6 Strings Attached

Chapter 2

“I’m not skinny enough for that dress..” I explained.

“Shut the fuck up. You’re tiny and this is the perfect dress.” So that was that. I was wearing the scandalous blue dress with the heels. My nerves just shot through the ceiling.

Maya straightened the top of my long, blonde hair and left the ends curled. I’ve never really done my makeup and hair like this. She wanted to put dark gray eye shadow on me, but I convinced her to just let me wear a soft light brown. Make up really wasn’t my thing. I just wore a tiny bit of eye shadow and some Cover Girl mascara I bought at the drug store twenty minutes ago. Maya’s parents had just bought her a car, so she drove me to Starbucks. I was so nervous.

“You look hot.” Maya confidently said.

“Says you.” I quickly said back. I never look “hot”. I guess sometimes I can be sorta cute, but I’m not very pretty. My thighs are too big and my arms jiggle. I don’t really know why Niall asked me out. I guess he felt bad. I don’t even compare to his girlfriend or his friend’s girlfriends. Yes, Niall has a girlfriend. I sort of forgot. But this is just a dinner date, nothing real. Nothing serious.

“Okay go, but three rules. Have a good time, don’t burp, and wear protection, you slut.” Maya said while hilariously laughing. I gave her a mean look, hugged her, and got out of the car. It was only 7:45. I meant to get here early. I needed some coffee to calm my nerves.

I was sipping on my mocha, when I heard a huge roar of a crowd outside. Of course, I looked, and it was Niall. He was waving to me. My face was flushed and I’m sure my cheeks were red. I waved back. He signaled for me to go to the back. A girl that was a worker looked at me and said. “You with Niall?” I just nodded. The pretty girl gestured for me to follow her, so like a normal person, I did.

I walked back behind her and I went into the kitchen. Since when did Starbucks have a kitchen? Oh well. I looked around and I see Niall to my right. I turn my body to him, yet I’m trying to hide myself. It’s not too useful, considering this dress is so tight it’s cutting off my circulation.

Niall’s eyes were directly on me and it made me feel nervous. I wasn’t used to guys staring at me. I felt like he was rating me or something, I don’t know. I was being so paranoid. Girls like me don’t go out with guys like him.

“You look so damn beautiful.” Niall said. He just called me beautiful.. Was he just saying that to be nice? Did he mean it? Was I just being paranoid?

I smiled at him and walk over and hugged him. Why did I just do that? I don’t usually just hug guys. That’s not me. I let them come onto me first, which doesn’t happen often. But I guess he liked it, cause he squeezed back.

“I never caught your name, babe.”

“Jeanne.”

“Jen?”

“No, no. Jeanne. Je-Anne.”

“I’m going to call you Jen.” Niall said with flirt in his eyes. I smiled back. I liked that. Jen. It was cute, and special. I wanted my name to be Jen now. Not sure if it’s cause it’s what Niall likes or if it’s just cause I like that better.

I was expecting some really nice restaurant, but to my pleasant surprise, when Niall opened the door to the restaurant it was just a casual diner filled with laughter. I think Niall recognized my relief and he smiled at me. We were led to our table and seated. I couldn’t stop staring at Niall. He was right in front of me. How could I not? He may have a girlfriend.. But I’m allowed to look at him. His blue eyes made you melt, and I just wanted to run my thin fingers through that sexy blonde hair.

“I’m really sorry about the coffee thing, but I’m kinda glad it happened, or we wouldn’t be hanging out. Thanks for coming.” Oh no, he just called it “hanging out” when I’ve been calling it a date. Shit.

“How could I not? You chased me!” I just flirted with him right after he said we were hanging out. Why!

“Hey! I am not a creep.”

“I’m glad you chased me.” It keeps coming. I’m not meaning to flirt with him. But how could I not..

“So how old are you?” Oh god here comes the questions, and small talk.

“I’m seventeen, and I’ll be eighteen in two weeks.”

“Oh younger, I like that.” He winked.

“What about you?” I knew his age. Hell, I knew his birthday, but I didn’t want him to know that. 

“I’m nineteen. My birthday was just a few weeks ago, September 13.” I know. I knew all of this.

“Oh cool!” I lied.

We continued with the small talk, discussed our families, our hobbies, you know all that boring stuff. Niall reached his hand across the table next to my hand. I looked up at him and he smiled back, and put his hand on top of mine. I looked down at his hand and back up at him. He quickly removed his hand. Oh fuck, I wanted his soft hands there forever.

“Whoops.” Niall smirked.

“Don’t you have a girlfriend?” I unconsciously said. Well I blew that. Goodbye Niall.

“Oh. Yeah. I do. We haven’t really been clicking lately. She isn’t the same. She’s so into the media and herself. She’s always wanting to be in magazines and she calls the paparazzi before we do anything. I’m not really into that. I want to wear a disguise, but I can’t.”

“Why?”

“Cause if I wear a disguise, it means I’m a celebrity. And I’m not. I’m just a normal guy that’s living his dream. And right now I’m just hanging out with an amazing girl that I spilled coffee all over.”

“I like you, Niall.”

“I like you more, Jen, I like you more.”