𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞 | Nicholas Alexander Chavez

seven

Friday, The Date

Friday night finally arrived, and I was both excited and nervous. I spent way too much time deciding what to wear, switching between outfits until I settled on a black dress that wasn't too formal, but still felt like I was putting in effort. I paired it with my favorite leather jacket, giving it a casual touch.

At exactly 7 p.m., there was a knock on my door. I took a deep breath before opening it. Nick stood there with a warm smile, looking as handsome as ever in a button-up shirt and dark jeans.

"Hey," he said, his eyes scanning me from head to toe. "You look incredible."

"Thanks," I replied, feeling my face heat up. "You clean up pretty well yourself."

He chuckled, and for a second, the awkwardness I was worried about melted away.

As we walked to his car, the conversation started slow but steady. He asked me how my day went, and I told him about the madness of juggling interviews at Entertainment Tonight.

"So, who did you talk to today?" he asked as he opened the car door for me.

"Just a quick chat with Chris Pine about his new movie," I said, buckling my seatbelt.

"Chris Pine? No big deal," he teased, raising an eyebrow. "You say that like it's totally normal."

I laughed. "Well, it kind of is now. Honestly, I've interviewed him a few times, and he's always really nice. But you know, the starstruck thing wears off after a while."

"I guess you're a pro at this by now," Nick said as he started the car. "I'd probably freeze up if I had to interview someone like him."

"I doubt that," I replied, smiling. "You're way more confident than you give yourself credit for."

The restaurant he chose was a small Italian place that I hadn't been to before. It was tucked away, hidden from the busy streets, and had this cozy, intimate vibe. As we walked in, the smell of garlic and fresh pasta filled the air. A hostess led us to a small table in the corner, which was dimly lit by a candle. It felt warm, comfortable, and honestly perfect for the night.

Once we were seated and had ordered a bottle of wine, the conversation picked up. It didn't feel forced, which I was grateful for.

"So, what's the weirdest interview you've ever done?" Nick asked after we'd placed our orders.

"Oh, there are so many," I said, laughing. "But one that sticks out is this one time with a reality TV star. She refused to talk about anything except her line of skincare products. Every time I tried to steer the conversation back to her show, she'd just go back to her products. I ended up pretending to be super interested in face creams just to get through it."

Nick laughed, shaking his head. "I can't even imagine trying to keep a straight face through that."

"It's a skill," I said, grinning. "What about you? What's the craziest thing you've dealt with in your job?"

He leaned back in his chair, thinking. "There was this one time, I was playing this role in this movie and the character was basically a frat boy. So in one of the scenes, he had to take butt drugs so all you see in the movie is me putting something in my butt while making a bunch of weird faces. Sorry I know that's nasty." He said while laughing

"No that's so funny!" I said.

We both laughed, and I could feel myself relaxing more. The food arrived not long after, and we continued talking as we ate. He asked me about my favorite places to visit, and I told him about my love for traveling, especially during the off-season when I could get some peace and quiet.

"I think the best trip I ever took was to Iceland," I said, twirling some pasta around my fork. "I went in winter, and the landscapes were unreal. I even got to see the Northern Lights."

Nick smiled. "I've always wanted to go there. I love places that make you feel small, you know? Like nature just reminds you how big the world is."

"Exactly," I agreed. "It's one of those places that makes you stop and think about life."

We spent the rest of dinner talking about everything—from travel to work, to funny memories from Aziel's old parties. It felt so easy, like we were picking up where we left off years ago. I found myself laughing more than I had in a long time, and every time I glanced at Nick, I could see he was just as comfortable.

As the night wore on, we ordered dessert, splitting a piece of tiramisu.

"So," Nick said, his voice a little softer now. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," I said, curious.

"Why didn't we talk after that graduation party? I mean, I wanted to, but life kind of got in the way."

I paused for a moment, thinking. "Honestly? I don't really know. After the party I had to deal with Hazel's heartbroken self because that was when Aziel started seeing that one girl, I totally forgot her name. She was blond and had these like really blue eyes."

"Oh I think her name was like Autumn or something like that." Nick added, I nodded.

"Yeah her! Anyway, yeah that and I was barely starting my internship so after a while I kind of just forgot..." I said before letting out a deep breath.

"Yeah I think we both went on different paths but hey, we ended up meeting again and we're here now. I'm glad we're here." He said while giving me a reassuring smile.

His words hung in the air for a second, and I felt a warmth spread through me. I was glad, too. More than I realized.

By the time we left the restaurant, the night had cooled, and the air felt crisp. As we walked back to his car, Nick glanced at me, his hands in his pockets.

"I had a really good time tonight," he said quietly.

"Me too," I replied, smiling up at him. "I'm glad we did this."

He stopped in front of his car, and for a moment, we just stood there, looking at each other. Before I could think too much about it, Nick leaned in and kissed me—softly, gently, like he didn't want to rush anything. It wasn't like awkward or forced; it just felt... right.

When we pulled apart, he looked at me with a small smile. "So... do we do this again sometime?"

I smiled back, my heart still racing a little from the kiss. "Yeah, I'd like that."

He opened the car door for me, and as we drove back, I felt something I hadn't felt in a long time—hope. Hope that maybe, just maybe, this was the start of something real. Something worth holding onto.

ahhh omg the datee
comment ur guys opinions on how u think it went and pls votee!!