Chapter 4

**Riley's POV**

I hung up, looking at my phone and smiling. I couldn't wait for Carson to show up! I sat down, sighing and waiting for him when suddenly:

"Wow! I knew you would be here!!" I heard Daniel's voice and stood up immediately, deeply shocked.

"Daniel!! What are you doing here?!" I screamed, watching him smirk at me.

"Well, you forgot we have a dinner date," he sighed, sitting down on the chair I had arranged for Carson. That got me mad, and I tried to get him up from Carson's seat.

"Get up!!!" I struggled with him, but he didn't budge. He dug his hand into the sushi bowl and the little fire (a very small oven mostly found in Asian sushi restaurants for smoking sushi), holding it with the sushi iron sticks.

"Don't touch that! It's not for you!"

"Who owns it then?" he asked, pushing a half-smoked one into his mouth and munching on it.

"You told me that I'm going to date you tonight."

"This is not yet night but evening, if I am correct!" I reminded him, and he smirked.

"If this isn't for me... who then is it for?"

"For...."

"Hey Riley!!!" I heard Carson's voice as I tried telling Daniel who I reserved this place for. Oh my gosh! I tried smiling and covering up for him, but Carson had already seen Daniel. His face changed from the warm expression he had for me to a cold and angry one.

"You asked me to come and..."

"Oh hey!" Daniel waved, cutting Carson off mid-sentence. Carson heaved, and I gave him that "I CAN EXPLAIN" kind of look, but it was too late.

He found a seat opposite me at the round table and sat down, getting himself busy with the sushi, the sticks, and then holding it against the fire to smoke.

"Carson..." I called warmly, but he gave me those cold looks, which made me keep quiet for a while.

"So," Daniel began, keeping his smoked sushi on my plate. My eyes went to Carson's face immediately, and I saw he was looking at Daniel with hatred written all over his face.

Carson cleared his throat and smoked his sushi carefully while I did mine, not without glancing at Carson. I wondered why Daniel was trying to ruin the whole situation for me and Carson. How did he even follow me? Why did he follow me? That's my f***ing question!

"So, I want to know more about you," Daniel said, dropping another smoked sushi onto my plate. I smirked. I picked one up with my fork and sent it to Carson's plate.

"Eat up," I said, smiling as I dropped it on his plate. He smiled back at me for the first time and then ate it. I saw the look Daniel gave him, and I didn't stop smiling because of it.

"Well, more about me?" I asked Daniel, and he nodded, trying to smile at me. He was smoking another piece, and I guessed he was going to drop it on my plate again... I needed to act fast.

"Well," I said, dropping mine on Carson's plate, "Eat up... Yummy, right?" I asked, smiling as he ate it, blowing on his mouth.

"So yummy, but hot!" he said, warming up to me, which was exactly what I wanted.

"I will blow the next one..." I kind of apologized, and he dropped his on my plate.

"Eat up too," he said, and I ate it. Oh no! It's so delicious!! I nodded my head before giving him a thumbs up.

"That was great," I complimented.

"You like it?" Carson asked, holding a sushi piece between his fork. He pushed his fork towards me.

"Here," he said, trying to feed me. I smiled and opened my lips, but then I saw someone I shouldn't see. Someone who shouldn't be here at all. It was Sarah. How did she come here? Did Carson invite her?

"Oh hey, Carson!" she cooed, sitting down beside him. I frowned and ate from Carson's fork hurriedly, no longer comfortable with this situation.

First, it was Daniel, and now it's Sarah.

"Oh hey! How did you know I was here?" Carson asked, clearly indicating he didn't invite her.

"Uhm... I... I was... I came by here... With..." she stuttered like a goat.

"Your fiancée, I presume," I completed her sentence. She rolled her eyes at me.

"Wow! It seems like we're all here!" she diverted, looking at Daniel, who had been silent for a while.

"Hey Daniel," she cooed at him, and he looked up at her.

"Hey Sarah, came to see your boyfriend?" he asked, pointing to Carson. I scoffed.

"Boyfriend?" She looked at Carson, giggling. "Do we seem like one?" she asked, holding Carson's shoulders. I felt like suffocating where I sat.

"Well, you guys look so perfect together," Daniel complimented, and she wowed.

"Awwww, not everyone sees that, you know," she said, referring to me with her eyes. I scoffed again.

**Carson's POV**

This is bad and sickly! Why the hell did they all barge in like this? From Daniel to Sarah?!

I bit my lips and grabbed my iron-like sticks again, picking out a sushi piece and smoking it over the fire. Everyone did the same, and the place became as quiet as ever.

