It’s D-day. The dreaded date. It could go wrong in so many ways, but more than likely it’ll only be another lackluster afternoon. I like Matt, I really do, but after today I’m prepared for that feeling to go away. Not that it’s personal. No, it’s just what generally happens after I date someone. That or I sleep with the guy, and that cannot happen. I won’t allow it.
Not wanting to overthink or invite unwanted advances, I dress in my favorite worn jeans and a bright blue sweater, and go with my black leather boots and jacket. The last two have more to do with the fact I’ll be riding the hog; might as well be in style. Not sure what else I’ll need, I tuck my ID, credit card, and a twenty into the back pocket of my jeans, along with my cell. I refuse to wear a ton of makeup, but I do indulge in a red lipstick that almost matches the deep red dye of my current hair color.
Taking the elevator down a few minutes before two, I wait for Matt just outside my building. It’s a beautiful early October afternoon. The sun is out, the clouds are at bay, and even though I need a jacket, it seems everyone in downtown Chicago has decided to venture outside their homes to enjoy a few hours of good weather.
I hear the engine before he turns the corner. Sliding a pair of shades over my eyes to shield against the sun’s glare, I only have to wait a few more minutes before Matt’s bike comes into view. God, he’s sexy on that death trap. He’s just the kind of man my mother always warned me to stay away from, and I absolutely hate the fact that makes him hotter. Or that I find him attractive to begin with. I shake my head and brace myself for whatever today’s date holds. I’m a strong woman. I can handle it.
Matt pulls up to the curb between two cars and pulls off his helmet. He notices me with a lift of his brows and ghost of a smile. I push off the wall outside my complex and take my time walking toward him. I have never run toward a man and won’t start today.
“I would have come in,” he says.
“It’s okay.” I reach for his helmet but he shakes his head.
“Nope. Not anymore. Here.” He opens one of those compartments on his bike and pulls out another helmet to hand me.
I take it and put it on. “I hope you didn’t buy this for me.” He’s being safe and thoughtful but it only seems presumptuous. He won’t last four dates. I know this. Besides, what if I don’t want to ride bitch on his motorcycle anymore.
“Who the hell else would it be for?” He only laughs and then revs the engine before sliding his helmet back on. “Ready?”
Instead of shouting my reply I fasten the chin strap and climb on back. There’s one great thing about riding this way: no lame small talk. Grabbing his waist, I hold tight as he backs out onto the road and guns it. The rumble of the engine is a soothing melody and for a few minutes I forget what I’m doing or where we’re going. It’s peaceful. That is, until I remember we’re on a date. Watching my surroundings, I try to guess exactly where he’s taking me. He seems extra cocky that I’ll like it, which only magnifies my doubts.
Oh God, he’s nearing the art institute, along with every other touristy spot along Michigan Avenue. Rae has dragged me to enough art shows over the years to last a lifetime. While I appreciate the effort of the artists, it’s just not my thing. Not unless we’re talking comics and graphic novels.
He zooms past the Buckingham Fountain, and I swear if he takes me to that fucking bean I’ll jump off this stupid bike and walk all the way home. Thankfully, he pulls to a stop and parks far enough away from that thing I feel we’re safe.
His expression is lit with excitement as he takes my helmet and stores it along with his own. “You ready?”
“I don’t know. Where are we going?” I ask with a forced sweetness.
“Trust me, Mia.” he says and of its own accord my body flushes, remembering vividly the last time he asked me to trust him. “Come on.” He grabs my hand and starts walking so I have to either yank it away or follow his lead. Morbid curiosity propels my feet forward.
“I’m not sure if you’ve ever done this before, because, well, I don’t really know much about you, but it looked like a lot of fun. Plus, ya know . . .” He stops short in front of the Fine Arts Building and that’s when I read the sign.
TRAPPED IN A ROOM WITH A ZOMBIE
“Oh no, you didn’t.” Pure awe and shock ooze through my mind, because how could he know? I’ve been begging Jared for months to go to one of these with me. Escape room, Zombie edition.
“If you don’t like it we can do something else.” Matt meets my stare with a weak smile and squeezes my hand. I realize I’m still holding on to him. “But my vote is we give it a try.”
Pulling my hand back into my personal space, I let my guard down and give in to the smile I’ve been fighting since his big reveal. “No fucking way! I’m sorry. It’s just . . . I’ve been dying to do this.”
His grin grows and a chuckle leaves his lips. “Thank God! You had me worried there for a second. I put a lot of thought into today.”
“You sure you didn’t get any inside help?” I tilt my head and study his response.
His expression is stone-cold when he crosses his heart with his finger. “Swear it. Now. Let’s go solve some puzzles.” We walk the final steps and Matt holds open the door like a gentleman.
Before I enter the building I stop to let him in on a little Mia quality that doesn’t always win friends. “I have to warn you, as much as being eaten by a zombie sounds fascinating, I am incredibly competitive. Like, if we don’t beat this thing I’ll probably demand you take me home afterward.”
Matt’s smile only widens. “Good. Because I only compete to win. Let’s kick some ass.”
Matt wasn’t joking. I guess as a fighter he knows what it takes to win, but while I usually try to contain my competitive nature, it’s pointless with a teammate like him. We’ve already passed through nineteen different clues and puzzles. Smoked past the group of twenty somethings by the third one. They met their unfortunate fate by zombie bite within the first twenty minutes. Young’uns. We were neck and neck with the other couples until about two puzzles ago. Now it’s down to the wire. Ten minutes left on the clock and it’s between us and one other couple. Oh, and a zombie five minutes from being unchained. There’s still plenty of time, but we didn’t come this far for runner-up. We also still haven’t found the key.
