Fresh out my shower I get ready to go to see Murray. I decide to keep it casual and just put on my new skinny blue jeans, long sleeved white top with turquoise sleeves and my white vans. I don't feel up to getting all dressed up and he said it was just movies at his.
I can't seem to stop the butterflies that are having a fight in my stomach at the thought of seeing him again. He was so sweet and thinking back on it now I kind of liked his honesty although it was quite abrupt to begin with. I straighten my hair and put on some make up and get ready to leave. I pick up the three boxes of cakes for us. I managed to make mini carrot cakes, chocolate fudge muffins, Oreo cupcakes and toffee cups. I hope he likes one of them.
I stop to look around the room to make sure everything is off. I get paranoid that I leave something on and it burns the place down. I have already turned everything off in the girls rooms so I don't need to bother going back in them and my own so do a sweep of the living room and kitchen.
Satisfied everything that should be off is, I head out the door and down to the garage. The drive over is nice. I don't usually come into the suburban areas and it makes a nice change to pass trees and greenery instead of buildings upon buildings.
Pulling down Bolton's Landing I look for number 200. The street has lots of beautiful houses on it with a wooden and brick work look to them with pristine gardens out front.
"196, 198,200" I count to myself. I pull up outside a cream version of the houses but this one is bigger with two maybe even three levels. It has a balcony to the side of the house above the porch and brickwork mixed into the wooden look down the side. It has a long driveway that runs the length of the house heading around the back and from what I can see from here due to the empty drive a fenced area is set up and a small shed that matches the look of the house sits. It's gorgeous but looks far too big for one person. I think they must all live together.
Oh my god! I wasn't expecting to see them all again. I thought I would be coming over to just see Murray. My stomach starts to cramp up and I can feel sweat start to break out on my forehead and the back of my neck causing me to feel too warm. I roll down my window and lean my head on the steering wheel and try to slow my breathing. If this was a job I wouldn't even be thinking about things like this I would just head in and do what needs to be done so why can't I do that in my personal life?
Stop overthinking things Lottie! I tell myself over and over like Mr Duncan told me to and I can begin to feel myself calming. Murray was a gentleman, they all were and I need to start to give people chances. I sit up straight and check my face in the mirror. With one last deep breath I grab the cake boxes, roll up the window and climb out the car and lock it.
Walking up to the door I can see that the garden is immaculate, there are little bushes around the bottom of the front window providing a variety of different colours. The front door has a circular frosted window with 200 printed on it and there is a carved wooden figure of a wolf below the bell and it is stunning. The detail in the face is fantastic and I gently let my hand roam over it feeling every dent and line within the wood. To the left of the door leaning against the railing are some push bikes and work boots. It's beautiful here and that's only the outside.
Taking one last deep breath I raise my finger and push the bell. "Coming!" I hear a male shout from behind the door and some heavy footsteps fast approaching me. I flatten down my top and fix my hair and make sure I take slow steady breaths.
The door is pulled open and Murray is standing there with a huge smile on his face. "Wow! You're even more beautiful without the mask" he says in awe and I feel myself heat up to boiling. I look to the ground unsure how to respond to that but when he doesn't say anything else I look back up at him.
He seems to just be staring at me with a confused face but he looks hot. His hair is styled exactly the same as Friday night with the short back and sides and quite long on top which looks gelled upwards. He has on jeans and a tight fitting Acengers tshirt and you can see now that he has toned arms and broad shoulders but nowhere near as wide as the other guys except his brother. The only difference that catches me is that he is wearing black thick framed glasses but instead of taking away from his looks it makes him look even hotter and draws your attention to his green eyes.
I raise my eyebrow in question when he still doesn't say anything despite me blatantly checking him out and he just smiles at me again. He steps forward and pulls me into a hug and I find myself hugging him back. "Do you want to come in?" He offers stepping back and I nod my head. He holds the door and waves me in.
I step inside and instantly feel at easy it feels so homely and what I like about it is that it's lived in.
