She's With Me

Coco

By the time Evie found the placard with the towing company's name on it, the sun had completely disappeared over the horizon. The overhead lights that dotted the parking lot slowly began to illuminate the surrounding area in a soft white glow. She couldn't believe it. One day she gets so lucky meeting the absolute gem of a guy and now her entire paycheck was gonna have to go to getting her car out of impound. "Hey Evie," Josh called out to her as he approached, "Don't worry yourself about calling these guys. I'll just take you home and we can get your car tomorrow."

"I've got work in the morning," Evie shook her head, feeling the panic start to rise, "I... I can't just not show up to my job. Especially now... "

His hands tucked into his pockets, Josh pursed his lips together while he read the sign with a knitted brow. "Hm," he hummed thoughtfully, "Well, I'm not usually one for things moving so quickly but ah— I've got an extra bed at my place. It's a little farther out from here but, I don't mind as long as you don't." Evie felt her face warm up a little as Josh spoke. Stay? At his house? A house? "You have a house with extra rooms?" Evie asked, flabbergasted at the idea someone their age already owned a home. Josh snorted, shrugging his shoulders, "I mean it's not anything to write home about but yeah, I have a house. It's just outside the city limits," he cocks his head a bit curiously, "Is that your way of saying you're down?"

To say she was stunned was an understatement. The words had a hard time forming in her mouth so eventually, she just gave him a quiet nod. Why was he making himself so irresistible? He was practically everything she could ask for in a man— albeit being a little on the short side, but still! Evie couldn't help but wonder if she'd actually end up staying in the spare bedroom or wake up in his. They walk back to his car and hop back inside. Josh was talking about something but Evie really couldn't hear him with how lost in thought she was. Was this a mistake? What if he had actually planned all of this and it was a plot to murder her? What if he wasn't actually famous? What if—?

"Hey Evie?"

She's brought back out of her intrusive thoughts with his voice and she turns to him with wide eyes. "Are... you okay?" Josh followed up with another question. The cabin of the car was bathed in a red glow from the overhead traffic light which illuminated his messy curls. It happened again. Evie sighed, gritting her teeth together in frustration. "I-I'm fine. I'm sorry. I just... I space out sometimes when I get... anxious." Evie finally replied. The car jerked forward just a bit, the cabin darkening as they left the intersection behind. They were almost out of the city.

"What are you anxious about?" Josh broke the silence with the question. Evie turned her gaze back out of the window to watch the buildings pass by them. Did she dare talk about her past experiences? She'd turned him down about talking about her family so why was this any different? Would he be weirded out by her if she stayed mysterious? It was only the first date and talking about her anxiety would definitely ruin the mood. But then again, if she wanted to be serious then... she needed to be honest. "I... I just never really had the best of luck with men in the past. I don't wanna go too much into it but, swore I wasn't going to date again and here I am going home with a guy I've only known for a day." Evie explained.

"It's okay. I understand," Josh replied, offering a small shrug, "If you're not feeling up to it, I can just take you home. I only offered for you to stay since it would just be easier if the two of us went together to get your car."

Evie shook her head, holding her hands up defensively, "No, it's okay. That makes sense completely, my nerves are just... shot."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, mine are too," Josh replied with a small, reassuring smile, "I haven't had a date go this well in a very long time. I'm tired, worried and excited all at the same time. I mean, I know it's happening so fast but I have so much to show you at my place. It's ten times cooler than the museum."