Until You Met Me

“Why can’t I stay?”

Molly, who was reaching up to collect a few wineglasses out of a cupboard, rolled her eyes slightly as she turned to look at Gerard who was perched on her kitchen counter, watching her. They hadn’t seen more of each other than normal. Despite how well their first date had gone, and the confidence that that had given them both, they were both aware that if they started to spend too much time together, people would start to ask questions, and that was something they were keen to avoid. It wasn’t easy. Their first date had gone spectacularly well, and both Molly and Gerard had been slightly desperate to gush about it to someone that wasn’t one another, but they had resisted the temptation, knowing that it was for the best. One good date was a start, but until they knew that they were onto something worth pursuing, they wanted to keep it just between the two of them, not wanting the outside pressure.

“You know why” Molly replied, placing the glasses down onto the counter.

“I won’t get in the way” Gerard quipped, feigning a pout.

Molly tried, and failed, to look irritated. She couldn’t pretend that he didn’t make her smile.”You know that that isn’t the point” she said “You’ve never hung out with me, Ava and Sofia without their boyfriends around to keep you company, and we both know that you sticking around would look strange. I thought you were the one who suggested keeping this between just us for a little while?” she prodded.

Gerard playfully narrowed his eyes at her, something which made Molly flash him a triumphant smile before she stepped towards him, pressing a soft kiss against his cheek. “You’re not missing anything” she said “We do the same thing every other week. We have dinner, we catch up, and then we put on a film. It’s not that exciting” she added, smoothing out a wayward piece of his hair.

Gerard watched her for a moment, his eyes searching her face, but as he moved to lean in, Molly took a pace backwards, a slightly shy smile on her face. Gerard’s head tilted slightly, but he didn’t ask the question that lingered in the air between them. Instead, he pushed himself off of the counter and walked past her, stopping only to press a kiss against the top of her head. “Have fun tonight” he quipped “Don’t let Ava set you up again” he added.

Molly wrapped her arms around him as she let out a laugh. “I don’t think she knows any more single men” she quipped.

Gerard’s arms wrapped around her shoulders as he pressed another kiss to her head. “You’re not funny” he muttered into her hair.

~#~
“You never told us about dinner with Dani”

Molly, who’d been putting more food onto her plate, stilled for a moment, trying to hide the flinch that crossed her face at the mention of Dani’s name. She shouldn’t have been surprised. With her having been distracted by what had happened between her and Gerard, she hadn’t taken the time she normally would to fill Ava in on how the date she had been set up on had gone, but the dinner she had gone to with Dani had slipped her mind. It had been lost in the smitten haze she found herself in now that her feelings and Gerard’s were out in the open.

“I didn’t?” Molly asked, carefully not looking up at either Ava or Sofia.

“I texted you on the night, but you never responded” Ava said “The next text I got from you was about borrowing a coat of mine” she added

Molly smiled, her cheeks reddening embarrassedly. “Sorry” she said “To answer you question, it was pleasant enough, but we’re not going out on another date. We didn’t have chemistry” she added, shrugging her shoulders slightly.

“You didn’t have any chemistry at all?” Sofia asked “Ava told me about him. He really seemed like your type” she added.

Molly poked at the food on her plate for a moment, trying to think of something to say, before she shrugged her shoulders again. “I don’t know what to tell you” she said “It was nice, but it wasn’t what I was looking for. He was nice, and he did make me smile a couple of times, but it isn’t what I am looking for. If I am honest, I don’t really know that I knew what I was looking for when I asked you guys for help. I was just sick of being upset over the end of things with Tiago, and confused about Gerard. I think I am probably the reason most of these dates fell flat” she added, a slightly bashful grin pulling at her lips.

“Are you giving up?” Ava asked.

“I wouldn’t put it like that” Molly quipped “I am just...taking a step back. I have some stuff I have to figure out” she added, trying her hardest to stifle the little grin that itched to brighten her features. She didn’t want to let slip about her and Gerard, even if she was excited about it. It wasn’t something she was ready to explain.

“Like how to get over Gerard?” Sofia’s voice was careful, scared that mentioning Gerard would cause Molly to close herself off.

Molly nodded her head slowly, not trusting herself to say anything.

Ava and Sofia exchanged a look, not quite sure what to say, before Ava cleared her throat. “Is he coming to your birthday party?” she asked “Gerard, I mean” she added.

“Of course” Molly quipped “He’s not missed one in years” she added, offering Ava a slightly confused look.

Ava nodded her head slowly before she pushed herself up to her feet, excusing herself from the room. Ducking out of the door, she padded down towards the kitchen before she slipped her phone out of her back pocket. Sparing a look behind her to check that neither Molly or Sofia had followed, she scrolled through her contact list before she found the number that she was looking for and dialled. Pressing the phone against her ear, she listened to the dial tone before it flicked over, allowing the sound of her boyfriend’s brother’s voice to fill her ears. “Sam” she said “What are you doing a week on Friday?” she asked.