Chapter 11: 10 | the first date
I was reapplying my lipstick when my phone pinged. It was John letting me know he was about 10 minutes away. He had called me earlier and left a voicemail asking if tonight would be a good time to meet again.
Teasing the little wrinkles from my shirt out, I smiled to myself when I looked in the mirror. John had reminded me to wear a casual and comfortable outfit so I decided to wear a flowy long skirt with leggings underneath as it was chilly outside, and a figure-hugging black turtleneck. Rebecca had borrowed me her pair of earrings as well as her diamond necklace in order to complete the look.
I was putting my black Dr. Martens on when Rebecca strolled in unannounced and let herself on my messy unmade bed. "You look cute." She commented as she rolled in the pile of clothes that were on my bed.
"Thanks. I'm going out for dinner with John. Do you want anything?"
"No. I'm beat from studying. Turn on your location and text me if you need anything."
Satisfied with the way I look, I took a quick mirror selfie of my outfit before posting it to my story. And then I took another with Rebecca in the background rolling on my bed.
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John was wearing a leisure beige sweatshirt with denim ripped jeans and a pair of black sneakers. He was leaning against his car looking around and stood straighter when he saw me walking out of the lobby.
"Hi." Deciding to be bold, I leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He had ditched his glasses again and his hair wasn't as styled as yesterday instead it was back to its natural wave. Like the first time I met him. "Did you wait long?"
Truth be told, I wasn't always this forward. Especially not with guys. But from the moment we met, there was this... attraction that I couldn't shake off. And I knew I wanted this, whatever it was.
"No. You were right on time." He responded, leaning down to make eye contact, some of his hair fell and land right in front of his steel-blue eyes. Smiling back, I move to open the passenger door when I felt his hand on mine and guided them to open the door, together.
He lightly squeezed my hand before letting go and walking to his side of the door. His hand was slightly cold when it was on mine, and yet it felt so right. Shaking my head, I leaned into the leather seat and shut the door, silently relishing on how comfortable it is.
I felt John place his arm behind the head of my seat before I stole a glance and watched as he looked back before putting the gear on the reverse and then drive. His jawline had never been more prominent.
That had to be one of the hottest things I've ever seen.
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"I head you really like pizza... so is this okay?" John nervously asks as we pulled up to a cute pizza place midtown.
"I do! I love pizza!" And I really did. I was a little relieved that he didn't bring me to one of the finer luxury restaurants as I never could figure out what to eat. John gave me another short smile before getting out of his car and I did too, excited to order their specials.
We were lucky enough to land a parking space right in front of the cafe.
Apparently today's specials was a cheese-filled crust pizza topped with three different kinds of meat of your choosing and a milkshake to go with the meal. We didn't even have to wait to be seated (which I was thankful for since I hate waiting) and I chose the table by the window.
After the waiter took our orders, I leaned in closer and thanked him again for choosing the restaurant. "So who did you ask anyway?"
"I didn't. I remember you mentioned that you liked pizza when we were searching for places to eat and opted for a taco."
I was surprised that he did. Rebecca had argued that taco was perfect for a late-night snack and pizza was better off during a celebratory event.
Cocking my head, I gave him a sincere smile when his eyes lifted to mine for remembering the little things. His eyes widened briefly before looking away, a hint of a red tint evident on his cheeks.
Just as I was about to comment on them, the waiter came back and the alluring smell distracted me. The sight almost made me salivate at how cheesy and toasty the pizza was.
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"So what's next?" I asked as we ditched the car and opted for a stroll around the quieter side of town.
Our hands would brush against one another a couple of times before John decided to take hold of my hand.
"I think we might make it. We might get to see a sunset by the Hudson river if we hurry."
Raising an eyebrow, I asked why didn't we just take the car if we were in a hurry.
"I was feeling nostalgic." He replied while brushing his hair.
Cute.
I only hummed while we walked hand in hand. It turns out we weren't too far from the river, and managed to catch a glimpse of the sun setting as we were walking to the bridge.
I never really think too much of a sun setting, simply thinking of it as just a sign that the day has ended and the evening is about to begin. But watching John's eyes lit up at the view beyond him, with a ghost of a smile, it almost made me wonder if the sun settings had a thing with enhancing one's beauty.
When John noticed I was quiet, he turned to me and my breath hitched. His blue eyes seemed brighter, the glare from the sun only made his skin seemed radiant, and the way he looked at me, it almost felt like I had experienced this before.
Like a distant memory.
I hadn't noticed I had a hand over my chest until John took hold of them and asked if I was alright. Blinking back furiously, I only managed to mutter a short yes before forcing a smile.
Ignoring whatever it was that brought the deja vu feeling.
We were still admiring the view when we felt familiar droplets of rain, and then it poured.
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John hadn't witnessed a sunset since he left to study abroad. England was a land where there was hardly any sun, and when he came back, he hardly had the time to properly absorb the nature around him.
The sight gave him small glimpses of a memory he once had when he was a kid, and he smiled when he remembered the feelings that came forth.
When he felt Aria slip her hand away, he turns questioningly only to worry when she clutched her chest as she stared off into the distance.
"Aria? Are you alright?" He asks worriedly. But she only averted her eyes back to him before she smiled.
The smile seemed forced, but before he could say anything it began pouring. Hard.
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this was hard to write. i honestly don't know what people do on dates.
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