Jessica's Fate

Chapter 12

He paid the bill and left a generous tip before taking my hand and leading me across the parking lot to his car. "So... just what should we do with our ..." He checked his watch. "Slightly over 2 hours before you have to be at home?"

"I don't know." I shook my head. "I'd say the beach but it's a little far away for a last minute thing."

"Next weekend then." He said. "Friday after you get off work maybe."

"Oh, I like that idea." I said with a nod as he opened my car door for me and I pulled him closer, grabbing on to his shirt. "Sounds nice." I said as he bent his head and his lips claimed mine again. I sighed against his lips, a soft groan of frustration leaving my throat when he pulled away.

"As much as I'm totally in favor of kissing you for the better part of the next two hours..." He said with a smile. "I want to get to know you better tonight."

"I can follow along with that. What about going to the fountain? There's all sorts of shops and bistros around there that we can stroll around and window shop or find some coffee to balance out the ice cream."

"Or we could find a spot on the pier to watch the stars come out." He nodded. "Sounds like a good spot to me."

I got in the car, leaning over to open his car door again before I buckled my seatbelt and he headed off in the direction of Waterfront Park. It didn't take long to get there and he took my hand as soon as we were out of the car. "Are you always this eager to hold hands?" I asked curiously, my fingers held tight in his.

He thought for a moment. "Well, I guess. I like holding hands. Especially when a relationship starts." He said. "If we had been at a smaller booth for ice cream, I would have held your hand over the table while we ate because I wasn't able to put my arm around you."

I thought about his answer and considered what I'd spent the last 5 years observing when it came to Sang and the boys. They all had some preferred way to hold on to her. Hardly any of them just held her hand. Well, I'll rephrase that slightly. The only one that I'd truly observed holding her hand was Owen. Usually he was very subtle about how he touched her and he stuck with a hand firmly planted at her lower back. But when he was very sweet and thought they were alone, he'd offer her his hand and she'd set hers in his and he'd very deliberately lock his eyes on hers and slide his hand around hers, entwining their fingers and making sure that their palms touched all in one move.

And it made her melt.

I could always see Sang melt. It was cute.

It was even cuter to watch 9 guys that I'd known most of my life to melt around her.

"So once a relationship has hit say, the 7 date mark, you are a little more, arm around the shoulder all the time and I....?" I raised an eyebrow at him.

He smiled and raised our hands to press a kiss to the back of mine. "Well, that is your open invitation to slide your arm around my waist, isn't it." He teased. "Slip your hand into my back pocket as we walk and get a good squeeze in." He laughed.

I rolled my eyes and laughed at him. "You wish." I teased as we paused by the fountain and I dug a quarter out of my pocket, holding it tightly and ignoring him for a moment before I made a wish and flipped the coin into the water. I looked up at him as he flipped his own coin into the fountain. "What did you wish for?"

"Can't tell you." He shook his head. "That would ruin it." He said, tugging me away and leading me out towards the pier. "And you did just tell me to wish." He pointed out.

"True. But you'll just have to wait a few more dates to see if it comes true."

We sat on a bench, his arm around my shoulders and my head on his chest as we watched the stars begin to twinkle and shine. I spotted a shooting star and we both made a wish on it. We didn't make it to one of the café's for coffee before they closed.

I was okay with that.

Zack was an excellent kisser.

And while that was all we were doing, it was more than enough. Those butterflies were being riled up to a hurricane force flutter in my stomach the more I kissed him.

I hated that I had a curfew. I could have kissed him all night. And I've never felt very comfortable being held. Arms around my shoulders and cuddling like we were... yeah... I didn't date guys long enough to feel like cuddling. But here we were. I couldn't hardly imagine not cuddling with him.

My phone alarm went off, indicating that I needed to be home in 30 minutes and we reluctantly broke the kiss and he rested his forehead on mine. "I need to get you home." He said apologetically.

"And if we're lucky, she's already gone to bed." I sighed softly. "But I still can't invite you in tonight."

"It's okay, beautiful." He said, trailing the back of his fingers down my cheek. He ran his thumb over my lower lip. "It's okay."

I nodded and pursed my lips, kissing his thumb before I extricated myself out of his arm and stood up, offering him my hand to hold. He smiled and laced his fingers through mine as we walked back to where his car was parked. "You'll text me when you get home, right?" I asked.

"If you want."

"Yes please. It'll make me feel better to know you've made it home safely."

"Then I will text you." He opened the car door for me before going around to get in himself.

"I just won't be able to have a long texting session since I'm working tomorrow." I said.

"I understand." He said. "I'll probably be by the diner between 10 and 11."

"That's a decent time. It's honestly not as busy as you would think at that time." I said, resting my head back against the headrest, watching him as he drove.

"I'll keep that in mind." He nodded.

All too soon, it seemed to me, we were pulling in my driveway. "I had a really great time tonight." I said.

He leaned in. "I did too." He said, brushing his lips tenderly against mine before I unbuckled my seatbelt. "Tomorrow, beautiful."

I smiled and leaned in, stealing a quick kiss. "Absolutely. Text me." I admonished him as I got out of the car and he nodded. I quickly opened the garage door, turning to wave at him before I shut the door and headed into the house.