How Not to Fall In Love

Chapter 24

After about an hour of walking up and down Downtown Mall, the black iron lights between the trees slowly lit up as the sun started to set. More and more people were beginning to fill the sidewalks up. We passed by Coffee Oasis once or twice as we walked around the area. I didn't expect to leave Coffee Oasis with a job, but I could use the extra money. Jules said Dad was coming home next Friday, but something deep in my soul was telling me he wasn't. He was paying the bills from wherever he was because I was getting messages on the home phone saying certain bills had been paid. Dad never asked how we were doing on the message or said he'd call back later. The messages were always the same: he'd paid bills and hung up. 

"Are you getting hungry?" Austin asked, taking my empty cup and throwing it away with his. 

"A little." 

"What sounds good?" Austin asked, standing in the middle of Downtown Mall, looking up and down the walkway. 

"Pasta!" I blurted out. "Sorry, I didn't mean for it to come out like that." I giggled. 

Austin stepped closer to me, smiling. "Pasta it is." He raised his hand, brushing a piece of hair off my cheek. His eyes did not waver away from mine, and his lips were mere inches away, teasing me. He took my hand, pulling me close to his side as we walked through the crowds of people. 

We arrived in front of Serafina's fifteen minutes later because it was on the opposite end of Downtown Mall, away from Coffee Oasis. I looked up at the beautiful Italian flag hanging underneath the sign. The outside of the building was brick that had been painted white, and glass entrance door edges were etched with fancy designs. Austin opened the door for me, and the aroma of garlic greeted us.

"Hi, welcome to Serafina's." A girl with long blonde hair dressed in black slacks and a white top said, walking around the corner toward a wooden stand by the door. "How many?" She smiled. 

"Two," Austin said. 

The girl smiled at Austin, grabbed two menus, then told us to follow her as she took off walking through the dining area. There were round wooden tables with matching chairs in the middle and wooden booths along both sides of the walls. The tables were decorated with old Italian wine bottles covered with what looked like straw on the bottom, used as vases. She walked us over to a booth off to the right side of the dining area, set the menus down on the table, and told us our server would be with us in a few minutes. 

"It smells so good in here." I inhaled, closing my eyes for a brief second. Then, I opened them and looked to the left at the filled tables throughout the restaurant, trying to see if anything looked good. 

"God, you're beautiful." 

I turned my head to find Austin staring at me, smiling. "I think the garlic is making you delusional." I smiled. 

His eyes narrowed as he tilted his head. "Why do you find it hard to believe that I think you're beautiful?" 

His question caught me off guard. "Uh..." I stammered, trying to answer him. I was about to say something when our server walked up. 

"Hi, my name's Kelsey, and I'll be taking care of you this evening," she said, looking down in her pocket for a pen. "Sorry about that." A smile spread across her face the minute she saw Austin. "What can I get you to drink?" She asked, not taking her eyes off him.

I wanted to jump up out of my seat and punch her in the face for trying to flirt with him in front of me. But knowing my luck, I'd go to get out of the booth to hit her and fall flat on my face right here in the middle of the restaurant. I didn't need to look like a fool in front of Austin. 

"I'll have a sweet tea," I said, watching her still stare at Austin. 

"I'll have the same." 

"Sweet tea." I'll be right back. She turned and walked toward the back of the restaurant, where the servers rushed in and out of a doorway big enough for two doors. She was back within a few minutes, and as I suspected, with one glass of sweet tea, she set down in front of Austin, smiling. 

Austin scooted the drink over to me. "We asked for two sweet teas." 

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't see you sitting there." 

Again the words flew out of my mouth before I had time to rationalize my thought. "How could you when you were too busy flirting with him?" I pressed my lips together, glaring up at her. 

"Uh...I'll be right back with that other tea." She hurried off to the back. 

"Bitch." I mumbled, staring at the doorway. 

"Bitch? Huh?" Austin laughed.

"Shh...Here she comes," I whispered.

"Do you know what you'd like to order?" She asked, trying not to stare at Austin. 

I don't know what came over me. "Gosh, I was too busy watching you make a fool of yourself with my date that I didn't have time to look at the menu." I smiled, sliding a menu over toward me. 

"I can give you a few minutes to look it over." 

"Thanks." I started to glance over the menu, refusing to look up at her. I had already said way more than I had intended and made a fool of myself. I was even afraid to glance over at Austin. I sat there staring at the menu, trying to decide between the  Veal Parmigiana or the Shrimp Alfredo. As I continued to sit there and stare at the menu as if it was going to choose for me, I felt a gentle tug on it.   

"Everything okay?" Austin asked, prying the menu out of my hands. 

"Yeah..."

"Are you mad at me?" 

"Mad at you? No." I took a sip of my sweet tea. I rolled my eyes when I saw the server walk out from the back of the restaurant headed our way. 

"Have you decided on what you'd like to order?" The server asked, walking up to our table.

"Rylee, do you know what you'd like to order?" Austin smiled. 

"I'll have the Shrimp Alfredo." I kept my eyes on Austin. 

Austin ordered the Spaghetti and Meatballs and asked if we could have some cheesy garlic bread while we waited for our dinners. I knew the minute she was far enough away; the questions would start. Of course, he could ask all he wanted, but it didn't mean I was going to tell him anything in particular. I had every right to be upset with how she was flirting with him. And no, I wasn't mad at him; he hadn't done anything wrong. He pretty much ignored her advances. But, it still didn't change the fact I wanted to punch her in the face. 

"You going to tell me what's wrong before she returns with the garlic bread?" Austin asked, placing his hand on top of mine. 

"Nothing's wrong," I said, glancing to the side of Austin back toward the doorway. 

"Rylee, you're such a liar." He chuckled, taking a drink of his tea. 

"I'm not lying." 

"Yeah, right. I can see it in your eyes whenever the server comes over to our table." He raised an eyebrow. 

I leaned to the side, peeking toward the doorway to make sure she wasn't walking toward us. "Okay...She pissed me off when she started flirting with you." I pressed my lips together, leaning back in the booth, crossing my arms. 

"You're cute when you get jealous." He smiled. 

"It's not funny, Austin." 

"You have nothing to worry about. Trust me." He got out of his seat and scooted next to me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. 

Author's Notes:

Wow! Rylee didn't like the girl flirting with Austin. LOL! 

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