"How are you and Eddie?" Amy asks as you walk into the lobby.
You and Eddie had been texting back and forth over the summer, planning the dinner he promised. He never had time to come back because he was training with his team somewhere in Nova Scotia, which didn’t make sense since Vancouver was on the other side of the country. Maybe it was a way for them to not get distracted by family, but you’ll never know.
"We’re doing great. He’s been really sweet, asking me how my day was and telling me that I look beautiful, even though he can’t see me," you say with a big smile on your face.
"That’s so cute! Do you know when you’ll see him again?" she then asks.
"I don’t know, but hopefully soon. I haven’t been able to look up their schedule yet," you tell her.
"Excuse me? I would like room 310, please."
You gasp at the familiar voice and turn around to see Eddie standing in front of the counter. You rush around the desk and leap into his arms, excited to see him.
"What are you doing here?!" you exclaim, looking at his smiling face.
"The team and I have our first game in Calgary, so we’re staying here since they liked the service last time," he tells you.
"I’ll cover for you," Amy tells you.
The two of you sit in chairs that are in the lobby, and he holds your hand the whole time you two talk. He listens as you tell him a funny story about your best friend getting really drunk at the bar, when the rest of his teammates walk in. He gets up and turns to you as you follow suit.
"What time do you get out of work?" he asks you.
"Five, I believe. Why?" you ask him.
"I still owe you dinner," he says with a grin. "You’re still living in the same apartment building that you told me about, right?" he asks.
You nod, and he kisses your cheek before going upstairs with his team. Amy looks at you and squeals before telling you that she’ll make sure you’re out on time.
As soon as you’re out of the hotel, you realize you have a text from Eddie. He’s going to pick you up at six, which gives you more than enough time to get ready and let your nerves build up. Since you’re apartment building is down the street, you walk back and forth instead of using your car.
After getting ready for the date and freaking out for a good fifteen minutes, you hear a knock on the door. You run down the hallway with your heels in your hands. When you open the door, you can’t help but blush as you see Eddie standing there in a suit with a bouquet of lilies in his hand.
"That dress looks amazing," he tells you, his jaw dropping.
"Thank you," you whisper.
"I hope you like lilies. I didn’t know what to get because roses are too cheesy, and everything else just didn’t seem like the perfect flower to give you," he rambles.
"They’re beautiful," you say.
"Just like you."
You take them from him and put them in a vase. You slip your heels on and grab your clutch before leaving with him, the door closing behind him.
Throughout dinner, you two laugh and tell more funny stories, picking up where you left off earlier that day. There weren’t any awkward moments, and you felt like you could just reach over and hold his hand, which is exactly what he did when the waitress started hitting on him. He never let go after that, which surprised you.
"I had a lot of fun tonight," you tell Eddie when you’re standing in front of your apartment.
"I did, too. I hope we get to do it again soon," he admits.
Before you can say anything else, he cups your face and kisses you. You don’t hesitate to return the action since that’s all you could think about as you got ready earlier.
"I’ve been wanting to do that since I met you," he whispers, resting his forehead against yours.
"Why didn’t you?" you question.
"After what happened that night when I was drunk, I was afraid. I didn’t know how you were going to react, so I decided to play it safe and wait until the right moment, which is now."
He kisses you again, letting his lips linger when he pulls away. You smile and give him one last kiss before saying goodbye. Little did you know, that would be the last time you would say that to him without being in a relationship.
-Emily
