I smile at my phone’s screen. I’m already used to Jake’s morning texts, and I’m looking forward to them.
Me: Lying in my bed...
Jake: Christ, woman! You tryin’ to kill me? Now I’m imagining you in those sexy Snoopy pajamas.
Sexy pajamas? It’s far from sexy; all stretched out, yet it’s very comfortable.
Me: I guess our definitions of sexy are quite different. I’m far from sexy with my hair sticking out in all directions, and cranky because I haven’t had my coffee yet.
Jake: I like you messy :)
It’s been a month since Christmas and our kiss, but it’s still on my mind. So is Jake. I’m slowly letting him in, and I’m not so reserved anymore when he’s around me. He often touches me briefly, tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, ‘accidentally’ skims his fingers down my back, and each and every time, I wish he didn’t stop. There were a few moments when we could’ve kissed, but I always took a step back. I still can’t get over the fact that he’s a motorcyclist. Sophie keeps bugging me, saying it’s time I give him a chance, and that we should go out. He asks me out almost every day, and I say no each time. I know, I’m pathetic. I told Sophie I’m still scared I’ll fall in love with him and then lose him—just like I did Josh.
Me: You’re weird, and probably the only one who thinks that :)
I hear buzzing by the door, so I put the phone on my nightstand and hurry to my intercom.
“Yes?”
“Delivery for Miss Vaughn.” Delivery? What could it be? I press the button to unlock the door for the deliveryman. I open my front door, and see him already walking toward me. He hands me a small envelope and a single long-stemmed red rose. “Sign here,” he points to the little square with my name. I thank him and close the door. First, I smell the rose and put it in the vase, and then I sit on a chair in the kitchen and open the envelope. Inside, I find two tickets, but before I check what it says on them, I see the note.
Tomorrow, 8 o’clock, movies. I’ll pick you up. Won’t take no for an answer.
Jake
I examine the tickets and I see they’re for a comedy movie that just came out. I press the tickets to my chest and go to the bedroom to grab my phone. There’s a new text waiting.
Jake: You probably already got my invitation by now. This time, you can’t weasel out of it. I’m picking you up tomorrow even if I have to break down the door to your apartment. Just one date, you won’t be sorry.
Me: Okay.
I can hardly believe I finally accepted his offer. I think I’m finally ready. I don’t think he’d go to such lengths to get me to go out with him if he only wanted to get me in bed. Taking a big breath, I tell myself the date is no big deal. Oh, who am I kidding? A date with Jake Burns is nothing but a big deal. I’m still holding the phone when it starts ringing.
“Jake?” I ask, to make sure I saw the right name on the screen.
“I can’t believe you finally caved. I knew you liked me,” he exclaims confidently, teasing me.
“Hey, it wasn’t you, it’s the movie. I’ve been dying to see it for months,” I tease him back. The movie was the last thing on my mind when I said yes to the date. Even if he invited me to grab a burger, I’d say yes. I just want to see him again.
“Is that so? Hmm, if I knew that before, I’d have taken you to the movies and I wouldn’t have had to suffer through all your rejections,” he says jokingly.
Even though he’s kidding, his words still make me feel bad. Yes, I did reject him multiple times, and truthfully, I was surprised he didn’t give up eventually. What does he see in me?
It’s half past seven, and Jake is picking me up in half an hour. I’m nervously pacing up and down in my apartment. It’s been a long time since I’ve been on a proper date. I’m not sure I know how to behave on one anymore. I hope I don’t make a fool out of myself.
For the tenth time, I step in front of the mirror to check my outfit. I’m dressed in a light pink sleeveless tunic that ties behind my back. Pink glitters are sprinkled across the chest area, which makes the tunic look more elegant. I’m also wearing black tights and black leather boots with high heels. I put the look together with a pair of earrings I haven’t worn before. I finally feel sexy again after a long time. My big, dark eyes are staring back at me from the mirror. I put on some mascara and pink lip-gloss, and run my hands across the clothes to smooth them down. I check if my ponytail is still in its place, and then I move to the couch. My leg is nervously jumping up and down as I wait for Jake to pick me up.