Kinetic Energy
"Thanks, I guess?"
Sun struck the sidewalk, reaching up to Perrie’s cheeks and causing a small bit of sweat to form at the edge of her eyes. She wiped it away, while letting out a sigh, as she made her way towards the train. She hated taking the train home from work, but it was cheaper than paying for gas and traffic at this time of day was almost unbearable.
When Perrie hopped onto the train, she took the closest seat, just thankful that there was an opening. She had just pulled her book out of her purse when a figure slipped into the seat beside her, knee rubbing against hers. She looked up for a brief moment to see who she’d get to spend the next half hour next to and was met with the familiar brown eyes of the man she knew only as Dylan.
“Fancy seeing you here,” he said, beaming his perfect smile at her.
Perrie couldn’t help but chuckle because it was just so strange to be seeing him again. If she didn’t know any better, she’d say that he was following her around and trying to get top secret information on her.
“Fancy,” she replied, shooting him a similar smile before returning her attention to her book. Her cheeks were bright red – she knew that – and she hoped that the hair falling in her face masked that from Dylan, because she couldn’t take anymore embarrassment.
“You always take the train home?” he asked, leaning back in his seat with his arms behind his head.
She looked up at him briefly, nodding her head, then turned her attention away from him so he couldn’t see her cheeks. He was smiling next to her, a wicked grin on his face, as he pointed to the book on her lap.
“What’cha reading?”
Perrie looked over at him, a smile on her face. “Just a book.”
Dylan chuckled at that, his grin turning into a smirk. “Feeling a little sarcastic, are we?”
Perrie simply shrugged before looking back down and flipping the page in her book. Next to her, Dylan was smiling, because he thought her version of being a chase was simply refreshing. There was something about her, outside of the bet, that made him want to keep prodding for more.
“I’m Dylan,” he said, reaching his hand over and wrapping it around hers.
She shook his hand and replied, “Perrie.”
“Perrie,” he smiled, dropping her hand. “That’s a beautiful name.”
She smiled back, her teeth nibbling gently at her bottom lip. “Thank you.”
She forced herself to look away, because his eyes were just a little too perfect for her to handle. Every second she looked at them, she could feel her stomach slipping further into her chest, and knew that her butterflies were flapping their wings mercifully.
“You’re cute when you blush,” Dylan said simply, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. That only made Perrie’s cheeks even redder, and she wished that she could throw a bag over her head so he couldn’t see. Her hair only just barely hid her cheeks from him.
“Thanks, I guess?”
Dylan gave a small laugh, leaning forward just a little. “You’re welcome.”
There was a long pause as the train let off several passengers, with just one stop to go until Perrie would be getting off. She still couldn’t decide if it was a good thing or a bad thing, because some part of her wanted to be around Dylan, but she was too embarrassed to think that anything about that was a good idea.
“Well, the next stop’s mine,” Perrie said, feeling for some reason like it needed to be said.
“Really? We should swap seats then.”
“That’s alright,” Perrie said, shaking her head and stopping him from standing up. “I can just slip over you when the train stops.”
Dylan nodded, sitting more comfortably in his seat for the small time before Perrie would be leaving. He knew he had to do something then, because there was no way he could plan another “chance” meeting without her beginning to get suspicious.
“Perrie,” he said, his voice causing her to look up from her book and over at him. “What are you doing on Friday night?”
She bit her lip, certain that no amount of cover up could mask the bright shade of her cheeks. She blinked her eyes a few times before shrugging her shoulders. “Probably just sitting at home.”
Immediately, she wanted to slap herself for making it sound like she was the most boring person on the planet. Who sits at home alone on a Friday night? Now she was not only as red as a tomato, but she was also friendless and alone. Nothing short of a winner.
Dylan just smiled at her, his perfect eyes looking right into hers. “Do you want to go to dinner with me? I know this really great place that just opened up.”