There are five shoe racks lining the wall as you come in full of shoes and coats above them on hooks. There's scuffs on the walls from where some of them must kick off their shoes and on the other wall is a long key hook with a variety of keys on it. I take off my shoes and leave them at the door but when I look up I see Murray has continued on without me. I hurry after him passing what I assume is the living room and dining room, three closed doors and a staircase. I follow him into the kitchen and see that he has a variety of different drinks and snacks on the kitchen island and is looking around for something.
The kitchen is impressive, the only way to describe it is huge. One wall is made up of a variety of different kitchen hobs, burners, ovens and gas rings. I also think there is a pizza oven. The kitchen island is in the middle of it and a dining table with two benches on either side and large cushioned chairs at each end beside a long glass doors that lead out to the back garden and pool. "This is amazing" I say turning in circles trying to take it all in.
"Matteo is really into cooking and believes family should be in the kitchen so when the house was designed by Quintin he wanted a large kitchen for all of us and our friends to eat together" Murray explains pulling out a bag from the cupboard. He starts to put everything in to it. "Is there anything in particular you want to eat or drink?" He asks once he's finished packing up.
"No I'm not really fussy. I brought cakes too" I say smiling showing him the box. "So Quintin builds houses?" I ask interestedly.
"Ooooo. Bring them too" he says and walks out of the room before explaining further. I take it he wants me to follow? I'll ask about Quintin later.
Murray doesn't wait for me and keeps walking so I quicken my steps to catch up to him. He heads up the stairs and we reach the first landing. He walks down a corridor with six closed doors but doesn't open any of them and heads up another staircase except this one is dark due to no windows around. He flicks a switch and tiny led lights light up scattered around the walls that look like stars and it's wonderful. We open the door at the top and enter Murray's bedroom.
It's long with one side sloped at an angle with a couple of skylights in the roof on either side of a set of glass doors leading out onto a small balcony where I can see a telescope and chair sitting. His room has one wall in turquoise paint and has a large kingsize bed positioned in the middle of it facing a very large flatscreen tv on the opposite wall with shelves either side of it full of gaming equipment and a dresser below that with more DVDs and games tidied away in it. He also has a table and desk with two computer monitors and keyboards. Off to the side of that he has another door which I think leads to a ensuite. It's very well organised and clean. Everything seems to have a place. It actually made me hesitate to sit anywhere.
"I love your room Murray" I say in wonder looking out of the glass doors that have a view over the back garden and into a forest.
"Quintin designed it so that I could have my own space" he says sitting on the bed pulling the sweets and drinks out. "Are you going to sit down?"
Unsure of where to sit I decide to take his lead and join him on the bed. When I sit down he moves to the headboard and I follow too. He hands me a can of Coke and opens one for himself.
"So are you into computers?" I ask opening my Coke gesturing to the shelves around the tv.
"Yea. I design websites and games. It started as a hobby and just grew from there. What do you want to watch?" He asks bringing up Netflix and going to the movies ending that conversation. Is he uncomfortable? Have I made him mad?
"It's been a while since I've watched the Avengers" I smile shyly nodding to his top hoping to ease the worry feeling I have that I've done something to upset him.
"That's a great idea. Do you want to watch The Avengers or Avengers:Age of Ultron?" He asks excitedly and he looks so animated it's cute and I relax again. "Or what we should really do is watch them in the proper order which would actually start with Captain America: The First Avenger as that's where the story really starts, they actually don't get together fully until after Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Incredible Hulk and Thor. So let's just put on Captain America and we can start from the beginning" o...kay?! I guess I really didn't get a choice in that then. Laughing to myself I take my jacket off and get comfy. "A moviethon" I say brightly.
"I like your top. It's my favourite colour" he says smiling pointing to my sleeves. I didn't realise I had picked it when I was getting dressed but if it makes him smile like that I might do it more often. "What's your favourite colour?"
"I don't have one actually. I love all colours. They all represent something different for me so I can't just pick one" I say thinking of my multi coloured accessories in my room.
"So how long have you been part of the academy?" He asks opening m&m's offering me some. I take a handful and start to separate them into colours.
"It's been nearly three years now. What about you?" I ask.
"I've been part of it since I was 15 so just over five years. Angus was 13." He says looking down at his hand and I realise that he's sorting his m&m's too.
"Hey! I do that too" I say excitedly. No one else understand the importance of organising your m&m's before you eat them.
