I See Sparks Fly Whenever You Smile

Brook

"Are you sure it's not incredibly stupid to say yes?" I asked my best friend and roommate Jenn.

She sighed loudly and maybe even a little frustrated. "Really Brook? You're asking me this again?"

I shrugged. "I know. I know. I'm just not sure I'm ready for this yet, yanno? And the last thing I need is to get hurt again."

"B, I know you're really emotionally unstable after everything with Josh, but come on, this guy asked you out for dinner. He didn't ask you to run away with him."

I nodded. "You're right. You're totally right. It's just dinner."

Jenn smiled, satisfied. "Good. Now tell the boy yes."

I smiled, jumping up from the kitchen table and heading towards my bedroom, scrolling through my phone's contacts and connecting a call at Alex.

After we had dropped Sebastian off at the house, Alex made me go to the diner with him for breakfast. It didn't really take much convincing though; that boy is incredibly charming.

We sat in the diner for about two hours talking and laughing about the most random stuff and I couldn't believe that I was actually really enjoying myself. I would have stayed longer and really wanted to but once 4 AM hit, I knew I had to call it a night because I had work at 8 AM.

When I dropped him off, I reminded Alex to keep in touch to let me know how Baz was doing. He went into the house and I barely made it off his block before Alex was calling me and I frantically answered thinking he'd walked inside and found the dog dead somewhere.

Thankfully, he quickly said he was calling because he thought I still owed him and should let him take me to dinner the following night.

I thought it was a really sweet gesture but of course I started to freak myself out and I told him I would have to see what my family was doing - since I had so many visiting for the holidays.

Deep down I knew I was just buying time because I just wasn't sure I was ready to go through with it.

I was a little nervous as the phone call connected and my nerves continued to grow after the fifth and sixth ring and by the seventh ring and being greeted with a very sleepy "hello," it dawned on me that it was only 7 AM.

"Alex. Hi," I said quickly, feeling like an idiot.

"Brook?" he asked, yawning.

"Yeah. I'm sorry for calling you so early. I kind of forget not everyone needs to be awake as early as me."

"It's okay," he said, trying to sound like he was perking up. "I was waking up soon anyway."

"You're lying but I appreciate the gesture."

"So, what's up? Did you call me at the ass crack of dawn to wake me up and call me a liar?"

"No," I giggled a little. "I uh- spoke with my mom. I'm free tonight if you uh- still think I owe you dinner?"

"Oh," he said and this time he really did sound like he was perking up and I smiled. "Well, I mean, I guess I planned on eating dinner tonight. I guess I could use the company."

"Jerk," I rolled my eyes. "You don't sound so convincing."

"Brook?"

"Yes, Alex?"

"Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?"

I smiled again. "Okay. But only because I owe you."

He laughed. "I'll take when I can get. What time is good for you?"

"I have a meeting this afternoon but I should be home by five. So, I should be ready to go by seven."

"Seven sounds perfect. I'll pick you up then."

"Okay. You're totally going back to bed now, huh?"

He laughed. "Maybe for a little while. I was out until four this morning."

"Well, some of us don't have that luxury. I'm running on about three and a half hours of sleep right now."

"I'm sorry," he said. "But it's not my fault that you almost ran my dog over and had to eat breakfast with me at 2AM to make up for it."
"That's not funny. How is Baz doing this morning?"

"He's doing fine. He's actually glaring at me right now. He probably doesn't understand why I'm awake and he hasn't had breakfast yet."

"Aww, poor puppy. I will let you go then," I said gathering my own stuff together to start heading out to work.

"That's okay. I can multi-task," he said and it sounded like he was moving from his bed.

"No, really. It's okay. I have to go to work now anyway."

"Aww, okay. Well then I'll see you later. Just don't forget to text me your address so I know where to get you later."

"Okay. I will," I said, a goofy smile taking over my face.

"Have a good day, Brook."

"I'll try. You too, Alex."

"Bye, Brook!"

"Goodbye, Alex," I said before disconnecting the call.

Alex

"So, let me get this straight," Rian said, twisting the cap off the bottle of beer he just pulled from the fridge. "Baz got out of the yard. She found him in the street and though she hit him. You spend the night in the Vet and then you asked her out?"

I shrugged. "In a nutshell? Yeah. That's exactly what happened. I don't get it either really, Rian. But there is something really different about this girl."

"Yeah. Probably the fact that you've known her less than 24 hours and you haven't banged her yet."

