Breaking Friend Zone

Chapter 35: First Real Date

He gathered the menu, but before he left, he spoke. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"That's all," Clara smiled at the waiter.

"I'll call you if we need anything," I forced a smiled, but my eyes twitched, my teeth unconsciously gritted.

As soon as the waiter left and out of earshot, Clara asked. "Was that a smile or a glare?"

Clara was biting her bottom lip, obviously subduing her amusement.

I frowned. "That's my smile."

"Well, that's the scariest smile I've ever seen."

She let out a chuckle. I joined her after.

When our our chuckled simmered down, she grabbed her glass filled with cold water and made a sip as she looked at me over the rim of the glass.

Watching her pink lips pressed against the rim of the glass made my friend below twitched and hardened painfully.

I looked away.

"So this is officially our first date as a couple?" I asked, bringing my eyes back on her face.

She puts down her half filled glass with water and nodded her head.

"Can I ask you a question?"

She straightened her back as she sat upright.

My head tilted to the side, meeting her curious eyes. I nodded my head. The changes of her facial expression from relaxed to serious made my heart beat faster.

"Is there a moment... you know? when you and Claire are still in good terms...like in love?" she trailed off, "where you thought of marrying her?"

I frowned.

"First off, I wasn't in love with her," I opposed, shaking my head. "Do we really need to talk about her on our first date as a couple?" I asked, in a teasing tone.

She nodded her head as she met my gaze. "I'm curious, and if I won't ask it, I'm gonna be chewing my head every night wondering, what was really your feelings for her. I don't know."

She looked away. "If you don't wanna talk about her, I'm fine," she said but I could hear a tinge of disappointment in her tone.

I nodded my head. "Alright!"

I didn't wanna talk about it, not right now, but I thought there will be no right time. Since is ours is serious, I need to be honest with her. And talking about our past and get it out there before we get married if she agreed, I guess is the first step.

"I never loved her, I wanna clear that out," I started.

Her eyebrow raised as she drifted her eyes back to me. "Claire told me that you're the first man in her life," she said, her eyes narrowed at me a little, not believing me.

That hurt a bit.

"Yes, I was. But that's because she wanted to make it believe that she's into me. If I kept ignoring her, I'm sure, she'll give it to any man that can help her climb the ladder of fame faster,"

I recalled the first time we met. It was in a gala. The guy she was with was a friend of mine. She started flirting with me, but I didn't really entertained her that time. And whenever party I go, she seemed to be there always.

I don't do dates. One night stand if I'm tired of self gratification, but I rarely picked up a girl.

"You two lasted for years," she probed.