The “Not Date” Night (Dani’s POV)
My phone vibrated on my desk at school. Trying to look nonchalant, I flipped it over to see if there was a text message waiting for me. I waited impatiently, anxious to see who it was from and what it was about.
When the bell rang and the herd of pint sized monsters rushed past my desk, I reached for my phone.
Oliver: Dinner tonight?
I wasted no time with my reply, already thinking about the tasty goodness that awaited. Oliver had cooked a very sweet dinner for me Monday night and the prospect of another was exciting.
Me: Sounds great!
Another moment passed and my phone vibrated to life again.
Oliver: I was thinking Italian. I know a great place in Gangnam. I’ll pick you up at 7. Does that work?
Without thinking I hit reply.
Me: Perfect, it’s a date!
I didn’t think much of it until I got the text back.
Oliver: Haha. Are you sure about that?
I blinked, confused at the text before going back and rereading what I had typed. Then I saw my error – I had called it a date. Suddenly I was consumed with worry. Am I leading him on? Will he be disappointed if I say it was a joke? Does it make me a bad person to fool with his emotions? Will I hurt his feelings if I say it’s not a date? Do I want it to be a date?
I was so consumed with my own thoughts I missed the bell ringing, signalling the start of the next class.
A small voice cleared its throat. “Teacher, will you teach today?”
My head shot up looking at the smiling faces of my students. I tossed my phone back into the desk drawer and focused on them. I did my best to forget about my small snafu and work on getting through my writing class. When the bell sounded again it marked the beginning of my prep period. I raced back to my desk, digging through the contents of the drawer until I found the very valuable smart phone.
Oliver: You’re too quiet. You’re either busy or don’t know. I’m going to go with busy.
Me: Yeah, sorry. Class started before I could reply. I’ll see you tonight.
Maybe if I didn’t answer the question he wouldn’t push the issue. The rest of the day went smoothly and my phone sat silently on my desk. When the click hit 5 pm I quickly packed up and headed for the door.
The subway ride took longer than I would have liked and the crosswalk lights were against me. When I got home I had about an hour before Oliver arrived. I rushed to take a shower then struggled with my clothing decisions. Where’s Kat when I need her? Her two chief jobs as my friend are to dress me and keep me entertained with her writing. With her at the North Pole, she was slacking on both. Finally I decided on a fitted blue shirt and my skinny jeans. I hoped since she helped pick them out, they would have made the cut.
After a short battle with my hair I considered makeup but gave into my normal response of “Lip gloss is makeup, right?”
I stopped myself. “This is Oliver. This isn’t a real date. He’s seen me in my pajamas and knows I talk in my sleep. Why am I getting so worked up?” I tried to calm my nerves by playing around with my iPad and petting Sheldon but I still felt nervous.
When there was a knock on my door I jumped up, startled, and raced towards it. I caught myself a few steps away and forced myself to walk the last few feet. As I pushed open the door I took a close look at the man standing there to greet me. He was dressed in designer jeans, a button down shirt that hugged him and a pair of converse sneakers. I stepped out of the way so he could come in.
Ducking through the door he looked at me and smiled. Nervously he shuffled from one foot to another. “You called this a date and I wasn’t expecting it to be one, but when you didn’t correct me I thought maybe you considered it one…” He was totally awkward and I felt the urge to coo at him like I would a small baby animal.
“Anyway, I would have brought flowers, but I thought this would be more like you.” He handed me a small package wrapped in green tissue paper.
“Chocolate?” I asked as I unwrapped it. When the paper fell away I was holding a small leatherbound book with gold Fae printing on it.
“It’s a book written by Pixies, on flowers and plants from their mother realm. I thought it was sort of like flowers but more personal…” He trailed off. “If you don’t like…” I held a hand up to stop him.
“Thank you.” I ran my hands over the cover and smiled. “It’s perfect.”
He seemed to breath a sigh of relief. “You may want to grab a light jacket. It’s sort of cool tonight and I have the top down.” I didn’t resist as he helped me shrug on a windbreaker then guided me towards the door with a hand to the small of my back.
Parked just outside the front door of my apartment building was a small two seat roadster, with the top down. “This is your car?” I asked absently.
“Yes.” He reached out and opened my door for me. I slid in without hesitation, sinking comfortably back into the smooth gray leather seats.
“It looks expensive,” I said without meaning to.
He shrugged sliding into his own seat beside me. “Expensive is relative.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry.”
He laughed. It was the first time I really noticed the deep, rich tone of his voice when he laughed.
We glided smoothly across the busy Seoul city streets. Neither of us spoke as he drove. I wasn’t sure what to say. If it wasn’t a date, it sure felt like one. If it was a date, I needed to re-evaluate my opinion of Oliver a bit.
Dinner was outstanding, but then I hadn’t really expected any less. I lost the battle and ended up giggling when Oliver ordered extra garlic for his soup. We tried food off of each others plates and the entire experience felt like a date.
When dinner was over we returned to my place. I glanced at the time as we pulled up. It was already 11. Where had the time gone?
Hopping out of the car Oliver came around, opened my door then walked me into my apartment building.
“Thank you for dinner,” I said while we stood just outside my door.
With a smile and a wave he batted it away. “Thank you for letting me take you out.”
Then the even more awkward moment happened. I leaned forward with the intention to give him a kiss goodnight out of habit for a date and he leaned for a friendly but cool hug. I sort of kissed his cheek and his hug felt a little wonky.
“Uh, well goodnight,” I said and tugged the door open and stepped into my apartment.
“Goodnight, and sweet dreams,” he said before turning to leave. I pulled the door shut and came face to face with the evil furball.
“How was your date?” he asked with a particularly wicked tone to his voice.
“It wasn’t a date,” I insisted as I began peeling out of my clothes and pulling on my pajamas.
Taking a seat on the couch I was picking up my iPod when there was a knock on the door. Curiously, I made my way back across the room and peeped through the hole in the door. Oliver was there. Tugging the door open I smiled, thinking maybe he forgot something or needed something. “Hey, what’s up?”
“I’m sorry, but if this was a date, there is something I need to know.”
“What’s that?” I asked.
Stepping into my doorway he reached out and tugged me against him. His free hand cupped my chin and he lowered his mouth to capture mine. His kiss was soft and timid at first but I found myself leaning into it. He responded by relaxing and deepening the kiss. He tasted spicy and his scent was a little intoxicating. He broke the kiss, leaning back against the door frame. He closed his eyes and rested his forhead against mine for a moment.
“I sorry,” he said in a whisper. “I figured I may never get a second date with you, and as such may never get the chance to kiss you goodnight again.” He stroked my chin with his thumb before letting go of me and stepping back.
I almost wobbled on my legs for a moment because they felt a little like jello under me. I nodded because I couldn’t find any words.
“Goodnight,” he said one last time before fleeing. This time when I closed the door, I locked it tightly.
Sheldon sat just a few feet away. “Not one word, furball, or I’m taking you to the vet for something.” I ignored his chuckle as I stumbled to my bedroom.
