affection was quite sweet, so I leaned into it and closed my eyes. God, his lips felt like silk...

But just as quickly as it was happening, it was over, and my back was back on the seat cushion... I think. Wait, why is everything dark?

This motherfucker just blindfolded me!

"Tyler, what the -!"

He pulled out of the driveway and stepped on the gas. I think. Or he might have been driving the speed limit, and I may just be overreacting. I don't know.

I reached for the blindfold, but he swatted my hand away.

"Bad Juliet! Bad!" Tyler said, chuckling to himself. "Come on. I'm trying to be romantic here."

I smiled. It was like just like him to do something like this.

"So I heard you just got offered a couple of contracts from some pretty big teams..."

"Yeah. The Heat's been campaigning for me pretty hard. The Pacers too. But I'm not sure I want to go pro."

"WHAT?!" Is he serious? Where the hell is this coming from?

He chuckled. "Basketball's been my life for as long as I can remember, but I don't really know if I want it to be the only thing I know, y'know? I want to explore a bit. Find something I'm actually passionate about."

"Tyler, I don't know if this is a good idea. It seems crazy..." I bit my lip. He was really going to pass up an offer to play with the Heat for some good, old fashioned soul-searchin'? "But I support you. What do you have in mind?"

"Well, one of my friends did say I'd be perfect for porn..."

"You are not becoming a porn star," I said through clenched teeth, and he laughed. "Do you know how many male porn stars end up committing suicide?! Or worse! I am NOT letting that happen to you!"

He laughed again. "I'm joking. Geeze! But seriously, you remember that mockumentary I was in when I played for Notre Dame?"

"'48 Flavor Crusade'? Yeah. What about it?" It was an awful, shaky-cam mess about basketball players gaining superpowers from eating ice cream that's been contaminated by tasteless alien goo. Most of the actors were players on the team, and they were different varieties of awful, save for Tyler who was surprisingly good for someone who's never even been in a high school play before. He wasn't fantastic, but he was pretty decent.

"I got a taste for acting after that. I auditioned for a show a few months ago while I was in Florida, and I got a bit part. Production starts in a few months. The producer says if I do well enough, I could be a reoccurring character."

"Ty, that's fantastic! I'm so proud of you!" I beamed at him. I think. Still blindfolded, so it was hard to tell. "So when you quitting the college league, then?"

"I'll wait a little while." I could practically hear his cheeky smirk. "I want to go out in a blaze of glory."

********

After our little talk, Tyler had turned the radio up really loud, so that pretty much killed our conversation from that point. After what felt like hours later, we finally arrived. He stopped the car, and I could hear the soft sounds of a jazz singer as she scatted along to a piano melody.

Tyler then opened the door for me, and as I stepped outside I heard the quiet chatter of the elite as they discussed normal affairs, and I could smell the aroma of grilled meat.

"Tyler, can you afford-?"

"Shush. Don't worry about it, ok! Just relax and enjoy yourself." He cooed as he ushered me into the restaurant.

"Ah. Mr. Joseph, you're right over-. Hmm." I heard the shrill voice of the hostess call. I didn't need to see to know she was giving the stink eye to my shoes. "I'm sorry. I don't think those adhere to our-."

"They may not. But my friend Mr. Benjamin says he likes them..." Did he just slip her a bribe? Who is this sneaky man, and what has he done to my Tyler?!

"Oh! Well who am I to disagree with a founding father? Just come along! Right this way!"

Then I felt him guide me through the restaurant, and the smell of steak and wine and expensive perfume permeated the air. Honestly it was a little overwhelming. He sat me down in what felt like a comfy leather chair, and cuddled me close to his side. The waitress came by, and Tyler ordered for us both before I could get a chance to say anything.

"My fiance and I would both like parmesan stuffed hot peppers to start. And for drinks, she'll have a virgin pina colada, and I'll just like a water for now. When you come back, we'll be ready to order our main course."

I heard the sound of heels clicking on a hard surface, and knew she had left.

"So... Where are we?" I finally asked, feeling the urge to take off my blindfold grow stronger than ever. But Tyler is trying to be romantic...

"A nice place. That's all you need to know." He said, and he wrapped an arm around my shoulder.

"You're lucky I trust you." I said, shaking my head and he chuckled. "Just don't expect to be the only one paying for the meal, okay? You've already done enough tonight as far as money goes."

