Like Fire & Gasoline

Bridgette paced around her bedroom, her cyan eyes continuously flicking to the digital clock on her nightstand. The red numbers blinked 6:21, and she had precisely thirty-nine minutes and some seconds until her date with James. She had no idea why her stomach felt like it was somersaulting. She should want to puke; she loathed the guy, didn’t she?

She shook her head; her wheat colored ringlets flying with the motion. She ran her hands through them, turning to her closet. She had absolutely no idea where they were going, which meant no idea of what to wear. Her hands grazed the fabrics, a sigh gushing from her lips. She finally pulled out a navy sundress, then slipped on some white flats. With a final look in the mirror, she nodded before heading to tame her hair and fix her makeup.

She managed to put on some light brown eye shadow, and apply her black eyeliner without any severe damage to her cornea. She carefully applied her favorite cotton candy lip-gloss, smacking her lips together when she finished. With a stroke of blush and a sweep of mascara, she was done. Her curls weren’t terribly out of control, so she settled with clipping her bangs out of her face with a silver barrette. Just as she was searching for her purse, the doorbell alerted her of his arrival.

“Sweetheart, the victim, I mean date, is here,” her father called, and she cringed, flying down the carpeted stairs as quickly as possible.

“Lucas, be nice,” her mother chastised, opening the door slowly. “Hello, you must James. I’m Adele, and this is my husband Luke.” Her voice was warm as she brushed a golden lock away from her face.

“It’s nice to meet you,” James said nervously, shaking her hand. The moment he turned to Lucas, he felt himself gulp when met by the icy glare. Bridgette turned into the foyer, wrapping an arm around her father.

“Daddy, play nice,’ she whispered, kissing his stubble filled cheek lightly. He just continued to glare suspiciously with his cerulean eyes.

“Wow, you look amazing,” James whispered, his hazel eyes soaking her in. She felt her cheeks turn crimson, looking down at the carpet.

“Watch it,” Lucas growled, earning him a playful smack from Adele.

“It’s okay Dad, I promise,” Bridgette mumbled, giving him a hug goodbye before kissing her mom’s cheek.

“Home by ten,” Lucas said sternly, and James nodded, his face a bit pale. The sight of it made Bridgette’s glossy lips twitch up just a bit.

“Have fun, kids,” Adele said softly, wrapping her arm around her husband’s waist. They called final a final goodbye before embarking through the oak door. For the first time, Bridgette really looked at James.

“You clean up nice,” she said lightly, trying not to inflate his already ballooning ego. It was true though. His black button-up had the sleeves rolled up a bit, and his jeans were dark wash and in perfect condition. His hair was perfect, but then again, it always was.

“Thanks,” he whispered, opening the door for her. She raised an eyebrow in his direction, but complied and got in. She watched him curiously as he walked around to the other side, buckling himself in. The radio hummed some overplayed song, and there was silence between the two as he pulled on to the main road.

“So, where are we going?” Bridgette asked, clearing her throat a bit. James glanced at her, then returned his eyes to the road. She swore she saw him grin a bit though.

“To a place.” Bridgette rolled her eyes, which caused James to chuckle.

“That wasn’t vague at all,” she grumbled just loud enough for him to notice. James pretended not to hear, and the ride continued on in silence. She watched the buildings pass, and eventually, the gleaming silver convertible came to a stop.

“We’re here,” he said after a moment, the click of his seatbelt releasing filling the air.

“Where’s here?” she inquired, following suit. It looked to her like a warehouse. She watched James, who smiled, holding his arm out for her as they walked to the front of the car. She hesitated, just staring at it for a moment.

“It’s an arm, not an engagement ring. Just being polite,” he teased, and she took his arm sheepishly. The sun had set, and the air was beginning to cool off. As they entered the metal door, Bridgette looked around. There were multiple walls cutting the room into multiple squares. Each one embodied a different place.

“Where are we?” she asked again.

“This is a set. But we’re not on set tonight,” he said mysteriously, and she stopped in her tracks.

“Can you ever just answer a question?”

