(dream/reader) Panic in her eyes

Chapter Four

I wait for an answer.

She's staring at the ground.

My thumb presses into my forearm as I wait for her to respond.

She glances back up at me, and finally responds.

She says yes.

Well, technically she says, "Only if you're paying," but it's basically like she said yes.

We exchange phone numbers and I drop her off at her house, telling her I'll pick her up the next day at six.

As I'm walking back home, I realize that I now have to plan a date for us.

My hands grasp at each other. Something low-risk. Public, of course. Not only dinner. Dinner is boring by itself. And definitely not breakfast or lunch. Parks are too common, and a bar would be stressful for both of us.

I catch myself smiling as I think about her. She wouldn't want to do anything too fast-paced, probably. I think of something eventually--something fun. Hopefully she enjoys it.

I make it back to my house after a leisurely walk. It was a nice day out, so I wasn't in a big time rush.

I find a couple of people stumbling out of my house when I walk up to the door.

There are only a few people inside now, and the first person I see is George.

Of course, he's still with Georgia. Not that I have a problem with her still being here; good for them and all. But I did want to tell my best friend that I asked a girl out on a date and she said yes, without said-girl's best friend listening in as well. I'm patient though, so I don't mind waiting until she leaves.

Nick comes shuffling out of the guest room as I'm cooking breakfast for George and Georgia, so I throw a few more pieces of bacon into the pan and crack a few extra eggs.

"Did you have a good time last night?" Nick asks, leaning over the kitchen bar.

"I should be asking you that. It was your birthday," I respond, scrambling the eggs.

"I had a fantastic time. Thank you for asking," Nick says mockingly. I roll my eyes. Nick goes on, pointing to the two sitting on the couch, facing away from us. "Hey, who's the chick with George?"

I stifle a laugh and call out to her, keeping my eyes on Nick. "Hey, Georgia, did you have fun last night?"

Nick's face goes sheet-white, and then tomato-red. His jaw drops, but he's quick to close it, seeing my amused reaction. His eyes lock onto mine nervously.

"I did!" Georgia responds, hopping up from her seat on the couch. She joins Nick and me in the kitchen, and throws an arm around her cousin. "How was your birthday, Boogie?"

Nick's nervous expression morphs into a scowl and he tries to remove himself from Georgia's grasp, but she refuses to let go. "That's a disgusting nickname and I asked you to stop calling me that, like literally twelve years ago."

George joins us in the kitchen after just a moment and quirks an eyebrow. He says, "Boogie, you say? That's a new one. Hey, Clay, write that one down," and I'm already pulling out my phone to make a new note just titled, 'Boogie.'

"So, Clay," Georgia draws out my name. "Did you have fun last night?"

I bite my lip and finish plating everyone's breakfast before answering. "I did," I answer simply.

Georgia stares at me expectantly, waiting for me to go on.

"What?" I ask after a moment.

"Well...what happened?" She asks.