i don't like the way he's
looking at you,
i'm starting to think you
want him too
THIRD PERSON.
After returning from Virginia and finally spending the night in the comfort of their own beds, Rosemary returned to her florist that Tuesday and not even halfway through the day was greeted by Corbyn.
With the boy's main purpose in the store to act as a regular customer once her date for that night walked in, he had been walking in circles around the store just over an hour before the bell rang and a man walked in, walking straight to the counter.
Corbyn's head followed the guy's journey as he picked up a bouquet of roses, slowly walking towards the counter to interfere with their conversation as he met eyes with Harry.
"So where are you guys going for dinner?" Harry asked with a smile as Corbyn approached the counter, a bouquet of roses in his hand as he glanced to James.
"Her apartment," James nodded, "she's cooking dinner tonight."
"You're not going to go out?"
"I thought a homemade meal would be better." She interrupted their conversation, giving a smile to James before she locked eyes with Corbyn and took the roses from his hand.
"She's special, you should be careful." Corbyn spoke up and pointed to the girl, causing James to look at him and laugh slightly.
"I know." He raised his eyebrows and looked back at Rosemary.
Corbyn narrowed his eyes as he looked at Harry, noticing the same confused expression on his face while Corbyn reached for his wallet, "you know what?"
"To be careful."
"And that she's special." He repeated as James nodded, "do you not think that?"
"Who are you, sorry?" James looked at him and shrugged.
"...I'm a regular, I come in here everyday."
"Right, and you think you know the boss personally?" James asked him as Harry laughed slightly, "does she know your name?"
"Matthew." Rosemary interrupted them, "he's a regular, Matthew."
"Yeah," Corbyn glanced to her before he looked back at James, "if there's one bad thing about your date, I will be back here."
"Good to know." James forced a smile to the guy before he turned his head back to the girl on the other side of the counter, "do you have all the ingredients for whatever you're cooking?"
"...Apart from the actual spaghetti," she smiled at him, "I was just going to go after I close-"
"I'll go for you." James interrupted her as Corbyn rolled his eyes and shook his head, glancing to Harry who had been watching Corbyn with a subtle laugh.
"Are you sure?" Rosemary asked.
"Yeah, no problem." He nodded.
"Thank you."
"Classic." Corbyn mumbled with a raise of his eyebrows, earning a small glare from James before he took a deep breath and smiled at Rosemary again.
"Okay well I'll run to the store and get what you need for it," James shook his head and placed his hand on top of the girls from across the counter, "I'll meet you at your place in about an hour."
"Okay." Rosemary nodded and smiled.
"Just.. change into one of those cute summer dresses you have." James shrugged, giving her a smile as Corbyn's head shot towards him.
As James left the florist and headed in the direction of the nearest store, Corbyn quickly furrowed his eyebrows and turned his head back to his best friend, shaking his head at her.
"Don't give me that look."
"Don't wear a dress."
"Corbyn." Rosemary raised her eyebrows at him, handing the roses back to him while he handed her his card.
"I'm serious." He said, "just wear a nice pair of jeans and one of your favourite shirts."
"I appreciate your inner stylist but I-"
"Rose, this isn't me being a stylist." He interrupted her as Harry looked between the two, "he only wants you to wear a dress for one reason."
"He's a really sweet guy," she shrugged.
"So you're going to hook up with him on the first date?" Corbyn's eyes widened as the girl looked up at him, "Jas told you not to do that."
"I never said I was going to-"
"He wants to wear a dress so he can hook up with you," he explained, "it's easy access, Rose. I'm a guy too, I'm not stupid."
Rosemary raised her eyebrows slightly before she turned her head to Harry, "Harry?"
"I'm on Corbyn's side." Harry hesitated as he scratched the back of his neck, "he did seem a little weird just now."
"I'd cancel the date." Corbyn laughed slightly as he looked down at the flowers, hearing Rosemary take a deep breath and look back at him while biting the inside of her cheek.
"You are unbelievable." She frowned.
"If it's not in your calendar, you're not going." He looked up at her with a smile, watching her nod once before flipping the computer screen round to face him.
"Right there, in purple." She told him, using the pen in her hand to point to the time blocked event on her calendar while Harry held back his laughter and shook his head.
"You've lost the argument, Corbyn." Harry said, walking towards the entrance of the store to turn away the new customers as Corbyn looked at Rosemary.
"He could kill you."
"And he won't." She smiled softly at the boy, resting her hands on top of the one placed on the counter, "please relax, I haven't been on a date in almost a year."