Perrie paused for a moment, taking a deep breath to stop herself from squealing. She couldn’t believe one of the most handsome men she had seen in a long time was asking her out to dinner, despite the fact that she’d made a complete fool out of herself.
“I would love to.”
When Perrie hopped onto the train, she took the closest seat, just thankful that there was an opening. She had just pulled her book out of her purse when a figure slipped into the seat beside her, knee rubbing against hers. She looked up for a brief moment to see who she’d get to spend the next half hour next to and was met with the familiar brown eyes of the man she knew only as Dylan.
“Fancy seeing you here,” he said, beaming his perfect smile at her.
Perrie couldn’t help but chuckle because it was just so strange to be seeing him again. If she didn’t know any better, she’d say that he was following her around and trying to get top secret information on her.
“Fancy,” she replied, shooting him a similar smile before returning her attention to her book. Her cheeks were bright red – she knew that – and she hoped that the hair falling in her face masked that from Dylan, because she couldn’t take anymore embarrassment.
“You always take the train home?” he asked, leaning back in his seat with his arms behind his head.
She looked up at him briefly, nodding her head, then turned her attention away from him so he couldn’t see her cheeks. He was smiling next to her, a wicked grin on his face, as he pointed to the book on her lap.
“What’cha reading?”
Perrie looked over at him, a smile on her face. “Just a book.”
Dylan chuckled at that, his grin turning into a smirk. “Feeling a little sarcastic, are we?”
Perrie simply shrugged before looking back down and flipping the page in her book. Next to her, Dylan was smiling, because he thought her version of being a chase was simply refreshing. There was something about her, outside of the bet, that made him want to keep prodding for more.
“I’m Dylan,” he said, reaching his hand over and wrapping it around hers.
She shook his hand and replied, “Perrie.”
“Perrie,” he smiled, dropping her hand. “That’s a beautiful name.”
She smiled back, her teeth nibbling gently at her bottom lip. “Thank you.”
She forced herself to look away, because his eyes were just a little too perfect for her to handle. Every second she looked at them, she could feel her stomach slipping further into her chest, and knew that her butterflies were flapping their wings mercifully.
“You’re cute when you blush,” Dylan said simply, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. That only made Perrie’s cheeks even redder, and she wished that she could throw a bag over her head so he couldn’t see. Her hair only just barely hid her cheeks from him.
“Thanks, I guess?”
Dylan gave a small laugh, leaning forward just a little. “You’re welcome.”
There was a long pause as the train let off several passengers, with just one stop to go until Perrie would be getting off. She still couldn’t decide if it was a good thing or a bad thing, because some part of her wanted to be around Dylan, but she was too embarrassed to think that anything about that was a good idea.
“Well, the next stop’s mine,” Perrie said, feeling for some reason like it needed to be said.
“Really? We should swap seats then.”
“That’s alright,” Perrie said, shaking her head and stopping him from standing up. “I can just slip over you when the train stops.”
Dylan nodded, sitting more comfortably in his seat for the small time before Perrie would be leaving. He knew he had to do something then, because there was no way he could plan another “chance” meeting without her beginning to get suspicious.
“Perrie,” he said, his voice causing her to look up from her book and over at him. “What are you doing on Friday night?”
She bit her lip, certain that no amount of cover up could mask the bright shade of her cheeks. She blinked her eyes a few times before shrugging her shoulders. “Probably just sitting at home.”
Immediately, she wanted to slap herself for making it sound like she was the most boring person on the planet. Who sits at home alone on a Friday night? Now she was not only as red as a tomato, but she was also friendless and alone. Nothing short of a winner.
Dylan just smiled at her, his perfect eyes looking right into hers. “Do you want to go to dinner with me? I know this really great place that just opened up.”
Perrie paused for a moment, taking a deep breath to stop herself from squealing. She couldn’t believe one of the most handsome men she had seen in a long time was asking her out to dinner, despite the fact that she’d made a complete fool out of herself.
“I would love to.”