Jayce leaned back in his chair, swirling the amber liquid in his glass as the lively chatter of the bar hummed around him. Viktor was nearby, engrossed in a quiet conversation with Heimerdinger about something no doubt genius-level and incomprehensible to most. Jayce half-listened, catching words like “flux density” and “displacement matrix,” but his attention wandered. He scanned the room lazily, taking in the warm glow of the lights.

Then came the voice from the stage.

“You there! Tall, handsome guy with the sharp jawline and smug grin—step on up!”

Jayce blinked, realizing the man was pointing directly at him. A ripple of laughter rolled through the room, and several heads turned his way.

“Looks like you’ve been volunteered, mate,” Viktor murmured without looking up, a slight smirk tugging at his lips.

Jayce chuckled, setting his drink down. “Guess I’ll bite.” He pushed back his chair and stood, rolling his shoulders as he sauntered to the stage, the picture of confidence.

The man on stage clapped him on the back. “Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve got ourselves a contestant! The rules are simple: this is a date game. Our charming fellow here will stand front and center while the lovely ladies in the audience take turns asking him questions. If they like his answers, great! If they’re not interested—” the man gestured dramatically to a string of colorful balloons attached to each seat, “they pop their balloon, and the next one steps up. If all the balloons go, well, tough luck for our friend here.”

Jayce smirked. The idea was absurd, but there was something oddly thrilling about it. The attention, the challenge, the playful nature of it all—it felt like good to be desired.

He turned to face the crowd, hands slipping casually into his pockets. A few women were already eyeing him like he was some kind of rare dessert, and he couldn’t help but flash a grin. “Alright, ladies, let’s see what you’ve got."

Catch his heart before someone else does!