William and Eve clinked their cups and took a sip. It was rich, smooth, and sweet. He smiled as he watched Eve take a sip. They talked for a little more. Their talk turned from nostalgic and business to their hobbies, like gaming and books.

  "So, Will. Have you read the new Harry Potter series? It's gaining quite a bit of traction."

  He nodded, "Of course, I've read it. It's quite fun, though it's lacking quite a bit of depth."

  She snorted, "Of course, it is. It's geared towards kids. We can't expect Lord of the Rings quality from every single fantasy."

  "I agree. I didn't say it needed the depth. I'm just saying it's lacking in that area compared to others. Though I suspect it would become quite a bit more popular than it currently is."

  "I suspected as much. Games are quite good this year, too. With games like Half-Life and the new Legend of Zelda, it's like a dream."

  "Yeah. And I feel like Metal Gear Solid and Starcraft are pretty good too."

  They continued talking for a while until the meal arrived. It looked delicious and sumptuous.

  William cut into the filet mignon, the knife sliding through the rare meat with almost no resistance. The inside was pink, just like he ordered it. He took a bite and closed his eyes for a moment, "It's actually good."

  Eve was already halfway into her duck confit. "See? I told you French was worth it." She dabbed her mouth with a napkin, "Though, I have to say, Sarah's cooking is better."

  He chuckled, "I agree, but don't let the chef hear that."

  She paused for a moment, "You know, I've been thinking."

  "That's quite a dangerous activity for you. Are you okay?" That earned him a kick under the table.

  "Shut up, Will. I'm being serious." She set her fork down. "We're gonna release the browser tonight."

  "Yeah? What about it?" William took another bite.

  "Well, we're gonna get even bigger once it's released. While we're not gonna make any money from this, it will massively boost our popularity."

  He nodded, "That's the idea. We're gonna make the browser so convenient that even if Windows comes installed with Internet Explorer, their users would go out of their way to install our browser."

  Eve took a sip of the wine, "While I don't know much about how the browser works on the technical side, it is very convenient. The fact that I can keep tabs is really great, and the built-in download manager makes everything so convenient."

  Grinning, he took another sip, "Well, I'm glad you enjoy it."

  She took a deep breath, "Well, that's enough business talk for today. Let's enjoy ourselves, shall we?"

  "Of course, my lady." He said while laughing.

  They had more fun. After they were done with the meal, it was already around 7 in the evening. So William drove them to the Tampa Riverwalk. It was a nice and beautiful place. They walked in silence,

  "Soooo....." William started.

  Eve laughed, "You're so awkward, Will."

  "What did you expect? I'm the worst at starting conversations."

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  She giggled, "True true." She sighed as she looked out at the river, "It's nice, isn't it? And romantic too..."

  He gazed at her, "Romantic indeed..."

  Eve, ever the observant one, noticed him staring, "What?"

  William observed her a bit more. Everything about her was perfect. From her appearance to her personality. "I think I might like you."

  Eve's eyes widened, "Huh?"

  William continued, "In fact, I think I might have liked you since like two years ago. I just didn't know what I was feeling."

  She froze. She didn't think he would confess like this. In fact, she was thinking of confessing herself. But she was sure that he would say no. But this truly shocked her to the core. She saw him make a worried face, one of the first times she had seen him with that face. Even during their sparring, he had never been worried about anything.

  She punched him in the arm, hard.

  "Ow. What was that for?" William asked as he rubbed his arm.

  "Might? Think? Will, this is the worst confession I've ever heard." She said incredulously.

  "The fuck you mean, this is the worst one? If anything, this is both the best and worst, since you've never been confessed to bef-"

  "Shut up, William."

  "Noted." William looked at her, "... Do you not feel the same?"

  She sighed, "Of course, I do, Will. I've liked you for a long time. I just never thought you would feel the same way. I always thought you saw me as a little sister."

  He shook his head, "No, I saw you as my best friend. You were one of the few people I actually enjoyed being with."

  She smiled, "I'm glad to hear that."

  William went quiet for a second, "So... since we both have feelings for each other, are we official now?"

  She hit him again, this time not as hard, "Of course, you doofus."

  He put his hands up in mock surrender, "Hey, I have to make sure, alright?"

  Eve patted him on the shoulder, "Since we are in a relationship now... do you wanna celebrate it with Half-Life?"

  He stared at her with his beautiful eyes, "You are a mind reader, aren't you? You're perfect. Let's get the hell out of here."

  1999, February 20th