Episode 2
887 Words
"Dude, it's ok. You don't need to feel insecure just because you're not as alpha as me."
The words came from the Tiger-masked man who stood waiting on the beach, his broad shoulders silhouetted against the sunset. The mask couldn't disguise his athletic build—tall, lean, and undeniably muscular.
Megan froze in her tracks, the ridiculous Dead Fish mask suddenly feeling heavier on her face.
This wasn't right. According to the novel, Jason should have been paired with someone else for the first date. And Jason definitely wore the Fox mask, not Tiger. Her perfect memory of the story couldn't be wrong.
Tiger Man turned, noticing her presence. "Oh, you must be my date," he said, his voice artificially deepened by the voice changer. "I was just talking to this seagull. Poor thing seemed intimidated by my presence."
Megan stifled a laugh. The man was talking to birds and bragging about being alpha? This was definitely not Jason Thompson.
"Dead Fish, huh?" Tiger Man gestured at her mask. "Bold choice."
"Thanks. I wanted something memorable," Megan replied, approaching the small table set up on the sand. Candles flickered in glass jars, and two glasses of champagne waited untouched.
The camera crew maintained a discreet distance, but Megan knew they were capturing every moment. Viewers would be going wild in the comments right now.
"So," Tiger Man leaned forward, "a 6'1" athlete with six-pack abs? That's your type?"
Heat rushed to Megan's face beneath the mask. Thank goodness for the voice changer that disguised her embarrassment. "I believe in being direct."
"Direct is good," Tiger Man nodded. "But I'm curious—is that all you care about? Height and abs?"
"Of course not," Megan retorted, suddenly defensive. "But physical attraction matters. Don't tell me you don't have a physical type."
Tiger Man shrugged. "Fair enough. Though I think what's inside matters more."
"Says the guy who just called himself an alpha to a seagull."
For a moment, Tiger Man was silent. Then he burst into laughter—a rich, genuine sound that somehow bypassed the voice changer's artificial filter.
"Touché, Dead Fish. Touché."
As they settled into conversation, Megan's mind raced. If Tiger Man wasn't Jason, then who was? And more importantly, who was Tiger Man? The way he carried himself with such confidence reminded her of someone, but she couldn't place him.
Meanwhile, in the production room, Director Mike watched the monitors with growing interest.
"These two have unexpected chemistry," he murmured to his assistant. "Did the psychologists predict this match?"
"Actually, no," the assistant replied, checking her notes. "Tiger specifically requested Dead Fish after seeing the questionnaire results. He insisted quite forcefully."
Mike raised an eyebrow. "Did he now? That's... interesting."
Back at the beach, dinner had been served. Megan picked at her seafood pasta, conscious of how awkward it was to eat with a mask on. The designers had cleverly incorporated a small, hinged opening at the mouth area, but it still felt ridiculous.
"You know," Tiger Man said, somehow managing to eat elegantly despite his mask, "I've been wondering why you joined this show."
"Entertainment," Megan answered quickly. "Life's been boring lately."
"Just entertainment? Not looking for love?"
"Love is overrated."
Tiger Man tilted his head. "Bad experience?"
Megan hesitated, remembering the novel's plotline. In the original story, Ashley had manipulated Jason, using him to make Ethan jealous. Jason had fallen hard, only to be discarded when he was no longer useful.
"Let's just say I've seen how these things play out," she finally replied. "People use each other, and someone always gets hurt."
"Cynical perspective for someone on a dating show."
"Maybe I'm here to change the ending."
Tiger Man leaned back, studying her through the eyeholes of his mask. "Change the ending? Interesting choice of words."
Something in his tone made Megan uneasy. Did he somehow know about the novel? Impossible.
"Just a figure of speech," she said quickly.
The conversation shifted to lighter topics—favorite foods, travel destinations, embarrassing stories carefully edited to hide identities. Despite her initial disappointment at not meeting Jason, Megan found herself enjoying Tiger Man's company. He was witty, attentive, and surprisingly thoughtful in his questions.
As the evening drew to a close, Tiger Man stood and offered his hand.
"Walk with me?"
Megan hesitated, then took his hand. They strolled along the shoreline, waves lapping at their feet.
"Can I ask you something personal?" Tiger Man said after a comfortable silence.
"You can ask."
"This guy you're looking for—the 6'1" athlete with six-pack abs—what happens if you find him and he's not what you expected?"
Megan stumbled slightly. "What makes you think I'm looking for someone specific?"
"Just a hunch. You seem like someone with a plan."
Before Megan could respond, her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out to see a message from the production team: "Date over. Return to vehicles separately."
"Saved by the bell," Tiger Man chuckled. "But think about my question, Dead Fish. Sometimes the story we imagine isn't the one worth living."
As Megan walked back toward her waiting car, she couldn't shake the feeling that Tiger Man knew more than he should. And worse—she was actually looking forward to seeing him again.
This wasn't part of her plan at all.
- Writer
