I heard Damien outside before I saw him.
Drawing the curtain back, I could see a black motorbike pull up downstairs, then I saw him, Damien as he took of his helmet and looked up at the building.
Without thinking I ducked down and hid before he could see that I was already looking at him, not wanting him to get the wrong impression, like I'm some weirdo who just stood by the window for him to come.
I took one last look in the mirror and took a deep breath out, I think I looked okay, I wasn't overly dressed, and I wasn't under dressed, but now that I think about it.
He came on a motorbike, and I was wearing a dress...
A knock at my door startles me as I think about quickly changing into something a little more comfortable if I was going to ride on that death trap.
He knocked again and I just couldn't decide what to do so I took the lock off the door and opened it, seeing Damien stood outside my door, leaning against the banisters.
"Hi." I shyly said, looking at what he was wearing as I felt his eyes do the exact same.
He was wearing black boots with dark blue jeans and a black t-shirt that had a little logo on that I didn't recognize, he looked incredible, and seeing him now, dressed like this, I realize that I am overdressed.
"You look beautiful." Damien suddenly said, as I whip back to the present. "Are you ready to go?"
B-Beautiful? I didn't even have time to blush as I nodded my head and stepped out the door, locking it behind me as Damien waited for me.
This wasn't a date...
Just two people, hanging out...
Two people who just met, hanging out, not on a date.
I followed him down the steps to his bike as he got on and started the engine as I stood there, completely out of my depth, Damien handed me his helmet as he looked at me, almost amused at my obvious dumbstruck look on my face.
"Um- is this legal?" I ask, hinting to out helmet and not two.
"Technically no, but we're not going far." He said as I bit my bottom lip nervously.
"You're safe with me, I promise." He said, a small smirk on his face as he watched me.
"I won't let you fall."
I nodded my head nervously and decided 'what the hell' it's a first for me to ride one of these things, and he seemed very capable in driving it... or so I thought.
Lifting my dress slightly to put my leg over the bike to sit behind him, I don't miss the way his eyes followed me as I tried to get comfortable behind him.
Where do I hold on to?
Damien started the bike, making my skin jump, and wrap my arms around him in surprise, he turned around to look at me with a smirk before he turns around again.
"Hold on tight and don't let go." He said, before we started moving.
I didn't know what to do, so I wrapped my arms as tight as I could around him and pressed my forehead to his black and closed my eyes tightly, I could feel the wind pressing against me as I felt the bike pick up speed.
I was sure I was hurting Damien at this point, I was hurting myself just from clinging to him, the dress didn't bother me anymore, I sat in a way to make sure I didn't flash anyone behind us, the only thing that scared me to death was at how fast we were going.
Then almost as fast as we left, I could feel the bike slow and and then eventually come to a stop as I felt Damien put his foot on the ground and turn the bike off.
"You can open your eyes now." He said, amusement in his deep voice.
I opened my eyes and got down from the bike, my legs felt like jelly and my whole body felt lighter, and not in a fun way.
My hands were shaking when I took off the helmet and passed it to Damien, who was looking at me as if I was the funniest thing he saw all day, without saying a word.
"You good?"
I nodded my head, even though my legs were still wobbly. "Y-Yeah, let's just never do that again, okay?" I said, seriously, but Damien laughed.
"You'll get used to it, the first time is always the worst, so I heard." He said, before putting his keys in his jean pocket.
What did he mean by that?
Did he want to do this again?
I decided to not comment on that and just look around to see where we're at and notice that he took me to a popular summer bar that served probably one of the best cheeseburgers I've ever had.
It was a greasy mess, but I always said that the greasier the better the food, but right now in this moment and wearing this summer dress...
Dammit, I really didn't think this through enough, did I?
"Come, I got us a table." Is all Damien said as he casually took my hand in his and pulled me along with him.
He's holding my hand! What is actually happening right now? I thought this was just two people getting to know each other?
Completely overwhelmed by his hand in my, and my face burning up, I silently followed him as he led us to a table inside, to one of the best seats in the bar that was facing the ocean breeze by the window.
We both sat down and then I instantly felt out of my depth, again, because this was starting to feel like a date.
I haven't been on many dates, but I've seen enough shows and movies to know that nothing is as it seems to be.
