Night in the Ruts

I am my Father - Charlie

I don't know what came over me, but it was an absolutely ballsy decision, or so I thought.  We were waking side by side down the steps to get to Steven's car.  I had had a great time.  Almost too great a time.  It seemed like a date.  It felt like a date.  I think it was a date.

        So when two people go on a date, they hold hands, right?  Well, I mean mine was just kind of dangling there and his was just kind of dangling there, so I reached out my fingers and apparently he did the same because all of a sudden out fingers were entwined.

        They were soon separated however, when he opened the car door for me and went around to his side and started the car.  Soon enough, though, our hands were back together.

        I felt truly guilty for making him pay for that dinner.  It was too expensive.  I didn't deserve that.  I made sure to thank him like a gazillion times.  Each time he would laugh his knee-weakening laugh and say it wasn't a problem.  Why he'd take me to the most expensive pizza place in town is beyond me, but at least it wasn't a nice restaurant.

        I couldn't help but be extremely aware of his thumb rubbing back and forth on the back of my hand while our fingers rested in between each other on the arm rest for the duration of the ride.  It felt so natural, so right.

        I also couldn't help but be extremely self conscious of the way he kept looking at me.  It was like he was truly interested in what I had to say.  His eyes are pretty readable, but this is coming from the girl who knew something was wrong with her parents before they even knew anything was wrong.  Steven's eyes were filled with this mixture of wonder, curiosity, and something else I couldn't quite place.  But I liked it.  It was a warm and fuzzy-feeling look he had the whole night.  It was nice.  Very nice.

        All too soon we reached my driveway.  He looked down at our fingers, making no move to get up.  I looked at them too.

        Tan, pale, tan, pale... His, mine, his mine...

        I smiled a little tiny smile.  I smile a lot.

        He looked up, I followed his eyes.  Now the wonder and curiosity were gone.  It was that one emotion that I couldn't place.

        Was that a date?  If that's what you want it to be, his words from earlier rang in my head.  I wanted it to be.  Because if that's what dates are like, then I love dates.

        I grin deviously.  "Thank you for that... Date," I said, still with the grin.

        He returned the grin.  "The pleasure was all mine.  And I'd like to do it again, if that's alright?"  I nod.  That is very alright.

        He removes his fingers from mine, and turns to open the door.  But instead, in one swift movement, he was facing me, and for a split second met my eyes with that same look, and then immediately pushed his lips to mine.

        As soon as we were kissing, I knew what the look in his eye was.  The look in his eyes was desire.  He must like me more than I thought.

        Although the kiss was considerably short, it left me breathless and dizzy.  And, oddly, wanting another.  So we leaned back over the gearshift and he kissed me again.  I guess you could describe these kisses as deep, or something like that.  But may I just say, the look in his eyes was very apparent on his lips.  And once again we were the only two people on the face of the earth.

        The second kiss was longer than the first, but Steven broke it off again.  "It's nine twenty-eight," he breathed.  So at least it didn't leave only me breathless.