A Helping Hand

Indy had been texting with Val for the last 48 hours asking for dating advice. It had been a very long time since Indy had been had been on a proper date and she was freaking out. Her nerves had started nagging her nearly as soon as Zacky had stepped out of her house, and she immediately called Val, needing some help.

Thanks to the help of her new friend, Indy stood in front of her mirror, pulling and adjusting her clothes so she felt more comfortable. She had decided on wearing a lace-detailed black dress with long sleeves, the skirt ending at her knees while the back was exposed, leaving her back piece in full view. She threw on a light cardigan, stopping the slight chill getting through to her while she was outside, and matched the dress with a pair of chunky black heels she owned. She left her hair down, curling it slightly to give it a little more bounce, and finished her look with a light cover of make-up, her eyes kept simple with mascara but her lips painted a gorgeous burgundy. She wanted to be a little different to the ‘studio Indy’ Zacky was used to, so she allowed herself to get dolled up and wear something a little more classy than jeans and a top. She felt good.

Just as she pulled her cardigan on, a knock at the door sounded, and the butterflies that had momentarily ceased took off again in Indy’s stomach. Her dogs went to the door as soon as the knock sounded, abandoning Indy in the bathroom and patiently waited for her to join them at the door. On the way, Indy grabbed her bag with her keys, phone and wallet, and opened the door. Zacky stood on the other side, his intention to dress up as well made Indy speechless for a moment. His usual jeans were replaced with black dress pants, and the band logo tee was instead a black and white checked button down. He had left the top 3 buttons undone letting Indy see the top of his deathbat-style tattoo that spanned his chest and his black hair had been messily styled making Indy ache to run her hands through it. Over the top of his shirt he had put on a black leather jacket, also having taken into account the slight chill. He looked gorgeous!

“You look amazing,” she said as a greeting, unable to help herself. She always thought he looked attractive, but this turned it up a notch.

“You look stunning,” Zacky said at the same time, making Indy blush. He couldn’t believe how lucky he was to get to this point, standing in front of this beautiful woman, about to take her on a date.

“Thanks,” they said, once more in sync. A smile rose on both their faces as Indy looked down, giving the dogs one last final pat on the head before stepping outside to close and lock up.

"You really do look beautiful,” Zacky told her once more as he watched her lock the door. He couldn’t take his eyes off her, the dress hugging her figure before flaring at the waist, her legs elongated by her high heels, and her make-up was making him want to kiss those red lips even more than usual.

“Thanks, Zack. You look great, too,” she told him, trying to fight down the blush that was now gracing her cheeks once again.

The pair walked to Zacky’s car, hopping in and setting off. Indy’s nerves were starting to get the better of her again as she tried to think of any topic of conversation she could. Her mind had gone blank and she was trying desperately to find something to say to fill the slightly awkward silence. Please don’t let this be indicative of the date, she thought.

“Am I allowed to know where we are going?” She asked, finally finding something to say. Zacky had kept quiet about the location, just telling her when he would pick her up and a general dress code idea.

“Nope,” he replied, popping the ‘p’ sound in his answer. “It’s not too far away, so your curiosity will be sated shortly.”

“Oh good! I hate not knowing,” she said, smiling widely. It’s not that she hated surprised, she just hated not knowing for long periods of time. She remembered once when her dad had told her that he had bought her birthday present over a month in advance,she nearly went nuts trying to figure out what it was.

“Impatient, I see,” Zacky chuckled, giving her a quick glance before returning his attention to the road once again.

“Only about some things,” she replied vaguely, giving him a small shrug.

“How mysterious,” he joked.

“I am an enigma,” she added, playing along. She was glad she could still banter with him as if their friendship hadn’t been elevated.

“Well hopefully one day I will get to understand Indy, the Enigma,” he commented, giving her a small smile before pulling into a parking lot and finding a space.

