Zoe's POV
"Text me when you get home, so I know you're back safely" I told Tanya, hugging her before turning to Jim and throwing my arms around him too. "You better text me later with all the details about tonight!" Tanya leaned over to whisper in my ear. Of course, I instantly knew what she was talking about. My date with Alfie. I hadn't stopped thinking about it since he'd asked me the previous morning. I couldn't quite work out how I was feeling. Excited, nervous, happy all at the same time. It was only Alfie. A guy I had gone out for a meal with many times before, I shouldn't have been nervous. But this time it was different.
It was 11am and, with the exception of Alfie and of course Joe, Jim and Tanya were the last ones to leave. The boys had decided they would attempt to cook last night so Louise, Tan and myself had a girly evening, gossiping and choosing an outfit for me to wear for the meal with Alfie tonight. We'd settled on a cute floral dress, tight on the top and flowing at the bottom, reaching half way down my thighs. Tanya had also picked me out a pair of black strappy heels, which I was slightly nervous to walk in as I rarely wear them, and Louise had added a silver necklace.
The feel of a large pair of hands slipping around my waist interrupted my thoughts. "What are you thinking about?" Alfie whispered against my ear. I turned to face him, smiling and snaking my arms around his neck. "Just about you" I giggled. He laughed, throwing back his head and cackling more when Joe said "Eww, guys, stop being so cheesy!" Alfie removed his hands from around my waist, his fingers finding my hand instead. "Can we go to the cinema today?" Joe asked, looking at us hopefully. "Joe, we're going out tonight, you know Zo will need about 7 hours to get ready" Alfie joked, earning a slap on the chest from me. "please?" Joe moaned, putting on his puppy dog eyes. Alfie and I sighed, looking at each other. "Fine, but we should go now, so Alfie and I have time to get ready for the meal afterwards" I agreed. Joe threw his arms around me in a tight hug, yelling "you're the best, Zo!" before charging up the stairs to get his coat and wallet. I turned to Alfie, taking the opportunity to briefly kiss his lips. "You're such a pushover, Little One", he murmured, tilting his head and bending down to make it easier for me to kiss him. "Shut up" I replied, my lips still on his.
Alfie's POV
We sat in the cinema, waiting for the film to start, chatting quietly about films we'd seen. Zoe and I had a large tub of popcorn in between us and Joe, who was sitting on Zoe's other side, had gone for Ben & Jerry's ice cream and, like me, a Tango Ice Blast. "I liked Insidious" Zoe was saying, causing Joe to laugh and answer with "You hid behind a cushion for most of that film Zo!" I glanced over to see she was facing Joe, her back to me. I felt a grin spread over my face as I quickly scooped up a piece of ice out the top of my drink and dropped it down the back of Zoe's top. "Alfie!!" she shrieked, spinning to face me, her eyes wide as she tried to shake the ice away from her skin. I doubled over with laughter, as did Joe, while Zoe glared at us both. She jabbed my thigh with the corner of her phone before grumpily pouting at me. "Come here" I said in an attempt to get on her good side again, putting an arm around her and pulling her against my chest while grabbing her hand in my other hand, our fingers entwined. "I'm mad at you, you know" Zoe murmured. "I know" I said, smiling as I felt her lips brush against my jaw. She really was the worst person at holding a grudge. I kissed the top of her head, nuzzling into her hair as the lights dimmed and the film started.
"That was amazing!" Joe exclaimed, shaking my arm to get my attention. We were walking out of the cinema and back to Zoe's car and Joe was in a particularly hyper mood. Zoe and I were strolling peacefully, hand in hand, while Joe was running around us, practically jumping up and down. "Calm down, Joe!" Zoe laughed as we reached her car and climbed in. "Thanks for driving us, Zo" Joe chirped from the back before dialling a number on his phone and putting it to his ear. "Yeah, thanks for driving" I said, placing my hand on her thigh and leaning in for a kiss. Zoe smiled before pulling away and starting the car.
