3 Years

28 - Not a Date

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Taylor Swift Blank Space vibes.

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Nini was nervously getting ready. She and Ricky were just going to have a little catch-up moment, just the two of them. Just the two of us.

It's not like she needed to properly dress up or anything; it was just a coffee shop. She was wearing jeans with an old t-shirt and a cardigan since this place was sometimes strangely cold. As Nini looked at herself in the mirror, she can't help but notice her shaking hands. This shouldn't be that big of a deal; I've already seen him alone before. There is nothing different about today.

She had to remind herself that this wasn't a date, despite her friends' words running through her head at a million miles an hour. They told her to ask him out, and she simply asked if he was busy; he said no, agreed to meet her, and that brings them here. She took a deep breath before going downstairs and to her car.

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This is fine; I'm fine; everything is fine. Ricky was currently pacing around his room, slightly freaking out. This isn't a date; it isn't anything formal. Just two friends talking.

He knew his feelings for Nini; that wasn't what worried him. His biggest fear at the moment was still the possibility of messing something up. He knew that chances of that happening were very likely; he didn't want to do something to make the inevitable outcome worse, even though he knows he already has.

He stands in front of the bathroom mirror, messing with his hair as a way to stall, not actually fix anything. There's nothing else to do; let's go.

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Nini sits at a table in a back corner and watches the door for him. She was about fifteen minutes early, which gave her a little time to think this through. Nini goes ahead and orders two coffees, decaf for herself; she was already anxious enough, and the last thing she needed was caffeine. Five minutes later, the bell to the cafe rings, and in comes the curly-haired man she's waiting for.

Ricky stands at the entrance and looks at all the tables, seeing if she's here before him. Nini waves him over, and he makes his way across the busy shop. "Hey," he says, pulling out the chair across from her, "I'm not late, am I?" He glances down at his phone to look at the time.

"No, I just... got here a little early," she says, nervously fiddling with her rings. Her British accent wasn't making an appearance yet, but she felt it would. She motions for him to take the other coffee cup, and he gladly does so. "Do you want something to eat?"

"No, I'm good. You?"

"Fine."

It's incredibly awkward at first, neither of them knowing what to do. "What did you want to talk about?" Ricky finally asked.

"Oh, um-" Suddenly, a rowdy group of people comes into the coffee shop, screaming over each other and interrupting Nini.

"Want to go somewhere a little quieter?"

"Yes please." The pair quickly hop out of their seats and go to the parking lot.

"Where to?"

"Follow me." They get into their respective cars and make their way somewhere else.