Having Your Jelly Baby

4: Dates

‘I’m not drunk, I’m just intoxicated by you,’ Drew shot back wittily.

‘Ohh,’ I said, letting out a laugh. ‘Right. Nice pick up lines, mister. Where did you learn these, then?’

‘I’ve had to learn them for my audition in a couple of days,’ Drew said, scrunching up his nose, but adorably looking quite proud of himself. ‘I’ve got more if you want to hear them –’

I shook my head and put a hand over his mouth, saying quickly, ‘No thanks.’

He laughed, and finally asked as I removed my hand slowly, ‘What do you want me to get you? Are you a coffee person? I feel like since we’re going to be friends now, I should know that.’

‘Ha, nooo,’ I said. ‘I can’t stand it.’

That was a lie. A huge lie, in fact, as I was essentially addicted to the stuff. But the bad thing was, I read up online about things not to eat and drink if you were pregnant, and coffee was written in bold near the top of the list, a little footnote telling me that it was okay in moderation, but I knew that if I even had a sip, I would crack and have to glug down gallons of it in order to compensate for starving myself of it.

I must say though, my quick thinking and acting skills made me practically worthy of an Oscar.

But as far as Drew knew, coffee was my enemy because of its taste. Its glorious, mouth-wateringly divine taste. Okay, I was salivating now, and I had been from the moment I was within ten metres of Starbucks.

Drew nodded. ‘Ahh, I get you. I know Mia hates coffee too, so maybe that runs in the fammo. I’m actually not too bothered if you hate it, though, because it’s heaven in a cup to me.’ Drew stuck his tongue out immaturely – the tongue which had mingled with mine at some point, I recalled – and I rolled my eyes.

‘You know,’ I began, tracing doodle patterns on the table with my fingers as we talked, ‘you really are so different to how I expected you to be.’

His nose crinkled up a little, an almost frown suddenly appearing on his face. ‘What do you mean?’

I waved my hand airily, deciding that I wished I hadn’t said anything in the first place because my big fat mouth always seemed to get me into huge amounts of trouble.

Drew prodded me lightly on the arm when no verbal response came from me.

‘Come onnn, Supernova,’ he pouted dramatically. ‘Or I won’t be your friend anymore.’

That threat made me crack up laughing, with Drew himself trying to maintain a straight face.

I sighed heavily for effect, propping my elbow up on the table in front of me and resting my head on my hand. He mimicked my movements, and the two of us just ended up staring each other down.

‘Oi,’ I said, shoving him light-heartedly. ‘Copycat.’

Drew just laughed. ‘Tell me.’

‘No.’

‘Tell me.’

‘Fine,’ I gave in, my heart doing a lame little somersault as one side of Drew’s mouth quirked up in a crooked smile.

‘I think… I just sort of meant that you surprise me. You’re so…’ I struggled to think of the right word to describe him.

‘Normal?’ Drew offered, a warm laugh hidden in the folds of his voice.

I shook my head, then nodded. ‘No – ordinary. But in the most extraordinary way, you know?’ It was only after I said it that I realised just how offensive that the first part of what I just said could have been to him.

Hardly daring to look at him, I spared him a split second glance, relieved to find him grinning so wide it looked nearly painful.

‘Hah, thanks. Thank you,’ he said, laughing for real this time, giving me a small, slightly embarrassed salute.

‘You’re so cute, Drew,’ I heard myself blurt out, blushing beetroot red straight after. Earnest compliments like that rarely came from me, Drew’s surprise evident as his green eyes widened the littlest bit.

‘Don’t take this the wrong way, but it is your time of the month, Nova? You’re acting extremely OOC,’ Drew said, the reference to fan-fiction making me snort, his smile making me know he was relieved I got the allusion.

‘I’ve read some of the fan-fiction about you, you know,’ I admitted freely, ignoring the period comment. ‘Some of it’s actually pretty good.’

‘I know,’ Drew grinned, before asking, ‘wait – what? How did you find it?’

‘Oh - I Googled you the day after we first met, you know? The awkward meeting the week before Connor dumped me? Apparently you and Tom Hiddleston have an extreme bromance after that film the two of you were in, from what I’ve read,’ I winked cheekily at him, before asking slyly, ‘Think you can set us up? I’ve got unbelievable love for that sex bomb of a specimen.’

Drew rolled his eyes, leaning in, and poked my cheek lightly. ‘Whatever. Back off, lady, Twiddle is mine.’

It was my turn to stick my tongue out at him, almost accidentally licking Drew in the process, the near miss making him laugh.

‘Kinky.’

The next couple of hours passed too quickly, time blurring into a haze of colour and laughter. Before I knew it, we were on the doorstep of my little block, standing there like a couple of yobs.

‘Whoa, whoa,’ Drew’s hands shot out just as he was about to say goodbye, when I swayed a little and almost stumbled into him as dizziness swept over me. ‘Are you okay?’

I nodded, taking steps upward and backwards. ‘Sorry, I just felt really light-headed suddenly. Obviously swooning over you, hey?’ I joked.

‘Are you sure you’re okay, though?’ Drew asked again despite smiling at my remark, looking a little concerned, his foot on the very bottom step as he looked up at me, the two of us at the same height even though I was two steps above him.

I nodded again, flashing him my teeth in a quick, wide smile. ‘Yep. Thanks for today, by the way,’ I said slowly. ‘I had loads of fun. With you.’ I added. Awkwardness seemed to have overcome me unexpectedly and I was well aware of the fact I had abruptly become the socially awkward turtle. ‘We’ll have to do this again some time.’

Drew nodded too and laughed, the sound bright and summery, and he reached out, his hand at the back of my neck as his fingers tangled into the hair there. I automatically leaned forward, my breath hitching in my throat as the breach between us was inevitably closed, and we stood chest to chest, my heart beating so fast and so loudly that I was sure he must have heard it.

His face was millimetres from my own, the faint scent of coffee that lingered on him making me want to gently swipe my tongue across his lips. If he said even a single word our lips would brush against each other in a feathery half kiss which I knew would have the ability to make me weak at the knees, which it did, when Drew uttered four simple words:

‘Well then… Laters, baby.’