Starboy

Chapter 25: True

Songs for this chapter:
Kiss Me - Sixpence None The Richer
The Best Day - Taylor Swift

Benji

I spent a lot of time planning tonight. I don't think I've put in this amount of work or effort into anything before. Even though I only had a day to plan it, it was a long day.

I had to think about what Brandy will like, not what I'll like. Of course, I hope to enjoy it, but the main focus is on her. If she doesn't have a good time tonight, I'm not sure where we'll stand.

"There's my girl," I say as I walk into the kitchen. "You look fucking beautiful." I kiss her cheek.

"How was work?" I ask.

She groans. "Just awful. The customers were rude, my coworkers were extra mean to me. And don't get me started on Sam." She sighs.

"But it's okay." She smiles, seemingly forgetting all about it in a second. "The whole time I was thinking about tonight."

I smile back. "Yeah," I chuckle. "Our first date, huh?"

It still sounds strange to say out loud. Our first date. Brandy and I... are going out on a date. A real date. A date with dinner and hand holding, and... fuck. I've never been on a real date before. My brain and my body are so used to one night stands and all that bullshit.

I've never been a romantic. It still scares me.

"Mhm," she mumbles as she kisses me softly. "I'm really excited. When should we go?"

"Well," I say as I look at my watch. "It's only five o'clock now, so we have plenty of time. All the best dates happen when the sun is down anyway." I smirk.

"No, all the best hookups happen when the sun is down." She smirks back.

"It will be romantic, I promise." I tell her.

She shakes her head. "I don't like that word. Romantic. It's boring and cliche. So cliche." She chuckles. "Can we use another word?"

I laugh. "Oh, good. I hate that word, too. Only adults who aren't having sex use that word." I joke.

Her laugh fades. "We aren't having sex." She reminds me.

"Don't remind me," I kid.

"Look, about that—"

"No," I interrupt her. "We can talk about that another time. I just want to have a good first date with you, B. I've been wanting to do this for a long time."

"I have too," she agrees. "You're right. No controversial conversations tonight. We need to be... intimate." She lets out a laugh.

"Intimate?" I laugh. "That's no better than romantic, B."

"I know," she says still laughing. "We need a word, Benji. What other word is there?"

"If I find a word will you promise never to say intimate ever again?" I joke.

"I promise. Not even if there was a gun to my head."

We laugh.

So far, this is good. I just want to be happy. I want to be happy and I think Brandy is the only person who can help me get there. I need her to make me happy. Without her, I'm a drunken mess.

I shit on "romantic" a lot for someone who secretly is such a romantic at heart. Or maybe B just has a way of making me so stupid and in love.

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