Jackson McKiernan doesn't think he needs to be in a relationship, nor is he jumping at the opportunity to get into one. At the moment, he is more than satisfied with the single life and if he's being honest, he'd rather focus his attention on matter...
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Complications with Text Messages
Just as Sage is about to reach for the handle, another hand beats her to it. She glances to her right and feels her heart stutter once more as she notices how close he is. Jack, however, does not seem fazed as he holds the door open, like the gentleman he is, and gestures for the girl to enter first. Clearly he's accustomed to sharing such close proximities with people. Sage, in contrast, isn't. For a quick second, she is stunned. Her arm then falls back down to her side and she manages to move forward while flashing him a small smile; it's her way of saying thank you.
She isn't the least bit familiar with the restaurant they're in but the aromatic scent wafting in the air is enough to have her stomach grumbling in excitement. Upon their arrival, the hostess asks for their party size and after Jack informs her it will only be the two of them dining, she leads the pair to a cozy booth tucked away in the corner. They end up sitting across from each other with the menus set in front of them. Sage wastes no time and skims through the various entrees, running her finger down along the laminated page, in search of something appetizing.
With her attention directed elsewhere, she doesn't notice Jack stealing glimpses of her from across the way. He can't help but fidget in his seat as he clears his throat. "Are you going back home?" he suddenly blurts out. That was totally smooth... not. At least he's got a conversation started now.
If Sage's memory isn't playing any tricks, this year her family should be the ones flying over to Vermont for the holidays. Her mother hasn't mentioned the matter over the last couple of weeks but she's positive that's what they had all agreed upon. "I don't think so," she hums. "My parents and little sister are going to visit. It's been awhile since they last came here."
Jack bites back his smile and lets out a deep breath after having heard her response. "Oh I see. So you'll be here then?" He's trying his best not to sound eager but it's a little difficult considering his chances of being able to spend more time with Sage has just skyrocketed.
The girl stops what she's doing and gives the question some thought. She doesn't recall having anything planned out and nods her head. "Yeah, I should be. What about you? Are you going anywhere?" Finally, she looks up at him and his breath hitches.
Despite his trembling heart, Jack musters the courage to hold her gaze. This isn't the first time their eyes have locked yet the butterflies in his stomach make it feel like it is. But, now that he's thinking about it, it has always been like this. From the very start Sage Chan had always had this kind of effect on him. She had the ability to make him speechless. The ability to make him do the things he's never dreamed of doing before he'd met her. And, the ironic part is, she's most likely unaware of the power that only she seems to have over him.
Why? Because she's just Sage. A girl who's simply terrible at reading people and their expressions. A girl who means exactly what she says and nothing else. A girl who can make someone fall without even realizing it. Although it hasn't been long since the two of them became officially acquainted, these are the subtle things Jack has managed to pick up on about her, along with a few other details. Like the way her brows crinkle whenever she doesn't understand something and how effortlessly she can dodge people and objects while she's busy studying her notes on the move. These are the little things that make Sage, well, Sage.