Zacky’s words made Indy’s heart jump. He truly wanted to know her, to understand her. It was both a terrifying and exciting thought, and before she could get lost in it too much longer, Zacky came over to her door and opened it, extending a hand to help her out of the car. She took it, placing her hand in his and rose from her seat. She closed the door, Zacky locking the car with his key fob before leading her to the restaurant while still keeping a grip on her hand. She looked down at their entwined fingers and smiled. Zacky noticed and gave her hand a quick squeeze as they approached the front door.

Ever the gentleman, Zacky opened the door and ushered Indy through before quickly catching up. She had never been treated so well before, no one having had the thought to open her car door, or any door, for that matter. Within seconds they were shown to a small table in the dimly lit restaurant, Zacky pulling out her seat for her, once again making her blush, before sitting at the chair opposite. They were handed menus and left alone to browse the wine list.

“Whoa,” Indy let out quietly before she could stop herself. She looked over the drinks menu, noting the name of a reputable French restaurant scrawled on the top in their calligraphy-style logo. The wines were all French imports, and Indy was sure she would not be able to pronounce any of them. She glanced over at the prices and was once more shocked.

This place was expensive. Not just in the way that a restaurant knew they could charge more because the food was good, but in a pretentious way. Indy looked to Zacky who had also been looking at the menu, noting his wide eyes and the slight panic behind them. Indy couldn’t help but chuckle.

“What?” He asked, his attention moving from the paper in front of him to Indy. He smiled as he watched her hand rise and cover her mouth, the chuckle clearly not meant to have been heard.

“You seem surprised at the menu,” she said, lowering her hand yet still having a wide smile on her face.

“Oh, um, no, not surprised,” he replied, trying to cover up the shock at the prices.

“Really? So you come here often?” She challenged, resting her arms on the table as she leant forward, her own menus all but forgotten.

“Yeah, definitely,” he lied, trying not to look her in the eyes, yet not get caught looking at the cleavage Indy’s current position was showing him.

Indy laughed again, this time not even trying to cover it up. Zacky looked at her, seeing the happiness shining in her eyes as she giggled at him. Her laughter was infectious and he couldn’t help crack a smile.

“Zacky, who told you to come here?” She asked, cutting to the point. He started to deny it, and Indy cut him off swiftly. “Don’t lie to me again, Zacky.”

“How did you know?” He asked her, not giving up his source.

“The panic in your eyes,” she said, once again giggling at the memory of the look on his face. “That does not scream ‘I am a regular’ to me.”

“Ok, you caught me. I just wanted to take you somewhere nice,” he said, shyly scratching the back of his neck and looking down at the table.

“Come on,” she said, making him look at her. She was no longer in her seat, but standing by his side, holding her free hand out, the other clutching her bag.

“What are you doing?” He asked, raising an eyebrow at her. He noticed their waiter staring at them. He had been on his way over to the couple, about to take their order, but Indy had stood, stopping him in his tracks.

“We are leaving,” she told him, putting her hand out once more and making Zacky put his in it. She entwined their fingers once again and pulled Zacky to his feet. She smiled politely at the waiter as they strode past him, back through the entrance and towards Zacky’s car.

“What – why – wh?” Zacky stuttered out, unsure of exactly what he should be asking right now. He and Indy had come to a stop at his car, Indy turning to face him once again. She leant against the car, looking down at their still entwined hands. She ran her thumb over the back of his hand, subconsciously soothing him.

“It’s not that I don’t appreciate the effort, I do, really,” she started, “but I don’t really think that was… us.”

“This is the last time I am asking Matt for advice,” he muttered, making Indy laugh.

“As much as I loved the excuse to get dressed up, you don’t need to woo me with a fancy ass dinner and we don’t need to drop hundreds on a meal that we can barely pronounce,” she told him, pushing herself off the car and taking a step closer to him. They were now merely 6 inches apart.

