Old Me

16 - Coronado

I smiled and opened the door for Michael.

"Hey," I said stepping aside so he could come in.

"Hey," he smiled back.

"Michael!" Cat yelled running from the kitchen.

"Hey, Cat. Good to see you."

"Put your shoes on, okay?" I said before filling Michael in on our pitstop.

"Sorry, but I need to drop Cat off with my mom. Is it okay if we do that on our way out?"

"Yeah, of course. Anything for Cat," he said winking at her, making her giggle.

"If you're driving, we'll have to put her booster seat in your car."

"Sure, no problem."

"Okay, let me get my keys from the kitchen."

I left Michael with Cat while I grabbed her booster seat from my car. I left it on the porch and went back inside to grab my purse.

"Ready?" Michael asked when I entered.

"Yeah, let's go," I said holding my hand out for Cat.

With Cat strapped in the backseat of Michael's car, it was slightly awkward to start a conversation. I mean we were meant to be on a date. I didn't really know what to say, and I was a little nervous.

"So, you're going to get on the 8 West. You know how to get there from here?" I asked as we pulled to the traffic light at the end of my street.

"Um, yeah, I turn left here and follow the road until I hit the freeway. Which side of the street is it on?"

"The right."

He nodded and put his blinker on as he pulled into the left turn lane.

I took a look around his car and noticed a pair of glasses in one of the cup holders.

"Do you wear glasses?" I asked noticing he was wearing sunglasses.

"Um, yeah, sometimes. But I mostly wear contacts when I can."

"Cool," I said.

Wow, that was lame, Bea. 'Cool'.

"Have you always needed them?"

"Uh, yeah. Pretty much...since I was a kid. Glasses are just inconvenient, so as soon as I could afford contacts I stopped wearing them."

I smiled trying to imagine the pair in his cupholder on his face. They were large black frames, that were slightly nerdy, but in the fashionable kind of way.

"What about you?" he asked, "Do you wear contacts?"

"No, thankfully I was lucky enough to not need them."

"How you doing back there, Cat? You want some music?" Michael asked looking at her in his rearview mirror.

"Yes, please," she squealed.

Michael pressed a button on his radio and some Top 40's music started to play in the background.

"So, where to now?" Michael asked as we merged onto the freeway.

"You're going to get on the 805S pretty soon, so stay in the right three lanes."

"Okay, Navigator," Michael said drumming his fingers on the steering wheel to the beat of the music.

When we finally pulled up to my aunt's house, I told Michael to stay in the car while I helped Cat out of the back seat. I released the booster seat and pulled it out of the car.