The Consequences Of Being Alone

~Five~

Nadia almost dropped her glass in shock that Cory was so forward, considering they had only met once, "Would I what?"

Cory looked up from the menu and looked at her in her brown eyes, "Would you go on a date with me?"

"Cory, I-" Nadia let out a soft laugh, "I barely know you."

Cory put his elbows on the bar, trying to get closer to her, "Isn't that the point of a date? To get to know each other?"

Nadia thought for a second, he wasn't wrong. But, it was a bit forward and a bit fast. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing to go out with him. He is very intriguing. But, wouldn't it be wrong to have never gone on a date with Elijah, out of all the times he's asked, but go out with Cory the first time he had? It didn't seem fair or logical. It did start to seem like something she was interested in, despite the inner battle.

"Let me make you a drink first, at least," Nadia told him to try and delay her giving a proper response.

Cory backed up off of the bar, "Fair enough, surprise me."

Nadia just nodded and got to work. Grabbing various liquors to make his concoction. Once she was finished, she placed a napkin in front of Cory and placed the drink gently on top.

"What is it?" He picked it up and examined the mysterious liquid in the little light that was in the bar.

"Take a sip and guess. If you get it right, I'll go on a date with you," Nadia crossed her arm over her chest, confident that he wouldn't guess correctly.

Cory lifted his glass in the air, "Cheers," then brought it back down to his lips and took a sip. When he finished he made a familiar move and licked his bottom lip.

"Hmm, I don't know this is pretty..." Cory took another sip and smirked, "Easy."

Nadia scoffed at his remark, "Then what is it smart ass?"

"No need to be so hostile, sweetheart," Cory placed the drink slowly back onto the napkin to build suspense, "It's a Corkscrew."

Nadia squinted her eyes at him, "How did you know that?"

Cory laughed, "Been around the block a few times."

Nadia uncrossed her arms and rolled her eyes, "When's our date?"

Cory chuckled, "Right now."

"I'm working, sweetheart," She said mocking him.

"No you're not," Cory pointed to the clock on the wall behind her.

She quickly looked behind her and read 11:00 pm, exactly when her shift ends. She quickly looked back to where Cory was sitting and he was gone. She looked around for him and didn't find him. Confused, she started to clean the bar and finish up her work to leave.

Nadia stepped outside the bar and the warm summer breeze hit her face. Only the moon was out and a few drunkards stumbling in the street trying to find their way home. She shook her head in disappointment at the stumbling men and started to walk toward her truck, assuming that Cory had just gone home.

When she got to her truck, Cory was there, leaning against the bed with a bouquet in his hand looking around. Nadia froze at the sight of flowers in his hand, even though Elijah had gotten her many before, it felt different coming from Cory. She felt the butterflies rising in her stomach as she finally got her legs to move forward.

"There you are," Cory lifted himself off the truck and took a few steps forward to meet her.

"I thought you ran off," Nadia laughed shyly and tucked straggling hairs behind her ear.

Cory smiled wide, "I wouldn't ditch you, you're too beautiful to be left alone out in the dark like that."

Nadia felt her cheeks getting hot, "Thank you."

Cory extended his hand, which held the flowers, out to Nadia, "These are for you."

"They're beautiful, thank you," She took them from him and held them close.

It had been a while since Nadia felt this nervous around a man. The only guy who had really tried to court her all these years was Elijah. Except for her high school boyfriend, who has now disappeared off the face of the Earth. Nadia never kept in contact with him after they broke up, it wasn't pretty. Plus, she didn't care about what he was doing now or where he was. He meant nothing to her anymore. They were nothing but mere strangers now and it was better that way.

"So, where are we going?" Nadia looked up at Cory's green eyes.

"Give me your keys, I'll just show you," He held out his hand and Nadia looked down at it.

His hand was large, but not so big that it was intimidating, but enough to where it was definitely a man's hand. His fingers weren't big too, not scrawny kind of like Elijah's, but again, not too big where it's scary. His hand was just, perfect. The perfect man's hand that Nadia had expected to see from him.

She reached for her keys in her pant pocket and placed them into Cory's perfect hand and he gripped them tight, "Let's go."

He walked her to the passenger side of the truck and opened the door for her and waited for her to step inside. Once she was seated and comfortable, he gently closed the door and made his way to the driver's side.