"If you had fun having dinner with me, wait to see how amazing I can be at laser tag 😎"
The text shines bright on the phone in my hands as I reread it with a silly smile. Josh will be here to pick me up at any minute and I'm shivering in anticipation.
It's weird how our mind can completely change once we really get to know someone. I used to see Josh Kiszka around college and I never really liked him. We'd never talked or anything, but I'd always thought he was just too much, especially too loud. It seemed to me like he was just trying too hard and I don't know why, but that really pissed me off.
The only reason I said yes when he invited me to dinner a couple of weeks ago, was because he did it in front of my friends and I would feel terrible rejecting him in public.
While dressing up for that first date, I was feeling kind of bored. I didn't put the slightest effort into looking good and I just wanted the night to be over before it had even started. A few hours later, though, all I wanted was for it to last forever.
Turns out Josh is the most incredible human being to ever cross my path. He has this amazing sense of humor, he's super smart, nice, polite, talented, sensible; just every possible good thing someone can be, Josh is. All the things he does that I used to judge as him "trying too hard" is just him being himself. I fell in love with the guy on our first date.
We didn't kiss that night. I thought he hasn't liked me or something and the drive back to my place felt sad and lonely. But as soon as I closed the door, I received a text from him telling me how much he enjoyed the night and that he really wanted to see me again.
Still wearing the silly smile, I scroll the screen up, looking at all the messages on my phone. We texted each other everyday after our date. I told him I love cats and he began sending me a picture of every cat he'd see anywhere; there are also a lot of pictures of himself being a dork and all of the "good morning, sunshine" I've been waking up to this week. But it was only yesterday that I read what I've been waiting for this whole time, he finally asked me out again.
I'm staring at a picture of him rolling his eyes; he told me he was having the worst class of his life and then sent the photo. Butterflies begin to fly freely in my stomach just looking at his face on a phone screen, it's embarrassing how much power he has over me. I'm taken off of my trance by the doorbell ringing. I smooth my clothes before opening the door and finding a very smiley Josh.
"You got like three hundred teeth."
"Wow, what a nice welcome." He giggles making me smile.
"It's a compliment, I promise." He gives me a suspicion look. "I mean it, I love your smile."
"If you're saying." He blushes, the corner of his mouth timidly quirks up. "We should get going." I nod, finally getting out of the apartment. When I finish locking the door and placing the keys inside my purse, Josh takes one of my hands in his, sending a shiver down my body.
"It's nice to see you again." He says gently as we start walking towards the elevator.
"You too." I enlace our fingers together. When the elevator doors open, I can see our image in the mirror, the same smile is playing on both of our faces. I wanna kiss him so bad.
As we get into his car, Josh turns the radio on. Bob Dylan's voice fills the air and is only a matter of seconds until he begins to sing along. He stops at a red light and starts drumming on the wheel, his voice getting louder. There's a ray of sunshine illuminating the side of his face, his curls look like gold against the light. I've never seen someone so beautiful in my life, I just wanna cry looking at him.
"You're staring." He stops singing and looks at me.
"I know." The light turns to green, the car starts moving and so does his hand. It lands on my knee where he gives a little squeeze.
"You're beautiful, too."
"Just go back to singing." The car is now filled with Dylan's music and our laughter.
Josh pulls over in front of the laser tag and gets out of the car with a mischievous grin. He stops beside me and puts his arms across my shoulders so we can walk in together, the grin still playing with his lips.
"What?" I look at him.
"What?" He turns to me as well, his face dangerously close.
"This stupid smile on your face, what does that mean?"
"Nothing, I just hope you're ready." I chuckle.
"Darling, I hope you're ready. I'm gonna kick your ass." He laughs and hides his face on my neck. His lips brush there, it's the first time I feel them against my skin and it burns; and I like it.
The date is simply amazing, all we do is run and laugh - specially laugh - and Josh takes every possible opportunity to touch me, and I am definitely not complaining. When we step outside, the day has already turned into night. Josh has his arm around me, just like when we got in, but now our hairs are a complete mess and we can't nearly walk because of how hysterically we're laughing, remembering moments of the day.
"God, I'm tired." I say as we stop in front of his car.
"I'm hungry. Do you wanna go somewhere to eat?"
"Can't we just go to my place and order a pizza? I just want the comfort of my apartment."
"Sure." He kisses the top of my head and opens the car door for me.
There's no sunshine on his face when he stops at the red light this time, but he still looks mesmerizing. I study his features stopping on his lips, the target of my desire.
"What?" He takes me out of my trance, watching as I stare. I just shake my head. "Did you have fun today?"
"Yes, it was amazing." I'm smiling when I squeeze his shoulders. "Thank you."
When we get to my apartment, all I wanna do is collapse into my bed. So, as we get in, I immediately walk toward my bedroom, with Josh following close behind. I let my body fall on the comfortable mattress, lying on my stomach, face buried into a pillow. A groan escape my lips before I look at the door and find Josh standing there, watching me.
"Come here." I pat the empty side of the bed beside me and watch as Josh sits on the edge and takes his shoes off, laying on his back. I take a deep breath and decide it's time to take a risk. I crawl to the man beside me and place my head on his chest, holding his body in my arms; he holds me back. I can feel his heart beating fast. "Do you want something to drink?"
"What do you have?"
"I'm pretty sure I have water," he chuckles. "And I think I have wine."
"Wine sounds good."
"Do you want me to go get it?"
"Not right now." He tighten his grip.
"Do you want me to order the pizza?"
"Later."
"Do you want me to stay here?"
"Please."
It's time, I move a little, looking at his face. He's flushed.
"Do you want me to kiss you?" I feel his heart missing a beat.
"Desperately."
Electricity flows through my body when our lips touch. We were desperately waiting for this moment, but now that it's happening, it's calm and slow. It's good, really good, I'm pretty sure that's exactly what heaven tastes like. I gently bite his lower lip before pulling away, pressing my face to his neck. He just holds me tight.
"I'm not hungry anymore, I just want to stay here."
I smile at his words and breath him in, leaving a kiss on his neck. It doesn't take long for tiredness to beat me and I fall asleep right there in his arms.
