Plié and Clout

Chapter 20: Boyfriend

today i'm going to double update because I'm putting off homework

-rabid

***

AUGUST

"Steph, hey," I poke him on his way out of the studio. Jilly prances right out the door and doesn't seem to notice. "Want to watch a movie sometime?"

"Yeah," He leans on the counter, making sure Jilly is out the door. "Tonight? Tomorrow? I don't really have plans."

I don't want to seem too clingy, because we just went out for coffee on Friday, but. "Tonight sounds good, you?"

"Totally," He winks. "I'm off parenting duty because Helen is coming over to teach Jilly how to make their family bread thingy, so."

I scan him, he seems way less tired than he did Friday, and we did spend a good long time face-timing at night Saturday. "What movie?"

"Doesn't matter," He shrugs. "Popcorn on me."

"So I could make you watch a horror movie?"

"No," He fidgets. "Nope, I'm squeamish."

"Romance?"

"Ehh," He mumbles. "I die for a good classic, but some of the new stuff now is eesh."

"Are you just saying that."

"Because I'm a total nerd for brain fluff romance films? Yes."

I reach up and ruffle his hair. "Seven sound okay?"

"Perfect." He's got a chunk of hair that's sticking straight upward now and I find it too cute for his own good.

"Now shoo," I wave at the door. "Jilly's going to get suspicious or something." He leans on the counter, raising one eyebrow.

"Suspicious of what?" He's trying to be hot or seductive or something along that vulgar category, but it really just doesn't work. He's got crinkles in the corners of his eyes from smiling and that just kills his whole effort.

"Face-sucking, dork," I look around. "Shoo shoo, my boss might show up or something, and if he sees me flirting on the job he's going to be irritated."

Steph layers his tone with sarcasm. "Oh no, not the boyfriend," Holy fuck did he just refer to himself as my boyfriend. We've only kissed that once after the first date and it wasn't even really a full kiss, it was like a peck on the cheek but on the mouth, but like it really did matter because it made me feel like heaven for way longer than I expected, but we have gone on only like a date and a half, that's dating, right? And he's coming over to watch a movie, and we talk all the time over the phone but does he consider me his girlfriend? We haven't talked about that? He's still so wild and new, what? I mean, I totally caught feelings and he told me he did too, but we're really new at this and isn't boyfriend-girlfriend like after a month? Nobody evER TOLD ME HOW TO DATE????

"Hey, Aug, sorry," He looks worried when I snap out of it. "Didn't mean to come on that strong."

I blink a couple of times. "No, you're good," I blink again. "Boyfriend, huh?" 

"If you're okay with that?" He tilts his head to the side, trying to read my expression. I must look like a ball of raw panic.

"Yeah," I clear my throat. "Yeah."

"You look like you're going to pass out, are you feeling alright, or?"

I look up at him, a little giddy all over. "Gabby is going to freak the hell out."