"I guess there really is a bit of autism in everyone" he says smiling at me.
Autism. That explains a lot. " are you autistic Murray?" I ask sensitively not wanting to make him upset.
"Yea. Well Asperger but it's a form of Autism. I'm high functioning or that's what they say anyway. Still makes it hard sometimes though. I think you might actually be the first girl I've ever spoke to for this long or let come into my space" he says shyly sending me a small smile.
Awww bless him! Can he get any sweeter?! "Well I'm honoured that you took a chance on me." I say honestly bumping his shoulder. "I don't know a lot about it but if there is ever something I do that you don't understand or you are unsure of something I do or say just tell me" he nods his head and looks back at the tv frowning as the movie starts. I tap his leg concerned what I did that upset him. "You okay?" I ask
"Yea I'm fine...Can I ask you something?" I nod to encourage him to continue. "Is this a date?"
Is it a date? Or are we just friends hanging out? I've never been on a date before and it's apparent he hasn't either. "Well I guess the question is do you want it to be a date?" I ask letting him make the choice. I wouldn't mind my first date being with Murray. He nods his head and I feel the butterflies start up again in my stomach.
"Does that mean you would be my girlfriend?" He asks and I nearly choke on my Coke that I had taken a sip of and start coughing. He hits my back to try and help me but that makes things worse but I don't want to shove him away when he's trying to help. I put my hand up to signal I was okay and he stopped and just rubbed my back slowly. I find myself leaning into his touch craving the contact. Something I have never felt before but Murray has such a soothing affect just being around him, an innocence. Way to go Lottie! Nearly spraying the guy with your slevers on your first date!
He surprised me with that comment. Would I like to be his girlfriend? I've never been someone girlfriend before. "This is all new to me Murray." I say wanting to be honest and I see his face fall so quickly add "I'm not saying I don't want to be your girlfriend but maybe we could date?" I offer. "We could get to know each other and see where it goes? We've only just met each other so I think boyfriend, girlfriend would be too soon. What do you think?" I ask self consciously. What if he was only being polite and airing a question in his head?
He looks at me for a moment and his face breaks out into a smile again. "I think that's a great idea" he says taking my hand in his and resting the other one on my back so that he's leaning towards me. "Will you promise me something though" he asks with concern on his face "will you tell me if I do something that annoys you or that I shouldn't do? The guys get pissed off at me but it upsets me when they don't explain why and just act shitty" he says sadly.
I feel my chest tighten looking at his sad expression. "Of course I will Murray" I say squeezing his hand and then I do something I would never usually think of. I lean forward and kiss his cheek. He closes his eyes and I hear him sigh and feel him squeeze my shoulder. I lean back and smile at him with his eyes still closed. I couldn't help myself doing that. He makes me want to show him affection and let him feel wanted. He sounded so sad talking about the guys and I don't want him to ever feel that way with me.
He opens his eyes and lets out a small laugh. "Thank you Charlotte" he leans back against the headboard and uses his hand on my shoulder to pull me closer to him. I stiffen initially but then try to relax knowing he is not looking for anything from me. "Is this ok?" He asks into my hair with me on his chest.
"Yea. Why don't we just act on what we feel and if the other person isn't happy with it they say?" I ask hoping he understands that I don't want him to overthink things.
"Yea that's good with me." He sighs.
We eat our m&m's in coloured order laughing at each other doing that and work our way through the chips and cookies. It turns out his favourites are Oreos so he enjoyed my Oreo cupcakes. I loved Captain America so we moved on to Iron Man and spent time asking general questions now and then but enjoying the comfortable silence in each others arms.
Half way through one of Iron Man's rants I felt my eyes begin to droop, with Murray playing with my hair I thought I would just rest my eyes since I had been up so early this morning. I breath in the fresh smell of fabric power from his tshirt and listen to his steady heartbeat and feel myself drifting off. I know I shouldn't fall asleep at Murray's with this only being the second time I've met him but something inside tells me I can trust him and what scares me more is that I don't want to leave yet.
This has been a perfect first date.
❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️
So what do you guys think of Murray?
Did I do their first proper interaction justice or was it blah? Let me know your thoughts good or bad :)
Thanks for reading please vote and comment
Xx