The VIRGIN STRIPPER

40

****LISA MICHAELS****
I was on edge the whole time as I waited to spot Cole's familiar face at the airport.

Ever since he confessed to loving me on Friday, there was an off air between us. He hardly called me and instead opted to texting me most of the time till Tuesday night while I was packing. And even then, he kept the conversation short and precise.

I on the other hand was too afraid to bring the subject up. Whenever he texted or called I resulted to evading any possible conversation that would lead me straight to asking him if he meant it or if he was just messing with me.

Covered in a cloud of thoughts, I finally spotted his blue hoodie and the black mop of hair that sat atop his head.

"Cole," I called out just as I'd neared him.

Turning to my voice he smiled and engulfed me in a warm hug before he picked up my suitcase and started walking away to the parking lot.

"How are you?" He asked quietly but with enough concern to make me eye him cautiously.

Something had definitely changed since our last relationship.

"I'm good. You?" I replied as I helped him store away my luggage into the car.

"I'm fine now that you're back. Do you want take out or dinner at a fancy restaurant?"

Surprised, I rose an eyebrow at him. "You want to take me out on a date?"

"We're dating, aren't we?" He replied flatly but with a hint of irritation as if I was meant to just say yes already.

"Yes but-" Cole cut me off by pulling me close to him by my arm.

"C'mon. I know what I said the first time round but that has changed now. This is a new relationship." He assured as he tucked a few strands of hair behind my ear as the wind whipped them around. "Don't over think it okay?"

Nodding, I pursed my lips, not trusting myself to voice out anything coherent at the moment.

"So, what's it gonna be?" He prompted after a moment.

"Fancy restaurant?" I beamed at him innocently and he laughed bringing a smile to my face.

"Only you," he muttered after a moment as he caressed my cheek slowly. "C'mon. I know you'll want to change into something fancy first."

"You mean I look horrible?" I glared at him and he shook his head almost immediately.

"Of course not!" He protested, "I mean I know you won't want to go on a date wearing jeans and a really cute blouse that I'm starting to like because it emphasizes your ch-"

"Pervert!" I clicked my tongue in disgust but was actually not offended since he was only being comical about it.

Walking to the passenger side of the car, I had to bite my lip in order not to smile when I heard him laugh before the car clicked open.

"Do you have a similar dress?" He asked as he clicked his seatbelt in place.

"Shut up!" I growled and he smiled before pulling the car out of the parking lot.

"Yes ma'am." He replied shortly afterwards.

****
The pearl was a really nice restaurant that resided at the heart of the busy district away from the campus. Not really out of the way fancy but it was as classy as any other restaurant in the vicinity on this side.

I'd switched my jeans for a blue figure hugging dress that was decent enough not to paint me out as a slut while Cole opted for blue wash jeans and a white button up shirt that he'd not tucked in.

"Sometimes I wish you were as old as I am. Then, you'd see things more clearly." Cole teased as we drank our wine while waiting for our order.

I scoffed and rose an eyebrow at him, "you're like five months older than me or something. Doesn't make you a guru and even then, I would like to see more important things clearer, not an opinion about wine." I told him and he watched me closely as I spoke.

Reaching for my hand over the table, my first instinct was to flinch away but then I let the warmth of his large hand engulf mine and draw circles as he leaned his head on his other hand and gave me a lazy gaze.

"You look beautiful tonight,"  I was about to remind him that he already said that to me earlier but his eyes dulled and I held my tongue, "I want to ask you some questions but you can decide not to answer if you're uncomfortable," he told me and I bit my lip.

Watching him shake his head absently as if to chide me, his hold on my hand tightened slightly. "Don't do that or you're going to keep me distracted the whole night." He told me in a low voice and its effect was only able to disperse once a waitress came to deliver our order.

"Thanks," I smiled at the waitress who returned the smile before excusing herself. "You sound like a detective right now," I joked and he laughed lightly.

"How do you know Dave?" He asked after a moment of silence and I did my best to remain unaffected.

"We met during my mom's burial." I told him before I eyed an empty table on my left side. "He might have read a little too much into things." I explained quietly and watched as he nodded with a faraway look in his eyes.

"I meant it," he said after a second and I rose my eyes to look at him just as he turned to look at me.

"What?" my small squeaky voice sounded too foreign even in my own ears.

"I love you," his thumb caressed the top of my wrist but I could tell he was absorbed in his thoughts more than he was with the words. "I've been thinking..." He trailed off with a small but warm smile.

Feeling relieved that he wasn't pressuring me to say it back, I gave him a grateful smile before I could even respond. "Of buying me flowers as well?" I joked and he rose an amused eyebrow at me.

"No. Of inviting you over to spend Christmas with my family."

As much as I was shocked, warmth sipped through me at the thought of him opening to the prospect of his family knowing me.

"I-" at a loss of words, I simply smiled at him and nodded.

"That's my girl!" He cooed enthusiastically making me laugh before I took a bite of the baked fillet on my plate.

Watching Cole cut his own, I realized that all I could wish for was to love him just as much as he did me.

****
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Love, Eline.