Only Once

Chapter Thirty-Two: Romantic First Dates

Then it grew silent; the speeding cars from the nearby road were the only sounds that could be heard. Nonetheless, Erika waited and waited but when he failed to say anything else, she spoke.

“That’s it?” she shouted and waved her arms. “That’s all you have to say to me?”

The speech that Spencer had mentally prepared had vanished and he seemed to have lost his ability to say anything. Instead, all he could do was stutter like an idiot.  

“Um,” he stammered and felt his cheeks grow red. “I’m, uh, sorry…that I hurt you. And I, uh, well, you know, I just, yeah, uh–”

“Just shut up.” Erika held up a hand to smoothly cut him off.

“What?” Spencer cried out defensively. “What do you want me to say?”

Erika, however, merely shook her head at him before whirling around and nearly whacking him in the face with her hair. She began to walk through the snow with great difficulty, and it wasn’t until she reached the nearby, salted sidewalks that she regained her footing.

She wasn’t sure what she even wanted him to say. But that apology was simply insufficient. After all, she had given him an entire speech and confessed all her feelings for him, and yet he couldn’t offer her anything more than a measly apology and an even measlier profession of his feelings towards her? Even Chade could’ve done a better job than that!  

There was only one word that she could think to sum it up and that was unbelievable. It was simply and irrevocably unbelievable.

“Erika!”

She could hear Spencer shouting her name and a feeling of glee shockingly swept through her; she was still furious but she was also delighted. Secretly smiling, she turned around and glared as he ran towards her.  

“What?” she made sure to keep her tone bored and curt; she was trying to make a point.

She watched as Spencer titter-tottered on his feet before meeting her eyes and asking in a rather bold voice, “Can I take you out for dinner?”

Again, it wasn’t what Erika had expected, or even wanted, to hear. But somehow, the audacity of his manner and the demanding toning he used had left her feeling satisfied. Moreover, she found out it sweet how sudden and out of the blue it was. Eventually, a smile appeared on her face and she thought about how dinner actually sounded perfect as she was still hungry. But when she checked the time, the smile disappeared as quickly as it had come.

“But Spencer,” she said slowly. “It’s nearing midnight. No restaurants are going to accept us now. I mean we don’t even have reservations. And aren’t most restaurants usually open until one or two o’clock in the morning?”

Spencer blinked several times before he finally frowned.

“What are you talking about?” he asked flatly. “McDonald’s is open twenty-four seven.”

“Oh.”

The disappointment couldn’t have been less concealed from her voice. McDonald’s hadn’t exactly been the conclusion her mind had reached when he’d suggested dinner. In fact, fast food was never her top choice for anything. It was too unhealthy and cheap for her. Yet nevertheless, she found herself nodding her head and the pair began to walk over to the nearby chain.  

“You know,” Spencer began as they walked on. Her hand was comfortably nestled in his and even though it was cold outside, he felt a gooey feeling of warmness inside him. Without her critically watching him, he found it much easier to talk.

“I really do like you.” He said. “I mean it. Heck, I’m even glad that I was forced having to be your assistant. And, again, I’m sorry about Abbey. Really, I am. And I swear that nothing serious happened between us. I just–”