Method Acting || Joe Keery

T H I R T Y F I V E

I straighten my back, and watch him walk across the grey tiles towards the table. As he reaches me, he shrugs off his grey jacket, revealing a white button up shirt as he drapes the jacket across his chair.

"This place is beautiful," Dacre says, looking around in awe.

I look around, appreciating the view with him. The courtyard of the restaurant surrounded by trees, some even bearing fruit. I breathe in the sweet, fresh and fragrant air.

It feels as if we are dining in a private courtyard, somewhere in Italy. It's quiet and beautiful. I'd always wanted to come here, and thought this was a good as time as any.

I glance over at Dacre, eyeing his outfit and looking at the beautiful setting. An anxious thought of whether he knew that this isn't a date, flashes before my mind.

I hope I'm not sending mixed messages. I swallow the thought down, though. He knows what his friendship means to me.

"Have you ordered?" Dacre asks me, snapping me out of my zoning out.

I smile, and pick up the menu.

"Nope, I was waiting for you," I tell him.

He picks up the menu too, and glances at the back of it.

"So... Cocktails?" Dacre asks, his eyes shining mischievously.

I know that I shouldn't, but an ice cold Bellini sounds incredible right now.

"Just one," I say, levelling my eyes at him seriously.

"Or two," I give him a little smirk.

A waitress with short brown hair comes out to the table, to see if we're ready to order yet.

After she takes our orders and leaves, Dacre leans over the table with a smirk.

"She was checking you out," He says. I detect the humour in his voice.

I roll my eyes. Is everyone waiting for me to just jump the first person to notice me?

"I doubt it," I tell him, taking a drink from my water.

He just rolls his eyes.

"You know, Robert thought this was a date," I tell him, trying to gauge his reaction.

Dacre laughs and shakes his head. He looks down at his water, running his finger around the top of his glass.

"He thinks I would go on a date right before I leave to go home?" He asks, looking up at me. His eyes catching mine.

I laugh too.

"That's what I said," I tell him.

"There's no way he thinks you're actually over Joe," Dacre points out.

My mouth goes dry at the mention of him, and my stomach summersaults. I look down at my hands, watching the way the shadows of the leaves of the trees fall on them to distract myself from the sinking feeling.

"Sorry," Dacre says quietly.

I shake my head.

"Your reaction shows I'm right though," He says gently.

I shrug, and lift my head.

"So what? We only broke up a week ago," I tell him.

I notice the waitress coming over with our drinks, and I turn my head, thankful for the distraction.

When I thank her, I notice the dimples in her smile, and the way her green eyes linger on me for a moment.

Maybe Dacre was right about her, but he was also right about my feelings for Joe.