“I just wanted to do something that you would remember,” he said quietly, almost defeated. He had asked Matt for a recommendation on somewhere that he could take Indy to make a memorable first date, and he had recommended this place after taking Val there for their last anniversary. He hadn’t been on a first date in a while, so he needed all the help he could get, but he had forgotten that Indy wasn’t just any girl.

“I would remember it even if we just stayed home and cooked, like we did when this was in a cast,” she told him, grabbing his now healed arm and squeezing lightly. She was touched at the thought he had put behind the night, knowing that his nerves had got the best of him as well. She lent in and gave him a quick peck on the lips, making them turn from a frown to a small smile. “Though don’t get me wrong, I will definitely take you up on any excuse to get you in a button down.”

Zacky looked up at her, noticing her eyes had dropped down to his exposed chest. She flicked her gaze back up, blushing at having been caught staring at him. She bit her bottom lip and Zacky couldn’t help the groan he released when she looked at him like that.

“OK, I have a plan B,” he told her, shaking his thoughts from the gutter and regrouping. He knew exactly what he could do to fix this evening.

“Am I allowed to know what it is, this time?” she asked, hoping for the best. He shook his head and she sighed.

“No, but I promise it will be better than this was,” he told her, gesturing with his free hand to the restaurant that was behind them. He retrieved his keys from his pocket and unlocked the car, once again opening Indy’s door so she could hop back in. She climbed in, buckling herself up as Zacky walked around to the other side and got in the driver’s seat.

Zacky had a vague idea where he was going, and was proud of himself when he pulled into yet another parking lot only 5 minutes later. Ignoring Indy’s questions, he shut the car off and they both got out, walking towards the supermarket. Zacky grabbed a basket and lead Indy through the aisles, adding assorted items as he went. Indy now had a fair idea of what his plan was, but kept guessing the specifics.

They checked out, loaded the items in the back of Zacky’s car and were off again. The pair were quiet as Zacky made his way back through the LA streets towards Indy’s house, nothing but the guitar tones of Led Zeppelin disrupting the now comfortable silence. Zacky reached over and caught Indy’s hand in his own, and Indy squeezed it.

Pulling up at Indy’s house, Indy remained silent, letting Zacky grab the groceries she made her way to the front door. She unlocked it, greeting her two awaiting puppies eagerly.

“I know, I know, it’s been so long,” she said to them, bending over and giving them both scratches as they pranced around, excited for her return. She loved how excited they got when she came home, whether it was after a full day at the studio, or a mere half hour like tonight, they were always eager to see her again.

She kept speaking nonsense to them, keeping their attention as Zacky passed her in the hall and unloaded his hands in the kitchen. She stood up straight again, closing the front door and stripping off her cardigan now she was home. She hung it on the coat hook, and placed her small bag on the table.

She led the dogs to the laundry, grabbing out two frozen bones from her chest freezer and giving them one each. The dogs took the bones with excited tails, making their way one after the other through the dog door in her back door and out into the yard. They would be gnawing on their treat for hours, and relaxed now her dogs were taken care of, Indy closed the screen door to outside so they couldn't come back in until she was ready. She hated having to lock them out, but they would be happily ignorant likely until morning, having all they would need out in the yard.

“Wow,” Zacky’s voice sounded, breaking Indy from her overlooking her puppies. She spun around, seeing his attention was on her back as he held out a glass of wine to her. “That is beautiful!”

“Thanks,” she said, accepting the glass and looking over her shoulder to see the slight bit of ink she could at that angle.

“How did I not know you had an entire back piece?” He asked rhetorically, stepping to the side so he could stare at the ink and take it in.

“It’s been chilly,” she said, shrugging. She had sworn she would have said something about it in the past, but apparently she had not, and as the weather was still clearing from winter, she had been wearing either tee shirts, or jackets that covered her artwork.

“I have so many questions,” he told her, finally tearing his gaze away and looking at her face once again. How he loved seeing her smile, the gesture always reaching her eyes, making her blueish green irises shine and sparkle. “Before I get carried away, come on through.”

