by Annie Brewer
“You should be a make-up artist.” I tell her, squinting my eyes to see the color better. It’s a light brown color, bringing the hazel in my eyes to stand out.
“You think? I don’t think I’d have the patience or desire to touch anyone’s skin. But I thought about it once. Hmm, maybe I will give it a serious thought as a side job.” I catch a glimpse of the curls as they hit the side of my face; the warmth feels good on my skin. “Touching your face never bothered me, you were always my doll to dress up.” She scrunches her nose affectionately. I laugh. “Done.” Andi unplugs the curling iron and sets it aside. I turn my head from side to side, watching the curls bounce around my shoulders.
“I love it.” I beam and hug her.
“Noah is going to have a hard time keeping his eyes off of you, chica. You look hot.” I blush.
“Thanks. I feel pretty sexy. I owe it all to you.” She scoffs. But it’s true. If I had my way, I’d just go in jeans and a blouse. I’m not one for dressing up, but I’m finding it actually enjoyable to be admired or thought of as “sexy”.
It’s 7:15 and I’m a nervous wreck. I pace the living-room. “Is this helping, Maddy? She smirks, amused at my apprehension.
“I’m fine. I’m just nervous. I want tonight to be great, wonderful, a night to remember. First dates are everything.” I’m spewing off a bunch of crap that I don’t really believe, although first dates are everything. Or at least, they’re important.
She grabs me by the shoulders, halting me and looking into my eyes. “You can start by staying calm and relax. It’s just a date, not the apocalypse. Of course dates have been known to turn out worse than apocalypse.” I glare at her and she closes her mouth. I’m so not finding this funny. But it’s nice to see her humor come out, so I relax my face. “Okay, just think of it as two people having dinner and talking, getting to know one another. No expectations, nothing. Just have fun, laugh and be yourself.” I can do this. I take a deep breath and nod.
A knock at the door shakes me out of my stupor. Before I open the door, I smile, smooth my dress down and let out another breath. Andi gives me the thumbs up gesture.
“Am I too early?” A very sharp dressed and smiling Noah stands in the doorway. I like him in jeans or shorts but seeing him in Khaki pants with a navy button up dress shirt tucked in makes my skin tingle with goose bumps. My eyes rake over his neat appearance with my mouth hanging open. He’s still standing there smiling, slightly uncomfortable and I soon realize I’m gawking at him a little too obvious. I clear my throat and open the door wider and he steps in.
“Sorry, no you’re right on time. Let me get my purse.” He then hands me a box of chocolates. Oh hell, I’m in awe that he had the sense to skip over the flowers.
“I figure chocolates are better than flowers. I didn’t know what kind you liked. And most girls love chocolate, so I couldn’t go wrong there.” He smirks.
“Thank you so much. No, this is perfect. Flowers are so over-rated.” I grab my purse and apartment key. “You look really nice. Am I overdressed?”
“Uh, no. You look beautiful. But if you want, you can bring a change of clothes in case we do something casual.” Oh good idea. I’m already tired of being in a dress. I tell them I’ll be right back, head to my room and grab some jeans and a t-shirt. I hear Andi and Noah talking, catching bits of their conversation. Andi tells him he better have me home by a decent time and Noah assures her I’m in good hands. I smile before I re-enter the room. I shove my clothes and phone into my tote bag. “Are you going to be okay?” I ask Andi.
“Yes, now go have fun. I’ll be fun. I’ve got my date tonight, remember?” I laugh as she practically pushes me out the door. “Say hi to Paul for me, please.” I wink. We walk to his jeep and he opens my door. I feel the breeze on my legs as I climb up, making me shiver.
“Who’s Paul?”
“Paul Walker, the actor. She’s having a Paul Walker marathon tonight.” He nods and shuts my door. After he gets in and turns the car on, I remember something. “Shit, your jacket.”
“It’s okay; you can give it to me when I drop you off. I’ll remind you.” He turns the heater on full blast. We sit in silence for a minute. “So what kind do you like?”
“Huh?” He laughs.
“Sorry, I wasn’t specific. I meant to ask, what’s your favorite flower? For future reference.” I think about it for a minute. I don’t really remember liking flowers that much. They smell pretty but I never had a favorite. No one has ever asked me that before.
