The Thing About Flip Flops

Chapter Thirty Nine: The Sex Habits of Octopi

It's a month since Henry's accident, two weeks since Jack and I told each other about our true feelings, but I feel years older.

"Hey," Jack greets me with a familiar smile, and I smile in return. "You look..." He clears his throat, and with a faint pink tinge appearing on his cheeks he says, "You're gorgeous, Audrey Parker."

I'm in a blue dress, and my hair is in a simple sleek ponytail. I grin, then try to hide it when I bite my lip with the easily recognizable feeling of a blush growing on my own cheeks. I don't know how to really respond to the compliment but I say, "Thanks. You don't look too bad yourself. So where are we going?"

He extends his hand towards me and I take it as he wiggles his eyebrows at me. Then he says in an exaggerated French accent, "It's called Le Jardin des Poulpes, have you ever heard of it?"

I shake my head, being able to quickly translate the French name into English because I've taken French since middle school. The Octopus's Garden. "No but it sounds cool, is it Beatles inspired or something?"

He reluctantly lets go of my hand so he can open the door to his car, then goes out of his way to go around his car and open up the passenger seat door for me. I try not to let him see my blush but from his knowing smirk I think he must have noticed it.

"What do you mean?" Jack answers my question from before about the Beatles, playing dumb but with a knowing smirk on his face. "Why would the restaurant be beetles inspired? Not gonna lie, if they started serving insects it would be pretty bad for business."

I roll my eyes. "You're the music nerd here, not me."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Hello-o? Octopus's Garden? You know, it goes like I'd like to be..." I start singing the song loudly and obnoxiously and snapping along like an idiot but he just snorts in laughter, starting up the car to drive.

A few minutes later, we pull up in a fancy looking parking lot. There's a sign that says "Valet Parking Only." I raise my eyebrow at Jack knowingly and he scratches his neck, running his hand through his hair in embarrassment.

"Valet parking? Jack, what are you up to?" I nudge his shoulder.

"What, a guy can't take his girlfriend out for a nice dinner without being up to something?" He asks with a charming glint in his warm brown eyes.

We get out of the car and I see the dark blue on white sign outside that reads, Le Jardin des Poulpes in a very intricate cursive script that I have to struggle to make out.

As soon as we walk up the stone pathway and enter the restaurant, I sigh in relief. It's warm in here compared to outside.

It doesn't seem to be modeled after The Beatles, though. I'm slightly disappointed by this but the feeling completely disappears when I look around and notice all the beautifully set tables and the extravagant atmosphere of the place itself. This is amazing.

No one is here yet, but it's probably because it's only six thirty and most rich people eat late. But then we turn a corner and sure enough there are people, I just didn't see them before.

A server comes to us, and Jack tells her that we have a reservation.

"Golden, for two people? I called a day or two ago."

I whistle lowly at him, impressed, "You planned this in advance? Damn, I might have to step up my own game a little, huh?"

He laughs and wraps an arm around my shoulders, squeezing me in a quick hug, "Hey, you deserve it. Plus we haven't gone out in what feels like forever so if I'm overcompensating here it's because we're overdue for a little..."