After dinner, they got into a little argument over who should pay, but it was settled quickly; Nini somehow managed to win, convincing him to split the bill.
They were standing outside of the restaurant as many other cars began pulling in. "I had fun," Nini told him.
Ricky nodded and said, "Yeah, me too." They had stayed for two hours, eating for one and talking during the other. The sidewalk they were standing on was beginning to become cramped as more people passed them, ready for dinner. "Let's move down some," he said, guiding her away from the front door.
They were standing on the corner of the sidewalk, a darker and less crowded area. "So... how would you feel about doing something like this again?" Ricky asked.
"Do you mean eating or spending time together?"
He shrugged and smiled. "Whatever you want to call it."
"Yes, I'd love a second date."
Ricky bent down a little to hug her; his arms held her waist while hers wrapped around his neck. He wondered if she could feel his racing heart. When they pulled away, they stood there for a moment before he asked, "Do you, um... Do you have anywhere to be after this?"
Nini shook her head. "No, why?"
"C- Can we do one more thing before the night is over?"
She nodded. "Mhm. What'd you have in mind?"
"Follow me."
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Nini nervously tapped the steering wheel as she followed behind Ricky. She recognized the roads they were going down yet still wasn't certain of the destination.
She saw his left turn signal come on; it was a gravel path. She then knew exactly where they were going. They both pulled into the closest lot and parked right next to the other. "What do you think?" Ricky asked when he got out.
"This is lovely," Nini said.
"I figured it'd be nice to come here when we're both sober," he chortled.
Nini chuckled and put her head in her hands. "Are you ever going to let that night go?"
"No, no I'm not."
"God," she mumbled. Nini had forgotten about most of that night the morning afterward; she was kind of hoping he would too.
"Shall we?" he said, outstretching his hand.
"We shall," she smiled and giggled, taking it.
As they walked there, Ricky kept looking around; there was one other car here, but it was parked in the other lot, far away from them. He could tell there wasn't anyone in it and assumed they were simply walking through the park. That's what he hoped.
Nini looked up at him and thought the moonlight highlighted his jawline perfectly; she always found his physical features unrealistically stunning. She could tell that he had messed with his hair on the way over here since curls were now falling to his forehead; it was a lot more disordered than at Olive Garden, but she liked it better that way anyway.
They continued walking until they made it to the volleyball nets and lake, their feet sinking into the sand with the first step. Nini shivered, which Ricky noticed instantly. "Do you want my jacket?" he asked, already taking it off.
"No, it's-" It was off, and he was holding it open for her to put her arms in. Nini smiled and put it on. It was big for her; that was no surprise (mainly the sleeves).
"It looks good on you."
She pulled her hair out of it, looking at the ground on purpose to hide the crimson tint appearing on her face. "Thank you," she said sheepishly.
Ricky offered his arm again, and Nini looped hers through. "So you don't remember anything from the other night?" he asked.
She blushed once again, thankful for the darkness and shadows to cover for her. "Uh, kind of. I remember asking to come here."
Ricky's shoulders fell a little, remembering how that night ended. "Well, now you can enjoy it and remember it too," he chuckled.
"Yeah, well, I wouldn't necessarily count that as a first date anyway. Our friends set us up, and we didn't really know what was happening."
He shrugged. "I still had fun though."
She giggled, imagining her and Ricky in this exact situation when she's drunk off her ass. Wanting to change the topic, she said, "Any particular reason you wanted to come here?"
"Uh, no. I just thought it'd be pretty," he said bashfully.
They took small steps along the water's edge, enjoying the tranquility; the only noise was the crickets and light water rustling. "I think this is my favorite date of ours," Ricky mumbled.
Nini looked up at him, the motion making him do the same. "I think so too."
Ricky swallowed hard from her gaze on him, and she noticed too. "I, uh..." He wanted to say something but was at a loss for words. He subconsciously bit his lip as a way to fight his urge to kiss her breathless. "Do you, um... want to head over to the dock?" They could see it from where they were standing; it wasn't too far away.
