Emerging

Chapter 25: Jesse Marlon

I couldn't breathe properly. If Vincent got too close, initiated a conversation, or even looked at me for more than two seconds, I panicked internally and my chest would constrict. When we went out to lunch, I found it hard to look him in the eye, I haven't been that nervous since high school.

   I was already on edge and then he asked about why I seemed so animated in the art museum, and talking about myself was the last thing I wanted. I wasn't trying to hide anything, but I felt too self-conscious. Vincent deserved a better date, I was too anxious and the Smithsonian was now seeming like a poor choice in venue. I just wanted to be close to Vincent without feeling like my body was on fire.

It was supposed to be a fifteen minute wait for a table, and we started waiting five minutes ago. He was so unbearably close. A part of me liked how close he was while another wanted us to be on opposite sides of the restaurant. I felt a tap on my shoe and looked down to see one of Vincent's Adidas retreat from my shoes, and I look up to his face. He had a small indulgent smile, "Calm down, I'm having fun." I took a breath, realizing I needed to enjoy this day with him. The rest of our day would be a blissful dream.

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   I was driving Vincent back to his hotel, and we had a little banter going between us like a tennis match. We just kept trying to flatter each other into silence. Vincent won because what he said has never left my mind, "You make me glad for the merger, I never thought I could be this happy here." It stroked my ego a bit to hear that from him. But I refused to believe that I was one of the sole reasons Vincent seemed to take well to DC, and I told him so. But he insisted that was the case only with a single, "yes."

  After a second of bashful silence, I picked up the conversation from there, deciding not to challenge him again. I changed the topic seeing as we were nearly back at the hotel, "Have you been looking at apartments or houses in the area?" Vincent couldn't live at the Gaylord for the rest of his career. In a bothered tone, he told me he hadn't even started looking for a new place, and that he wasn't sure where he wanted to live DC, Maryland, or Virginia. He sounded like he didn't want to talk about it so I left it be, I knew he would figure it out eventually.

   Soon enough we made it. I parked the car and as always opened his side of the door for him. "You don't have to walk me to my room, " he murmured and placed a soft kiss on my cheek before saying a skittish thank you and walking quickly to the elevator that would take him to the lobby, with the bags from the gift shops we went to in his hands. While he walked, it was quiet so I whisper-yelled, "Thank you for having fun with me!" He looked back with one of the best smiles I've ever seen on his face and waved, as the sound reverberated around the parking garage before finally getting on the elevator.

   I felt like Aladdin after Jasmine kissed him for the first time. I was more than satisfied with the kiss Vincent gave me, it showed that he was getting more comfortable with me, and I was overjoyed with it.
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        As soon as I got home I took a shower, I always felt disgusting after spending a whole day where millions of people have been. People are disgusting. I took the time to cool my head and remember the best parts of today. And I was sure I'd be getting the best sleep tonight. While getting dressed, I looked at my phone, I forgot to turn it on.

   Preparing myself for nearly a hundred missed calls and fifty more unanswered text messages all from my dad alone, I held down the power button on the side with bated breath. I was too old to get spanked but the thought still gave me chills. Yet to see only three missed calls and five text messages was slightly underwhelming. Two of the calls were from my dad and the last from my friend Frank, and three of the texts were from other friends asking where I've been, one was from my father, and the other was from Persia.

   I didn't have time Persia, I didn't even remember why I dated her in the first place but I didn't even read her message before blocking her. I didn't want her, especially since I think I had one of the most promising dates of my life today. My father's text read only one sentence. "We need to talk." I wasn't worried that he would reject me for liking a guy, he was dating a man after all. But I was worried that he wouldn't want me dating Vincent in particular.

     I wasn't going to stress over it, I had a good day, and this shouldn't ruin it. At that moment Vincent texted me. It was a selfie of him holding the stuffed dinosaur I got him from the Museum of Natural History. He looked cute tucked in bed with it.

His name is Steven, and he says thank you for buying him and goodnight☺️

I laughed at the name of the dinosaur first before responding. Who named a dinosaur Steven?

Tell Steven that he is welcome, and goodnight to you both😌

This guy had me hooked, I thought before going to bed that night.

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I'm glad I got this done before September, schools starting. Somehow I always end up writing fluff. But it's ok, there should be some drama coming soon. Once again, sorry for errors, I will edit later. Anyways stay safe and cool💙✨

P.S. How'd you feel about writing text messages in Italics? And I'm not sure how I feel about the emojis, but whatever.