The front door opened and closed.
"What the fuck are you doing?" I didn't look up from the table as Nya gaped at the half-finished puzzle laid before me.
"I'm finishing my puzzle." From the couch, Knox said nonchalantly,
"She's been like this all day." I twisted a piece so it fit into the upper-left section of the puzzle. It was a cheap one with a picture of kittens in a basket that I found at Target.
"Babes, please tell me this isn't because of the date tonight." No, I just went out and bought a 400-piece puzzle just for the hell of it.
"Of course it isn't." Nya set her purse down and walked further into the room, looking around confused. She nudged a plastic bin on the ground with her foot.
"Then what is this?" I allowed my eyes a quick glance over.
"Fall stuff." Concerned, Nya looked to Knox.
"I woke up to her cleaning the entire apartment, and when I got back from the gym she was hanging up all the fall decorations. Then, out of nowhere, she left and came back with that puzzle. It's been two hours. She hasn't moved." I shot him a glare.
"I got water half an hour ago, asshole."
Nya asked, "Have you even showered?"
"Um..."
"Audrey! Your date is coming to this apartment in less than two hours! Get in the stupid shower!" I easily connected two more pieces.
"But my puzzle..." Nya sat down in the chair across from me.
"Babes, you do this every time a guy you like asks you out."
From across the room, Knox said, "Well, technically, this is the first time she's bought a puzzle."
I sat up straight, my shoulders rigid. "I do not do this every time," I said defensively.
"Last time a guy asked you out, you refused to get ready until you finished your 700-page book." I stumbled for words.
"I...it was a good book, and you can't be talking."
Knox added, "Then there was that one time you went out and bought a guitar and never touched it again."
"But-"
"And the other time when you bought a paint-by-numbers set and locked yourself in your room until you finished it."
"And when you binge-watched seasons four through six of Grey's Anatomy." I pushed from the table, getting to my feet.
"Okay so maybe I get a little nervous before dates!" Understatement. "It's normal!"
"It's concerning. Please just get into the shower!"
I groaned, "Fine," and walked to the bathroom, hastily starting the shower.
Stepping into the shower, I tried to let myself relax, but that's easier said than done. In three hours, Jaxon will be knocking on my door. The thought made my head spin. For a long time—like really, an unhealthy amount of time–I've liked him. Now, obsessed over him might be a little far, but I definitely tried timing mine and his walk to the gym at the same time so we bumped into each other a few times...
In case you're worried, really, I'm fine.
Once done with my supposed-to-be relaxing shower, I found Nya in my room, sifting through my clothes.
"Feel better?" She asked, examining a cocktail dress.
"Not in the slightest."
She nodded. "Great. Let's get started." Nya loves doing this kind of thing, always has. And thank God she does, because my makeup and fashion skills are adequate at best.
We talked about random things while she dabbed and swiped makeup on my face. Both of us agreed on a natural look with a little bit of edge, and while I blow-dried my hair, Nya continued going through my clothes. She eventually settled on blue skinny jeans with rips down both my legs, a tight black shirt with loose long sleeves and a décolleté neckline–Nya taught me what that was–and black pumps paired with a gold chain necklace and my white crossbody. She helped me curl my hair and put on some finishing touches while I watched the clock.
At 6:30, I sat on the edge of my bed, my leg bouncing, and chewing on my lip. Behind me, Nya was sprawled out on the bed, scrolling through her phone. I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came out. I sighed, and after a second, try again.
"Are you going to say anything?" Nya asked, not looking up from her phone. I shifted on the bed so I was facing her.
"What do I say?" I asked.
"You are a 24-year-old woman with a master's degree in literature and journalism. You would think you'd be able to offer specific-"
"On the date, Nya. What do I say on the date? What should I do? What if he tries to kiss me?"
"Then you kiss him back."
"But what if I think he's going to kiss me so I lean in to kiss him back, but he really wasn't all along?"
"What if you stop worrying about it and actually have fun on this date?"
I frowned. "You're not helping."
"I know." I turned back to the edge of my bed and huffed. After a moment, my leg began bouncing again.
〜〜〜〜〜
When the knock on the door came, I don't think I could've sprouted up faster. My stomach turned as I dashed to the front door, and when I threw the door open, I was glad I was leaning against the handle.
Jaxon stood in the hall with his hands shoved deep into his pockets. He wore a black, pressed suit that somehow made him look taller than he already was. His black hair was gelled back, and he smiled when he saw me.
"Are you ready?" he asked. I gave him the best, relaxed, confident smile I could muster and nodded through my nerves.
"Yes." He offered me a hand, grinning. I nearly melted. His smile really couldn't get any more perfect.
"Let's go then." I set my hand in his, and he laced his fingers through mine. Giving a look back, I saw Nya and Knox grinning back at me. Nya mouthed "you got this" while Knox gave me a suppurative smile and a thumbs up. I gave them a nervous smile, shut the door, and let Jaxon lead me through the halls.
