Genesis

Chapter 31

Hey everyone, after a two-week Christmas break Genesis is back (and hopefully better than ever :)! I hope everyone had a good holiday and a happy new year!

Happy Reading!

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I try not to wipe my sweaty palms on my shirt. It's the night of my date with Camryn and I'm freaking out. I've decided to take her to El Taco Loco, one of the only remaining Mexican restaurants in the dome (or in the world for that matter), because I know she's always loved the old Mexican culture. I've gotten her some flowers as well, but now I'm not sure if getting them was the best idea. She might think I'm going over the top. She might think I'm weird. She might- I cut myself off. I need to calm down if I'm going to survive the next few hours. I glance at the clock on Harvel's wall. The dome closes in a few minutes, so Camryn will be here very soon. Harvel has been talking behind me for a while and I really haven't been listening. I decide to tune in to what he's saying to take my mind off my stress.

"All in all," Harvel says, "Just do what I've told you to do and she'll be so impressed she might even marry you."

"What now?" I ask. "Sorry, I haven't been listening so hopefully you haven't told me anything too important." Harvel sighs in exasperation.

"Come on man! I've been giving you the best date advice on the planet!" Harvel exclaims. I shrug and give him an apologetic smile.

"Just be yourself and try not to burp or fart or anything," Harvel says. I laugh. It sounds like a horse choking on its oats. Harvel grimaces.

"And don't laugh like that," he adds. "Just relax, she's a nice person. Even if you do majorly screw things up it's not like she'll call you out on it like Aekira would." A small smile creeps onto Harvel's face at the mention of his girlfriend. Suddenly, Harvel's doorbell rings. My sweat and nervousness both renew themselves ten times over. Harvel gestures towards the door.

"Open it, it's your date." he hisses. I nod and stumble towards the door, almost smashing my head against it. I fumble for the handle and finally manage to grab it and slowly pull the door open.

"Hi," I say, awkwardly. Camryn smiles. She's wearing a simple but beautiful sleeveless red dress that shows off her captivating slender form. Strappy white sandals adorn her feet and give her an extra inch of height so she is closer to eye level with me. Her eyes glitter with excitement and small rhinestone earrings dangle from her earlobes. I swallow. Hard.

"Hello," she says.

"I really like your dress," I blurt. I feel my cheeks grow red. To my relief, Camryn also blushes.

"Thank you," Camryn says. We stand in silence for a moment.

"Well, you two should be on your way," says Harvel, coming to my rescue. "Aekira is coming over in a little bit and I told her we'd be alone."

"Right," I say. I step out of Harvel's apartment and stand for a moment, not sure if I should offer Camryn my arm or take her hand. I settle on just leading her to the elevator and then out to the sidewalk where I hail a taxi transport. I climb in first and then help Camryn in. I hope she isn't repulsed by my overly sweaty hands.

"So where are we headed?" Camryn asks halfway through the drive.

"El Taco Loco," I answer. "You like Mexican food, right?" Camryn's eyes light up.

"I haven't ever tried it before! I do love Mexican culture, though, so you were right about that," Camryn says. The transport reaches the restaurant a few minutes later. Camryn and I thank the driver and walk inside. It's a beautiful restaurant with sleek red booths and warm, low lighting. Soft mariachi music plays in the background and the scent of spicy beef wafts through the air. We get seated in a corner booth away from most of the other diners. Camryn sighs contentedly as she slides into the seat across from me. A waiter quickly arrives at our table with glasses of water for both of us.

"This place looks amazing!" Camryn says, sipping her water. "I can't wait to try real Mexican food." I pick up the menu.

"Hold on, this is all in some other language!" I exclaim, bewildered. Camryn laughs.

"It's a language called Spanish. Don't worry, I can translate," Camryn says. She reaches for a menu and pores over it for a second.

"Okay," she says. "I would advise getting chimichangas. They're beef wrapped in a tortilla and then deep fried." I spread my hands.

"It sounds like it'll be good. I've never tried Mexican food before either," I say.

Camryn smiles and stifles a laugh. When our waiter comes, I order my chimi-whatevers and Camryn orders something called enchiladas. Our food arrives surprisingly fast. I dig in and Camryn does the same. Not long after, I am gulping my water at the sudden spiciness. Camryn giggles into her hand. Overall, though, the food is delicious and we are both stuffed from our meal. We decide to walk around on the sidewalk outside the restaurant for a little before we go back to the transport. This time, Camryn takes my hand. We stroll down the street, admiring the way the dome looks at night. We make some small talk, but the food has lulled us both into a content, sleepy state of being. Eventually we walk back to the transport and I tell the driver to take us to Camryn's apartment. On the way there, Camryn lays her head on my shoulder. I turn and lightly kiss the top of her head. When we arrive at her apartment, Camryn is fully asleep and I decide that I'm going to just carry her inside instead of waking her because she looks so peaceful. I quietly open the transport door and lift Camryn into my arms. Her head lolls into my chest. I walk her inside and take the elevator up to her floor. Her door is thankfully unlocked, so I open her door and carry her inside to her couch. I lay her down and cover her with a nearby blanket. She stirs slightly and cracks her eyes open.

"Kaze?" she says sleepily, reaching for my hand. I take it and lightly smooth back her hair with my hand.

"Shh, go back to sleep. You're home now," I say, soothingly.

"I had fun tonight," Camryn says.

"Good," I say. "I'll see you later." I lean down to kiss her forehead. Camryn smiles.

"Bye," she says, letting go of my hand and moving it beneath her head. I smile and quietly walk out of her apartment.