In Your Arms

Chap. 6: Second Date

(Picture of Katie Morgan Above)
*Katie's POV*

           So I met Chris at the marine wildlife resort. It was awkward, really. I didn't know what to say to him. We went in and he took me to the first spot to go to, which was this large aquarium with millions of different species of fish. It was so beautiful. Then he took me to see a blind beluga whale. It kept bumping into the walls and whining. While watching the poor whale do it's thing, Chris started to touch my hand but I pulled away out of instinct. I felt bad about it but I don't know enough about him to get THAT close.
            "So, Katie—" He winces.
             I nod. "—Morgan."
             "—Morgan, what do you do for a living? Do you volunteer?" Chris shoves his hands in his pants pockets.
             I can't help but laugh. "I work for a fashion artist named Hannah Strikes. She's very popular with BlahBlahBlondie Enterprises. She hardly ever gives me time to do much of anything."
              Chris smiles, nodding. "So you're into fashion?"
                "No, not really. It's one if the very few things I truly care about, if I'm being honest." We walk up the ramp to see an Orca named Winter. "I'd rather sit down and write novels all day—or spend time with little kids."
                Chris is quiet for a few minutes.  "Then why are you working for—what's her name? Hillary Spikes?"
                 I nod. "Hannah Strikes, actually. And I don't know why. I wonder that a lot, but I guess it's because anything else was taken or didn't give me enough money to pay for my lifestyle."
               Chris nods, running a hand over his beard. "So what do you do for fun?"
            "I'm really boring." I candor, "Hannah has me working almost every day so I don't have time to have a lot of fun. I just got lucky having two days off this week."
               "What do you do on your days off?" Chris's blue eyes search mine. "When Hannah isn't running your life?"
            "Sleep? Eat?"  I quickly turn it around, "So, what do you ACTUALLY do? What does Chris do for fun?"
              Chris smiles. "Well, I help with the Children's Hunger program and try to find homes for the homeless. I usually just stand there while smiling like an idiot, waving to everybody. I honestly have too much time on my hands. I like sports, spending time with my dog, working out, doing normal things like getting lunch with my buddies at Buffalo Wild Wings."
Wow. Impressive—if it's true.
               "Is it all true?" Chris gives me a look, "You told me something similar the other night but I didn't know if you were making it up just to impress me or..."
                 Chris smiles. "It's all very true."
                "Good. I'm glad." I smile happily.
                  As we walk, I catch a little red ball in the air. Two little boys come running through the crowd. They're so cute! I give the ball back to them.
             "There you go, sweetie. Don't run around and hit anybody with it. Okay?" Then they run off.
             "So, you like kids?" Chris asks, his eyes curiously stare at me. "You sure handled that very well."
            "Well, yeah." I chuckle, "I wanted to be a teacher at one point but I honestly didn't have a calling for it. And I do have one hobby."
             Chris gives me a funny look, chuckling. "Really, What is that?"
             "Writing." I say simply, "I've made it at least one of my life goals to write some type of novel and have it published."
              The light brown haired man's blue eyes twinkle at me. "What do you write about?"
               I chuckle nervously. "Well, I used to write about worlds I wished I lived in. Like I used to have this book about a teenage boy and his little sister who traveled back to Earth after millions of years after Earth was not safe enough to live in anymore. But I haven't really wrote much since I started working for Hannah. I don't have the time or I'm too exhausted."
               "Well, that story sounded pretty good." Chris smiles, "How far did you get in your story?"
               I shrug. "They made it to Earth by the fifth chapter. They were the only ones who survived the crash landing and all the ridiculous details."
              He shakes his head at me, chuckling. "It sounds interesting. Is it a kids book? A teen novel?"
              I can't help but smile distantly. "It's mainly for me. I was the only child and I grew up really lonely. It really helped with my wild imagination."
             Chris doesn't say anything but he continues to smile. We walk to the kiddy pool where you can touch sea creatures. I think it's wrong, considering the plants or creatures could die from too much human contact with humans. Especially little kids who touches literally EVERYTHING and puts anything in their mouths. I cringe at he thought.
              "So," Chris says as we head to the bigger exhibits "it's none of my business, but why haven't you, um...."
             My cheeks turn bright pink, a lump in the back of my throat. I can't swallow it down. I fiddle with my hair as we continue to walk.
             "Dated anybody?" He follows my eyes to the kids around us, catching my hint. "I was the fat girl in high school. No guy has ever really paid me much mind anyhow."
            Chris shrugs. "At least your first kiss was good, right?"
             Yet again, I nervously chuckle. "I don't know. You tell me."
             Chris gives me a confused look. "What is that supposed to mean? Haven't you ever had a kiss before?"
            Ashamed and kind of embarrassed, I look away. Chris's hand touches my arm lightly, stopping me. When I look back up at him, his eyes are wide and his mouth is he shape of a perfect 'O'.
            "Sunday night—when we kissed at my house—" he says in disbelief, "that was your first kiss EVER?"
           I can feel myself retreat back into my shell of safety. My cheeks burn bright pink at the embarrassment. I have never had a proper kiss from anybody. I have never went out on a date with anybody. And I most certainly have never had sex with anybody.
          "Shit." He says under his breath as we continue to walk. "But you're gorgeous? Did you go to an all girls school or something?"
           I sigh. "I was the fat girl at a public school in Texas."
            Chris nods. "Oh? How long have you lived in California?"
             "Let's see, I'm 23 and I came here right at semester—" I think out loud, "Five—maybe six years?"
                 Chris's mouth goes wide, he doesn't say anything. We just keep walking.
                "I lost all my weight as I traveled to California. I mainly walked since I didn't have a car." I say too honestly.
                 Chris shakes his head. It worries me. I must have said something wrong. He looks kind of mad. What did I do? What did I say?
               "You got awfully quiet." I say shyly, "What are you thinking?"
               "I'm just trying to figure out how a gorgeous woman like yourself can go this long without any man having his way with you." Chris shakes his head, his brows furrowing. "And I ruined your first kiss."
               I don't say anything. I don't know what to say. What can I say? He did ruin my first kiss, date, and first make out session. We continue to walk in silence.