Geek on the Side!

Vanessa has a birthday dinner

I spent like three hours deciding on an outfit for my birthday dinner with Kevin. I had several options: SEXY sexy, flirty and sexy, alluring and sexy, fun but sexy, cute and sexy, sexy and cute (A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THING!), CUTE cute, flirty cute, business casual, conservatively cute, conservatively sexy, or jeans and a T-shirt. Ugh, WHY do I have jeans and a T-shirt anyway!? Conservatively cute it is, and that means a long sleeved white blouse, a navy blue jacket, high heels, bracelets, natural makeup, and my hair down!

I decided to meet Kevin at the diner, for many reasons. First off, because getting a reservation at a fancy restaurant is a pain in the butt, and I'm not into fancy eating anyway. Second, I wanted Kevin to be CLEAR that this WASN'T a date between us, which is why I told him to bring a date. Thirdly, I didn't want to break bank tonight. Why have dinner at a fancy restaurant that charges twenty bucks for a slice of lemon pie, when this diner will sell you that same pie for a tenth of that price?

I wonder who Kevin will bring as a date? That idea kinda... irks me a bit? Huh, weird.

As I walked up to the diner I noticed Kevin was already at the door waiting for me. Next to him was some blonde girl with pink highlights... huh. So THAT is the type of girl he's into. OK, OK, that's understandable, since his mother is blonde and so is Paige. That family loves blondes. Fantastic.

And here I am with my own beautiful raven black hair. You know something about me that I'm proud of? I'm ALL natural! My hair color is natural, my eyes are naturally blue, my skin is naturally milky white, and my boobs are naturally big and bouncy! If that's not good enough for anyone, SCREW ALL OF YOU!

"Hey, Kevin," I said as I walked up to him and his date. "Who's your date?"

"Date?" He asked, perplexed. "April and I aren't dating! She's just the only person I could bring!"

"Oh, please!" The girl, April, rolled her eyes. "I was the FIRST girl you asked to come!"

"Only because I knew you were the only girl available!" Kevin spat back. "I've got a looooong list of girls I'd rather have brought here than you!"

"My butt you do!" She said, putting her finger on his chest. "You know like four girls, tops! And two of those are your sister and her wife!"

"That's not even remotely close to true!" He said, looking beet red.

"OK, Sooo, Kevin, I'm still waiting for that introduction!" I said, hoping to diffuse the situation.

"Oh, sorry," Kevin said, blushing a bit. "Vanessa, this is my classmate, April Mann. April, this is my friend, Vanessa Russo."

I couldn't help but feel relieved that Kevin and April are merely classmates. Ugh, what's wrong with me?

"That name sounds familiar to me," she said as she rubbed her chin. "Oh my God, I remember now! I saw you on the cover of this magazine! You were one of the "Top Thirty Under Thirty" entrepreneurs!"

"Oh my," I said, giggling a bit. "I do have some businesses I own, yes. I also did some modeling."

"And you've got an OnlyFans, too!" She said, and good God WHY DID SHE SAY THAT!? "One of the top point oh five percenters, right?"

"Uh," I gulped.

"Wow, really?" Kevin asked, seemingly not being shocked or anything.

I didn't want him to know. I didn't want him to see me that way, as a woman who uses her sexuality to get ahead in life. I wanted him to see me... I don't know, not like that? I guess?

"OK, cool," Kevin said, shrugging. "I respect the hustle."

What? WHAT!?

"Y-yeah," I said, shaken to my core. "I-I'm way more than just an OnlyFans girl, you know! I'm also-"

"Yeah, you're a business owner, a former model," Kevin began. "I get it, Vanessa. No judgment from me."

"OK then," I said, feeling both relieved AND disappointed. Why? Why can't he be like a normal guy and get grossed out by my position as an OnlyFans girl? Why can't he get all self-righteous and shame me, like any other person would?

"I'd never get an OnlyFans," April said, and I knew she was gonna throw shade at me. "I wanna be a child psychologist, and I can't have parents Google me and find my nudes so quickly."

OK, that's a legit reason to not want to do an OnlyFans. Also, wanting to be a child psychologist? Dang, that's pretty cool. She's kinda cool.

We ordered our food; I decided to indulge myself and ordered a burger, a diet coke, and a lemon pie for dessert. He ordered the same, and so did she.

"Soooo," I began. "How long have you two known each other?"

"Since grade school," April replied. "But this moron didn't bother getting to know me till this year."

"Bite me," Kevin said, and she responded by biting the air right in front of him.

These two are really good friends...

After dinner, Kevin had to go back to his dorm. He offered April a ride, but she declined. Reluctantly, Kevin left.

"You're hot," April said to me once she and I were left alone.

"Thanks, kiddo," I said. GOTTA make it clear I'm not interested!

"No wonder he digs you," she said, sighing. "He was way too excited for this dinner..."

"You like him," I said, making a statement instead of a question.

She squirmed a bit. I hit the nail on the head.

"He's not into me," she said, shaking her head. "He's too fixated on other girls to notice me."

"Guys can be like that," I said, sighing. "Girls too, to be fair."

"My mom says I should forget him," she said, looking glum.

"Well, she's kinda right?" I said. "But have you told him how you feel?"

"Nah," she said, shaking her head. "What's the point?"

"Well then, he'll never know how you feel," I said, crossing my arms.

"Why do you care so much?" She asked. "After all, you're into him, too."

"Whaaaat?" I was shocked! How could she suggest such a thing!?

"You kept your attention on him most of the night," she said. "And I noticed you took a short pause when you saw me. You like him, too."

"Oh my God, no!" I quickly said. "He's too young for me!"

"Uhuh," she said, giving me a look that just screamed that she didn't believe me. "It's cool, though. If it ever came to him picking between us, he'd pick you, no question."

"Well-"

"I'm OK with that," she said, smiling, but tears forming in her eyes. "If he ever did pick me, I'd find a way to screw it up, just like I fucked it up with Daisy."

"You dated Daisy?" I asked, shocked.

"That's ancient history," she said. "She's way happier now than she ever could have been with me."

Damn.

"Wanna know the worst part?" She asked. "He's so goddamn annoying and immature. He loves Iron Man and Star Wars, ESPECIALLY the Prequels. He still watches cartoons on Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon. He doesn't drink, doesn't smoke... and that... he's so... I really, really wish he'd just be some douche bro, like most of the guys at college. I wish he was a fake  male feminist who only pretends to be woke to score girls. I wish I could have a reason to hate his guts, you know?"

"But he's a legit nice guy," I said, smiling. "He's the type of guy to volunteer to help you out when you're too scared to go home, or-"

"Be the guy who'll stand up for you when you're being bullied," she said, smiling wistfully. "See? You like him."

Crap. I think I do. I've caught feelings, and that scares me....