A Crazy Little Thing Called Love

Chapter Sixteen

Merry Chirstmas! This is... eh, and i wanted to make it longer, but I didn't want to make y'all wait.

Thanks to @ElleSvensson and @RileyTegan for the help! :D

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Chapter Sixteen

Of course the boy would take me to the place we first met. Or second met. I guess we first met when I hit him with my car and temporarily blinded him for a few months. So, I guess it was the place we first met when I was dressed as my best friend. Apparently, there was either a lack of nice restaurants, or he just really liked the place.

I imagined Cole would step out of the car before coming around to open the passenger side door for me. When he opened the door, he would offer me a hand. Grinning, I’d slip my hand into his and smile even wider as he entwined his fingers with my own. He’d tug me out of the car gently and pull me forward, bringing us incredibly close. Then I’d hold my breath while he stooped slightly and brushed my knuckles with his lips.

That didn’t happen. 

If I wanted that to happen, I should have put my placed order to be born in a different era where men were more forward, but, at the same time, more genteel. Guess I wasn’t thinking straight before I was born. Or, you know, not thinking at all.

Instead, we both just slid out of our respective sides, and stepped up onto the sidewalk. After that, the two of us proceeded to the door of the Fancy Diner, which he held open and let me pass through first.

See? Chivalry isn’t completely dead, it just happens to be buried alive so far down in each boy that it’s hardly ever seen or heard from except in the rare moments that boy decides to dig it up again and let it show.

When we stepped into the familiar dark atmosphere I almost didn’t notice that the hostess was the same goth girl from the time before. She smiled widely as Cole and I walked in, surprising me, once again, with how shockingly white her teeth looked while surrounded with black lipstick.

“How can I help you?” She asked cheerily, with eyes for Cole alone. I think she recognized him from the other time we were here, and was probably rejoicing at the fact that I, as my bff, was not his date. 

“Reservation for Cole Kelvin. Table for two,” replied Cole, giving her his wonderful lopsided smile.

“Right this way,” announced Roxanne, taking two menus from the little menu slot on her podium thingy.

We followed her, weaving our way through waiters and customers and tables until we came to our own.

As we sat, I looked around the place, chewing on my lip nervously. Nothing had changed except for the customers. I decided that this time I would look at the menu. In the low light, it was a little hard to see, though. The one thing I could tell was that they had a lot of pasta dishes. Soon our waitress was there. 

I swear, it was like they couldn’t hire any other employees.

The bubbly girl from the time before came and took our orders. Despite having looked over the menu, I panicked an ordered something cheep because I wasn’t able to decide between to meals.

Say something. I told myself.

“So,” I said once our waitress left, “this is nice.”

Cole smiled slightly. “Yeah, it is.”

The noisy clamor of the other customer’s voices enveloped the silence between us. Cole didn’t say anything else, and I couldn’t think of anything to say.

It can’t be that hard to think of a conversation starter. Can it?

Yes, yes it can.

I strained my ears to listen into someone else’s conversation, and picked up three girls’ high pitched voices as they chatted about some guy one of them was in love with at school. The one who was in love with him was describing him, and the others were commenting on how cute they’d be together. 

Hey, when awkward situations arise, it’s okay to drop some eaves. That’s my thought on it, anyway.

Getting bored with their incessant talk, I examined the tablecloth, running the edge between my fingers. It wasn’t a very fancy tablecloth, just a plain white one that anyone could buy at a dollar store. Well, a nice dollar store is more like it. 

Our waitress showed up with our food then. Silently, I began to eat.

“How’s your food?” Cole asked a few moments later.

“Uh...” I ventured to look up at him, surprise written all over my face. I hadn’t really thought about it. Taking another bite, I concentrated on the flavor. “It’s pretty good. Yours?”

Oh my word, this is the lamest conversation ever.

“Good,” he said.

This date was definitely not my dream date. Gosh, it was more like a nightmare date. No, not really, just more of a bad-dream date.

I shifted in my chair and took a sip of my soda, letting the fizzy liquid spill down my throat slowly in an attempt to delay more chats. That’s when I spotted Hunter. He was sitting with some girl. It looked like he was on a date. For the second time in that restaurant, I choked on my drink. I set the cup down.

Hunter was on a date in the same place Cole and I were on a date? Weird.

Cole stood slightly, a worried look passing over his face. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” I coughed, waving him off.

As I motioned for him to sit, my hand hit something solid, and all of a sudden, my lap was wet. The empty cup hit my leg before falling to the floor. My drink! When I’d set it down, I’d set it at the edge of the table. Soda pooled on my dress with ice floating about in it. 

Desperately, I tried not to look as mortified as I was.

“Oh, gosh!” Cole stood up so suddenly, that he hit the table with his hip.

You wont believe what happened next. Or maybe you will. Let’s see.

It was as if the world was going in slow motion. The table tipped forward, everything slipping. Utensils and the center piece slid towards me. Then I saw it, my own plate was beginning to slide. It was just my luck. The plate flipped, dumping its contents on me.

The Fancy Diner went silent. All eyes were on me. I could see Hunter’s surprised look from across the room. 

Cole came over to my side, bringing a napkin. He tried to wipe some of the food and soda off my dress, but that was only making it worse, smearing the mix of substances across the material. “Drea, I’m really sor-”

My cheeks were inflamed. I closed my eyes against the embarrassment, trying not to cry, and held a finger up to silence Cole.

Then there was a voice whispering by my ear. “I have some extra clothes in the back if you follow me.”

I opened my eyes. It was our waitress, Janey. She smiled sympathetically and held a hand out to me.

My throat felt raw as if I’d been crying, and my eyes stung. Her kindness was going to make me burst into tears. 

Nodding, I took her hand and let her help me stand. Food and soda dripped down my legs. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Cole twisting the napkin in his hands, watching me helplessly and looking as embarrassed as I felt. Taking a deep breath, I followed the waitress through the restaurant towards the bathroom.