All You Need Is Love

Chapter 7

*Nicole's POV*

7:17 p.m.

I was lying on my bed with my phone in my hand, anxiously waiting for it to ring.

Why hasn't he called yet?

It's getting late.

Is he even going to call at all?

I couldn't stop thinking about his lips and how they felt against mine.

My first kiss. Of course, he didn't know that was my first kiss. I'm sure if he did, he wouldn't have wanted me to kiss him at all.

The thing is, I wanted to do it. That was my one shot to do it, and I wasn't going to let it slip out of my hands like every other opportunity I've had in the past. Although what I did was completely outrageous, he didn't seem offended by it. Could it be true? Did he really like me? If he didn't, wouldn't he have pulled away as quickly as he possibly could? Then again, if he did like me, wouldn't he have kissed me back?

These thoughts are relentlessly trying to make me go insane. I feel as if someone has an ice pick and is trying to hammer through my head- a migraine. I always get these when I'm stressed out. 

All of a sudden, I felt my phone vibrate next to me. I shot up and snatched it in my hand, of course, it was an unknown number- it had to be Michael. I took a deep breath before answering.

"Hello?" I say softly, trying my best not to sound shaky. In all honesty, I'm extremely nervous.

"Hi, Nicole." the sweet voice on the other end says with a giggle. "How are you tonight?"

"Better now that I'm talking to you." I shake my head at myself and my lousy attempt to be flirtatious.

I have no idea what I'm doing.

He giggles again "Stop! You're embarrassing me."

I laugh "How is that embarrassing?" I ask him.

He's silent for a moment "I don't know this whole thing is just-"

I interrupt him "Weird? Yeah, it is."

"I wouldn't say weird, just crazy." he says.

There's silence for a few moments.

"I kind of can't believe you like me... I really like you." he says "I have since the first day I saw you. I think you're sweet and the most beautiful girl in the world."

"Michael, I-" he interrupts me.

"Let me finish. Now, listen to every word I say right now. I'm telling the truth and I just want to know if you're one hundred percent sure you feel the same about me because I don't want to start something that's doomed from the start." He sounds more stern than before, almost as if he believes that I'm just playing with his emotions.

"Michael, I really like you." I say softly "I wouldn't lie about something like this."

He sighs, almost seeming relieved by my words "You... don't think I'm too old?"

I laugh "You don't think I'm too young?"

He giggles "Touché."

"How old are you anyway? I don't think you ever told me." I ask, anxiously awaiting his response.

He's silent for a few moments, almost as if he's anxious for what he's about to tell me. I hear him take a deep breath then exhale.

"Forty-seven." He says quietly.

My jaw instantly hits the floor. Forty-seven? I never would've guessed that number as his age! Maybe thirty or thirty-five at the oldest, but forty-seven? Even though I've never been one to care about age in relationships, I couldn't help but wonder what would everyone else think.

My parents? Well, I don't know what they would think. Part of me felt like they would be happy I even had someone that liked me.

The other part of me felt like they would flip if they found out that someone was not even a decade younger than them.

"Nicole, are you still there?" I hear Michael's sweet voice ask.

I snap out of my thoughts, realizing I've been stuck in them too long. "Um, yeah. I'm still here." I say, barely getting the words out.

"Is everything okay?" he asks me. "Are you uncomfortable with this? Because if you are we can end this right here and act like-"

I interrupt him "No!" I say laughing. "I don't care about how old you are, it's just that I thought you were-"

"Younger?" he says.

"Yeah, exactly." I say.

He giggles again "I'll take that as a compliment."

I laugh and an awkward silence suddenly fills the conversation. I'm at a total loss for words at this point; I have no idea where this is going. Why did I even want him to call? What is the point of this entire conversation?

Michael suddenly breaks the silence "N- Nicole, it would be an absolute honor if you let me take you out on a date."

My eyes instantly widen. Am I dreaming? Is this actually happening right now?

"Michael..." I think about giving him a long drawn out answer, but decide against it.

Instead, I just tell him what he wants to hear and what I want to say-

"Yes."