“What is happening?” she asked him, her curiosity peaking once again as he lead her through her own house and into the kitchen.

“Welcome to Zacky’s Bistro. We had set you up in the kitchen for this evening so you can enjoy watching our chef work,” he said, donning a deep voice and pretending to maître d’ his newly invented restaurant. “I hope you are enjoying the house red. It is a beautiful Cab Sav picked by our world class chef to compliment your dining experience.”

He ushered her into the kitchen, pointing at the counter and indicating for her to sit on the bench. She giggled, placing her wine glass down and hopping up, her feet dangling from the edge.

“How did you know where my wine glasses are?” She asked him, grabbing the glass once more and taking a sip of the beautiful red liquid within. It actually was delicious, he had picked well.

“Who do you think replaced Val’s when hers smashed on the concrete outside?” He asked her, raising an eyebrow pointedly. He put his alternative persona back on, his voice lowering and his back straightening. “Now, miss, please sit back and enjoy the show.”

“Zacky, you don’t have to cook for me,” she said, putting her glass down and readying herself to hop off the countertop. Zacky noticed what she was intending to do and quickly moved over to her, resting his hands on her knees and standing in front of her to stop her action.

“No, no, no, stay there!” He instructed her, trying to keep her in place. “I want to do this. You cooked for me so many times when my arm was all fucked, now let me repay the favour. Need I remind you that I have an Italian mother that taught me to cook?”

“Ok, I will stay, I’m sorry,” she said, raising her hands in defence as he looked at her sternly. Once he was satisfied that she would keep her word, his gaze softened.

“Good, now let the chef work,” he said with a flourish, squeezing her leg softly and retreating back to the counter with the groceries. He poured a glass of wine for himself, walking over and lifting it. “Here’s to a better first date.”

“Cheers,” she replied, a giant smile on her face as they toasted, each taking a sip before Zacky went back to work. He pushed his sleeves up, exposing more delicious tattoos to Indy’s gaze and unpacked the purchases.

With a little assistance from Indy regarding the homes of her cooking utensils, Zacky happily chopped, sautéed and stirred his little heart out while trying to recall all of his mother’s tips and tricks. It had been a while since he had cooked, and he had never cooked in the hopes to impress someone, so he was really stretching himself tonight.

The pair talked as Zacky worked in the kitchen, Indy asking more about these cooking lessons he had received, and Zacky asked about Indy’s ink. The conversation flowed easily, and Indy couldn’t help but think that it was now becoming the perfect ‘first date’. They already had such a strong rapport with one another, easily falling back into the routine of previous evenings together, but this time with the cooking roles reversed.

Before she knew it, Zacky plated up their food, taking Indy to her dining table and returning with everything the meal needed. Before her sat a topped up glass of wine, a plate of salad to share, and a delicious looking serve of gnocchi in a tomato-based sauce.

“This smells amazing!” Indy said, taking in the scents that were emanating from the dish in front of her.

“One day I will make you the proper home made stuff. Potato gnocchi from scratch, and the tomato sauce made over hours. This is nothing in comparison,” he told her, shrugging as if it was nothing.

“I can’t wait,” she replied, smiling widely. “Thank you so much for all of this. It is absolutely perfect.”

“You are welcome. Sorry it took one false start,” he said, putting his hand out and reaching for hers. They joined hands over the edge of the table, Zacky running his thumb over the back of her hand lightly as the action caused a light blush to rise over Indy’s features.

“The false start makes for a good story to tell,” she told him, the events of earlier not bothering her in the same way it seemed to be affecting Zacky.

“But this is so much better,” he said, withdrawing his hand from Indy.

“It is much more...us,” she agreed, taking in her surroundings. Though the restaurant was beautiful, it had a more forced romantic atmosphere that made the whole situation feel a lot more awkward. Here at home, they were both feeling more relaxed.

