Duets

(2) I Feel Pretty And Witty And Bright

As much as Olive hates to admit it, she's possibly just as nervous for this date as Drew is. She took a long enough shower to sing almost all of the songs from West Side Story, and she tried her hardest to hear her date singing along with her, but she couldn't hear him over the water and her own singing. She never thought to consider that maybe she wasn't singing as quietly as she thought.

While getting dressed, she sang I Feel Pretty at least three times over and over again trying to boost her confidence. She couldn't hear anything from next door, despite Drew swearing he could hear everything in her apartment. She did hear Caitlin barking once when the boy's phone rang, but that's all the noise she got from next door.

"So, what do you do? Like for work?" Drew asks Olive as they sit across from each other in the small Italian restaurant. The girl spins an expensive ring around her finger to calm her nerves, and the boy's leg jumps under the table for the same reason.

"I'm an intern for a small publishing company. It's a paid internship, at least. Just not very well paid." She explains, sipping her iced water in front of her. "What about you? Do you do something with dogs? I see you walking Caitlin every morning."

"No, I wish I was around Cait all day. I take her to my best friend's because I don't want her to stay home alone. I actually have a degree in biochemistry, but just a bit after I graduated my mom passed away, and I haven't really done anything with it. I'm still just working at an overpriced coffee shop." The brunette picks at the edge of his napkin. He hasn't talked about his mom much since she died, but while it felt nice to talk about her, it also hurt like hell.

"Hey, you okay? We can talk about something else if it would make you feel better, like where did Caitlin get her name?" Olive tries, reaching to squeeze Drew's hand for a small second.

"My mom's name was Caitlin." He responds, laughing slightly at her failed attempt to turn the conversation around. Olive swears beneath her breath, making the boy laugh louder. "I'm good, Olive. Don't worry about me."

"I'm not exactly second date material, I suppose." She jokes, moving aside the fork on her empty plate so she can move her napkin from her lap next to it. She smiles sadly at the boy who stares at her in wonder. She can't remember the last time that someone looked at her with so much admiration and curiosity.

"I've been listening to you sing almost four months now. All I've wanted is to meet the girl behind the voice." Drew mutters, leaning back in the flimsy, wooden chair. "And now, that I've met you, Miss Olive Jane, I don't think I can be without you." She covers her face with her hands, trying to get rid of the pale blush collecting on her cheeks. She giggles quietly, looking up at him.

"Why don't you have a girlfriend?" She makes it more of a statement than a question as she tries to imagine every girl that Drew has ever dated. Probably tall like him, not 5'2 like she is. They were most likely blonde. Boys always go for blondes, at least that's what people have always told her. Your hair is too short. Maybe you should try wearing heels sometime. Have you ever considered dying your hair? Brunette is not exciting.

"You've got to be kidding me." Olive says suddenly, slightly freaking out Drew. She stares behind him at the large, blonde guy that has just walked into the restaurant.

"What's going on? Are you okay?" Drew asks, extremely worried about the girl in front of him.

"It's just, um... my ex." She says, pulling her hair to one side of her face, hoping that he won't recognize her.

"Do you want to get out of here?" The brunette asks, already beginning to stand up as he lays two twenty dollar bills on the table. Olive nods her head shortly before grabbing her phone off the table and walking around to grip Drew's hand. She pulls him the long way out the door, around many tables to avoid the boy and his friends.

Three steps away from freedom, the blonde turns and notices Olive walking next to Drew as they try to squeeze through the group of people lined up by the door. He calls her name, making her tighten her grip on the taller boy's hand. She slowly turns around to look at him.

"It's been awhile, Ben." The girl says quietly, letting go of Drew's hand.

"And you still look great." The boy named Ben remarks, taking a quick look up and down at her. "Who's your friend?" Drew tenses behind her, shoving both of his hands deep into his pockets.

"I'm Drew." He speaks up so Olive doesn't have to. "Nice to meet you, Ben." Olive can feel how uncomfortable her date has become and decides to reach one of her hands behind her back to hold his.

"You're her new boy to ruin." The blonde says, continuing to stare down Drew as if to size him up.

"I don't ruin anyone." Olive says, her voice weak and quiet. Every inch of confidence she had while walking to dinner and during the date has dissolved into nothing, and she can barely keep herself from falling apart.

"You don't seem too ruined. An asshole maybe but not ruined." Drew says, making Olive give him a slight look as if he is crazy. She shakes her head subtly before looking back at Ben.

"I wasn't ruined, pretty boy, because I'm usually the one that she runs back to, thus ruining the boy she was once attached to." Olive shakes her head at Ben's remark despite knowing that it is absolutely true. Drew tenses even further behind her before he promptly pulls his hand from hers.

"I'll catch you at the apartments." He mutters as she turns to look at him.

"Yeah, that'd probably be a good idea." She agrees sadly, turning to look behind her shortly before Drew pecks her cheek quickly, then moving in and out of the group to get out of the restaurant.