The Pursuit

Nine

NINE 

"You look... nice."

I smiled shyly in front of Caleb outside my loft's building. "Thank you. You do too, yourself." He was casually wearing dark jeans, a white polo shirt, and a suit jacket over. 

I secretly admired him from my window as I spied on him pull up to the curb in his ostentatious car. When he called offering to walk to my door, I refused and said I would just meet him out here instead. It was now Saturday evening, and Caleb called earlier in the day asking if we were still on tonight. I wanted to decline. Badly, but I also wanted to go more than I didn't. 

His hazel eyes gleamed in the lamppost that was our only source of light. "Ready?"

I nodded and let him lead me to the other side of the car where he opened the passenger's seat for me. I smiled at him briefly in thanks and slipped in. During the short amount of period I was alone in the car, I took deep breaths. Okay, Ann. You can do this. You've been on dates before. Just pretend Caleb's like any other guy. 

Except I couldn't. I really liked him. He invaded my thoughts and dreams. That wasn't just attraction. It could probably end up as more...

"So, I made a reservation at this Japanese restaurant downtown. I hope you love sushi," he winked at me before starting the car. "I know it's a typical first-date kind of thing, but it is a great way we could get in some proper conversations."

"I never really tried them," I admitted keeping my hands tucked under my legs, one of the things I had noticed about myself that I do whenever I was nervous. 

Caleb's driving slowed down as we neared a red traffic light. He looked over at me. "Would you rather we go to a different one then?"

"Don't be ridiculous," I waved it away. "There's no better time to try sushi than tonight."

He nodded slowly. "If you're sure... I want to make sure I do an excellent first impression."

I laughed out loud, slowly easing into the idea of the date. "Mr. Caleb, I think it's way too late for first impressions. We got to know each other pretty well." I blushed at what I just said. "I mean... you know."

He grinned at me from the side. "Oh I do know. Very well." I looked away to the window to try and cool my cheeks before looking back at him. "I think we should set some rules." He added out of the blue. 

I sharply turned my head to look at him. "Rules?" I asked meekly. 

Caleb noticed the change in my tone and laughed. "Relax. Just some things I think we need to go over."

"Is this what you do to get women, sir? Set rules on a date?" I rolled my eyes brushing away stray hairs from my face. 

"And that's the first rule. Please don't refer to me as 'sir,'" he grimaced as he said it. "We're not on professional terms here. It only ever makes me cringe."

I shrugged. "Maybe you are old, Caleb. How old are you anyways? Here I am going on a date with you, and I don't even know your age!"

He smirked. "Don't tell me you didn't do your Wikipedia search on me before I picked you up? Isn't that what women do? Google the guys?"

"No!" I denied. It wasn't technically a lie. While on the phone with Em, she searched him up, but I didn't let her tell me anything. I was surprised enough that he had his own Wikipedia page. "That's very stereotypical of you."

We were silent for a few moments before the curiosity got the best of me. "How old are you really?"

"Twenty-eight," he replied smoothly. "Too old for you?"