They both took a fork, diving into the gnocchi simultaneously. Zacky kept his attention on Indy, awaiting her reaction. The moment the food hit her tongue, she couldn’t help but moan out in pleasure, the flavours exploding in her mouth.

“Holy fuck,” she said as she finished chewing. “If you class this as ‘nothing’, I don’t think I will survive trying the legit stuff.”

“You like it, then?” he asked, a cheeky grin on his face. He was so relieved that she enjoyed his cooking as much as he had enjoyed hers.

“I can’t stop eating it,” she told him, taking another mouthful and savouring the flavours.

The pair continued to eat, managing to have conversation between bites. It was almost a replay of the many evenings Indy had spent at Zacky’s, the only difference was the role reversal. There was a feeling of comfort that surrounded the pair as they chatted, the typical ‘first date nerves’ having been killed when they left the fancy French restaurant.

They finished their meal, staying seated at the table afterwards, continuing the conversation and finishing the wine they were sipping on. Before they knew it, they finished the bottle, Indy once again complimenting him on his wine choice and meals selection. Together, they gathered the plates, dumping them in the kitchen along with the few pots and pans Zacky had used while making their delicious meal.

“So, I think I better go, so I can say that our first date was successful before I do anything else to screw it up,” he told her, leaning against the door jam as Indy put the leftovers in the fridge.

Her attention immediately went from her task at hand to the gorgeous man watching her. She would be lying if she said she wasn’t disappointed at his words, the evening being one of the best a long time.

“Oh, ok. I guess we do have to end the date eventually,” she replied, trying not to let that disappointment show in her words. She closed the refrigerator door and started towards Zacky. He took the hint and began his walk to the front door. He opened it, standing in the door as Indy caught up.

“Thanks for letting me take you out. And then for letting me take you home,” he said, grinning at his own joke. Indy laughed, playfully swatting his arm.

“Hey, I am not that easy! Especially on a first date,” she told him, mock serious. His grin was infectious, and she couldn’t help herself give in and her resolve break. “Though, I guess this isn’t really our ‘first date’.”

“It wasn’t?” Zacky asked her, confused as to her meaning. She shrugged.

“Well, it was our official first date, but we have been on lots of dates,” she replied cryptically. “Really, our first date would have been the day we met, when you had a hissy fit and we went out for coffee. And then there were all those evenings at your house when we had dinner.”

“So I didn’t need to have first date nerves?” He asked rhetorically, still unsure that the ‘dates’ Indy was referencing actually counted.

“You were nervous too?” She asked, her eyes sparkling as he spoke.

“Fuck yes I was! I didn’t want to fuck this up,” he told her, grabbing her hand and holding it in between his two. “Even though I did fuck up the start, I think it turned out ok.”

“I think more than ok,” she agreed, taking a small step towards him and squeezing her hand around his fondly.

Zacky leant in, kissing her lips softly. Their hands fell from one another as Zacky reached up and cupped her jaw with his now movable left hand. Indy’s hands went immediately to his waist, subconsciously gripping the fabric of his shirt in her fists as if she was holding on for dear life. Zacky pulled back, leaving only a small gap between the pair and slowly opened his eyes. Indy followed suit a second later, sighing contently.

“I had a great time with you,” he said quietly, taking all his self control to take his hand from her gorgeous face and pulling away, taking a step back and standing outside the front door.

“Me too,” she replied, trying to come back down to Earth. How he managed to make her float so far away with merely a touch of his lips on hers she would never know, but for now she was enjoying being whisked away.

“Good night, Indy,” he said, taking another two steps back, finally his feet on the gravel path that lead to Indy’s driveway and to his awaiting car. With one last show of self control, he turned away from the goddess in front of him and walked towards his car.

Indy managed to shut the door, dramatically leaning against it to will herself to move. The kiss had stunned her, the action was so simple, yet held so much emotion and so much promise. She noticed Zacky’s coat still hung up on the hook by the door and a huge grin overtook her as she realised she would have an excuse to go after him. She grabbed the jacket and flung the door open.