"Who picked out this expensive place that's got no noise or people inside of it?" Sarah asked, staring around. Before I could answer, someone else did the job for me.

"I did," Riley said.

"Wow!!" Daniel came clapping. "My crush knows what's so good and sweet for me! And she hates noise too! Isn't she great, Sarah?" he admired, dropping a sushi piece on Riley's plate.

"She's great then," Sarah giggled, dropping a sushi piece on my plate. "Eat up, Carson," she said, rubbing my back. I smiled at her and then held the sushi on my fork, dropping it on Riley's plate.

"Eat up, Riley," I said, smiling. She smiled back at me before digging into it.

"That's yummy, Carson."

"Is it?"

"Yes, so much."

"Carson," Sarah called, dropping another sushi piece on my plate. As I made to transfer it to Riley's plate, she stopped me.

"Why don't you eat it up?"

"I'm smoking mine to eat," I replied, not looking into her eyes to avoid being deceived by those eyes of hers.

"Why? Aren't I good at smoking it? I've never done this before and...." Sarah started.

"Eat up," I said, feeding her from my fork to make her stop talking.

"Awwwnn, seems there's love chemistry here," Daniel's annoying voice interrupted as he tried feeding Riley the same way.

My heart skipped a beat staring at him and Riley. It felt like my heart would explode if she opened her mouth and chewed from his fork.

"Eat up," he said to her.

"Leave her alone!" I warned, trying to push his hand down, but Sarah pushed her own fork at me.

"Eat up," she said. I heaved, looking from her to Riley, who glanced at me, then at Daniel, and back to Sarah.

"Daniel... He's my boyfriend, so stop matchmaking him with her!" Riley spoke up, and I felt a bit relieved. Daniel smirked and lowered his hand.

"I know, and I'm trying to make you see that he's not the right person for you, but I am."

"Really?" I cut in, facing him squarely. "You heard her, didn't you? She likes me, and I'm her boyfriend!!" I snapped. He smirked.

"Carson..." Sarah began, but I cut her off.

"Sarah, you're my friend, and that's all you'll ever be. Don't make this hard for us."

"It's okay!!!!" Riley yelled, silencing everyone. The tension was palpable.

"We're all here already, so let's drink," she suggested. I shook my head.

"No," I disagreed.

"I agree with her! Let's see who gets drunk and who Carson takes home between the two of us!!!" Sarah seconded while Riley scoffed, crossing her arms.

"Riley, this is a bad idea," I pressed further.

"I support it! I want to gladly take my crush home when she gets drunk!" Daniel chimed in, and I found myself the last person standing. Oh no!

**Carson's POV**

The pressure was mounting. Everyone seemed determined to turn this into a drinking contest, and I could feel the impending disaster. I needed to diffuse the situation before it got out of hand.

"Alright, everyone, let's calm down," I said, trying to sound as assertive as possible. "This isn't about who takes whom home. Let's just enjoy the evening without making it a competition."

Riley looked at me, her eyes softening slightly. "Fine," she said, "but let's at least have a toast."

Everyone agreed, and we raised our glasses. I couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding as the evening continued. I just hoped that things wouldn't spiral out of control.

**Riley's POV**

The atmosphere had calmed a bit, but the tension was still there. I glanced at Carson, who looked relieved but wary. This night wasn't going as I had planned at all.

We clinked our glasses and took sips. I had to keep things under control, for Carson's sake and mine. I couldn't let Daniel or Sarah ruin this.

"So, Carson," I said, trying to steer the conversation, "how's your music coming along?"

He smiled, clearly grateful for the distraction. "It's going well. I've been working on some new pieces."

"That's great," I said, genuinely interested. "I'd love to hear them sometime."

"Maybe I could play for you after dinner," he suggested, and I nodded eagerly.

The rest of the evening passed more smoothly, with less tension and more genuine conversation. It wasn't perfect, but at least we managed to salvage it.

**Carson's POV**

As we finally wrapped up dinner, I felt a sense of relief. Despite the initial chaos, things had turned out okay. I glanced at Riley, who smiled back at me. Maybe, just maybe, we could make this work.

"Thanks for tonight," I said as we all stood up to leave. "It wasn't exactly what I expected, but I'm glad we could all share a meal."

Daniel and Sarah both nodded, though I could see the underlying tension still present. Riley stepped closer to me, and I felt a sense of warmth and support.

As we left the restaurant, I couldn't help but feel hopeful. This might have been a strange and awkward night, but it also felt like a turning point. I just had to keep moving forward and not let anything, or anyone, derail me.