Finding Isla

First Date

Nervous.

My fingers tremble as I fiddle with the silver chain around my neck.

My phone sits face up on my lap with promises of a text message from Archie moments away from popping up on my phone.

My vastly beating heart is terrified to hear the soft buzz of my phone to go off, but my stomach; softly flutters with the butterflies fluttering around, every time I think of him.

It's a weird predicament I am in. Who would of thought I would stumble upon someone like Archie? I sure as hell didn't see it. Still don't know if any minute from now I may wake up and this will all be a dream. But the pain from my fingers pinching the flesh, of my arm, tells me otherwise.

I may be nervous but I feel optimistic about this. Archie, has been nothing but kind to me and showed me he cares in more than one way. Does this mean I have to let my walls down, if just a bit? Show him me, through the cracks in the foundation. That alone is terrifying to me.

I want this! I want to be able to enjoy myself out on a date with someone new, I want to be able to enjoy my company far past meaningless conversations and sex fueled mindsets. Im ready for the realness that Archie promised. Maybe thats why I wasn't as reluctant about this date that I thought I would be. I mean, I completely wrote off men and relationships when I finally had the veil pulled from my eyes and say the truth starring back at me in the form of a girl between his legs..

Thanks, Nick! If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't of ever got to this point. Maybe I wouldn't treat dating and trusting, like the plague. Thanks, Universe. In its own, messed up way. If anything, it encouraged it. Forced awful memories that I so helplessly tried to flee away from. Made their way back to the forefront of my subconscious. For me, to replay. Over and over, again.

I have to get over this, Break the invisible chains wrapped around my body like a cobra coiled around its next meal.

I needed to, move on.

Feeling, completely overwhelmed. I tightly shut my eyes, the constriction of breath in my chest makes me wince. "Break his chains." I slowly whisper out underneath my breath. Opening my eyes, my hands tremble from the anxiety trying to control the narrative. I push it down, Swallowing the ever growing lump in my throat.

My phone pings loudly, startling me. Hand over heart, it pounds, loudly, in my chest. "Get yourself together, Isla." I try and talk myself down. This wasn't the time to freak out, So why was I? I should be excited for the unknown. Excited to finally meet a nice guy, Its hard to be though.

I want so badly to be over joyed about this adventure and while I am optimistic about it. In the back of my mind the fears still whisper in my ear that this is a-

Mistake.

Shaking the thoughts away, with trembling fingers I reach out and grab my phone sitting idly in the cup holder. Turning it on, a text message from Archie appears. Upon seeing his name I open it.

Archie: Meet me in the bar, Little Ninja. I will be waiting.

....

Taking steady steps towards the bar, I pause in my motions when I see the make shift sign hanging from the door. In decent handwriting, I am glad, I can read it.

'Bar is closed today: Hours will resume back to normal tomorrow. Thank you- Your friends at Deans.'

Seems he closed the bar for the day, hopefully its for some reason and not just for the date. Wouldn't want him losing out on any money, all for me.

Phone clutched tightly in my sweaty palms, I type out a quick message to Archie letting him know, I am at the door.

Not even a few seconds later the door in questions swings open and out pops Archie, in all his glory; One hand extended above his head holding the door open for me while the other is stuffed into his pants pocket. I shamelessly trail my eyes down his body.