Thou Shalt Not

Crystal and I were shopping later that afternoon while Tom napped for a little while back at the hotel. We were currently browsing through jeans when my phone vibrated in my pocket. Without thinking anything of it, I ripped it from my jeans and unlocked the screen. I had a text from an unfamiliar number and my heart sunk when I realized who it was. "Crystal," I said calmly as I opened the text message. "Hmm?" Crystal asked as she continued browsing through the jeans, throwing yet another pair over her arm.

I read the text message:

#: Hey it's Colin. Would you want to maybe grab dinner tonight?

"Crystal," I called again, rereading the text over again. "What?" Crystal asked as she finally walked over to me. I held the phone up to her face and once she read it, she smiled from cheek-to-cheek. "Answer him." Crystal smiled and went back to browsing the racks. My fingers slid across the screen several times before I finally answered him.

Me: Yes, I would. =]

Was a smiley face too much? Well, if it were, it was too late now. His reply was quick: Where would you like to go? I smiled at his question. "He asked me where would I like to go." I told Crystal as I thought of my answer. "What did you tell him?" Crystal asked as she turned to look at me. "I haven't told him anything yet. I don't know what to say." I said. "No one has ever asked me where I would like to go, Crystal." I added. Crystal frowned but then she smiled. "Then tell him where you'd like to go. If you want a steak, tell him. If you-" I cut Crystal off. "I don't like steak." I scrunched my nose up in disgust. "Okay, then, an expensive salad-" Crystal said. "Crystal," I protested.

I almost didn't like that he asked me where I wanted to go for dinner. I didn't want to seem out for his money if I had wanted a steak but what would it say about me if I said somewhere cheap? "Money aside, he asked you what you want. This is your first official date. Don't make it awkward and then be uncomfortable in a tight dress to boot." Crystal said and I nodded my head. I texted him back before I lost my nerve: Burgers are fine with me if you're cool with that. I walked over to the rack Crystal had just finished with. "Crystal, what the fuck am I doing?" I asked out loud.

Crystal smiled before she answered, "Thinking too much is what it sounds like," Crystal said. "How long are you going to keep fighting with yourself about this?" Crystal asked. "Until I'm officially free of Gunner." I scoffed."You know what I'm going to say..." Crystal trailed off. "I know! I know it's what you, Tom and everyone else would say." I sighed. "Just stop thinking about it, Lacie. You're not happy with Gunner and I'm sorry but my best friend deserves to have a better life than what Gunner could ever give you. You know what's in your future with him? Prison visits and maybe a funeral. I've kept my mouth shut and not had him taken care of but I'm starting to rethink things." Crystal said.

"You can't kill him." I whispered. Crystal chuckled, "I could but that wasn't what I meant." I let out a deep breath and my phone vibrated in my hand. I know a good burger joint. Pick you up at 6:30? I glanced at the clock on my phone. It was a little after four now. Text me the address and I'll meet you there. I'm shopping with Crystal and I'll have to drop her off back at the hotel. "Now, let's get you an outfit." Crystal smiled.

"Are you sure I look fine? Jesus. I'm nervous." I said as I stepped out of the bathroom. I got a whistle of appreciating from Crystal who sat on the large bed going through today's purchases. "You look great!" Crystal smiled. "And don't be nervous. Just be yourself." Crystal said. "That's what I'm worried about." I scoffed and walked over to the center of the room to grab my booties I bought during our shopping excursion.

"You've apparently done something right since he's asked you out again." Crystal pointed out. "He, technically, asked us all out." I said. "Well now he's asked you out by yourself. Stop worrying." Crystal shrugged and clipped a tag off her new cardigan.

Tom, who was reclined back on the bed with the television remote in his hand, let out a huff. Both myself and Crystal looked at him and said, "What?" Tom sighed, "I don't like this. We don't know this guy and we are just sending her out with looking all sexy looking." I rolled my eyes. "It's jeans and a shirt." I scoffed. "They're tight." Tom countered.

