Twisted Up

I took my hands away from my face and followed Pat. After we left the venue, we only had about a block or so until our subway stop and our hands kept bumping and when we were waiting for the train I finally took charge and gently took his hand in mine. He looked at me and I just smiled, we had been talking and now we fell into an easy silence as we heard the train pull into the station. A short subway ride and five blocks later we walked into PinkBerry.

“What would you like?” Pat asked

“I don’t know. You choose.”

“But I don’t know what you like.”

“I like everything here. I don’t make decisions, you know that.”

He laughed and ordered for me. I found us a table while Pat waited for our yogurt I stared out the window across the street.

“What’cha thinking about?” he asked as he slid my strawberries and chocolate PinkBerry in front of me

“About how the restaurant across the street is the one from seinfeld.”

He got this adorable (I did a huge mental ‘awww!’) shocked look on his face

“nuh uh. Really?” He stared out the window I chuckeld

“What?” he asked curiously

“You’re just adorable that’s all.” I smiled.

For the rest of the time we were at PinkBerry we laughed and sometimes we just sat there looking at each other. It didn’t feel like this was my first date with Pat, he was one of those people that we clicked so easily that I felt like I’d known him forever. There wasn’t any awkward-ness or silence except for when we were just looking at each other. Which makes it sound kinda creepy, it was more like we were both taking each other in. I noticed the scar on his face, just exactly how brown his eyes were, how adorable it was when he chewed on his spoon. We left PinkBerry and walked back to the subway station, talking the whole entire way about our dogs. I know, we’re losers.

“Wait,”

“What?” I asked as we reached the venue. Now it was his turn to turn red.

“Well…going in there means our date will have to end. And we’ll have no privacy so who knows when we’ll get another one. Can we stay out here until sound check?”

"Sure."
\
He smiled and squeezed my hand.

I kind of just a little bit wanted to kiss him really, really badly. But I’m horrible at making the first move like that so I just stared at Pats chest, baiting him to ask me why I was staring.

“What?”

It’s working….

“Can I have a hug? For some reason I really want a hug.”

He gave me a small smile probably thinking this meant he wasn’t going to get a kiss. Little did he know that’s exactly what I wanted. He held his arms out and I walked into them. Except instead of putting my head on his shoulder I put it on his chest. He smelled wonderful. It was a mix of the axe phoenix he wore and that smell…you know how each person’s home has a different ‘smell’? Well Pat smells like cinnamon with a bit of well I don’t really know. But I love it. I pulled my head away from his chest a looked him in the eyes and then I stared down at my shoes

“Paige?”

I smiled because I love the way he says my name. And I knew my plan had worked. I feel so evil for saying ‘plan’ because I didn’t know for sure that the hug would work. But I sure as hell hoped it did. I lifted my head to look at Pat and his face was incredibly closer to mine than it had been two seconds ago. I had barely made eye contact when his hand tipped my mouth up to his in a soft kiss. I smiled and kissed him back.

“I’m really glad you asked me out Pat.”

We were both smiling ear to ear.

“Me too.”

Pat’s phone rang and he sighed as he was forced to tear his eyes from mine and answer his phone.

“Hello? Yeah John we just got here. Ok we’ll be in soon. Peace.” He sighed, “We have to go in now. They moved sound check up too.”

I sighed, disappointed. Pat took my hand in his and we made our way into the parking lot and just as we were about to enter the building Pat stopped walking.

“What?” I asked

“I have a question. And I know this sounds really cheesy, but I get all confused about this so I’m just going to ask it.”

“Ok, what is the question?”

“Are you my girlfriend?”

I smiled at the question and squeezed his hand as we started walking again.

“Only if you want me to be.”

He nodded furiously and slightly bounced up and down.

“I do! I do! I do!”

I laughed as we reached the side of the stage where Pat’s bandmates were plugging in their guitars and such.

“Then it’s settled. Now I better let you go practice or I’m going to be at the top of The Maine’s
hit list.”

He laughed gave me a kiss on the cheek

“Bye.”

I waved as I walked down the hallway that would eventually lead me to the tent area.
I found Bidwell’s tent and as soon as I walked up Vanessa was hounding me with questions.

“What happened? How was it? Did he kiss you?”

I rolled my eyes and told her about the whole date. She ‘aww’d’ when I got to the part about Pat not wanting the date to end and aww’d some more when I finished the story.

“See? I toooooold you he likes you!”
I couldn’t help but smile as we sat in our chairs, finally done setting up the tent.

*three days later*

Things are going really well, Pat and I decided that until we had time to actually get away from the tour we wouldn’t have ‘dates’. So we just basically never left each other’s side when we didn’t have other obligations. We were in Atlanta, the show for the night was over and it was about midnight. Pat was off doing something inside and I was putting stuff away in the trailer. The neighborhood we were in was really creeping me out. Drunks were everywhere because the venue was right next to the local tavern.
I was walking by myself when one of the drunks came up to me, I started shaking a bit because I was basically alone except for some members of The Maine I had seen go in our bus.

“heyyyyerrrr cootie.” The drunk slurred
the drunk was taller and out weighed me which only added to my nerves. I tried to walk past him to the bus but he grabbed my arm.