Her Inked Scars

dinner plans

POV: Nyoka

[A Month Later]

It's not that difficult. It's just asking a friend if they want to hang out and have dinner somewhere.

I don't know why my heart is pounding so much as I walk around to Celeste’s shop after my shift, fiddling with the hem of my shirt in an attempt to keep me from knawing at my nails from anxiety.

I get a few curious glances from her customers and employees as I step into her shop, trying my best to avoid eye contact with everybody.

"Oh, Nyoka," Kris exclaims from behind the counter, "Celeste’s upstairs in her office if you're looking for her. I highly doubt you're here for a tattoo."

It might be a joke but I have been considering it. It's just what I want is very personal, hence I'm getting more comfortable with Celeste. It's difficult but I'm trying my best.

I thank Kris for her help before scurrying up to Celeste’s office, hesitating outside her office door as my hand raises, ready to knock. As I take some deep breaths to calm myself down and hype myself up, Celeste suddenly pulls open her office door, jump scaring me as she brightly smiles.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," Celeste apologises as I grasp my chest, my heart not able to take much more of beating at this many beats per second. "I just saw someone standing at my door, I didn't know it was you."

"I-it's alright," I stutter, taking deep and slow breaths to calm my heart to stop it from hurting in my chest. "I just wanted to talk to you about something."

Celeste smiles brightly and gestures me into her office. I nervously settle on her couch, scraping my long skirt under my knees as she sits beside me instead of behind her desk.

I shuffle a little further away from her as she rests her head in her palm, her elbow resting on her knee as she leans in, intently listening and patiently waiting for me to get the courage to say what I wanted to.

"Well, I came over to ask if maybe you wanted, I don’t know, to hang out tonight. And have dinner?" I say, twisting my fingers and the few rings on them in an attempt to stop myself from bolting out the door from cowardice.

"Sure, I'd love to," Celeste instantly replies with an even wider smile. "Do you have anywhere in mind?"

Shit. I'd hoped that I'd have an idea of a place or that she wouldn't ask me that. I might have lived in this town for over four years but I never go out anywhere.

"Um, I was hoping you'd know a place," I admit. "Do you have any ideas?"

She softly smiles before nodding, shuffling closer to me until our legs are touching. I hope she can't tell how much I'm shaking from nerves as our bodies are so close, making my heart pound again but this time it isn't from horrible anxiety. It's something else.

I shake away the thought that it is even a possibility that she is flustering me before asking her where she intends to take me.

"It's a surprise," she utters, leaning into my ear, her warm breath making my skin tingle with excitement.

I whine and beg her to tell me but she shakes her head, getting up and moving away from me to sit behind her desk instead, a mischievous smirk over her rosy lips that for some reason are only now catching so much of my attention.

I pout my bottom lip as she continues to refuse to tell me, preferring to stay mysterious.

"I'm not going to tell you where I'm taking you but I will tell you that I suggest you dress reasonably nice for it," she says, her eyes scanning up and down my body.

I don't know what she's expecting me to wear because I have no idea. I don't own much or any fancy clothes and does dressing up mean I have to wear makeup? I hate wearing it since it always feels so heavy.

"Okay," I mutter, trying to think about what I could possibly wear since I nearly always look underdressed next to Celeste.

"I'll give you my phone number so I can text you when I'm on my way to pick you up," she says, scrawling her personal phone number on a business card before handing it to me.

I tuck it into my pocket before leaving Celeste to complete her work for the day since I know it's stressful for her to deal with so many emails and everything else surrounding her business.

I stand outside her office to compose myself before going downstairs, leaving Celeste’s shop to catch my bus home to get ready for our...

...date?

...hangout?

What even is tonight going to be?

 

[Four Hours Later]

I have no idea what to wear.

I've emptied my entire wardrobe onto my bed in search of something decent to wear for my dinner with Celeste since she told me to dress nice but I don't have anything.

Or at least nothing I'm the most comfortable wearing.

Celeste texted me just under an hour ago saying she was on her way meaning she'll be here soon and I have nothing to wear. I'm just wrapped in my bath towel after taking a shower to try clean the sweat off my that's gathered since I'm so anxious.

I decide to dry my hair instead to give me more time to think, although I know I can't decide. Nothing I have is suitable and I don't even know what Celeste is considering tonight.

Does she think it's a date or that we're just hanging out as friends?

I don't even know what tonight is. I don't even know what I want it to be.

As I finish drying my hair, making sure to not dry it to the point it'll become uncontrollably frizzy, the buzzer to my apartment rings. I rush out to answer it and let Celeste up as I change from my towel into a dressing gown.

"Nyoka," Celeste calls into my apartment as I continue struggling to find anything to wear.

"Just a minute!" I call back, knowing that I really need to pick something to wear. Anything.

But I just don't have anything.