"Shut up, Rian. It's not like that. I haven't even thought of her like that."

"Sure you haven't," Rian rolled his eyes. "Hey, so what about Lina?"

"What about her?" I asked suddenly feeling very annoyed with where this conversation was going.

"Well, just the fact that she's been your on again and off again girlfriend since high school and last I heard you were back on again."

I rolled my eyes. "You couldn't be more wrong, Rian. She decided before she left on that business trip that we should probably be off again."

"And then you'll get back together as soon as she's back in town," Rian decided.

"I don't think so, Rian. How many times can we keep doing this before one of us has the balls to end it completely?"

"Well, we all kind of thought that last time was finally it. But maybe this Brook girl is the answer to all our prayers."

I shrugged, feeling my phone vibrate in my pocket. I tried to answer Rian, but I got distracted when I saw Brook had texted me that she was home from work.

Rian smirked, realizing who had texted me. "Looks like she is," he teased.

"Okay. Don't you have unpacking to do?" I asked, gesturing towards the suitcases lined up by the front door. He had just come back from visiting his girlfriend Cassadee in Los Angeles.

"Yeah. I'll leave you and your new girlfriend alone," he said, finishing off his beer and dragging his luggage to his room.

I grumbled to myself how Brook wasn't my girlfriend. I figured it wasn't worth saying it loud enough for Rian to hear because he'd just find a way to prove me wrong.

I tried to forget everything Rian and I just talked about in order to not psych myself out before my date with Brook tonight.

I had a really good time with her at the diner but because it was already so late our time was cut short. I felt like there was so much about her I didn't get to know yet. And I really wanted to. So, I asked her out again.

I know I never had the best track record when it came to girls and the way I treated them. But mostly blame that on being so young when this whole band thing started and not really being mature enough to handle all the female attention.

I've read and heard of plenty of internet rumors that chock me up to being this sleazy, womanizing jerk who had a different girlfriend in practically every city. And while yes, I'd definitely had my share of hookups that I wasn't proud of, I also wasn't the gigantic man-whore the internet made me out to be. I cared about each girl I was ever involved with - at least on some level.

Yeah, there had been one girl I considered my girlfriend on and off since high school and yeah, I wasn't always faithful to her. But she wasn't always faithful to me either. And sure, there may have been an older woman I was involved with and she may have been sort of married but there was so much more to all these issues that have sort of molded me into the guy I am today.

And today I am a guy about to go on a date with a really great, really normal girl and I was genuinely excited about it.

It didn't strike me that I was also really nervous about it until it was too late and I had pulled up in front of Brook's house. She lived in the upstairs apartment in one of those two-family houses.

I texted her that I was here and quickly jumped out of the car and headed towards the side of the house where her entrance inside was.

Just as I had lifted my hand to knock on the screen, the door flung open and Brook jumped when she saw me.

"Holy crap, Alex. I didn't expect to see you standing there," she said trying to catch her breath as she stepped outside, her fluffy winter coat and purse hanging off her arm.

I stared at her for a second as I took in her appearance. She was wearing this simple black dress with bright pink high heels. She wore a little makeup, which I really liked. Most girls today pile the stuff on their face and end up looking like a drag queen or a clown. Or in some cases a mixture of both.

In short, Brook looked beautiful and it was my turn to try and catch my breath now.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," I said lamely. "But I also didn't want to be the asshole that didn't meet you at your door."

She smiled. "You're forgiven," she assured me, quickly slipping on her coat.

"Good," I smiled. "Oh," I said passing her the small bouquet of flowers I'd stopped to pick up for her on my way over. "For you."

"Oh, Alex, they're beautiful," she practically beamed. "Thank you so much," she said, giving me a quick hug and kissing my cheek.

"You're welcome."

"Let me go run back upstairs real quick and put these in water. I'll be right down."

All I could do is nod as she struggled with her key to get the door unlocked before she disappeared inside and I bounced around on my heels in an attempt to warm up.

"Oh my gosh," she gasped when she stepped back outside. "Who's the asshole now? That was incredibly rude of me to keep you waiting out here in the cold. I'm so sorry."

I shook my head. "Not a problem at all. I wouldn't worry about it."

"Okay," she smiled.

"You ready to go?" I asked.

She nodded. "Lead the way."

I smiled as we started heading back out towards the street. I gently rested my hand on the small of her back as I led her in the right direction of my car.