"I can't believe that it's your first night out and I'm not even coming" I hit Trevor as he gets in the car with the others.
"Don't worry, I'm going as the sober buddy, I'm not going near anything alcoholic"
"Love you, stay safe" I say as he rolls his window up and winks at me.
Their car drives off and Gilinsky steps forward as a smaller car pulls up for us.
"Shall we" he smirks, his eyes flickering with an undetectable emotion.
He put's his hand out for me to take and before I have the chance to accept, Hayes comes between us, "we shall" he laughs and pulls us in the car.
---
"Come on, don't be a pussy" Jack pushes Hayes towards the table.
"I don't even know her! Besides she's with her friends and what if she has a boyfrie-"
"Just shut up and go do it"
Hayes huffs and looks to me to say something but I keep my mouth shut.
"I hate you both" he growls.
"See you in a couple hours" Gilinsky coos and Hayes approaches the table.
"I hope he's okay, maybe we should stay just in case she says no"
"Nah, he'll be fine, look at him he's irresistible" Gilinsky laughs.
I roll my eyes as we leave the food court, "where are we going?" I ask.
"You're so annoying" he laughs once again and I hit him.
"We're almost there" he says, guiding me through the crowded mall.
"Here we are" he stops outside of pizza express and my face lights up.
"I love pizza" I gush as we head towards the entrance.
"I had a feeling"
Within five minutes we are seated at a table for two near the open kitchen and I watch as the cooks skilfully flip the white dough in circles.
"I could do better" he notices my fascination.
I raise an eyebrow at his cockiness, "okay sure"
"I am part Italian you know?"
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah. Tell you what, I'll make you a pizza some time and I promise it'll be the best thing you ever put in your mouth" he smirks, "well, second best"
It takes me a while but I catch on to his rude humour and slap him from across the table "I will hold you to that promise"
My eyes widen when I realise that my reply only plays into his sick game so I rephrase my words, "about the pizza, you sicko"
"Deal" he smiles.
"So, since we're starting over, tell me about yourself Miss Russet" he says after a waitress takes our drink orders.
"What do you want to know?"
He leans back in his chair and smirks at me.
"How old are you?"
"Sixteen"
He nods, "junior huh?"
I laugh and return the question, "eighteen" he tells me.
"Hm" I nod.
"So you've graduated?" I ask.
"Yup"
"Same with Andrea, she's going to college after the tour"
"Boring" he groans.
I give him a questioning look and he continues, "Me, Nash, Cam, Sammy, Johnson and Carter are going to live with Taylor after summer. He has a pretty big place"
His tone was dismissive, almost uninterested.
I want to ask a million questions. But I didn't want to come off as clingy.
We fall into an awkward silence until our food arrives.
"No way in hell do you like olives" he scrunches up his nose.
"Of course! Olives are the best"
"I'm sorry Sarah but I don't think I can continue this date, knowing that you like olives" he sneers and I laugh at him.
His plate is then set on the table.
"Anchovies? Yuck" I hold my nose playfully.
"Anchovies beat olives any day"
"Nah uh"
"Yah huh"
"You're the annoying one"
"You love it" he laughs while hopelessly trying to cut his pizza as it comes unsliced.
After many attempts he gives up, "why can't they cut it themselves" he mumbles.
"No need to get upset Gilinsky" I laugh, sliding his pizza towards me and picking up the pizza cutter.
I roll the metal utensil down the fishy pizza, making a perfect incision, and then repeat it until the pizza is in twelve perfect slices, despite Jack's previous attempts.
The whole time, I feel his eyes on me, as I cut through the dough he watches me, eyes locked with my hand's every movement.
He was probably just making sure I didn't mess up his pizza.
"There you go" I slide his pizza back to him.
"And I'm the one that's meant to be Italian" he laughs and lifts a slice as I do the same.
The conversation is light but comfortable.
Then, I look up from the table to see a familiar face walk towards us.
It's the same boy from Starbucks, he's wearing an apron around his hips which is identical to the other waitors'.
He works at Starbucks and Pizza Express?
Dream careers.
"Is everything alright over here-" he starts and then meets my gaze.
"Well if it isn't the girl who showed up to Starbucks at six am" he laughs.
"You remember?" I smile and notice Jack's fists clench from the corner of my eye but choose to ignore it.
