The Science of Growing Apart

32- Shakespeare

The only thing I was told about the date was that it was a casual affair and that I would be picked up at 6pm the next day. I refused to acknowledge that it was a date for fear of passing out or convincing myself that I was dreaming. So I just got dressed in a pair of jeans, comfortable black boots, and a soft knit sweater with a V-neckline that showed off just a bit of cleavage.

I tied my hair in a half up-half down look, my curls acting just as chaotic as they always were and I tossed on just a bit of foundation. If I treated this like a date with Casey Gordon, I would have spent hours stressing about what to wear and how much makeup I should put on. But this isn't a date with Casey Gordon, we are simply just hanging out, like we've done so many times before.

But then I meet him in the parking lot of my building and he's wearing dark jeans, a black t-shirt, and a well-fitted brown suede jacket and I want to vomit. His light hair was gently styled and he's got a grin the size of Jupiter on his face, lighting up the entire parking lot. Staring at him from across the parking lot made me want to die, he was so beautiful and this was really happening. Don't blow it.

"You look nice," he said as I approached on wobbly knees. He then smoothly opened the passenger door of his car and waved me inside.

"Thanks. You too," I mumbled awkwardly as I got into the car. It was just Casey, I tried to remind myself. That thought process had worked so well until I actually saw him and all of my resolve went out the window.

I sat my hands between my thighs and the seat of the car as he got in the driver side and started heading for the main road.

"So," I spoke up after clearing my throat. "Where are we going?"

"I've known where I would take you on a first date since I was fifteen," he told me as he drove, not looking nearly as nervous as I was feeling. "I had it all planned out perfectly, I had an itinerary typed up and everything."

"That's the least surprising thing that I've learned in recent days," I told him with a little laugh as a blush started to heat up my face, and I was sure it would stay there all night long. "You're adorable."

"Did you have any daydream dates we'd go on?" he asked me.

I tried to think of one, but I couldn't think of anything, so I just shook my head and said, "Not really."

"Well, this whole thing just got much more embarrassing," he mumbled with an awkward laugh.

I couldn't help but join him in laughing and then say, "I don't know, my daydreams were always focused on the moment I told you how I felt. I had the script written nine different ways, I imagined the outfit I would wear when I did it, the exact amount of feet I'd stand from you. Close enough to reach, but not too close where you'd feel uncomfortable. I imagined what the kiss would be like if you allowed it. But my imagination never really got passed that moment."

"I never thought about that, because I knew I'd never actually get the courage to say it."

"I came close a few times. Always chickened out at the last second."

When Casey pulled up to the Folger Shakespeare Library, I shouldn't have been surprised. I did really enjoy Shakespeare when I was in high school and even now could appreciate his work when I had time to revisit it. But, still I felt a little bit surprised.

"You hate Shakespeare, Casey," I reminded him with a nervous laugh as we got out of the car and walked together into the building.

"But you love Shakespeare, and I wanted to impress you," he said to me, holding the main door open for me before he followed behind. "You know how you said my eyes light up when I'm talking about my research."