She cocked an eyebrow at me. “You have to stop doing that,” she said dryly.
“Doing what?”
“Being so fake and putting this show on,” she urged.
She truly didn’t get that I was genuine in how much I liked her. But that was alright, I got my shot for 6pm tonight.
“I’ll pick you upthen?”
“No,” she said quickly. “Sorry… Let’s just meet at The Landslide.”
10. Ellie
I sat in my car at The Landslide, a popular waterfront joint where people could dock their boats or drive up to and waited for him.
I figured I’d see him first rather than waiting out in the open and having him watch me. I always arrived everywhere early anyway; it was part of my uptight charm.
I looked in my car mirror one last time and smudged some lip gloss on while I fought off insecure thoughts- my eyes were too big, my nose was gross, I was starting to get forehead wrinkles, I had too many freckles… I could go on and on. It didn’t matter if he liked me or not though, the world would move on, and tomorrow would be fine. I tried to remind myself that I couldn’t take anything he said personal, because it’s not like he really knew anything about me anyway. Besides, Iwasa badass boss bitch, which he’d called me when he bizarrely yelled at me the other day, and I needed to start acting like it.
I saw him then, walking onto The Landslide’s plank sidewalk which bordered the beachfront and led into the restaurant.
I sighed. He was exactly the kind of guy I would have swooned for before. I couldn’t deny that he was strikingly handsome. He was the type that looked like a professional athlete- dressed in khaki joggers and a Henley t-shirt that his built, broad shoulders filled out excellently. He walked with a command in his step that said he was important, and he looked like he could take on anyone and beat them with a single swing- an aspect any girl could appreciate.
But he was also the type that knew he could get any girl, with his long-ish hair that swooped off his neck and fell into his dark eyes a bit. He’d be someone easy to get carried away with, and I was determined not to let that happen.
He stopped to chat with the teenage hostess for a minute and continued to look around for me. You could tell the teenager was lovestruck and watching his every movement.
It was now or never, I told myself as I swiftly exited the car.
He took off his sunglasses as I neared him, and he looked me up and down and mouthed the word, “Wow.”
I shook my head at him, because, how cheesy, but I couldn’t stop a blush from creeping into my face.
“Hey beautiful,” he greeted and ushered me to follow the hostess to our seats.
_______
“But you are a hockey fan though, no?” He looked at me across the table completely aghast at the possibility I wasn’t.
“I mean, not really? I never paid too much attention to it,” I told him, loving the reality check I was giving him. “I’ve always been too busy with my own life and my own sport to watch anyone else’s. Plus, hockey guys are usuallyarrogant.”
He looked like I knocked the breath out of him. “Damnit. I mean, short and no hockey, good thing you’repretty.”
“You’re gonna get yourself in trouble even on this date, Theodore,” I warned.
He tried to suppress a smile. “I’m sorry, but you’re really pretty, especially when you’re mad, Ellie. But I guess it’s not that hard to believe… because I bet you had a 4.0 and were a…” he looked me up and down. “Dancer?”
“Rrrr wrong.” I took a sip of my water. He got the fruity drink I suggested, but I never drank on a first date or with anyone I didn’t know ortrust.
“With all your organizing and wedding planning you were definitely one of those girls obsessed with gel pens and planners. You definitely had all A’s,” he smirked. “And I mean, you’re little but you’re built… tennis?”
“Pretty much all A’s yes, and don’t dis gel pens, sir,” I said. “But nope. I think that guess is going in the colder direction. What about you though, whyhockey?”
He paused and cocked his head to the side, like he hadn’t been asked that question before. “Well, when you’ve got parents who met at the rink and three sisters who all played, that’s kind of the natural progression. My dad coached all of them and used to build a rink in the backyard every year, and everyone would be out there, including my parents. I kind of went from walking to skating.”
“So, it wasn’t really your choice?” I asked skeptically.
“I mean… I think it was more of the way of life when I was a kid, but I could’ve stopped at any time. It’s pretty addictive trying to make it though. Like you always feel so so close- I even felt that way at 15, but now that I’mrightthere knocking on the NHL’s door, it’d be downright stupid to stop. And I always had this picture in my head…” he stopped himself from finishing and shook the wistful look off hisface.