“Oh, it’s more fun this way.” They locked eyes in a stare down for a few moments before curiosity got the best of Bridgette, and she started walking towards him again. She gasped when he finally came to a halt. There was a round table in the middle, and the backdrop was a beautiful outdoor scene, complete with stars and silhouettes of plants.

“What is this?” she murmured, looking around to make sure it was real. A pretty stain glass light hung above the small mahogany table, illuminating the room in an orange-y tint. James pulled out one of the intricately carved chairs for Bridgette, and she sat lightly, her eyes following him as he pulled out two plates, set them on the table, then did the same with glasses. Finally, he sat across from her, and she took a sip of her water.

“Do you like it?” For the first time since she’d met him, James seemed unsure of himself. His eyes were cast downward, but occasionally they would flicker to her awed expression through his thick russet lashes.

“It’s amazing,” she whispered truthfully, and he let a contagious smile dance across his tanned features. They began to eat in silence, stealing glances at each other. Finally, James set his fork down, his eyes fixated on the blond.

“Can I tell you something, honestly?” he asked, tapping his fingers against the white lace place mat. Bridgette pursed her lips, wondering what he could mean. As per usual, curiosity took hold.

“Sure. Go for it,” she said, motioning with her silver, four-pronged fork.

“Your father terrifies me.” Bridgette couldn’t help the stream of giggles that rolled off of her lips, and James just watched her.

“I’m sorry, it’s not funny. I’m sorry about that, he’s a bit… intense.”

“That’s the understatement of the year. I thought I wasn’t going to walk out of there alive.” Bridgette smirked, trying to hold back the laughter.

“He’s a bit overprotective. He just cares, you know?” She ducked her head, taking a bite of the salad. James nodded slowly, pushing the leafy vegetables around his own china plate.

“Tell me more about your family,” he prodded gently, and she smiled at him, not knowing whether or not he was serious. When she decided he was, she searched for a place to start.

“Okay, well, my parents got married when they were nineteen. They were madly in love, and eloped because their parents disapproved. They had me two years later, and lived happily ever after since. My mom stayed home, my dad owns a hardware store. I love them so much for everything they’ve given me. Mostly, I can’t wait to find my own love story like theirs.”

“Have you?” Bridgette’s eyes fluttered away, and she felt the heat rushing to her ivory cheeks. She never talked about herself this often, or about anything so personal.

“No. Not even close,” she admitted finally, raising her eyes as she awaited the next question.

“Why not? I mean, you must have guys tripping to get to you.” James looked honestly baffled, and Bridgette was flattered and embarrassed all at the same time. She let out a tiny snort, dismissing his assumptions.

“Well, first off, Dad does a good job of scaring guys away. I’ve been on dates here and there, but never anything more than that.”

“Well, how come, if you don’t mind me asking?” Usually, Bridgette would be beyond annoyed. She had been annoyed enough to have to go on a date with James. But something about him seemed completely sincere, something she hadn’t seen the first few times she met him.

“Well, I guess I keep people at arms length. And they let me, so I assume they just aren’t worth my time anyway.” James pondered this a moment, gnawing on the inside of his cheek.

“Not many people would own up to that,” he said after awhile, and Bridgette shrugged.

“I’m not most people. I call everyone else out, it’s only fair I do it to myself as well.”

Bridgette Thomas was most definitely not like anyone James had met. He felt his heart pounding in his toned chest, but couldn’t bring himself to look away from her captivating blue eyes. It remained like that most of the night, and finally, they found themselves in her driveway. For once, James didn’t know what to do. He wanted more than anything to kiss her, but didn’t want to mess this up.

“We should do this again,” he said quietly, glancing at her through his eyelashes, afraid of her reaction. Being rejected once by her was almost more than he could take.

“It was nice. Thank you for this. I’ll call you sometime,” she said sweetly, giving him a crooked smile as she exited his car and made her way to the suburban house. His heart caught in his throat as she turned back at him, her hand on the brass knob, and waved. He felt something inside tugging at his heart, and he knew he was already in trouble.