“No one has ever asked me that.” I reveal to him, feeling embarrassed that guys have never given me any. All girls have a favorite. “I’m not so much a girly girl. That’s Andi.”
“Well, I think that’s cool. No flowers for Maddy, got it. So what do you like?”
“Music. Chocolate.” I grin. “Oh and rock climbing.” When he raises his eye brows in surprise, I say, “I’m not a typical girl. I like the outdoors.” I lean back, feeling warm enough, almost toasty actually. “So, what’s the plan?”
“Do you like sushi?” The only one I know of is outside of town, but like most of the places we have to drive about twenty minutes or so. I don’t complain.
“Do I? I haven’t had it in a while, but yes, I do like sushi.” He smiles and when he faces forward, pulling out of the parking lot, I take the time to try and memorize his muscles beneath his shirt. I imagine how strong and firm they must look. His hair is slicked back with some gel goo.
“Like what you see?” I quickly look away, heat creeping up my neck in embarrassment.
“I like that color on you.” I look out the window, not daring to look at him.
“I like that dress on you.” I finally look at him and he winks.
“Thank you. So where is this sushi place anyway, Japan?” I quip.
“Ha ha. No it’s not far. But I wanted to play a game real quick. You up for it?” I love games so I shake my head yes. It’s dark aside from the lights on the side streets and buildings.
“Have you played the ABC game?” Oh I love this game.
“Yep, I’m pretty quick in this game.”
“Is that right? Well, let’s go.” I straighten in my seat with my tongue sticking out of my mouth as I scan the area. I spot my first one and blurt, “Angelos.” It’s a Mexican restaurant, I’ve never been to.
“Apache.” Noah says. I see a sign for a street name.
“Braums.” Ooo, ice cream. “Closed.” I’m on a roll.
“Damn, you’re quick.” I laugh. “Bar.” Shit, he’s catching up. I search for a D word.
“Dairy.” Another ice cream place, alright, I’ll get some ice cream geez. My stomach growls.
“Cash.” Noah shouts, startling me. “Sorry, cash.” He whispers. “Okay, I passed my exit…we’ll finish this later. I’m starving.” He whips a U-turn at a light heading the opposite direction. Crap, the word ‘exit’ would work right about now. But I don’t say it since we’re putting this game on hold.
“Exit.” I shout, even though I’m cheating. He makes a face, I lift my shoulders innocently. “What? I thought we were still playing.”
“You’re cheating. I said we’d finish it later or did you choose not to hear that?” I hold in my laugh when I look at his serious face.
“I’m not a cheater.” I stick my lip out in a pout. He smacks his lips together considering it for a moment. “Fine, you can have your word…this time. We’re here now.” Tonight is going to be great.
Chapter 32
Noah
Ordering food is hard because I don’t know what I want. Looking at the menu is the last thing I want to do when all I can think about is the girl sitting across from me. I wanted to do something guys usually do on first dates, but being that I didn’t know her favorite flower, I settled on chocolate. It worked, so that was a plus. But now I need to remember that she doesn’t like flowers. It kind of surprised me that no one has ever asked her what her favorite flower is. But now I know not to get her any. It
’s so cliché anyway, so I’m glad I skipped it.
I try not to act obvious, but I peek over my menu at her in her dress. She looks gorgeous. Her hair is curled again, which I’m beginning to appreciate more. I always notice how natural her face is each time I see her. She’s not a make-up girl, and that makes me smile. Too many girls cake the shit on and then it’s a pain in the ass to take off, I can only imagine. But I’d prefer the more natural look anyway. Why hide your beauty? Girls assume guys like looking at a mask as opposed to the real girl beneath it.
“I know what I’m having.” Maddy closes her menu, startling me. “What about you?” I clear my throat and direct my eyes back to the menu.
“I think I’ll have Tako.” I close my menu.
“Is it good? I’ve never tried Octapus.” I smile, impressed she knows what it is. I set our menus at the edge of the table and lean forward with my elbows propped up, hands under my chin.
“I’ll let you try some.”
