Love and dances - Joel Dawson

Ball dancing

Dear Aimee,

Ever since you invited me to your benefit, that is all I can think about. Well, that and the fact that, apparently, I should probably start worrying about looking for some fancier clothes.

"So, like... When you say fancy you mean..."

"Yeah, I don't mean like... Red carpet fancy. More like... A not so chill yet not so expensive wedding type stuff."

At Maple's words, Joel frowned, turning to look at her a little confused as the two of them took full advantage of the sunny Saturday New York was offering them. It had been three days since Joel had spoken to Aimee last and Aimee had sent him the information on the benefit just the night before, apologizing profusely for taking so long and saying she had just gotten a bit caught up with her college and job stuff. Joel didn't really mind and, even though he had freaked out about ten times over the 72 hours in between their encounter and that text, Joel supposed he should be happy she even texted him at all. After all, if she had sent him the information on the benefit, it was because she wanted him there, right? So, at least, the first part of his plan - the part where he just appeared in New York and hoped Aimee didn't hate him for whatever reason - went well enough and now it was time to put the second part of it into action. And the second part was actually making a move on Aimee. It sounded easy really. After all, they had dated before and Aimee had been excited to see him, so it really shouldn't be so hard for him to ask her out again, right? Wrong. Because Joel was awkward and he grew even more awkward when he was nervous and he was pretty sure if he just went up to Aimee and asked her out, he'd end up making a fool of himself and the first part of his plan that had worked out very well would've been for nothing.

So he needed help. And that was exactly why he had called Maple. Joel was mildly surprised when the girl accepted his invitation for a chat without blinking an eye, but when she offered to take him to Central Park and asked him to take Boy with him, Joel was sure she had just jumped on the opportunity to see the dog again. But it didn't matter, because, for him or for Boy, Maple was there and, after listening to Joel retell in detail about his re-encounter with Aimee and his nerves about asking her out as the two of them walked leisurely around the park while keeping an eye on Boy who, every once in a while would run off on them to play around with a stick or another that he found along the way.

"I mean, you could try and talk to her at the benefit." Maple had offered at some point, seemingly having grown tired of having Joel whining about Aimee for so long. "I mean, it's gonna be in, what? Three weeks? Aimee always puts everything of herself in those benefits and considering midterms are happening in a few days, I'm pretty sure she won't have much free time for a talk. Especially not a talk as important as that one."

"So you think I should wait for the benefit?" Joel asked, as Maple nodded, shoving her hands on the pockets of her jeans as she tilted her head back a little, soaking up the sun in her skin.

"I think it'd be a better idea." She said. "You could use these days to get settled and everything. And... I don't assume you brought a smoking with you in your little backpack from Fairfield?"

"A smoking?" Joel had asked then, one of his eyebrows raising when he turned to Maple as the girl just giggled gently. "What would I need a smoking for?"

And that was the moment Maple had disclosed to Joel a very important piece of information Aimee had, seemingly, forgotten to mention: her benefit was sort of a black-tie kind of thing, so, that meant... That meant fancy clothing and champagne flutes and small-talk.

"So that was what she meant when she said the people there liked a more relaxed type of party..." Joel mumbled, causing Maple to laugh.

"Yeah, it's not usually my scene, but... I guess it's fair to assume most of the elders there wouldn't want to throw down like us college kids, huh?" She teased, as Joel breathed out a laugh.