Thousand Dollar Friend

Chapter 15 - Our First Date!

I'm in my bedroom, with clothes draped over my bed, clothes draped over the chair, shoes strewn across the carpet, and no idea what I want to actually wear.

Okay, okay, Tara, think! Adam said he planned everything, and said to wear something reasonably comfortable. My nice dresses are probably overkill, and I definitely don't want to wear heels in case he's thinking we'll hang out in the park. Think cute and comfy.

I rifle through my closet, examining my options. Too fancy, too casual, yikes there's a hole in that one...

Finally, I settle on a lacy peach top, white capris, and a soft jean jacket. I feel like the shirt really complements my skin tone, and I like to think I could turn a few heads wearing this.

Next I head to the bathroom and start playing with my hair. After going through a few options, I settle on a loose braid draped over one shoulder. I put on sparkly gold earrings and admire my reflection.

I look amazing! I hope Adam thinks so too... I wonder how he's doing right now.

"AAAAA!"

Adam stands in his bedroom, shower towel around his waist and panic in his eyes as he stares at his petrified reflection in the mirror.

Thoughts race through his head. What should he do? He totally forgot to do laundry! Tara's always so well-dressed... how will he possibly impress her? He doesn't understand fashion! What if she hates the spot he picked? What if she hates the outfit he wears? What if he trips over his shoelaces and falls flat on his face in front of her?

"AAAAA!"

Deep breaths, Adam. He still has some nice clothes that are clean. He can look up fashion advice on the internet. And Tara's aunt gave him good info about what she likes.

He can deal with any problem he faces. Including looking good for a girl.

Adam pulls out his phone and looks up advice on how to dress for a date...

After reading up on it, he feels fairly confident that he knows how to dress well. He's taken other girls out on dates before, but he never felt so nervous about it before. Something about Tara makes his heart flutter and his stomach twist, filling him with an anticipation stronger than he's used to. How has she gotten into his head this much? They haven't even been on a single date yet!

It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter. He needs to focus on getting ready. First, get ready for the date. One step at a time.

One of the fashion websites said that he had a "winter" complexion, meaning that he looked good in dark colors, particularly blues, grays, and greens. Adam looks through his closet carefully, comparing the color palette to his outfits, before settling on a nice dark blue shirt from his closet. He goes with some khakis, figuring it'll look nice while still being casual enough for the night's activities. See? He's not totally hopeless at this.

How does the rest of him look? Adam carefully combs his wet hair, trying to make it look carelessly tousled. He's not sure if it's working, but he hopes so. Finally, he takes his glasses to the bathroom and washes them with soap and water. He puts them on. The world looks much clearer now.

Adam looks at himself in the mirror. He manages a somewhat lopsided smile at himself. He's a handsome, charming young man who impresses all his dad's friends and can sweep a girl off her feet if he treats her right. He can do this.

He can do this.

I check the clock in my room. It's nearly 3:00! He'll be picking me up soon (since it is a school night, after all). I let out a  quiet squeal of excitement. "EEEE!"