Life of Ives ✔️

Twenty-one

IVES

I'm sitting in a booth inside a retro diner a little away from where The Secret had their rehearsal, and I look around the interior.

It's bright and white most places, with accents of turquoise here and there, like the top of the stools in front of the counter, the background on the menus, and the faux leather seats in the booth I'm sitting in with Dean.

He sits opposite me, with a cheeky grin on his face as he stares at the menu, licking his lips.

So far this has been a really great day. I want to say it's a date, but I'm not one hundred percent sure it is. The uncertainty is making me very anxious, and I peek up at him from my menu to ask him if it's a date, but as I open my mouth, my phone vibrates on the table in front of me.

Okay, thank God, because that would have been very embarrassing to ask, now that I think about it again.

I look at the screen and sees that it's Ray texting me, so I bite my lip and put the phone away.

"Are you sure it's nothing important? I know your brother can be a little..." Dean says, trailing off, probably not wanting to remind me of the protective brother I have.

I smile at him.

"I can answer him later," I say, and look down at the menu again.

There's a whole lot of different food listed there, and I'm kind of overwhelmed.

"See anything you like?" Dean asks, and looks at me with a smile.

His menu is laid down on the table, and it's clear that he's already made up his mind.

"Uh, a burger?" I say, almost like a question, and put my menu down on top of his.

"Sure, you want a shake, too? They're crazy good here," he says with a grin, just as a pretty, busty girl comes over with a tiny notepad in her hands.

I nod at him, and put my arms up on the table, folding them, as I watch the two of them interact.

My question about this being a date, however, is quickly answered when Dean orders a strawberry milkshake with two straws, and then winks at me.

I feel my cheeks start to heat up as I realize the girl is staring at me questioningly after he said that, before she quickly scurries away from our table.

I really don't blame her if she was thinking I was some kind of bitch for being here, on a date, with Dean. I think I would have brought by claws out if she started flirting with him or something. Or, at least I like to think that I'd do that. What I really think would have happened is that I would have sat here, just watching as he flirted with someone else and beat myself up for not being good enough for him. 

Thank fuck they didn't flirt. I can't handle realizing we're on a date, and then dealing with that in the same minute.

"What did you do that for?" I ask him.

His grin widens as he leans over the table on his arms, mimicking my own position.

"What do you mean? Did you want your own milkshake, maybe? They're huge," he says, and raises an eyebrow.

I can't help but to think he's talking about something completely different, but I try my best to not show him that I am really affected by his choice of words. I clear my throat, and look down at the table between us.

"I mean... No... But you could have said it without grinning like that, and winking at me," I say, as I sit back up and bite my lip.

"That wouldn't have been as fun," he says, and shrugs. "Are you coming to the show later?"