"Um, have you been here before?" I ask Damien, who looked up at me from the menu in his hands.
"A long time ago." He said, before putting the menu down. "What about you, is this your first time?"
"I wish." I smile widely. "I've been here a few times, but never um like this, I usually just went by myself."
He hummed out and looked at me intensely just as a waiter comes to take our order.
"Hi!" Her perky voice rings out. "What can I get you two tonight?" She asked, staring solely at Damien.
Woah, she really was not giving her intentions away, she was licking her top lip and looking over Damien like he was a piece of meat, it made me uncomfortable as I looked away from her and down at the menu.
Just two people, not a date.
NOT A DATE.
"I'll take the cheeseburger with fries." Damien says, handing the woman the menu.
"Aelia?" He said my name, for what felt like the first time as my heart skipped a beat.
That... surprised me, the way he said my name sounded so crazily hot, and I've never thought like that before, but maybe it was because he had a deep manly voice?
"I'll have the same." I said, smiling at the waiter, who now looked annoyed as she took the menu from my hands.
"Drinks?"
"Just water."
"Also water for me, thank you." I add, as she writes it down.
"I'll be right back with your drinks." She said, before turning around and leaving.
Damien looked unbothered by her obvious staring, he ignored her like a professional, which I understood, he was probably used to all kinds of girls hitting on him wherever he went, he was just that attractive I guess...
Not that I thought, but he was, and I'd be stupid to not admit it to myself.
"Can you handle a cheeseburger all by yourself?" Damien asks, breaking the silence as he sits back and watches me.
"Of-course." I said proudly. "I might look like a twiglet, but I can actually handle two on a special day."
"What counts as a special day?" He asked, amusement swirling in his eyes.
"I don't know." I hum out, thinking about it. "I guess every day is a special day when you're hungry."
Damien laughed out huskily just as the waiter came with our drinks, and the left without saying another word, which made me wonder why, as she was so friendly before.
"So, Aelia- that's a strange name."
"I guess, I wouldn't know, I hear it every day." I smile at my lame joke, watching as Damien got it and shook his head.
"Point taken." He said, looking at the dress I wore before his eyes went back to mine.
"It means Sun, right?"
Wow, that's the first time someone asked me that, or even knew that. "Yeah."
"Is it a family name?" He asks as I shook my head slowly as I stared at the glass of water in front of me.
"No... I um, I never knew my parents." I smiled up at him. "I was left at an orphanage as a baby, I don't know if they're alive or dead."
This... this topic was getting uncomfortable and was heading towards a subject I never liked to talk about, mainly because there was nothing to say, and I hated how people felt sorry for me.
The child without a family.
"You're very strong, Aelia, to come this far by yourself." He said, making me stare in confusion. "it must've been tough."
His words hit me like a train, and for once in my life, there was no pity in his voice, but almost like pride, like he was proud of me, it was a first for me that I completely wasn't expecting it.
"What about you?" I clear my throat and smile at him. "Do you have family? Brothers, sisters?"
"Yeah." He smiled back. "I have two younger brothers, Jackson is sixteen and Isaac is twenty."
"My folks also live close, they own a farm just outside of town."
"And do you live here?" I ask curiously. "I don't think I've ever seen you around before."
"I just moved back." He said just as another waiter, a man, brought us our food.
"Enjoy the food!" The waiter said to me, smiling as he put the food in front of me.
I looked back at Damien to see him looking coldly at the waiter, which he noticed as he scurried away as fast as he could under Damien's hard and intense glare.
What was that all about? "Um, sorry, you were saying you just moved back?"
"About a week ago, I travelled around for a bit looking for someone, but in the end, they were right where I left them." He said, before picking up his cheeseburger and biting into it.
The more I spoke to Damien, the more questions I had, like who was he looking for so badly that he up and left town to find them?
Was it a girl? It's usually the case, but I don't know... looking at Damien now, I don't think he's the type to ask someone out for food while he had a girl back home.
I wanted to ask... but a part of me never wanted to find out, so I dropped it, and picked up my burger and bit into it, trying to forget all about Damien and the mysterious person he was looking for.
It was none of my business, this was just two people, hanging out.
It wasn't a date, so why should I care?