Under A Paper Moon

Genevieve’s POV:

“So uhh, there’s something I wanted to ask you” Jack says, the two of us are sitting together in the kitchen and he has just made me a cup of hot chocolate, and FYI….Jack can make a mean hot chocolate! This stuff is delicious!
“Oh yeah? What’s that?” I ask him.
“Well, uhmm I wanted to ask you a question” he says.
“Shoot, I’ll try and answer it as well as I can” I say smiling at him, but I am feeling a little bit nervous…what’s he gonna ask me that requires him to ask me if he can ask me? One thing you ought to know about me, sometimes my thoughts are kinda jumbled, crazy and hard to follow. I take a deep breath and focus on Jack so I can actually hear what he wants to ask me.
“Genevieve, will you go on a date with me?” he asks.
Did I just hear that right, or are my ears playing mean tricks on me? Did Jack Barakat just ask me Genevieve Carly Kaos to go on a date with him? Surely I must be hearing things, why would Jack want to go out with me? He could have pretty much any girl he wanted, why on earth would he want to me? I’m nothing special, I’m just a girl who works at Dillard’s doing other peoples make-up. I live in a small house, on a small street, I have lived in the same state my whole life and have never been out of the U.S. Jack’s been all over the world, seen things I’ve only read about. I suddenly come to the realization that I’m just staring blankly back at him and haven’t given him an answer, and simultaneously realize that I have somehow forgotten how to speak.
Jack looks at me expectantly, obviously waiting for an answer to his question. “Gen?” he prompts.
“Uhmmm” I manage to get out, wow Gene, that’s just great! Here’s a sweet, funny, friendly, sexy guy who you like, and he’s just asked you to go out with him and all you can come up with is ‘umm’ what is wrong with you! the little voice in my head is telling me. I ignore it and take a deep breath willing myself to give Jack a proper answer. “Jack I….”
“Hey it’s ok you can say no. I’m being totally out of order to even ask you that.. I mean we’ve only known each other for a few weeks, we barely know each other” he says smiling at me. But I can tell that the smile is forced and that he’s trying to hide…embarrassment? Frustration? Anger? I don’t know probably all of them. Damn it! I couldn’t stand it if I’ve upset him.“I just gotta go and umm talk to Zack about somethihg” he says standing up “I’ll be back in a bit” he adds and leaves the room without another word.

“Ugh” I groan “I wish I could just disappear” I say to the clock on the wall.
“Why would you want to do that?” Ava’s voice asks and she walks into the kitchen and sits down beside me at the table.
“Cause I’m a colossal fuck up” I reply.
“Where’s Jack? I thought you two were hanging out” she asks.
“We were, but he’s gone off somewhere I don’t know where” I respond.
“Why’d he leave? He should be keeping you company!” she says.
“He asked me to go on a date with him” I say.
“Aww he did! Its about time!” she says. “Where’s he taking you?”
“Nowhere.” I say.
“But you just said…wait what? You’re not going out?”
“No! because I wasn’t expecting him to ask me out, and so I like froze and didn’t say anything and then when I finally got my fucking mouth to work all I could say was ‘ummm’ and then he said he was out of order and that he shouldn’t have asked me and he left” I explain.
“You do want to go out with him though right?” she asks.
“Hell yes! Girl I’ve had a crush on Jack for the last year and since meeting him and getting to know him a little bit that crush has only become more apparent, he’s everything I look for in a guy and more. He’s sweet, friendly, funny, and a gentleman. Not like some guys who think they’re Gods gift to women and that we should all just beg them to fuck us.” I say. “I don’t know why I didn’t just tell him yes right away, I wanted to, but I couldn’t get the word out and now he hates me”
“He doesn’t hate you!” she says.
“Yeah he does! You should have seen his face when he left the room Ava, he was so upset, it was horrible I really hurt him” i say shaking my head in disgust at myself.
“Come on, we’re going to go and find him, then you two can talk and you can tell him you’ll go out with him and everything will be how it should be” she says.
“He’s not gonna want to go out with me now! Not after the way I acted before” I say.
“Oh trust me Gene, he’s still gonna wanna go out with you! Come lets go talk to him so I can be proven right” she says standing up and tugging at my arm trying to pull me up also.
“Ugh fine! But I don’t know where the hell he is” I say standing up.
“It’s fine, I know where he’ll be.” she says and starts leading me out of the kitchen and down the passage, she comes to a hault in front of a door and knocks “Jacky? Are you in there?” she asks.
“Yeah Ava I’m in here” he replies and his voice sounds so flat and un-like Jack that it breaks my heart.
“I have a visitor for you” she says. “can I come in?” she asks.
“Sure” he says in the same flat tone and she opens the door and ushers me inside.
“Gene wanted to tell you something” she says and back out of the room slowly pulling the door shut behind her.
“Oh hey Gen, I’m sorry about earlier, I shouldn’t have sprung that on you” he says giving me a small smile.
“You don’t need to apologise. I’m the one who should be apologising not you” I say.
“How’s that? I’m the one who put you on the spot. I had no right to do that” he says.
“Ask me again” I say.
“What?” he asks.
“That question you asked me before….ask me again” I repeat.
“What do you mean?” he asks.
“That thing you asked me in the kitchen” I say.
“Will you go on a date with me? That question?” he asks.
“Yeah that one…and yes I will go out with you Jack Barakat” I say.
“Are you sure? I mean really sure? You don’t have to if you don’t want to, we’re not gonna un-hire you if you say no, so don’t feel like obligated to say yes just because you’re working for us or anything because that’s totally not the way it is, we didn’t hire you because i….”
“Jack! stop!” I say cutting him off. “I’m saying yes because I want to not because I think I have to” I add.
“Really? You mean you really want to go out with me?” he asks a genuine smile creeping onto his face.
“Yes Jack-jack I really want to go out with you” I say nervously.
“Yay!” he says jumping up from his seat and kissing my cheek before quickly pulling away “I’m sorry I shouldn’t have done that” he says.
“You’ve got nothing to be sorry for Jack-jack” I say closing the gab between us and wrapping my arms around him in a hug. “Sorry for not saying yes the first time you asked” I whisper.
“It’s ok” he responds hugging me back “You said yes, nothing else matters”
“Thanks Jack” I say pulling away from him slightly and looking up into his eyes “you’re so sweet” I add pressing quick kiss to his lips.