“Okay.” Her eyes take in her surroundings. When she finally catches me staring at her, I don’t look away. I’m doing things differently, earning her trust and I won’t look away just because she catches me looking. It’s silly. I’m done playing games. When the waiter takes our orders, I let her go first.
“You like squid?” I ask, fascinated. She looks at me and shrugs.
“I’ve actually never tried it but I’m up for trying new things.” This girl is definitely unpredictable and that’s a relief. I find predictable boring.
“I’m impressed.” I smile, leaning back against the seat. It’s a nice place. The lights are dim and there’s a bar, it’s called the conveyor belt for sushi. We didn’t sit there though. I wanted something more private. The restaurant is quaint and not too crowded. For a Friday, you’d think it would be. But it’s small and I think everyone goes to the other, bigger sushi bars. I’m not complaining. In New York, they had several sushi bars on the strip, down the road from me. I could walk to them, I sometimes did, especially if I drank too much. Tonight, I only have water.
“So what’s your idea of a first date?” Maddy asks, pulling me out of my daze. The waiter brings us our drinks. I guess the past will be brought up whether I want it to or not. I take a sip of my water and swallow, hoping I don’t choke on my nerves. I push my glass aside and lace my fingers together on top of the table.
“Well, I’ll be honest with you, my idea of a first date is dinner and then skip the dessert and head straight for the sex.” I watch her eyes widen. I was afraid this would happen. “But that’s part of me I’ve left behind. I’ve done some crazy shit I’m not proud of which is why I moved. I’m trying to right some wrongs and prove to my parents I’m not a complete fuck up and I can make it on my own, without getting into trouble.” I take another sip and notice her relax, but keeping her gaze on me. Maybe she was surprised by my honesty.
“So you said that was your idea of a first date, what is your idea now?” I lay my hands in my lap and contemplate my answer. Considering now I haven’t really been on any dates, I can’t say what my idea would be. But I can imagine the kind of date I’d take Maddy on.
“Still working on that.” Is all I say, instead. And then…it’s saved by the sushi.
Chewing and smacking seems to be keeping us occupied for the time being. I don’t mind though. It gives me a reason to observe the effort Maddy takes to attempt her chop sticks. It’s cute to watch her struggle; she hasn’t had as much practice as me.
“Are you just going to laugh at me the whole time or are you going to tell me what I’m doing wrong? These damn things won’t cooperate.”
I give her a sidelong glance chuckling. “Is it okay if I laugh first and then help you?” I stop laughing and pick up my chop sticks to show her how to hold them properly. “It’s tricky but you put them between your fingers, like so.” I hold them effortlessly and then reach over to set them between her fingers. The contact is quick as I pull back and ignore the itch to touch her again. Her fingers slip and the chopstick drops. Frustrated, she tries again. After a couple more tries, she finally gets it.
“Oh I think I finally got it now, see?” She holds it up in front of me and I can’t help but smile seeing her excitement.
“Good job. More practice and you’ll do it without thinking about it.” I say as I stick a bite in my mouth and wink.
“Show off.” Oh she has no idea.
“Maybe.” My mind wanders in the gutter for a moment but I bite my tongue. It takes every ounce of strength to remind myself that I’m not that guy anymore, the one who would say things to swoon a girl to get her to bed. I won’t be him again. I hated him.
“Do you want to try mine?” She picks her food up using the chop sticks and reaches over to give me a bite. It feels weirdly intimate, but I act casual and take a bite even though I don’t like being fed like a toddler. I chew and swallow. “I like it.”
“Yeah, I really like it too. I didn’t think I would. Now can I have a bite of your octopus?” I hold in my laughter and she doesn’t notice how her question sounded.
I pick up a small bite for her with my chop sticks but before I can send it in her mouth, she’s already stolen the bite with her chop sticks.
Oh hell no.
“Wait, what the hell are you doing?” She’s chewing it and clearly enjoying it, judging by the expression on her face.
“Sorry, you were taking too long…the fish was staring at me, totally creeping me out. But hey I used my chop sticks without dropping them.” She claps her hands excitedly. I’m not smiling and then she’s not clapping. “Are you upset?” It strikes me as odd that I would feel offended I didn’t get to feed her.
