A Date with the Devil Pt. 1 (Tristan & Zander)

The scene begins at the outside of the Carlitos Gardel cuisine on a Saturday night, crowded with people at the entrance.The view then scans the restaurant interior as cooks, bartenders and servers are quickly pacing inside to adjust to the night’s busy hours with dozens of groups in attendance. Hues of red and white light the room.

The scene then singles out a circular table close to the bar, where one man dressed in a deep red tuxedo is seated. He looks at the entrance in front of him as everyone comes in. His anxious expression never changing.

“I wonder where he is.” he says to himself.

Zander walks into the restaurant wearing a tight white T-shirt and some jeans. He scans the place until he finds Tristan sitting down already. He walks over there to where he was with a big smile on his face. As he got closer to him he realized how buff the guy was.

"Hey there. I'm so glad you are here. I got lost finding this location for a minute there. Hope you weren't waiting long."

"Oh, no, worries. I'm just glad you are here."

Tristan, the man in the red tuxedo, brightly lit his face as his date came into the restaurant and sat in the dark cherry stained chair opposite of him. His date was clearly quite attractive. Hopefully rough around the edges.

"If I knew this was a casual date, I would have worn more skin revealing clothing."

Tristan gave out a light laugh to brighten the mood.

Zander blushed a little and stared at him.

"Nah. You actually look great.. better than me. You sure have good taste in fashion."

“I work hard for it.”, Tristan responds with another laugh up his sleeve.

By that time, a young Asian female walks to the table with a pen and paper in her hands.

“Welcome to Carlitos Gardel! I’m Anna, and I’m going to be your server today. Would you like to start with any drinks?”

“Do you all serve...um..do you all have red wine?”

“Oh of course we do. Do you have your ID?”

“Oh! Si!”

While Tristan digs into his dress pants for his wallet, Anna turns to Zander.

“And what will you have today?”

"Hmm...I'll just have a Mojito. Thank you."

The waitress writes it down and leaves then Zander brushes a hand through his own hair and looks around.

"You actually picked a very good place. I never been here before, but anyone that knows me knows that I love Mexican food. I'll devour my meal pretty quick..."

Tristan gives a quick smirk to Zander.

“Oh really, papi?”

By that time, he pulls out his brown leather wallet, opening the flaps to reveal his driver’s license to the waitress. She skims down the card before looking back at Tristan.

“Alright, I’ll be right back with your drinks.”

“Okay. Gracias!”

As Anna takes her leave, Tristan takes the conservation further with Zander.

“So are you from here, Zander?”

He got lost in the way he spoke Spanish to him. It was attractive, and so was he, but he didn't want to say anything too soon and scare him away, so he smiled and nodded.

"I'm from West Hollywood, but close enough. I love it here though. The people have always been so kind to me. I'm a photographer, so I work with alot of people. How about you? I'm curious to know more about you."

“That depends.”

After Tristan puts his wallet back inside of his pants, he leans in closer to Zander. His eyebrow raised, and his mischievous smirk still intact.

“What do you want to know….papi?”

"Uh.. well for starters what do you like doing when you aren't working?"

He nervously laughed as he asked that.

“I have little time from working, but when I do have free time, I like going to the beach. Any beach. I live in LA now, and the one I’ve been actively going to is Venice City Beach. Nice scenery there.”


"Really? I'm usually there sometimes. I'm surprised I never seen you. Maybe you get swarmed with a bunch of people.. I mean who could blame them. Sorry.."

The waitress walks to their table and brings them their drinks. Zander takes a sip of his and leans back in his seat.

Tristan thanks the waitress for his glass of red wine before she leaves once again.

"You might have seen me, but at Venice City, Latino men in skimpy swimwear are a dime a dozen."

He uses his fingers to lift the wine glass up to his lips, taking one small gulp before placing it back down onto the table.

"I'm actually from Salinas, but I've lived in Florida for a moment before coming back here to California. I needed to see my family again and see what they were up to. Plus, looking for opportunities.

"Oh that's really nice. I bet your family was really happy to see you. I wish mine lived closer, but my sister and brother come by sometimes, so it's less lonely around my house."

"Lonely? Here in Los Angeles? Where do you live? A secluded mountain?"

He laughs and touches him on the shoulder.

"No. I mean don't get me wrong I have friends come over, but one day I want a boyfriend, or girlfriend to come home to.."

"Oh?"

Tristan gives his eyes a glance towards Zander's chiseled pectorals while biting his bottom lip.

"A relationship? That's romantic. I wish I could say the same, but the night is still young for me. I have so many years ahead of me.”

"Yeah.. you're right. I should be thinking the same. I'm sure the right person will come along for the both of us, but until then let's have fun."

He continued drinking until he was finished with it then put his glass on the edge of the table.

''I could use another one of those. It was muy delicioso."

Tristan looked at amazement over Zander finishing his drink in less than three takes.

"You're a quick drinker huh, papi?"

Of course that may have been speculated by Zander's masculine demeanor that he may chug a beer or two whenever he's at a bar. Much like Tristan's party animal friends who indulge in bottles of hard liquor and alcoholic mixtures everywhere they go.

