The More Boys I Meet

I sat wide eyed and trying not to breathe too loudly as he drove, humming along to the music and tapping on the steering wheel.

I had no idea what to do. Should I speak?

“So,” he started first and I mentally sighed with relief.

And he stopped and looked at me expectantly. He was expecting me to talk?! What the hell was I supposed to say?

He laughed, pulling into a parking space and turned to me. “Ellie. Can you please not look like I abducted you? You look terrified. Just relax. I mean you have known me a little longer than first date material,” he reminded me getting out the car.

I had just unbuckled my seatbelt and was reaching for the door handle when it opened for me. I stared at it and then the man who opened it for me.

He grinned. “Now you look like you just dropped down on planet Earth. Come on,” he offered me his arm and I took it.

The restaurant was fancy. Like wow too fancy for me holy shit I was a low class peasant compared to these people kind of place.

The hostess seated us and I just tried to be a small person and not exist except that was kind of hard when my date was staring at me.

“Do you speak?” he asked.

I shot him a look. “You know very well that I speak,” I said.

He looked triumphant. “The first seven words of our date. I think I’ll scrapbook them.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Because that’s exactly what we need. A scrapbook of our date.”

The waiter came over to pour us some water, but he startled me so I jumped a little in my seat. Of course that caused him to jump and spill some water on the table.

“So sorry ma’am,” he said and cleaned it up.

“Uh. . . my bad,” was all I could say.

Marcus picked up his menu and I followed suit, just staring at it like it was some foreign language.

“This is not English,” I realized out loud.

“Oh right,” he said. “I could just order for us?” he asked.

I nodded, grateful. Marcus ordered for us and we got to talking about school and the classes I was taking for my last semester and about graduation. It as still slightly awkward. Maybe it was because I felt like I was being watched by every rich and classy person in there.

“I think I’ll go to the restroom,” I decided.

“Okay,” he nodded and pointed to where the restrooms were. I nodded and stood, but the tablecloth must have caught onto the bracelet I was wearing. Because the next thing I know, I stand up and turn to go and I end up on the ground covered in bread, plates, and water. I was beyond horrified.

“Ellie!” Marcus shouted and he helped me up. I stared at the floor, unable to raise my gaze to anyone in the restaurant.

“Can we please leave,” I said quietly, probably too quiet for Marcus to even hear me.

“Yeah sure,” he responded and he walked with me out the door in utter and total shame. “Hey,” he stopped me. “It’s fine.”

I met his eyes. “This is why I don’t do dates.”

And what did he do? He laughed. And then pulled me into a giant hug. “Jesus Ells. You amaze me sometimes. I’m going to take you on a lot of dates. I don’t care if you trip and fall or stare at me with deer eyes and stay silent. You’re still Ellie and that’s what matters.”

I sighed. “Well obviously it’s going to be harder to get rid of you than I thought.”

“There’s the girl I know and love. What do you say we forget about this fancy place and we go grab some ice cream?” he asked, hazel eyes twinkling from the street lamps in the parking lot.

“Can I take off all this jewelry?” I asked, pointing to the dumb bracelet and the earrings.

“Viktor must have dressed you,” he said as I took off the jewelry and dumped it in the glove box.

“And I will yell at him about the bracelet that caused my humiliation. I would say I could never step foot in there, but I highly doubt I could before tonight anyways,” I snorted. “Dumb ass bracelet.”

“Blame the bracelet,” Marcus muttered quietly.

I punched his shoulder, but smiled nonetheless. Apparently all it took for me to feel comfortable on
the date was humiliation. . . and the promise of ice cream. He should have just started with dessert.