Alice tried to remember who had given her the key. The last thing she remembered was her date with Steve. The guy that lived upstairs in room 318 with the crooked glasses and shaggy blond hair. He worked at subway. How could anyone take a sandwich from those long bony finders of his. She had always known he had liked her but the date had made it official. She thought she liked him too but she couldn't be sure because the night was a little blurry still. She remembered the first time they had met fondly. He stood under a lamppost outside their apartment building reading the New York times. When she had walked past him he opened his trench coat and offered her a watch. He needed the extra money for his vast collection of various sci-fi action figures. Nerds are the new Brad Pitt ya know. She had thought he was somewhat cute an oddball kind of cute, but that was only because the lamppost light was burnt out. She wished she could remember what happened after dinner but her mind was blank. She decided to go for a walk to clear her head.

As she walked down the sidewalk she noticed Steve's apartment window was open, Star Wars curtains flapping in the breeze. He was such a five year old. He still had Scooby Doo sheets stretched over the mattress of his race car bed. She faintly said a hello to the window but she knew Steve wouldn't hear. Her eyes wandered from the window and noticed Steve's bulging charcoal eyes 3 inches away from her own.


"Oh hey Steve." She said smiling.


"Hello. I heard you saying hi to my window, or was it to me? Were you trying to get my attention? Because you've got it." He said and winks creepily.



"Oh Steve you're so charming in your Star Trek footie pajamas. I love when you whisper Chewbacca noises in my ear." She said looking away, distracted by the mailman.




"What are you doing? Where are you going? Don't you want to spend the day with me? You had a great time on our date didn't you?" He asked.





"I'm going for a walk you should join me." She said as she started walking towards the park.






"Okay." He whispers, raz-matazz juice box in hand.


They walk down the busy sidewalks and he grabs her hand, holding it in his own sweaty palm. She smiles faintly and asks if he wants to eat. He says yes so they go to the Starbucks on the corner. He starts to head through the drive-through but then he remembers they were walking. He wondered if they accepted monopoly money, probably not. They reach the Starbucks and sit down at a small table in the back corner. The light above them was burnt out. Alice wondered why lights always burnt out around Steve, how ominous. At least now he looked attractive. They ordered a smoothie to share and Steve grabbed two straws. Alice bought another one because she didn't really want to share. Steve drank his smoothie with two straws staring at her too intensely. She was starting to feel an odd de ja vu feeling as she remembered the Starbucks cups sitting on her kitchen counter. She had been here before. She looked into his eyes and suddenly a flash back came upon her.

Steve and Alice had been at La Cle` last night on their date. Steve had dropped his knife and had asked Alice to retrieve it. She did so gladly and as she sat up she saw Steve pouring a small canister of liquid into her wine. When she had asked him what it was he told her it was only a harmless love potion. She shrugged it off. She knew he liked to role play. She took a big swig of her wine and that was all she could recall for the moment. She was starting to question Steve's motives.

Alice returned to the present staring at Steve staring at her.



"I never knew you had such beautiful eyes Alice." Steve said as he licked his lips and reached for her face to feel her jaw.


"You're hands are clammy can you stop?" She said getting nervous.



"What if I don't want to stop?" He said wrapping his hands around her neck to pull her in for a kiss.




"You're so creepy! Why did I ever go out with you?" Alice shouted.





"But wait I love you." He breathed heavily.


Alice suddenly remembered last night. When she had awoken from the effects of Steve's "harmless love potion," he had given her the key.





"What was the key for?" She asked.



"What key?" Steve winked.




"Don't you play dumb with me! The key you gave me last night!" She shouted angrily tired of his creepy games.





"Oh that key." He said grinning sinisterly.






"So?" She waited impatiently.







"It's the key to my heart. Cherish it forever. I love you Alice." He said disappearing into the sunset his greasy blond hair flapping in the wind.

He would look more attractive if it was night.