“It’s got to be in here somewhere.” Matt flings ledgers from a filing cabinet onto the metal desk while I riffle through the drawers. The other couple is clear across the room scouring a bookcase. Our last clue read,
You’ll find the key
Between red and black
Pages that don’t lie
Unless you can’t count.
Matt’s first instinct was the financial records of this mock office and I agree, but the other couple thinks they’ll find it in the bookcase lined with red bound books. We can’t be wrong. We have to win this thing, and not only because we’re both competitive, but because the couple we’ve been neck and neck with all night is one of those annoying power couples. She’s a lawyer and he’s a surgeon. They have two children, a dog, and a condo in River North. How do I know this? Because they’ve shared their many successes at every possible moment. Uber annoying, and it’s only fueled my need to beat their asses at this game.
“Mia!” Matt whisper-shouts and draws my attention. He’s retrieved a leather-bound book etched with the words General Ledger and hands it over. The timer buzzes overhead signaling another five-minute mark, and lets the zombie that much closer to us and the other couple. Matt grabs me by the waist and yanks us into the corner of the room before the zombie actor can knock the book from my grip.
I flip through the pages as fast as possible and when I get to the last written transaction, there’s the key. Bingo! “Matt!” I yank it from the little paper sleeve and we run across the room to the door.
I slip it inside and the door opens. Our host, a “scientist” from a special military section studying the zombie outbreak, congratulates us both on making it to safety first. The annoying couple follows through the doorway soon after and I try not to gloat.
“Lucky guess,” she says to me with a smile so polite it must be killing her to get beat. “You two worked really well together. Good chemistry. Let me guess, you’ve been together at least a year?”
“Nope. First date.” Matt laughs, deep from his belly and I swear it makes her eye twitch.
“We all made it out alive. That’s what’s important.” Her husband pats her shoulder and smiles as if they weren’t secretly competing with us this entire time. “Come on, honey, let’s go pick our sign for the winner’s photo. Add it to our collection.”
Our scientist is back, along with those who were eliminated early in the game. A few people still remain in the escape room, lost several clues back but really good at hiding from the lone zombie. “Okay folks, we’re gonna get a photo of both our survivors and newly infected participants. If you’ve been bitten, you can find props and signs over there. You survivors, take your pick from here.”
The power couple gives us one last look and turns away to follow the instructions.
“I don’t think this is their first escape room experience,” Matt whispers in my ear. “Did you see her face? Must suck to get beat by first timers.” He laughs again, this time out loud and I can’t help but join along.
“But damn, it feels good.” I giggle and throw up my hand to meet Matt’s high five.
“Gangsta. That’s what I’m gonna call you.” He grins and I really laugh this time.
“What should I call you? Boy genius?” I say and he laughs so loud the couple glances back at us. I pop up on my toes to whisper in his ear, “Smarter than a fucking brain surgeon and lawyer.”
A guffaw erupts from his lips and he shakes his head at me, holding his finger over his lips to shush me, but his smile tells me he finds it as entertaining as I do.
“You have a great laugh.” The compliment escapes my lips before I can censor it.
Matt’s smile lights up his entire face. “Thank you, Mia.” The scruff of his unshaved face moves with his lips. “You make me laugh a lot.”
He’s laughing at me. “So glad I could be of entertainment.” Rolling my eyes, I huff out a breath.
He laughs even louder and draws the attention of everyone in the room. “Not what I meant. Mostly.” He winks with that last part. The buzzer sounds and the remaining participants still struggling to solve their final puzzle are ceremoniously “eaten” by the now free zombie. He’s playing the part well but his costume and makeup could use a little work. All in all, it’s hilarious to watch.
We walk over to the selection of props and signs. I pick one that says, “Which zombie?” and Matt digs through the stack until he comes over with one reading, “I’m smarter than a zombie.”
“And other things,” he whispers, our inside joke that makes us smile wide through the photos we take.
“We’ll email these photos out tonight. Congrats again! If you had a good time, please consider leaving a review on Yelp. That’d really help us out.” The scientist grins after taking our photos.
“Will do. Shall we?” Matt gestures to the door and I nod, stepping in front of him to take the lead. There’s a bounce in my step as we walk back to our parking spot. That was so much fun. Like the best kind of fun, and I’m still reeling from it as Matt hands me my helmet and starts up the bike.
“You ready for more?” His smile is wide. Proud. And really, he should be.
“There’s more?”
“Hell, yeah. I promised you a spectacular date, and I never back down on my word.”
I slide onto the bike behind him, wrapping my arms tightly around his waist before he surges out into the weekend traffic. This time he heads away from the city, up along the lake’s coast. Even though the sun shines brightly, the wind whips across the water and stings my cheeks. I now understand why so many bikers opt for the full helmet. Not that I’m complaining. The further we go, the faster Matt drives, and the cars on the road become fewer with each mile.
It’s beautiful here. I’m not sure I’ve ever been this far outside the city’s center, not unless it was a rare trip to the suburbs. I wonder where he’s taking me, and how it can come close to competing with the zombie escape room we just ruled. That is, until he releases the throttle and I realize where he’s heading. His bike passes through the wrought iron gates of a quaint little cemetery. How is it possible this man gets me so well? We only just met. Unless he’s brought me here to murder me, I’m pretty sure anything he has in store will be completely perfect.