"How could I forget? You're probably the prettiest girl that's ever walked through that door. We usually just get old people"
Jack interrupts before I even get a chance to accept and appreciate the compliment given to me, "well maybe you should try hitting on one of them instead because she's clearly on a date"
So this is a date?
"Sorry man, hey I usually work those hours so if you ever have trouble sleeping, come by" he smiles and slips away.
"Douche" Jack mumbles.
"He was just being nice" I shrug, taking a bite of pizza.
"He was just trying to get in your pants" he says abruptly, almost causing me to choke but I compose myself.
"Oh and you're not?" I smirk and he seems shocked.
"Don't look so shocked Gilinsky, I've been warned about you"
"The difference between me and that kid is that I actually have a shot" he ignores my comment.
"Do you now?" I raise an eyebrow.
He leans forward, "I think you'll find, that kid doesn't have a chance in hell against me"
My skin tingles at his arrogance and I internally slap myself for being even remotely attracted to him.
"Cocky" I roll my eyes.
"Confident" he replies almost instantly and I roll my eyes.
"You know if you keep rolling those pretty brown eyes of yours they'll fall out"
"At least I wouldn't have to look at you anymore"
He holds his hand to his chest and leans back, "ouch, feisty" he leans forwards "I like it" he says in a funny accent that makes me laugh.
We finish our meal and Jack pays, despite numerous protests from me.
"Will you just shut up, I've already payed" Jack teases me.
"Fine but I'm paying next time" I say before my brain has time to catch up.
"Next time?" he smirks.
Shit
Shit
Shit
"I mean um.. I didn-"
"I'd love for you to pay next time"
I smile as I seem to be at a loss of words, I assume it is just relief from what could have been a very awkward situation.
"Come on, let's find Hayes" he says and before I can process it, he lifts me from my legs and lifts me over his shoulder.
"JACK" I screech.
"Put me down" I protest and he doesn't listen.
I hear him thank the waitresses and I hear the small bells ring as he opens the door to leave.
"Jack put me down now, we're in public, people are going to stare"
"People only stare because they're jealous"
"Jealous? So you think everyone who stops to stare at a car crash is jealous?"
"Ah, when people stare at a car crash that's nosey staring, which is the second type of staring"
"I'd love to hear about all the types of staring when my two feet have made safe contact with the ground" I huff and wriggle as I pound my fists against his muscular back.
Stop thinking about his back god damn.
"Damn girl stop punching me, I bruise like a peach"
"Put me down" I say calmly but harshly.
"Hmm.. Nope" he says and I groan.
"This is kinda fun, plus I'm enjoying the view of your ass quiet nicely actually" he says proudly and if I could feel anything but the blood pumping straight towards my head I'd think of a comeback.
"Well your ass isn't as much fun to look at so put me down" I yell and notice that we're on an escalator.
"Fine, you're no fun" he lowers me onto the ground once we're on the ground floor.
"Hayes texted me to meet him at the car"
"You gave him your number?" Jack asks calmly.
"Yup" I say, looking down to reply to Hayes.
"Will I be getting your number?" he asks with an eyebrow raised as we walk out of the sliding glass doors to be greeted by a warm breeze and a starry sky.
"Hmm, I don't know. I don't tend to give my number out to strangers" I say as we walk towards the black car, parked in the same spot as before.
"Oh but you go on dates with strangers?" he asks, humor playing in his eyes.
"Fair enough" I tell him my number as he puts it into his phone and locks it again.
"There you are" Hayes huffs.
"I'm never going on a date with you two again" he rolls his eyes.
"Are you aware of how weird that sounds?" I tease him.
"Your perfect match didn't work out so well because as soon as I said hi she stared screaming and crying and calling all if her friends to tell them that Hayes grier is in the mall" he immiates her, getting into the car.
When we arrive at the hotel I notice that the corridors are too quiet for the others to be back so we all slip into our room using Hayes' key.
Hayes goes to his room and Jack places his key on the counter then turns to me and lifts me on to the kitchen counter.
"You've got to stop doing that" I laugh.
"I don't think so" he looks into my eyes as if he's searching for something.
"So, how do ordinarily end your dates?" I ask quietly.
"Sex" he replies sharply.
His tone almost hurts, knowing those are his only intentions. I look to my lap and tell myself that I should have taken Madison's advice.
My thoughts are disrupted as two fingers lift my chin and I am faced with a set of gorgeous brown eyes.
"However you, my dear, are completely and utterly out of the ordinary" he says and leans closer.