Spin For You [Peterick]

-23-

Dear Patrick,

Well.

I think it's fair to say the date didn't quite go to plan.

It was a shame, because the plan was so damn good. I'd spent the whole day going over every little detail, trying to get everything right, down to the last second. Normal people would say it's unhealthy to obsess over something like this, but it was that or gradually drink myself out of consciousness.

I called Andy a few hours before, to ask some advice, seeing as this was pretty much my first proper date ever. That was a bad idea.

"Wait, so where did you say you were taking him?" He'd asked, buzzing down the phone at me.

I told him the name of the restaurant, and after what must have been some extremely speedy Googling, he found it.

"That's where you're going?" He said, an air of caution creeping into his voice.

"Yeah. Why? Is there a problem? Is it closed? It's closed isn't it, oh for fuck's sake what the hell am I-" I started to panic, before Andy cut me off.

"No, no, it's fine Pete, calm down dude, I just thought that maybe it's a little bit too posh? Like, for a first date?"

"Really?" Uh oh. I'd never been on an actual date before, I had no idea where to take you so I figured we'd go somewhere fancy. But I discovered I'm horrifically inexperienced at this.

"Well...I guess usually people start off going somewhere not too fancy, just to make things less formal. I mean, you don't want to scare him off, that's all."

"You think I'll scare him off? Oh god, should I book somewhere else? But it's too short notice to go somewhere else! What do I do Andy, please, help!" I hopped around my bedroom frantically, my voice climbing up the octaves.

"Okay, you're taking this way too seriously. Calm the fuck down." I could almost hear the eye roll as he spoke. "First of all, it's Patrick, you've known him forever and he's not going to care where you take him. Second, I'm kinda amazed you even managed to book a place like this because it's fancy as hell, so stick with it. And third, the most important thing is that you be yourself, he likes you for normal Pete, not stressed-out frantic oh-my-god-it-must-be-perfect Pete. So snap out of it."

I stopped pacing. Why is Andy always right? I sighed, flopping down on the bed. "Sorry. I just...I've never done this before, I don't know the rules."

"Look, don't think of them as rules, just...good manners I guess."

"Right, so what's good manners on a date?"

"Be nice, dress smart and don't expect anything of him. That last one's kind of important."

"What do you mean, don't expect anything?" I spat, getting more worked up every second.

"Just, um, how do I put this, don't expect to go anywhere below the waist at the end of the night."

I almost laughed out loud. "I'm not going to fuck him on the first date." More's the pity.

"How do you know what you're gonna do, you've never been on a damn date!"

"Shut up."

"You shut up!"

I huffed down the phone at him and earned an irritated tsk in return.

"Andy," I said tentatively.

"What?"

"Can you help me choose what to wear?"

And that is how Andy Hurley lost an afternoon to playing dress-up with his bassist.