I’m rendered a little speechless.
Why do I not have words around this guy?!
“Um, yeah. Okay, thanks,” I end up squeaking out. “But where do you live?” I ask and immediately mentally chastise myself for sounding like a stalker.
He cracks a smile and points in the opposite direction. “Over there.”
“Okay so why don’t I walk you home?” I counter, as we walk in the direction of my car anyway.
“Because that kind of goes against your whole damsel in distress thing, doesn’t it?” Dominic quirks a brow at me.
“That’s not…I don’t need to do that with you. You’re easy.”
Dominic’s head whips my way and I slam my jaw shut.
Girl, what the actual fuck is wrong with you.
Dominic’s throaty laugh is hearty and I’m instantly mad at the beautiful sky for being so dark rendering me unable to see his full smile in all its glory. Now that I’ve witnessed it a few times, I can’t seem to get enough.
“Easy, eh? Okay, I’ll remember that,” he teases.
“Ugh! What I meant was, I don’t have to use my…I don’t know what to call it, pick up line? Pick up…action? Whatever. I don’t have to do that with you. We can just talk. Just…be ourselves.” I feel like every time I open my mouth, I dig myself a little deeper into a hole I eventually won’t be able to crawl out of.
“I get it, Hoot, I really like—” Dominic begins, but a loud crashing echoes from down the alleyway we just passed, halting his words.
I nearly jump out of my skin clutching onto Dominic’s chest, his sweater tight in my fists. Our heads simultaneously swivel to see a fat raccoon waddling its way across the street to raid another garbage can. It sees us and scampers away. I release the breath I was holding and feel Dominic’s arms are wrapped around my waist, holding my body against his. We both slowly realize just how tangled up in each other we are as we turn our attention from the trash panda to our embrace. We both seem frozen to the spot, unable to move, unable to speak. I’m close enough this time to see his eyes darken. My tongue darts out to wet my bottom lip, the memory of Dominic licking ice cream off his spoon flashing through my mind. I blink and within a second I’m instantly cold, Dominic having pulled his arms awayand hands shoved firmly in his pockets. I’m left with such a chill I almost feel desperate enough to ask him to come back. But that look he had a moment ago has evaporated. Right. He’s my matchmaker in this experiment, a co-conspirator.That’swhy it’s so easy to just be around him, he’snota candidate. I shove my purse a little higher on my shoulder and clear my throat that feels sticky with an emotion I can’t name.
I look over to see my bright yellow Punch Buggy sitting alone in the empty parking lot. Just as I’m about to offer a ride home to Dominic, he speaks quickly, “So let me know how the date goes with George.”
“Who?” I ask, feeling so discombobulated.
“The political science major who’s number I got for you,” he says without meeting my gaze. I nod on instinct, feeling like a bobble head as we walk back to my car, but Dominic’s feet are firmly planted ten feet away.
“Okay, well this is me…” I stop, standing halfway between Dominic and my car.
What do I do with my arms right now.
“Okay,” he says, his tone clipped.
“Okay,” I awkwardly reply.
“So let me know how the date goes…” He squints his eyes shut.
“Yeah, you said that. Alright, bye…Um, thank you for the ice cream.” I shuffle to open my door, fumble to sit in my dress, and just before I close it a hand shoots out, holding it open. My wide eyes lock with his.
“Hoot, just text me so I know you got home safe.” Dominic says in a single breath, as if the words tumbled out without his permission. He’s looking at me from above my open car door like whatever my reply is, is crucial to his existence.
“I can do that,” I say with a smile. His returning half smile beams back at me. He gently closes my door, throws me a wave, and begins walking in the direction of his own place.
I make the short drive from the cafe parking lot to my house in about fifteen minutes. It’s a bit of a chilly summer night but I can’t shake the bubbling warmth that’s been popping in my belly since I first saw Dominic tonight. I greet my mom on the couch who’s watching some real housewives show with a cozy knit blanket draped over her legs.
“How was the date?” she asks, tilting her head back to see me from where I stand in the foyer.
“It was great,” I say reflexively, pulling my phone out from my purse and running up the worn-down steps to my bedroom. “Talk more tomorrow. Goodnight. Love you!” I call down from my door before collapsing on my bed. I hold my phone above my face and hope I don’t drop it as I type out a message to Dominic as promised.
Home Safe!!
Nope. Too excited. I erase the text and try again.
