Hardly Worth Your Time

“Girl’s night, dress nice,” Lindsey said over the phone a couple days later.

“Where are we going?” Emily asked standing up and walking to her closet.

“Dinner and we don’t know yet, wear like a black dress or something, you know, so we can tease guys,” Rebecca answered with a laugh.

“Okay,” Emily replied with a laugh as she pulled out a black dress. “What time?”

“We’ll pick you up at six thirty,” Lindsey replied.

“Alright, later,” Emily parted from the three way phone conversation and looked at the clock. She had two hours to get ready and she headed to her bathroom for a shower.

After the shower, she dried her hair and plugged in the curling iron before brushing her teeth and putting on some makeup. She dried her hair and put on the dress before applying the hot iron creating soft waves to flow down her back.

She finished getting ready and headed down stairs right when the doorbell rang. She yelled a goodbye to whoever was home and walked out of the house and climbed into Lindsey’s black Mazda.

They arrived at Romano’s Macaroni Grill about twenty minutes later. Rebecca gave the hostess her last name for the reservation and they were seated at a small booth near the corner of the restaurant.

They chatted a few minutes before Lindsey and Rebecca excused themselves to the bathroom. Emily sat in the booth reading through the alcoholic beverage choices.

“Margarita sounds good right about now, eh?”

Emily snapped her head up to the voice of her best friend standing to her left just outside the booth. “Alex? What are you doing here?”

Alex just grinned and took a seat across from her twirling a fork around his finger. “Or would you rather have wine? Either is a-okay with me.”

Emily chuckled before setting the beverage menu down and leaned her head forward slightly. “Tell me why you’re here, but first buy me this Italian Margarita,” Emily pointed at the picture on the back of the menu.

“I think I have an idea, and we’ll see about the drink,” he smiled cheekily.

Emily was just about to reply when Rebecca and Lindsey came smirking back to the table. “Oh erm, hey Alex! What are you doing here? You know what Emily, Lindsey here is, uhm,”

“Not feeling well,” Lindsey finished. “So we’re just going to go. You two have fun!” and with that her and Rebecca were grinning like fools out of the restaurant glancing back at the dumfounded Emily and the nodding Alex.

“So how about that drink?” Alex broke the silence causing Emily to slowly turn back around in her seat.

She blinked a couple times before placing her hands on the table clasped together. “Did you…set this up?” she asked quietly.

Alex rubbed the back of his neck. “No Em, Lindsey and Rebecca called me earlier and told me to get my ass to Romano’s Macaroni Grill on Thames Street at seven forty five and when I asked why they just said dinner. When I got here and saw them hiding out near the bathroom grinning and I saw you sitting in the booth alone, I guessed what they were doing.”

“So you…went along with it,” Emily said slowly, her hands fidgeting.

Alex sighed quietly. “Listen Em, I know you didn’t want this, really. But I just couldn’t pass up a semi-date with you, it being probably the only time ever I will get one. So please, one dinner, for me?” he pleaded.

Emily stared at him before tapping her finger nails faster and then stopped and replied quietly, “Okay fine.”

Alex grinned and opened up his menu humming a tune. “You love, look gorgeous by the way,” Alex said setting the menu down and taking her hands in his.

Emily smiled slightly before adding, “You’re still getting me my margarita.”

“Yeah, yeah, don’t worry, I got lil’ ol’ McLovin in my wallet,” he said patting his leg and taking the menu back in his hands.

Emily rolled her eyes, “Don’t you think that plenty of people are going to be able to tell your McLovin ID is fake?”

Alex looked up from the menu, “You underestimate me sometimes Em, I’m hurt.”

Emily smacked his menu in his face making him let out a small “Ouch!” before she sat back into the cushion and letting her eyes wander over the Dinner menu.

They laughed through the entire course, sharing one dish, because of the size of the plates. Emily gloated over the fact that the waiter denied Alex the alcohol, but reminded him he still owed her.

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll get you something, don’t worry,” Alex waved her off still bitter about being denied.

“Baby face,” Emily murmured with a teasing smile.

“Stop,” Alex chuckled smearing some of the frosting from the chocolate cheesecake they were sharing, onto her nose.

“Hey,” Emily whined, smearing some on him.

They laughed before wiping each other’s noses off.

After paying the bill and finishing their drinks, they walked out of the restaurant quietly.

“Ms. Collins, may I ask for an extended time to take you down to the docks?” Alex asked dropping to one knee.

