realist ━━ jess mariano

20| persuasion

HE TOOK HER TO THE LAKE, but not before stopping by countless restaurants and the grocery store for a good amount of food. In Rosie's humble opinion, he was betraying his words already— there was no way the lake, at nigh time, in it's amorous dim light and unwinding sounds of the slow waves was the least romantic place he knew.

She got swindled. "Has anyone ever told you you're a hopeless romantic?" She asked as she sat down on the lake's bridge, watching him sort out the food and place it between them. "I mean, if this is the least romantic place you know, you have to be."

"Your misguided notion that I'm a romantic really stuck with you, huh?"

    "Misguided?"

    "Misguided." He affirmed, popping a blackberry in his mouth. "I'm not a hopeless anything, and it's damaging to my carefully curated reputation here that you think I am."

    Rosie sat criss crossed on the bridge, facing him instead of the lake now. "You're taking me, nay, forcing me on this date —"

   "I thought you said this wasn't a date?"

   "—because you think you've had it all wrong. You think that Rory isn't your soulmate, and that I am, all because we share five things in common. That's the exact definition of hopelessness."

    "Hey, I paid for this food." He claimed lightheartedly, ignoring her assumption.

   "Now I just sound like a sexless prostitute." She scrunched her nose, eying the berries for a moment before taking a handful to eat.

   "Wouldn't that just be an escort?"

   Rosie narrowed her eyes at him. "You seem to know a lot about escorts." She pointed out.

    "I'm from New York, you can buy sex at every corner." He played along, shrugging his shoulders.

This time, she gave a faint laugh. Jess gave a lopsided smile, staring at her thoughtfully. When the silence dawned, he breathed in and thought back to her assumption. "I never thought Rory was my soulmate." He said dismissively. Rose looked at him, intrigued. "I don't believe in soulmates."

    She nodded. "Finally, something we can agree on."

    "I think we agree on a lot more than that." He said, shaking his head.

    Rosie hummed, appearing deep in thought before deciding. "Not so sure about that." She said.

    "Earth; flat or round?"

    "Round, obviously."

    "That's one." He pointed at her with a fork. "You see? We're practically twin flames." He said, heavy on the sarcasm.

    "Hardly counts, that's scientifically proven." She bit down on the raspberry, then said; "Halloween or Christmas?"

    "Halloween." He answered shortly.

She gave a disapproving look. "Horrors or thrillers?"

     "Horrors."

"College?" She asked, seeking his opinion.

   "Money grab."

"Favourite Spielberg movie?"

He took a moment to think before answering this one. "Jaws." He said decidedly.

"Over Saving Private Ruan?" She exclaimed.

"Only one of them has killer sharks."