Cameraman, Swing the Focus

Chapter 36

"Okay, fine. I want to hear about everyone you've ever dated." Z's face scrunched up, making Nicole laugh.

"I guess I can do that." Z tapped the table with her fingernails.

"Don't strain yourself," Nicole teased.

"I mean, it's just- What do you constitute as dating?"

Nicole shrugged. "Define it however you want to. Only mention the ones who seem important looking back?"

A flicker of emotion passed over Z's face too quickly for Nicole to decipher what it meant. "Well, my first kiss was when I was twelve. We were sitting on a grassy hill at our school. He transferred away shortly after and I never saw him again."

Nicole nodded along to the story. She hadn't expected her to go all the way back to the beginning. She wasn't sure she could even remember who her own first kiss had been.

"After that, I had a few one time hook ups. The first time I fully had sex was in there somewhere. Never really saw any of those guys again either. I was that stereotype of the rebellious girl going for douche bags." Nicole nodded in understanding. She'd definitely had those phases. As she looked at Z across the table, she wasn't sure if she was in one of them right now.

Z fell silent, and it took Nicole quite a few seconds to realize she was done speaking. "Oh, that's... it?" She felt like an asshole the second the words left her lips. "Not that it's-" She didn't know how to salvage that sentence, and settled for biting her tongue and looking apologetic.

Z grinned and pretended to glare at her. "Oh, I'm sorry. I haven't gotten around enough for your liking?" Nicole relaxed ever so slightly when she saw that Z hadn't taken it seriously. 

"No, it's not that at all." Nicole felt indebted to the waitress bringing their food at that exact moment, and she hoped they could just let the topic drop. Z dug into the stack of pancakes she'd ordered, looking up at Nicole expectantly as she popped small pieces into her mouth.

"What is it then?" Z prompted as she chewed. Nicole's shoulders sagged. She put her cutlery down on her plate, making sure her words came out the way she intended them.

"You just give the impression of being someone who goes for exactly what they want. You're very transparent with your desires, and you're not afraid to act on them. In theory, that would most likely point to a higher number of past partners." It sounded scientific and calculating to her own ears, but it was more tactful than what she'd wanted to say. She wanted to say that Z was fucking hot.

Z finished chewing the food in her mouth and nodded, her eyes focused on her glass of iced tea. "Your statements are accurate, but you're extrapolating a conclusion that doesn't follow." Her eyes raised to meet Nicole's. "I go after what I want, but I'm very picky, and have rarely been drawn to someone enough to act on it." Nicole felt her cheeks heat up under Z's gaze. 

She looked down at her plate, suddenly having no appetite as her stomach was tied in knots. "I guess I'm honoured." Her face got impossibly hotter as she heard her own lame words aloud. Z's answering laugh was melodic, and brought a smile to both of their faces. They locked eyes across the table, and Nicole could feel her heart pounding in her throat as she tried to sustain the eye contact.

They waved down the waitress and paid without eating much more. Nicole followed her out onto the sidewalk, the night now fully fallen as Nicole pulled her jacket tighter around herself. The wind was just cold enough to cut through her layers and make being outside uncomfortable. Z stood facing her, her jacket hanging open and looking like she wasn't cold at all.

Nicole took a step closer, not really meaning to, but she just looked so warm. Z's cheeks were a little flushed from the wind, and her hair whipped around her face wildly. They hadn't said anything since exiting the restaurant, and Nicole realized she was waiting to see if Z would kiss her again. It seemed Z was waiting for the same thing.

Choose your path:

To kiss Z, go to chapter 42.

To wait for her to make a move, go to chapter 43.