“Not upset, just disappointed. You fed me so it’s only fair I return the favor.” God, I’m such a lame ass.
“Well, I’ve been craving ice cream since we left, why don’t you feed me a bite. It has to be a flavor I’ve never tried before.” I perk up. Ice cream will definitely hit the spot.
“Deal.” She returns to her food. I’m feeling grateful, so I take a deep breath and get it out. “Maddy?” I start. She looks up; our eyes meet, making me forget what I was going to say. Focus, Noah. I swallow and look down at my plate. “Thank you for making my first date worth all the shitty ones.”
“You’ve had shitty dates?” She sounds surprised. “Or do you mean the ones that didn’t go home with you?” Ouch, that was a low blow, but well-deserved.
I shake my head, “No, I’m not talking about those. I mean all the dates that didn’t involve you.” Okay that sounded stupid.
“Oh.” She says quietly, looking embarrassed. “But it’s not over yet. Let’s make it a night to remember.” I like the sound of that.
I pay for the meal, ready to continue our night of casual fun. Driving in a town I’m unfamiliar with, I follow Maddy’s directions to a park nearby. She points me in the right direction, but then I remember where I wanted to go in the first place, so I take a slight detour. Maddy squeals when she sees me pulling into a Dairy Queen. “I was hoping you wouldn’t forget.” She says, smiling.
Before we get out of the car, I grab my Letterman’s jacket from the backseat and when I walk to her side, open the door, I drape it over her shoulders. “Thank you.” I nod.
It seems all ice cream shops are the same, but Dairy Queens are my favorite. There are only a couple of people in front of us, so I take the time to memorize the flavors. “What flavor have you not had?” I ask her. She licks her lips, contemplating. I try not to stare as her tongue snakes out and grazes her top lip. This girl has no idea what she does to me. I force my eyes to focus elsewhere, like the delicious flavors in front of me. So many flavors and colors.
“I want to try pistachio.” She finally says. Okay, that is one flavor I never liked. Maybe I’ll try it anyway. I can try new things too.
“I’ll have rocky road.” I look at Maddy, “You haven’t had that kind, have you?”
“Nope. And remember, you’re feeding me a bite of it.�
�� I wouldn’t dream of forgetting. I smile. We tell the server our orders and buy drinks as well. Ice cream always makes me thirsty. “Wait, I want a banana split instead please. Sorry.” I smirk and shake my head. “I’ll buy mine.”
“No, I’m buying tonight.” I pull out my wallet and hand the guy at the register my card. “Do you want to eat here or do you want to go to the park and eat?”
“We can eat at the park.”
“But it’s cold as shit outside and you’re in a dress.”
“It’s fine. I did bring a change of clothes, remember?” I ask her if she wants to change here before we go but she just shakes her head. I do like seeing her in that dress. Hell, I like seeing her in sweats just as much. She’s naturally beautiful. “No I’ll be fine. Let’s just go. I’m dying to eat this creamy dessert.” I can’t help the excitement that is trying to claw its way through my throat. It’s ridiculous, really. But I feel thrilled to eat ice cream with a girl at a park on a Friday night. We walk out into the night to my jeep, I open Maddy’s door and take her bag of ice cream and drink until she’s seated before handing it back to her. “Do you want me to hold your ice cream while you drive? Or are you one of those guys that can multi-task like a bad ass?” I buckle my seatbelt and wink at her.
“I’m actually a half-ass-tasker guy. I do half a bunch of things at once. But I won’t show off anymore tonight. I wouldn’t want to get all big-headed about it. So since you asked, you can hold my ice cream, kind lady. Thank you.” I joke. She takes my ice cream and sets it in her lap. The drive to the park is silent, but comfortable.
Living up north has gotten me used to keeping a blanket in the trunk of my car. I always have one, even when it’s not cold. Camping upstate a lot with girls had me trained to keep one with me. No one else would remember to bring one.
Maddy watches my pull out my New York Giants blanket and gives me a curious look. “You’ve come prepared.”
“I’m always prepared.” I quip. “Besides, it helps me score with the ladies. They like a thoughtful gentleman such as me.” Maddy rolls her eyes making me laugh.