"Sure," she agreed.
They walked there slowly with their arms linked, still enjoying the moment. Ricky looked around as they strolled, watching to see if there was someone else here; he played it off as if he was looking at the stars. Once there, Nini surprised him by moving to stand in front of him, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Wh- What are you doing?" he stuttered. His hands instinctively fell to her waist, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed anxiously. She stepped closer to him, their noses brushing.
"Getting your attention." Her eyes flicked to his lips.
He could feel her breath on his face. "You've had my attention the whole night." His eyes bounced around to all the features of her face, committing every last one of them to memory.
"Then why do you keep looking off at every person that passes?"
He froze, unaware she had caught him. "Th- That obvious, huh?"
"Well, maybe not to the average person," she shrugged. "Most of your movements were subtle and natural, but... I know you."
That made him smile. You do. "Sorry," he apologized.
"What's wrong?" she asked sincerely.
Ricky let out a small sigh, still very aware that they were just inches, if that, apart. "I keep thinking something bad is going to happen," he admitted. "I don't want to be surprised if we're being followed. I just have that hunch."
Nini played with the hair at the nape of his neck, twirling it around her fingers. "Ricky, you don't have to think that way anymore. You're free."
Bushes rustled nearby, Ricky's eyes darting over to it. There wasn't any wind, and he waited for a squirrel or some other animal to appear.
Nini put a hand on his face and turned him back to face her. Her thumb traced his jawline, her nails accidentally scratching his neck. "Just look at me, Ricky, ok? Right at me."
He nodded. "Ok." He leaned down a little, their foreheads touching and noses brushing. "Ok." Ricky smiled and brought a hand up to hold her face; the pad of his thumb went just under her bottom lip, grazing it.
They were both thinking the same thing in that moment; Ricky slowly tilted his head down a little farther, feeling like a bomb was going off in his chest, but before their lips touched, Nini stopped him, putting a little pressure on his chest. He backed his head away, confused.
He was even more perplexed when she was smiling. "Really?" she asked playfully. "A kiss on the first date, Richard?"
Ricky beamed and laughed, his head coming to rest in the crook of her neck. "Oh my god, you just gave me a heart attack," he chuckled as they held each other, Nini laughing too. She could feel his breath on her neck.
He pulled back leisurely but not so far; they were still only an inch from the other's face. "So... you think it's too early?"
She shrugged. "I don't actually know."
Ricky smirked. "You know, you can't really be talking about doing something too fast or too early; if I remember correctly, for our fourth date the second go-'round, you wanted to plan it and invited me over to your house when your moms were conveniently not home, and you said you wanted m-"
Nini put a finger over his lips. "Finish that story, and I'll throw you in the lake."
Ricky smiled against her finger. "So," he began, moving her hand away, "you do want to kiss me?" he asked hopefully, grinning.
Nini tapped her chin and looked at the sky as if she were thinking. "Um... I don't know. Not sure anymore," she shrugged with a smile. She took two steps back in the direction of the park before Ricky stopped her.
"Oh no you don't," he said with a smile. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to his chest, spinning her in the process. When her hand hits his chest to stop herself from completely crashing into him, his lips finally meet hers without another second of hesitation.
Nini's hands slowly snake up his arms and around his neck, pulling him as close as possible. Ricky pressed his hands against her back, breathing sharply through his nose, so this wouldn't end anytime soon.
Her hands dropped from his neck to the collar of his shirt, pulling him closer if possible. Ricky smiled through the kiss, making Nini do the same. He pulled away slightly, keeping her close still.
"I've been waiting for that moment for years," he whispered, beaming.
"Yeah," she nodded, "me too." She's had something like this appear in her dreams over and over again; she originally thought it was some strange form of self-torture because he wasn't around when she woke up. "Sometimes I still don't believe that you're real."
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Happy one year to drivers license!!
It's already been a year. I don't believe it.