Camille dressed in a pair of pants and a soft sweater. The weather had been getting colder and colder as they approach the end of the year. Her foot wouldn't stop tapping on the floor as Wei was driving. She got more anxious when she saw the tall trees that suddenly crowded on both sides of them.
"What, are you nervous? Again?" laughed Wei.
"No," she lied.
"It's alright," he said. "I'm still a stranger anyway. You really should be scared that I would just drag you in the middle of the forest and pull your guts out."
Camille glared at him. "You're not really helping my nerves."
He gave her a sideway glance. "You'll learn to trust me. I never go back on my word. I am not going to kill you. At least not yet."
Camille immediately slapped his arm and Wei chuckled. "We're getting close," he said.
She watched as the roads led up to the end of the road and the trees parted in an open area. The sun was not exactly shining and was nearing its set. The air was cold and the rock barren.
"What are we going to do here?" she asked once she was on her feet. The water was calm below them.
"I'm going to make you jump."
Camille's fear crept to her chest as Wei opened the trunk of his shiny black car. Of all the things he could pull out, it was a basket. "Are we going to have a picnic?"
Wei only rolled his eyes at the smile that was making its way to her lips. "We're going to eat, of course."
Nobody had ever taken her on a picnic before! She could jump and down in joy and excitement. Wei flicked a blanket open and sat down on it. She followed and took out the food. "Where did you get this?" she asked.
"I bought it in a restaurant." He took a bite out of a sandwich. "Isn't this nice? Peace and quiet?"
Camille took a salad cup. "Yes, it is."
"Just so you know, I have no bad intentions with you. You can be less scared to come with me next time."
Her heart fluttered. "Next time?"
"Not unless this would be the last time. All up to you, of course." He took out a container and started to pull apart chicken.
Camille's lips pursed. "How do I know when I'm going to see you? Are you just going to pop out of nowhere again?"
"I suppose I will."
"I don't want that," she said and cleared her throat. "You have to give me a means of how I could get in touch with you."
"It's not safe," he only answered.
"Why?" then she gasped when she realized. "Oh my God, you already have a girlfriend, don't you? Or a wife? Or a fiancee?" She should've known. Of course, he had come from a well-off family. He should only be married to a rich woman.
Wei laughed. "What are you talking about? I have nothing of the sort. I am perfectly single," he winked.
Camille blushed but persistent to get what she wanted. "Then give me your phone number." He didn't budge. "Or an email address. Or else, this would be the last time that you'll see me."
I highly doubt that, Wei thought. But he answered. "Okay."
What? He said okay?! "Y-you're going to give me an email address?"
He shook his head. "My phone number."
Camille immediately pulled out her phone and typed the numbers as Wei recited them. She debated, but decided to press the call button. Wei immediately started laughing when the vibration filled the silence between them.
He fished his phone from his pocket and showed her the screen. "It's my real number. Do you think I lied to you?"
"Just making sure." She kept her phone. "Don't change it."
Wei sighed and laid down with his hands behind his head. He turned his face to look at her, his long eyelashes shadowing on his cheekbones. "You must've really missed me."
Camille only rolled her eyes. "And it seems that you don't."
"What? I missed you. How could you say that?"
"Well, you weren't that eager to come see me and you didn't want to give me a way to contact you."
Wei sucked on his lip. "Listen, I just have something to finish with my family. When that's over, I promise I'll be more present if you could wait."
"How long?"
Wei closed his eyes. "That's uncertain for now. I want to say by the end of the year, but that's not on the horizon. I'd say until March."
"Will we be together on Valentine's day?"
Wei smiled although there was something unreadable in his eyes. "I'll try to make it."
Her eyebrows furrowed. "Are you that busy?"
"It could get pretty hectic."
"Will you answer when I message you?"
"Yes, sure. I'll answer."
Camille couldn't believe it, but she was willing to settle. "I don't need a thousand messages a day. I just want to know if you're alive."
"And if I didn't answer?"
"That's means you're already dead and I'm going to move on."
Wei laughed, his head tilted up to the orange sky. "Yeah, you do that," he nodded. "You should move on."
There was certainty in his eyes that wrapped fear in her heart again. "What? Are you going to die soon?! Are you terminally ill?"
Wei sighed. "All I'm saying, we don't know when death would come knocking on our door."
"If death comes knocking on your door, you tell him to go away because you still have to take me out on a date."
Wei laughed and reached to touch her cheek. "Yeah, I'll tell him that. Let's see if he'll listen." He turned to his other side and propped himself on his elbow. "It'll be a few hours before I have to take you home. Should we start getting to know each other?"