I couldn't help but steal glances at him as we walked to his car–a gray Honda civic–and feel quite honestly on top of the fucking world. When we finally reached his car, Jaxon opened the passenger side door and helped me in. I wasn't sure I was breathing. He walked around the front of his car, slid into the driver's seat, glanced at me as he started the car, and said,
"You look sexy by the way." I almost choked. Correction: I did choke. But I played it off as a cough. Smooth, right? But to my defense, the last person, and to my memory only person, to ever call me sexy was Nya.
I muttered a quiet thank you. Jaxon laughed and began driving away.
You can tell a lot about people by how they drive a car. Jaxon drove with one hand–his left hand. He was relaxed behind the wheel, but I could tell he was probably trying to show off (not that I minded). His free hand rested on the center console, and I saw the muscles poking out from under his rolled-up sleeve (again, probably to show off, but again, I didn't mind in the least bit). He drove safe and never took the chance of running a red light, and he never went more than five over the speed limit either. This, I didn't know if it was to put me at ease or just because that was how he drove.
I found out he likes contemporary rock, or at least just Linkin Park; because he had the radio cranked to 57 and his fingers drummed to their songs. I was unfamiliar with most of the songs, yet I found I didn't mind the music.
When we got to the restaurant, Jaxon pulled into the valet line. He spoke briefly to the valet while I stood there and gaped at the restaurant and the people walking casually with Gucci and Prada and all the other designer brands I could never even dream of affording inside and outside the restaurant. I was so immersed, I hadn't even noticed Jaxon was done speaking to the valet until I felt his arm link gently with mine.
"You alright?" He asked as we walked inside the entrance of the restaurant and made our way to the hostess stand.
"Do you ever feel like you're somewhere you don't belong?"
We got in the short line for the hostess stand. "I guess."
"Well, I'm having that feeling right now."
Jaxon gave me a soft grin. "Nobody is judging you," he told me, eyeing a woman in a Balenciaga trench coat. "Believe me, they're too immersed in their.... rich people's problems to judge you."
I smiled. "Speaking of rich people, how the hell are you affording this? No offense, but you don't live in a penthouse or a 40-story apartment building."
"You suggested it," he laughed.
"My friend who has a very rich boyfriend suggested it."
He looked at me and raised a brow. "I have my ways."
"Well, that doesn't sound shady at all," I said sarcastically as we got to the hostess stand. Jaxon told her his last name and after a moment, the hostess smiled at us and showed us to our table.
We talked for a little more, mainly the usual small talk first dates entail, until our waitress came. We ordered red wine, and Jaxon got a basket of bread sticks to go along with the glasses. The date ran smoothly, smoother than I expected, and the longer it went on, the looser I got.
I ordered some type of fancy salad, trying to spend as little money as I could because of my own guilt. But I didn't even know how much that was. The prices weren't even listed on the damn menu.
Toward the end of the date, Jaxon convinced me to share a plate of tiramisu with him, and when the check came, he didn't look surprised or bothered by the bill. He didn't even let me see it despite my protests and half-hearted pushes to let me pay for half.
When we got back to his car, stuffed and a little wine drunk, we talked again. I didn't even know how we could talk this much and not run out of anything to say. There were no awkward pauses or points where we were frantically trying to break a silence. We just talked about everything in our minds.
We were so immersed in our conversation, I didn't even notice when we pulled into the parking garage. Jaxon parked, and we both climbed out of the car before walking arm in arm into our apartment building.
He walked me to my room and watched me silently as I unlocked my door and half-stepped inside. I faced him. "Thank you. Tonight was... amazing," I said, grinning brightly.
"I'm glad," he said. "I had a lot of fun." His eyes darted briefly down to my mouth, and I found I was caught a little off guard by it. Now I'm not an expert on the opposite sex, but I've been kissed by enough guys to know that a glance to the mouth like he just did was an invite.
I was holding onto the door, my body at an angle that I could go inside and shut the door on him if I wanted. But I didn't. I stood there and angled my chin up, inviting him if he did want to kiss me. My heart hammered inside my chest, and my knees felt unsteady beneath me. I wasn't sure if I wanted to kiss him–this was only the first official date after all–but I had liked him for so long, and it's been a long time since I've been kissed.
Jaxon leaned forward slowly and placed a finger under my chin, bringing my lips to his. The kiss was brief, but it was enough to make my head spin. It was also enough for me to know that Jaxon was a great kisser.
Smiling, Jaxon pulled away. His thumb rubbed my chin, and when he let go, he said, "I'll call you." I grinned and nodded, watching as Jaxon walked away.
I was still grinning by the time I got off the phone with Nya. It was after midnight, and I had church the next morning, but I had a burst of happiness which fueled my writing motivation.
I put in my headphones and shuffled my playlist, pulling my laptop onto my legs. My mouth pulled into a grin. I thought of Jaxon–thought of his lips on mine–and I wrote. I wrote more than I had in weeks.