Taking Chances

Part Two

Edited by Vapid_Ink

Part Two

"This is amazing," I yell to Nathan over the wind and loud roar of the bike's engine, watching the buildings and trees fly past in a blur.

He looks back at me, and sends me a breathtaking smile, making me blush. "It's pretty cool, huh?" he yells.

After about another ten minutes we come to a stop. I look around, wondering why he has brought me to the park.

"Wow that was..." I trail off with a grin, shaking my hair free from my helmet.

"I take it that that was your first ride?" he says, helping me off the bike.

"Yeah, I don't normally do this sort of thing," I say, still not believing I had actually done it. I like order, structure and facts, be it the accountant in me, yet here I was against everything that I knew but instead of feeling trepidation I felt excited. Maybe a part of my sister was rubbing off on me.

"What sort of thing would that be exactly," he asks with a grin.

"Completely throwing away my plans for the night to hang out with a total stranger in a park," I tell him gesturing around the park that is lit up by streetlights.

"I know it doesn't look like much, but hear me out. Walk with me?" he holds out a hand for me to take as he leads me through the park.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," I mumble to myself disbelievingly. 

"Come on, what's the worst that could happen?" he asks with an easy smile.

"You could turn out to be some psychotic, serial killer rapist," I say dryly.

"You have my word that I am most certainly not a psychotic, serial killer rapist," he chuckled.

"Well in that case..." I say with a smile, taking his extended hand. God was I actually flirting? What is happening to me?

"Let's play twenty questions, I'll start," he says as we walk along the parks pathway, passing various people along the way. The park was busier than I imagined it would be considering it was after dark. Then again I can't remember the last time I came to hang out at the park, after dark or otherwise.

"Okay, something easy, favourite color?'' he asks.

"Purple," I answer simply. "What do you do for a living?" I ask as he lets out a chuckle at my straightforwardness.

"Straight to the point, I see. I'm a tattoo artist,'' he tells me with an easy smile. I give his body a quick once over I can't see any tattoos, "Do you have any yourself?" I ask curiously.

"That's two questions, and to answer your question, yes I do," he says, lifting the sleeve of his shirt to reveal a heavily tattooed arm.

"It's called a sleeve," he explains after a moment. "Alright, since you got two questions it's only fair I get the same so, what do you do for a living?'' he asks.

"I'm in accounting," I answer. My job may not seem very interesting to many people but I love it. There was no black and white, only right and wrong. 

"Interesting so you're like a math genius," he jokes before asking another question, "What about you Chloe, have you got any tattoos?'' he asks with a smirk obviously expecting me not to have any.

"Actually I do," I admit, blushing. It had been a stupid decision when I was sixteen. I should add it was not my stupid decision but rather my sister's who thought it would be awesome if we got matching tattoos.

"No way let me see it," he exclaims, excitement dancing in his eyes.

"No," I say feeling slightly embarrassed.

"Oh come on, I let you see mine," he pouts.

"Fine," I huff, lifting my right arm and pulling down my dress slightly, revealing the skin just underneath the side of my bra.

"Ah, chinese symbol, nice. What does it mean?" he asks.

"It means sisters, at least that's what I think it means; knowing my luck it probably means soup or something,'' I laugh.

"I like it and for what it's worth I haven't seen that symbol on any takeout menus lately," he grins, brushing his finger over it, making me shiver.

"What smells so good," I ask as a wonderful aroma fills my nose, making my mouth water. I look around, trying to find the source of the smell. Then I see it.

"You brought me to a hotdog stand?" I ask skeptically.

"What? I said somewhere not fancy. Besides, these hotdogs are the best in the city," he tells me confidently.

"Just try it," he says, dragging me towards the little hotdog stand when I make no attempt to move.

"I'll take two with the works," he orders. After a few minutes, we are given our hotdogs, which Nathan so kindly pays for, and go to sit down on a park bench. Feeling hungry I quickly bite into my hotdog, groaning in pleasure.

"What did I tell you?" Nathan says smugly.

"Oh my God, this is delicious,'' I exclaim.

After finishing our hotdogs, we continue our twenty questions game as we walk back to his bike.

"Okay, so tell me, how did someone like you get convinced to go on a blind date?" I ask. He didn't seem like the kind of guy that needed help getting a date.

"Someone like me? What's that supposed to mean?" he says in mock outrage causing me to let out an unladylike snort. "Uh, my friend actually tried to set me up with his wife's sister," he answers. Suddenly I stop walking, my mouth hanging open as his words register.

"What?" he asks with a mouthful of hotdog, normally I would have found this gross, but somehow he made it look adorable. Not that I'd ever tell him that.

"Ask me who set me up on a blind date," I practically demand.

"Who," he asks, looking amused.

"My sister tried to set me up with one of her husband's friends," I reveal.

"No way, you're Peyton's sister?" he says, looking just as shocked as I feel. I nod as we continue walking.

Suddenly he starts laughing. "What?" I ask confused by his laughter.

"What are the chances? I mean, we both decide to ditch our dates only to find out we were supposed to be each other's dates all along," he says, still laughing and making me let out a chuckle of my own.

***

The ride back to my apartment is just as amazing as the ride to the park. Pulling up in front of my apartment Nathan helps me off the bike and walks me to my door.

"Well this is me," I say, turning to face him. "I had a really good time tonight," I tell him.

"Me too," he grins.

We stand there in silence for a few moments before Nathan speaks up.

"Isn't this the part where we kiss and you run inside and write about it in your diary?" he asks with a mischievous grin.

I give him what I hope is a sultry smile, and lean in real close so our noses are almost touching, taking satisfaction in the way his Adam's apple bobs up and down nervously.

"I never kiss on the first date, so if you want a kiss you'll just have to take me out again," I whisper sweetly, slipping my number in his hand as I let myself in and shut my door, grinning like an idiot and silently thanking my sister.

THE END

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