Hiccstrid: An American Love Story

Chapter 34: The Blind Date

I look up at the sign. Yep, this is the restaurant Heather asked me to go to. My bare legs are slightly chilly making me hope my blind date will be here soon. I wrap my arms around my self while holding my jacket closer to my body.
Going on a date with a guy I've never met before is usually not my style, but I can't get Hiccup out my head. His eyes, his lips, his hair it all needs to get out off my head. And I need to focus on-

"Hi" my thoughts are interrupted by a man's voice behind me. I turn around to reveal a tall handsome man with black curly hair and brown eyes.

"Are you Astrid?" He asks with a kind smile.

"Yeah hi" I say and shake his hand.

"I'm Jerome" he introduces himself as we shake our hands. He opens the door to the restaurant for me. Heather was definitely the one who picked this out because she thinks the most romantic food is Italian.

The waitress showed us to our table and we got seated. Jerome helped me off with my jacket to reveal my red dress.

"You're even more beautiful than Heather described" his voice is deep and flirty.

"Thank you, honestly this is my first blind date" I admit.

"Mine too" he laughs. I take a look at the menu skimming the pages one by one.

"Hey Astrid, this is kinda embarrassing but do you know what con pomodoro means?" He asks while blushing.

"Yeah it's with tomatoes" I say and he nods.

"So someone speaks Italian" he gives me a flirty smirk as he looks up from his menu.

"No Heather just really love this place" I say and he laughs. Heather truly loves this place and for good reasons the place is cozy, the food is delicious and not to sound like a completely broke college student, but the food isn't too expensive.

"What wine would you like to drink?" Jerome asks and I look at the wine section.

"I really like the, Hiccup" Out of the corner of my eye I can see Hiccup walking in the door with a raven haired girl.

"Well I usually like a wine that doesn't give me the Hiccups" Jerome jokes but my attention is still on Hiccup and the girl whose with him.

"Ehm what ever wine you like" I say and try to hide myself behind the menucard. I was trying to get my mind off Hiccup what are the odds he's here.

"Okay then" Jerome looks confused by my sudden need to burry my face in the menucard.
I hear the waitress tell Hiccup and his lady that the place is full and I'm praying they'll leave quickly.

"Oh hey Astrid" but it's too late. He's seen me and even worse he's now coming over together with the girl he brought.

"Good to see you Astrid, Hi I'm Hiccup" he says introducing himself to Jerome.

"Nice to meet you I'm Jerome" this is more awkward than the time Ruff got us kicked out of a drive in because we didn't have a car. Believe me it's incredibly humiliating when your friend thinks you can walk into a drive in and think no one will ask questions.

"So on a date, Hiccy?" I ask bitterly and play with the salt shaker on our table. I can't really put my finger on my bitterness maybe it's because he's interrupting my blind date or because he has a date.

"Yeah this is Nichole" he says and introduces his date.

"Hi I'm Nichole but my friends just call me Nadia" she says extremely peppy.

"That makes no sense" I whisper to myself but I think the others might have heard me.
Out little chat session is interrupted by the waiter who originally was going to take our order before Hiccup and Nadia showed up.

"I'm sorry but we're completely full" he tells Hiccup making me have to hide my smile.

"Too bad it was nice meeting you Nada" I say hoping they'll be on their marry way soon.

"It's Nadia"

"Sure"

I don't know why seeing Hiccup with another girl makes me so mad I mean I'm on a date with another guy as well.

"Well if you guys know each other I can grab some extra chairs in the back and you four can dine together" the waiter's offer is kind but I really don't want to dine with Hiccup and his "date". But before I can answer Hiccup talks.

"That would be lovely thanks" he says with an evil smile planted on his face "you don't mind right guys".

I've never wanted to punch a guy harder and I've met some really bad guys. But I bite my lip and just curse his name.

"No, of course not"

Jerome doesn't seem to mind he just sweetly helps the waiter with the chairs. This is going to be an interesting night. Double dates equals double the trouble.

"Thank you" I tell the waiter he had turned our table for two into a table for four.

"What would you like to drink?" He asks politely. I can see Hiccup quickly reading the win section of the menu while Jerome orders for him and I.

"Well Two glasses of Solengo Tenuta-" but before he can continue our order I cut in.

"Make it a bottle" I say while looking straight at Hiccup who picks up what I'm doing.

"You know what make it two bottles" Hiccup says and the waiter leaves to get our bottles.

"So Astrid that no-dating-in-college rule lasted long, huh?" Hiccup gives me a playful smirk. He doesn't even seem angry about it he makes it seem laughable. In the meanwhile Jerome is confused since Heather didn't enlighten him about my now not so sacred rule.

"Yeah almost as long as it took you to know every restaurant in LA" I answer back "Tell me why did you two choose to come to this restaurant?"

"It just happened" I can see Hiccup is lying he is definitely hiding something, but all I can do is role my eyes.

"Jerome will you please tell the waiter I'll have the Ribollita" I say and get up from my seat "I have to use the restroom".

He tells me yes and kisses my hand kindly. Normally, I'm not the romantic type but I can see how much it's annoying Hiccup so I just fake a blush and go to the restroom.

When I'm in the ladies room I take out my phone and dial the only person who knows I'm here right now.

"Hey A, what's up" Her voice sounds tired and I can hear her watching Netflix in the background.

"So, Heather, when were you going to tell me that you told Hiccup that I'm on a date tonight" for a moment there's just silence. It almost made me wonder if she just hung up but I can hear the slight background noise.

"Ehhh now?"

Team Jerome or team Hiccup?
I think I already know, originally it was supposed to be Will, Astrid's ex, she was set up with but I couldn't imagine Heather would do that. Therefore it lead me to create a new character: Jerome. Will was supposed to have a much larger role but after some consideration I turned him into a smaller side character. Because this story isn't about Astrid and Will or Astrid and Jerome. It's about Hiccup and Astrid. There will always be a Hiccup and Astrid, always <3

Spoiler for next chapter:

"Heather, when I'm done with this date I'm coming straight to your dorm room to stab you with the knife you left in my back"