Austin hops out of the car, making his way over to my side to open the door and help me out, keeping his hand on the small of my back once I have my two feet planted on the ground. We smile at each other, walking to the back entrance of the restaurant we are dining at. We get to a stand where a woman in all black is standing. All she does is nod at us, knowing who Austin is and guiding us to our table. I know Austin is a big deal, but I wonder if they know him so well here because this is where he takes all of the girls he's been with.
I try to shake these thoughts out of my head, Austin's past is just that: the past. Whatever he has done with other girls doesn't affect me, and assuming negative things about him will just plant doubts in my head. I need to be able to just enjoy being with him.
As we approach our private table, he pulls my chair out for me, pushing it in for me whilst I sit down. He makes his way to his seat across from me, plopping down with a big grin on his face. He pours us both a glass of champagne and I give him a light "thank you." I'm feeling nervous.
"Did I tell you you look beautiful tonight?" He asks, taking a sip of his champagne after. I blush at his statement, feeling my cheeks warm up. I'm not sure why I'm so nervous around him. I'm not one to let guys affect me, but there is something about him that gives me butterflies.
"You may have mentioned it," I joke. He takes my hand in his from across the table.
"You really do."
"Thank you," I smile, "you don't look too bad yourself."
This was the understatement of the century. Austin looked hot, and if I wasn't so shy around him I would be across the table with my face on his by now. He's wearing a black suit, and looking sharp.
Before he could reply, a server came over to take our orders. I ordered the lobster risotto, and Austin opted for the chicken parmesan.
"So, tell me about yourself," he requested, resting his elbow on the table and holding his head up with his hand.
"Well, I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. I have two sisters, Tess and Chloe, and two dogs back home named Delilah and Sunny. I've always wanted to pursue a career in film and music, so my family put everything on the line to hire an agent for me. When there were auditions for Riverdale, my agent had gotten me an audition despite the little experience I had. It was the most nerve-racking moment of my life. I remember when I got the call saying I got the role of Betty. My mom and I cried for hours. It was my big break," I finished, beginning to tear up a bit. I hadn't really thought about how much Riverdale meant to me. It was the moment that I could sit there and say I was a real actress. It was everything to me. And now it's all gone. I'm also emotional thinking about how much I miss my mom. I blinked the tears away, not wanting to bring out the waterworks on our first real date.
"That's awesome," he smiled, rubbing circles into the back of my hand.
"What about you? What's your story."
"I was born in Syracuse, New York. Moved to Texas when I was 9. I started playing guitar because of the game Guitar Hero. No one knew why I was so into music, because my family wasn't big on it. Sure, they obviously played music, but it wasn't a passion or a love like mine is. In high school I was in a hardcore band. When I was 16, I started recording my own mixtape on Audacity and I thought it was fire. I learned how to produce my own music. I wrote White Iverson two days before I recorded it. Me and a buddy made the the beat and then I was writing the words to the beat at my house. I didn't even know if I was going to record. It was the first thing I ever really put out, so I had no idea it would get that much attention."
My eyes widened at how crazy that story is. His fame genuinely came out of nowhere, and I'm so glad it did because he deserves it. I decide to vocalize my thoughts.
"You deserve all the love you've gotten," I smile. He looks up at me with gleaming eyes. I'm guessing people don't really say things like that to him very often.
"Thanks, baby."
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"I have never been so full in my life," I say, throwing my cloth napkin onto the table, a metaphor for throwing the towel in. Austin just laughs at me.
"If you're gonna hang with me, you're gonna have to learn to eat a lot more than that," he jokes. I laugh with him. He cleans his plate off, making eyes at me while reaching over to finish my plate as well.
"You're crazy."
"Only for you."
I hate to admit it, but this stupid, cheesy line made my heart skip a beat. I know he was mostly joking, but it was still nice to hear a sweet nothing coming from his lips.
Austin pays for dinner, despite my pleads to at least "go halfsies," and we make our way to the car.
"Thanks for taking me out, I had a great time," I smile, turning my body to face his in the car.
"Anytime," he smiles, "but the night isn't over, yet."
I furrow my brows, confused as to what else he had planned for us. The thoughts running through my mind left me feeling excited and the tiniest bit nervous.
We pull up to a gated community, as we drive down a long, winding road. We finally reach a dead end, coming upon the largest house in the neighborhood. My eyes widen. It was huge.
"Welcome to my humble abode," he says, giving me a cheeky grin.
"So your plan for the rest of the night was taking me to your place?" I say raising an eyebrow. He chuckles.
"It's not what it looks like," he begins, raising his hands, "it's just to hang out. Being in public is annoying, so I'd rather just have a nice peaceful time with you."
I nod in understanding, feeling slightly bad for assuming the worst, even though I told myself not to do that. He wraps his arm around my shoulder, thanking and generously tipping the driver as we walk to the front door. He unlocks it, stepping in. I'm greeted with the scent of vanilla, which I didn't expect at all. Austin takes my hand in his as he leads me to the backyard, picking up a bottle of wine and glasses on the way.
"I mainly wanted to show you this," he says, letting me step outside and take in the view. We were looking over Hollywood Hills, the lights in the night creating a beautiful sight.
"Wow," was all I could say.
He placed the wine and glasses onto a table, making his way over to the railing I was leaning my arms on and snaking his arm around my waist.
"I write out here a lot. It's my chance to be outside, but still secluded. The view isn't too bad, either," he jokes.
"Do you take all the ladies out here to woo them?"
He shakes his head, furrowing his brows. He leaves my side and sits down. I become worried that I've offended him.
"Sorry," I say. I always say something stupid.
"No, it's okay," he says, patting the spot next to him, gesturing for me to sit down.
A silence washes over us.
"I'm not, like... a player or anything. I recently got out of a serious three-year relationship. Sure, I've had my share of one night stands. Who hasn't? I would rather vibe with a girl than just sleep with her. But we're all guilty of hookups," he finishes as he turns to me.
I nod, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. It's really none of my business."
"I want you to know about me. If it's going to work out between us, I would rather you genuinely like me for me, not just some perfect picture I paint."
"Well, so far, I really like the Austin Post I've gotten to know."
This makes him smile as he leans in to kiss me.
ooo finally the date
are y'all liking this story? i feel like i'm kinda... eh about it. i feel like i gave myself weird situations and i'm not writing as well as i know i can. idk. if y'all are feelin' it please let me know <3
S.x