The Player Next Door

#32- Dinner

#32
Madelyn's POV

There is a knock at the door and I nervously go to get it.

I open the door to see Cole, right on time for our date. 

"Wow" Cole says breathlessly, his eyes raking my body. "You look stunning" he says, bringing his eyes back to mine. 

My cheeks flush but I pretend they don't, "You look okay" I joke, smiling. 

He returns the smile. 

"I uh- I got you something" He says, handing over the white roses.

My jaw drops slightly as I take them, no one has ever gotten my roses before. "How did you know that I love white roses?" I ask him. 

"That would be Cara" He tells me. 

I smile at him. 

"I'll put them in water, you guys should get going." Cara says, taking the flowers from my hand. "Have fun. I was going to say don't have too much fun, but screw it. Have too much fun."

"Hopefully we will" Cole tells her as he extends a hand to me. 

We walk hand in hand to the elevator. 

"Are you nervous?" Cole asks as the doors close.

"A little" I tell him. 

"Why?" 

"Because I've never been on a date"

"Well neither have I"

I turn to look at him in shock, "No way"

He nods his head, "I'm serious"

"How come?" I ask him. 

"I used to only do hookups" 

I nod, understanding his past. 

"Until I met you" He adds.

***

Cole hovers his hands over my eyes as we walk in dirt, careful to not mess up the makeup that Cara helped me with. I hold onto his forearms to steady myself, his body nearly pressed against my back. 

"Are we almost there?" I ask him.

"Yes"

I step wrong and trip, of course. I brace myself to hit the ground, but Cole catches me before I do pulling his body flush to mine. 

"It's a good thing I wore Converse instead of heels. Because otherwise I would've tripped way more than once."

"Yeah, it is a good thing". We both steady, my eyes still closed. "You can open your eyes now" Cole says softly, close to my ear sending chills through my body. 

I open my eyes to a red and white plaid blanket sprawled across the ground with a picnic basket sitting atop. Both laying in a clearing on the cliff, but not too close to the edge. My eyes land on the bottle placed beside the basket, pulling the smile off of my face. My heart sinks as it pounds, Cole no doubt being able to feel it. 

"It's sparkling apple juice" He whispers.

My smile returns.

***

We finished our foot a while ago and we have been sipping apple juice and talking as the sun sets. 

"I have a question for you" I tell him. 

"Okay?" He asks hesitantly.

"Do you ever question how I feel about you because of the way I joke?" I ask, self-conscious about how instead of complimenting, I joke.