“Alex get up!” Emily laughed.

“You didn’t answer me pretty lady,” Alex grinned and took hold of her hand.

Emily smiled down at him and shook her head. “Fine, alright, but you still owe me a drink.”

“I can manage that,” Alex replied standing and placed his hand on the lower part of her back, leading her towards his Audi.

As Alex drove down South Broadway, Emily hummed softly to the song playing.

Alex hadn’t kept his peripheral vision off of her the entire car ride down to the beach. He noticed the way her lips moved along almost discreetly. The way her cheeks would turn a light shade of pink whenever she caught him staring at her. How her smile was never forced. The way her eyes danced across the road and were illuminated by the soft glow of the street lamps.

Alex parked the car and quickly exited to open the passenger door for Emily. She stepped out, hand in his before taking it back and putting her hands behind her back. He went around to the trunk and ducked his head in before pulling out a bottle of Jaeger with a triumphant grin.

Emily laughed. “Do you always keep a bottle of Jaeger in your trunk?” she teased.

“When I think I’ll end up hanging with the alcoholic, sure,” Alex replied playfully.

“Calling the kettle black, aren’t you?”

“Touché,” Alex replied before placing his hand once again on the small of her back and leading her to the sand.

They both slid off their shoes and walked onto the soft grainy ground. As Alex placed a blanket he had grabbed out of the trunk with the Jaeger, Emily gracefully wandered to the shore, letting the gentle waves roll over her toes.

Alex watched her spin slowly in a circle completely entranced by the summer breeze and the waves. Her hair gently blew in the wind. He walked over to her and stood next to her. “Jaeger?” he asked holding out the bottle.

She easily took it and drank a slow sip of it before passing it over to him. He took a sip before holding it in his hand.

“I love Jaeger, it’s so sweet and mmmmm,” she mumbled, taking the bottle from his hand.

Alex laughed before taking the bottle back, taking a quick sip, and then holding out his hand. “May I have this dance, ma’lady?”

“There’s no music, you can’t be that drunk yet,” Emily laughed.

Alex grinned and then began to hum the Rod Stewart song, “Have I Told You Lately,” making Emily giggle. She bowed her head and shook it before looking back up at him and his open arms. She placed one hand on his shoulder and the other in his other hand. He spun them around and sang softly, “Have I told you lately that I love you. Have I told you there’s no one else above you? Fill my heart with gladness, take away all my sadness, ease my troubles, that’s what you do.”

Emily bit her lip trying to hold back a smile as Alex rocked them back and forth. He spun her out gently and pulled her back in a little closer, taking in the intoxicating scent of her perfume. He smiled down at her when he saw the smile spread across her face at the situation. “…There’s a love that’s divine, and it’s yours and it’s mine like the sun…”

Emily rested her head against his chest as the rocked slowly back and forth on the beach. Alex went back to humming as he nestled his head into her hair.

When he finished the song, he kissed her hair and she stepped back with a smile playing on her lips. “That was sweet, Alex,” she said quietly.

Alex took hold of her hands that were clasped together in front of her. He rubbed circles on them before smiling down at her and replying, “I try.” Then he laced his fingers with hers and led her to the blanket lying on the sand.

They watched a group of kids across the dock messing around stupidly as they drank from the bottle, passing it between each other.

“I don’t think we were ever that stupid,” Emily pointed out.

“No way,” Alex shook his head.

“And look at those girls! They’re like twelve!” Emily said shocked as two girls pranced around in mini-miniskirts and tanks. “What is wrong with this generation?”

“Everyone’s going straight to hell basically,” Alex mumbled.

“Mm but as long as we get these benefits down there, I could care less,” she said holding up the bottle.

“As long as you’re there with me, I don’t care,” Alex muttered.

“What was that?” Emily asked lying down.

“Done?” he asked holding the almost empty bottle.

Emily nodded her head and closed her eyes sleepily.

Alex finished off the bottle then looked down at her. He smiled to himself before lying down next to her. She snuggled into his chest and mumbled, “This was nice Alex.”

Alex rubbed his hand gently up and down her arm before replying softly, “Really?”

Emily looked up at him and smiled, “Yeah.” She kissed him on the cheek before laying her head back against his chest.

She could feel his heart rate speed up and thought about that night. He sure did know how to get to her heart.

Alex stared up at the sky and thought to himself how good the night had gone. He was the only one that ever made her smile the way she did. There’s no way he didn’t have a chance.