"But-."

"No buts!" I commanded, cutting him off. "If you want me to have a good time tonight, then please don't fight me on this. I know you're trying to be romantic and all, but you don't need to spoil me. I've been yours since we were kids." And on that note... "Ty, how are we going to do this?"

"Do what?" He asked, confused.

"Us. How is this going to work?" I asked, feeling worried. "We can spout whatever bullshit we want about romance and love and being together forever, but that won't change the fact that what we're doing is illegal."

"It's not illegal everywhere. We can go to Indiana or to Canada or Nevada. You don't need to worry, okay. Everything's going to be fine."

"Tyler, you keep saying that, but-."

"Here are your drinks and appetizer. Now, would you like to order your main course, or would you like to wait until you've finished?" The waitress asked, cutting me off.

"We'll wait." I said before Tyler could say anything. "Thank you. You've been wonderful so far."

The waitress thanked me, and I heard the sound of her heels against the floor again.

"Now Ty, we got to talk about -. Mhmph!" He stuffed a pepper into my mouth, and shushed me.

"Don't worry. This night is going to be special, okay? We've waited so long to be together like this, and I want every minute we have together to be fantastic, regardless of the consequences and whatnot." Tyler sounded exasperated, so I decided to hold my tongue for the time being, and I started chewing the fried pepper. It was surprisingly good, and I smiled to show Tyler that I was going to let him do his thing for the rest of the date.

*************

I don't know how long we stayed in that restaurant, but Tyler and I ended up having a pretty good time. The music was great, the food was fantastic, and the service was impeccable. As promised, I kept my mouth shut about the situation we were in the entire time, and that seemed to allow Tyler to focus on playing Romeo for the rest of the evening.

He made me keep the blindfold on the entire time, which was kind of annoying, but Tyler, always the romantic, said, "It makes things feel more intimate this way. If you can't see me, then it makes you have to trust me more. You've already seen a taste of what I can give you, but now I want you to feel it."

And I, always the immature one, replied, "Feel it. And taste it. In my mouth?"

To which Tyler chuckled in amusement and said, "That comes later."

This man...

After our date, Tyler ushered me outside, still blindfolded, and we walked to the car. As we happily chatted and Tyler playfully kissed my cheeks, the sound of tires screeching stopped us dead in our tracks.

"Shit!" Tyler cursed, and tried to quickly usher me back into the car. Sadly, he wasn't quick enough, and we were suddenly surrounded by people. I could hear the fast sounds of clicking as they hurled question after question at us.

"Tyler Joseph, who is this mystery woman and how long have you two known each other?"

"Tyler, how will this affect your professional relationship with Sherry Washington?"

"This woman looks an awful lot like your step mom. Is she your stepsister?"

"Any comments?"

"Any comments?"

"Any comments?"

Before they could get their answers, Tyler quickly pushed us through the crowd and towards the car. The crowd tried to follow us, but by the time they surrounded the hood, Tyler already had the keys in the ignition and was driving off.

I took off my blindfold, and looked back at the restaurants. Several people were still trying to chase after our car with cameras. There wasn't a doubt in my mind that they'd find the information they desired with a quick internet search and some digging into the customers at the restaurant. Then the headlines would start, and the drama would ensue.

I ruined him!

************

After a little while, Daisy had fallen asleep. Her light snoring, and worried expression made me a little anxious, but I reassured myself that this was part of the plan. After a little while, I pulled up to the lakeside log cabin I had rented, and got out of the car. I pulled out my cell phone, and dialed the number.

She picked up on the first ring.

"Hey TJ. How was the paparazzi swarm?" She asked.

"Bout as good as it could be. Is everything set up?" I asked, eying Daisy to make sure she couldn't hear me.

"Yep. I set it all up this morning, and I'll be over to pick up your car later." She said. "Good luck, champ. Just try not to get overwhelmed to break her in too early, ok? I need her alive for when we bond-style the big reveal of our plan, okay?"

I chuckled. "I made a promise to Uncle Rodney that I fully plan to keep."

She chuckled again, and said, "I'll just have to take your word for that. Goodbye and good luck, TJ."

I thanked her, and ended the call. I saw Daisy stirring in the car, and the anxiety began to creep back in. I raced to her side of the car, and opened the door.

God, I hope this works!