“Maybe we’ll need to take the backseat for a spin again tonight?” She says with a laugh.
I leave her in charge of the music selection as we drive along the dark streets, and she introduces me to her favourite songs, talks about concerts she wants to go to, her hand on my thigh the whole time. Every now and then I’ll wrap my hand around hers, and she snuggles into my shoulder.
It feels so nice.
Too nice.
When we reach the restaurant, the parking lot is barely occupied, and I don’t recognise any of the cars here. Fairy lights hang in the trees, illuminating the coloured leaves, the porch of the rustic building decorated with flickering lanterns.
“This is so cute!” Amber’s eyes are lit up with delight as I open her door for her. “It looks like something out of a fairytale!”
“It’s very nice, very private, and the food is amazing.” I slip an arm around her waist as we head inside, where a friendly waitress greets us with a big smile. I’m paranoid, looking for a hint of judgement in her face, but there isn’t one. I scan the other faces nonchalantly as we are led to our table, and there’s no one I know, not even anyone I faintly recognize.
Amber clearly doesn’t see anyone either, because she remains relaxed in my arm, smiling up at me. She’s even more magical in this light, soft and glowing like she’s lit from within.
“Here we are,” the waitress says as we reach a table at the back by a large window overlooking a garden flecked with lights. “Now, would you like any drinks to start?”
“Do you have Dr Pepper?” Amber asks, and my stomach does another one of those stupid flips. Of course she can’t drink anything stronger than that, because she’s not even 21 years old yet.
The waitress doesn’t miss a beat, and nods. “We sure do. And for you?” Her gaze lands on me, and I hastily clear my throat.
“Oh, uh, I’m driving, so I’ll be responsible and have a Dr Pepper, too.”
“Not a problem, I’ll bring those right on over and take your food orders.”
Amber smiles at me indulgently as the waitress leaves, and reaches across the table to take my hands. “You can start breathing again now.”
“What?”
She giggles, shaking her head. “You looked so damn guilty when we walked in here, and just now, with the drinks order?” She lifts a hand to stroke my cheek. “Stop it,” she murmurs, and runs a thumb across my lower lip. “I’m so happy I’m here with you.AndI will have you know you are the most handsome man in this restaurant. Trust me. I checked.”
My cheeks flush with heat, and I can’t help but smile, taking her hand and pressing it to my lips. “And you are without a doubt the most beautiful woman here.”
“Mmm, I don’t know.” Amber’s lips twitch pensively and she looks in the direction of our waitress. “She really makes that outfit work.” She turns back to me with a grin when I chuckle. “Come on, she’s cute.”
“She is, she is.”
Amber tilts her head, sweeping her hair over her shoulder, and looking down at the menu. “Now, I am starving because all I ate today was some omelette and some cum, so-” She gives me a devilish grin when I choke out a laugh, and bites her thumb nail between her teeth. “I mean it is true.”
“In that case you probably should eat a steak, give you your strength for tonight.”
“Ooh, that sounds like a promise,” she says, her eyes lighting up.
“I guess I’ve been doing a pretty bad job of looking after you, huh? Not feeding you right. I should work on that.”
She reaches for my hand again, and shakes her head. “No, you’ve been doing a really good job of looking after me. So good that I don’t think any man is ever going to measure up to you.”
My heart does a wobbly leap, and in that moment the waitress returns with our drinks. We give up our orders - Amber does decide on a steak, which makes me smile - and once the waitress leaves, Amber eyes me from over her drink as she puts the straw in her mouth.
“This is probably the nicest date I’ve ever been on,” she says with a coy smile.
“Where do young men take their dates these days?” I huff out a laugh. “I guess they don’t take y’all to the drive-in theatre anymore?”
Amber giggles. “You know, those are actually making a comeback.”
“Oh, well, everything that was once old will be new again.”
Amber rolls her eyes. “And there you are calling yourself old again.”