"Yeah and the last guy spilt red wine down your favourite white dress then made you walk home at almost midnight." Corbyn raised his eyebrows, "asshole."
"His place was in the opposite direction to mine." Rosemary shrugged.
"Raise your standards, Rose."
"My standards are high enough." She rolled her eyes playfully as Corbyn shook his head.
"I can take you on a date and cook you a dinner if he won't," Corbyn suggested, "I'll take you on a picnic, we can go to the beach and watch the sunset, we can go to a cat shelter and volunteer all day, I'll take you on a date you'll actually enjoy."
"He doesn't know me like that." Rosemary said, "it's just a getting to know each other date, it's a typical first date."
"He doesn't deserve to know you like that."
"Corbyn."
"Has he used any other compliment apart from pretty yet?"
"I like that compliment." She said through a small laugh, meeting Corbyn's eyes as a subtle smile was on his face.
Rosemary returned the smile as they stared at one another in silence for a few seconds, hearing the door to the store close before Harry walked back over to the pair of them.
"The store is ready is to be closed now." Harry said as he rested the outdoor sign against the counter, glancing up to the two friends in silence while the girl let out a quick sigh.
"Okay." She looked away from Corbyn and turned off the computer, "you can go now if you want, Corbyn and I will close."
"I don't even work here." Corbyn frowned, "Harry gets paid to do that."
"I can stay." Harry shrugged.
"No, you can go." She looked at him, "get home before it gets too dark."
"...I'll see you tomorrow. Have fun on your date." Harry smiled to the both of them, grabbing his jacket and bag from the backroom area before he left the store.
Once the door was shut again and Rosemary had began to turn off all the lights in the front of the store, she handed Corbyn a watering can as he frowned at her.
"What's the big deal about it?" Rosemary asked the boy, "do you know something about him that I don't?"
"I just... isn't this going to impact our fake relationship in some way?" He asked, taking the watering can as she shook her head, "what if you like the guy?"
"I'll go on a few more dates to see if I actually do."
"I don't want you to get hurt." Corbyn admitted, locking eyes with the girl again as she slowly frowned, "not everyone is as good of a person as you."
"And i'm sure no guy will ever be as nice to me as you are," Rosemary replied with a small smile, "I think the date will go really well. Can you go water the flowers please?"
"If he hurts you, in any way," he began with a raise of his eyebrows, watching Rosemary tilt her head at him and sigh, "I'll make sure he doesn't get away with it."
"I don't want him using you as his little sex doll either," he shook his head, turning himself to the flowers as he began to water them, "don't let him walk over you."
"Stop stressing," she softly spoke, placing her hand on his shoulder and squeezing it once gently before closing the blinds to the store with Corbyn's head turning towards her.
"What are you going to tell him if you continue to go on dates?" Corbyn asked her, "'the regular he spoke to is actually Corbyn and we fake date for his fans'... it's not going to end well."
"...Should I tell him tonight?"
"God, no." He said through a laugh, "just wait and see how good this date goes.. then we'll figure it out."
"Okay." Rosemary smiled at him, "I'm going to go finish closing out the back can you finish the flowers?"
With a nod from the boy, Rosemary walked back-store to finish the rest of the tasks aligning with closing for the night as Corbyn continued watering the many flowers around the shop floor.
As they finished with the close, the pair left the store and close the door as Rosemary searched through her bag for her keys to finalise the close and lock the store for the evening.
"So," Corbyn spoke up as he shoved his hands into his pockets, glancing around the street, "can you keep me updated throughout the night?"
"What if the night escalates?"
"...Okay, well, I should hope it does not." He laughed awkwardly and furrowed his eyebrows, "don't do that with him, he doesn't deserve that."
"I am a grown adult, Corbyn." She smiled at him, "If I want to hook up with this guy, I can."
"So you won't be texting me?"
"No, I'll text you after the date."
"Okay... but please text me if you need out of that date." He broke the silence, watching her lock the door to her florist as she nodded, "I'll get there in less than five minutes."
"You live twenty minutes away."
"I'm good at speeding." He smiled as she let out a laugh and looked at him.
"I promise I'll text you if anything goes wrong." She nodded and smiled, "thank you."
"Okay," he mumbled and took a small step closer to her.
"Get home safely." Rosemary said to the boy as she placed the keys to the store into her bag.
"Have fun." Corbyn replied, placing a soft kiss on her cheek before he gave her a final smile and walked off towards his car.
A/N
would we like a chapter of the date or do you want me summarise it instead 🤭