"I guess you could say that.. how are you feeling? Sorry about bringing up the whole relationship thing up. I guess I get caught up in this fantasy world."

Tristan chuckles at Zander's obvious awkwardness towards him.

"It's okay. Why are you so nervous? It's nothing to be afraid of. I don't bite....unless you ask me to."

Tristan takes another sample of his red wine, placing the glass back down.

"Besides, relationships aren't the wrong way. They just aren't for everybody."

"Ain't that right? But enough of that... I just want to say what a great time I'm having so far with you. Thank you for keeping me company."

He leaned forward and pulled him in for a tightly squeezed hug as he catches his beautiful scent.

Tristan didn't expect Zander to hug him so suddenly, but Zander's muscular arm wrapped around his body. A slight hint of cedarwood along Zander's neck. It was a wonderful feeling. Even if Zander almost knocked over Tristan's wine glass, that hug, and alcohol slowly approaching Tristan's nervous system, was turning him on.

That was until he noticed a group of older women looking at the two, whispering to one another. Tristan takes a moment to acknowledge them....by flipping them the bird behind Zander's back. Both ladies express a look of disgust towards Tristan's action before Tristan takes his attention back to Zander.

"Anytime, papi."

After hugging him for what seemed like forever he pulled him away and took a seat back down.

"Wow.. that was nice. I'm a big hugger, so expect a bunch of those from me. Hope you don't mind."

"I don't mind."

Tristan makes two gulps of his red wine instead of one this time before placing it down onto the table.

"However, I hope you don't mind me asking. Why?"

"Good question. No one's ever asked me that before, but I feel like there's so much hate and not alot of love given in this world... super cheesy, but that's how I feel."

"Umm.....you're actually the first person I know to ever have so much....optimism and positivity in this world. I don't know how to feel about that."

He started sweating, so he rubbed the back of his neck and looked a little worried. "I hope whatever you're feeling inside is filled with good thoughts."

"Nothing good or bad. Just never seen someone like that before."

By that point, he began to notice Zander's anxiety growing. The sweat drop coming down Zander's forehead was admittedly elevating Tristan's sex drive, but his worried expression left Tristan even more curious, so the conversation went from talking about himself and his past to talking about Zander and his present.

"You alright, papi?"

"I'm fine. I'm just feeling a little hot..and slightly nervous. I don't want to say the wrong thing to you. You're so nice after all."

Tristan gives out soft laughter at Zander's shy interior.

"It's okay, it's okay, papi! I actually find the coy personality to be quite sexy."

He looks over Zander's shoulder to see the women from behind Zander giving looks of disgust once more.

"If anything, it may be all of these pendejos around the table pestering us. I mean, Even I'm getting a little hot myself. Maybe we should get our check and go somewhere more quiet and less crowded. What do ya think?"

"I say let's go. Where should we go though?"

Zander calls over the waitress and asks for a check then puts his half of the money on the table then stands up.

“You decide this time.”, Tristan responds, following with his share of the money as well.

"Why don't we take a nice stroll to the park?"

"The Park? Dressed like this?"

"Umm.. you could get changed if you want and I'll wait for you."

"You would wait for me?"

Tristan was surprised by how courteous and patient his date was. Maybe too patient compared to others.

"Sure hun. I got all the time in the world for you."

He smiled and they walked outside. He leaned against a wall and looked at him

"Okay, so do you want to meet at my house or at the park?", Tristan asks as they head their way to the restaurant's parking lot, crowded with cars.

"Whatever is more easier for you."

"Oh, so my house then.", Tristan suggested. He made his way to the back area of the lot closer to the road. He stopped to a black Chevrolet Camero, before pulling out his cellular phone from his pocket.

''That's perfectly fine with me. I'm in no rush to get to the park"

He followed him and looked at the car.

"Is this your ride?"

Tristan giggles at him and his interest in Tristan's car.

"Yeah it is. Just got the car from when I was outside of California, and drove it all the way here."

"It sure is a beauty. I bet you have a real good time riding it."

"I have plenty of experience handling a stick."

He turned his head to the side and blushed at the way he said then he cleared his throat.

"I'm sure you do.. "

"So...where is your ride?"

"It's across the street. Do you see it?"

He points in that direction.

Tristan moves his eyes that direction to see a set of cars parallel parked along the curb.

"Which one?"

"It's that white Jaguar over there."

Tristan's eyes lit at the sight of the white Jaguar in front of a closed Asian restaurant. He is used to seeing luxury and sports cars here in California, but he did not expect it from someone like Zander.

"Oh, really, papi?!"

He scratched the back of his neck and smiled

"Yeah.. sorta saved up all my money to buy it. It was expensive."

"So this was what you spent your college fund on?"

"Mhm. Maybe I'll take you on a cruise one day. Would you like that?"

"Oh, I'd love that, papi. We can go anywhere, and do anything, and I mean anything."

"I'll have to remember that, but for now we should get you changed."

Tristan chuckles at his choice of words.

"We?"

By that time, Tristan unlocks and opens his car door, looking back at Zander.

"Do you want the address to my place, or do you want to follow me? I live at Silver Lake."

"I'll follow you. No worries."

Zander gets into his car, turns on the engine and follows him to his house in hope he doesn't lose him along the way.