Crystal laughed out loud before speaking, "Shut up. She should go out. She's not married and she looks hot. I hope she gets laid." Tom mad a disgusted face, "Please. I don't want to think about that." I laughed out loud. "God, Crys. You think about sex more than a man and let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. It's burgers and I don't fuck on the first date." I smiled, slipping on my shoes. Tom let out a painful sound at my choice of words. I liked getting a rise out of him.

"Okay," I said as I looked at the time on my phone. It was time for me to leave. The place I was meeting Colin at was about a fifteen minute drive from the hotel and I didn't want to be late. "I've got to go." I grabbed my bag and pulled on my coat. "I'll walk you out." Crystal said and hopped off the bed. "Have fun." Tom called, no longer interested.

Crystal shut the door behind her once we were out in th ehall. "Do you have condoms?" Crystal asked quietly. "Crys, I'm not going to have sex tonight." I rolled my eyes. "Sometimes it happens when you don't expect it to." Crystal said carefully. "I've got to go." I said and pointed towards the elevator. "Okay but be careful. Call if you need me and remember to just be yourself." Crystal smiled. I nodded and took off for the elevator, my nerves about to jump out from underneath my skin.

Once the taxi pulled up in front of the restaurant, I spotted Colin immediately and my stomach rolled. God, I was much more nervous now that I was here. I paid the cabbie before I stepped out of the cab, careful of any slick spots while wearing these new heeledbooties. Just because it was cold, snowy and slushy didn't mean I was going to give up my heels.

Colin met me at the door, his cheeks a subtle pink from the cold. "You didn't have to wait out in the cold for me." I smiled as he held the door to the restaurant open and motioned me in. He looked handsome in his dark washed jeans and black pea coat. His dark hair slightly wind blown. "It's not big deal. I wasn't out here long. I scored us a booth in the back and away from the crowd a little. I'm hoping we won't be interrupted too much." He smiled, his words coming with ease like he wasn't even nervous and hell, maybe he wasn't.

He led us to a back booth in the already crowded restaurant, his hand scorching through the back of my coat to my skin. He waited until I slid into the booth before he took the seat across from me. "I take it you get recognized a lot?" I started the conversation, mentally cringing at how shaken my voice sounded. "Ah," He smiled as he shrugged off his coat. "Sometimes. It's not so bad. Everyone is always so friendly, they just want to say hello. Some want a picture but it's usually going on and coming off set." He said, keeping eye contact with me. My leg trembled underneath the table and I slyly put my hand on top of my leg to cease the shake.

"You planning on leaving soon?" He chuckled, relaxing back further into the booth. "No, why?" I laughed and realized that my nervous tick may be laughing when things weren't really funny. I hadn't ever been aware of this until now. "Your coat is still on." He said amused. "Oh, shit." I said and pulled my coat off, struggling with pulling one arm out. When I finally was free and stuffed my coat behind me, I was close to being out of breath. Be myself, huh? So far I was doing just that - being my clumsy, goofy self.

"Do I make you nervous, Lacie?" Colin asked, his voice something animated and sexy at the same time. ANd the way he said my name - God. It was enough to melt the panties right off of me. I didn't even know what to say. Hell, I was falling apart and we hadn't even been here ten minutes!

"Um," I started. "If I'm being honest, yes, I'm a little nervous but I don't know if it's you or what were doing." I confessed, my cheeks burning to the point I wanted to cool them down with a cool rag. "It's just dinner." He smiled something contagious and beautiful. "Yeah, just dinner." I repeated. Was this all it wasn't? Nothing more? I had to be reading into that comment too much. "If you're this nervous now, just imagine how nervous you'll be later." He chuckled. "What's later?" I asked, completely oblivious to the innuendo he was dropping.

"I don't know. I guess we'll find out eventually, won't we?" He smiled with a wink and a waitress appeared at the booth to take our orders.