Dayne
We arrived at Pizzeria Italiana after the short drive from the office. Brian was his friendly and down-to-earth self, while I was a nervous wreck. I didn't know what to do and almost on autopilot, started a thumb wrestling match on my lap as arena. Now I was desperately hoping I could daydream this away, maybe then I'd be awesome and perfect in every way.
Thankfully, Brian, to my pleasant surprise, was so, should I say "human" despite his godly-as-Adonis attributes and seem easy to please as well. I found that we have the same taste in music as Norah's Love Me Tender started playing when he turned his car stereo on. An old soul and a romantic just like me. The car ride was a short glimpse of his personality which I found to be very interesting and endearing. But as the car came to a stop and we started walking in the direction of the restaurant, I once again felt nervous and fidgety. Here we go again.
We found an empty table at a corner near the window and settled down. My nerves are getting the better of me and my throat felt constricted. Breathing seems difficult at this point let alone talking.
"Dayne? You're so quiet. Is everything alright?"
No! You make me so nervous that I'm about to puke! I shouted in my mind but quietly muttered, "Yes, Sir. Everything's fine. Just... just tired I guess?" It sounded more like a question than a statement.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have dragged you out here tonight." Was his serious reply. "If you're not up to this we can just order take out and I'll drop you home instead." he continued sincerely but I could almost swear there was a hint of disappointment in his voice.
"No, Sir. I...It's fine. I'm so famished myself. I.. I was actually thinking about having pizza for dinner before you came out." I answered truthfully. Not wanting to disappoint him. He looked really excited earlier and I could tell he's really hungry.
"You sure, Dayne?" he pushed further on. Looking hopeful and in need of reassurance.
"Yes, Sir Brian. I'm sure." I answered trying to sound more enthusiastic than nervous. "I'm sorry. I'm just really nervous right now. And, well, tired." I ended up telling him truthfully, so he won't entertain other ideas and gave him a brief shy smile. My hands on my lap still on the non-stop thumb wrestling with no one winning, so far.
"Can you please stop calling me sir, Dayne? It makes me feel so old," he said laughing lightly while intently looking at me.
I can't help but genuinely smile back at him, hearing him laugh, "Okay, Si... uhm, Brian." I said awkwardly.
"That's more like it." Brian nodded with obvious delight. Then he once again flashed me that blindingly glorious smile which was contagious and made my face light up as well, and I found that I was helplessly drawn to his face like magnet is to metal and I can't look away.
We stared at each other's eyes for I don't know how long as time seemed suspended, then I noticed his smile was gradually fading and so was mine. My heart started to quicken its pace and my body began to feel warm and tingly. How can someone be so gorgeous and be human at the same time? Wait, am I drooling yet? But before I can indulge into my mental monologue even further, the waiter came with the menu and the spell or whatever it was, was broken.
Brian cleared his throat and took the handed out menu while I looked down on my lap while tucking my hair behind my ear with shaking hand. What was that all about? I wondered over the pounding of my heart.
The momentary awkwardness was dispersed. Thank you, Mr. Waiter! You just saved the day.
We tried to focus on the choices to be made. I forced myself not to look at him and instead pretended to be engrossed on the menu despite knowing without even looking what I wanted to order. After some time, we agreed to have beefy mushroom and five cheeses pizza. He was more into the meaty stuff while I was into the cheesy side of things. After the waiter left us alone, awkward silence filled the air.
"Sooo....," Brian tentatively spoke to break the silence. "How long have you been working for double "S", Dayne? You seem to know your way around the office pretty well." I met his inquiring eyes briefly, still feeling a bit of the awkwardness from earlier, but could see that he seemed to have set it completely aside.
"I've been with the firm for 3 years, 5 months and 3 days." He chuckled at this and I had to grin sheepishly. "I got hired barely five months after graduating from college." I said. Smiling while reminiscing that special day almost four years ago. "And I'm really looking forward to more years with the firm." I finished excitedly.
"Wow! I'm impressed. I can't say that Double "S" is easy to be working for," he said teasing me.
I smiled to that. "Beggars can't be choosers, you know." I quipped. He just laughed. "She's a handful but I learn so much from her and the compensation is really good, so it's not that bad really."
For the rest of the meal, we talked about things at work and other topics ranging from the trivial to the more relevant and even personal ones. I learned that he's a music lover and that he plays the guitar, like I do. And that he lives alone, hence the dinner invite, says he misses having good conversation over a nice warm meal. Well, not that pizza exactly fits the description "nice warm meal" but you know what I mean. Surprisingly, the atmosphere between us became comfortable.
Brian had to be the most down to earth partner in the office. He does not seem to be caught up in his being a boss, a lawyer, and a rich handsome chap. He's just....himself. He doesn't mind eating or having a "date" of sorts with an assistant like me. That's a big deal to me, at least. Yeah, it is, especially as this is a "now" scene, and not just a daydream episode of my life.
I know, I know, this is not a romantic date but, hey, how often does a girl like me get to have dinner with a guy like gorgeous Brian here, huh? So, cut me some slack, will you?
Time went by fast and we finished our dinner. Wow! We definitely were hungry, we ate everything on the table. I looked at our empty plates and glasses and smiled, quite amused.
"What are you smiling about?" I heard him ask and I then looked up to see him looking at me with an amused yet somewhat puzzled look.
"I thought we were just hungry but I was wrong because we were really really hungry to have cleaned up everything on the table." I answered still smiling. He then followed my eyes down to the empty plates and glasses and snorted, trying not to laugh too much as he saw what I meant before saying, "Yeah, I guess we were. Not a morsel in sight." and we both laughed like two guilty teenagers.
He paid for our dinner over my protests to pay half of the bill. He brushed it aside saying, "I'll let you pay for our next date. How about that, huh?," winking at me teasingly. "I'll even let you pick the place." He went on to say as we left for his car.
"Oh," was all I could muster. My heart started to beat faster and drum away louder. I can feel a vicious blush creeping up my face. A next date? He wants to eat and spend time with me again?
Really?!
Now I'm pretty sure this is just me daydreaming. I must be really lonely and desperate to have some semblance of a love life to cook something up like this in my mind. I need to get back to reality and so I pinched my arm. "Oww!" That really hurt!
"Everything alright? Are you okay?" Brian asked looking concerned, and raising one hand to touch my left arm.
Oh shit! It's not a daydream alright. "Y-yes, I'm fine. Maybe it was just a mosquito or some kind of bug or something. No worries." I answered lamely. He nodded and smiled at me without taking his hand on my arm.
It was a lovely night and I would have soaked into its magnificence if not for the nerves stiffening my entire body.
He opened the car door for me and I thanked him, by default (still lost in my thoughts, alright). Such a gentleman. Why does he have to be so perfect? And why do I have to be so... stiff and awkward?
Then he got in himself but he did not start the car right away. He may have noticed the sudden change in my mood.
"Hey, I... I was just teasing you earlier " he muttered killing the awkward silence that loomed over us. "For all I know you have a boyfriend.... and I don't want to cause any trouble for you, Dayne." he went on. "I just really enjoyed tonight, is all," he said quietly, sounding sincere. "I almost forgot how nice it is to share a meal with somebody other than the television."
I was dumbfounded at that. I immediately lifted my gaze his way and found him looking blindly at the steering wheel. I felt like my heart was being squeezed and I felt like I had to comfort him somehow. To ease the loneliness he was feeling.
So, I started explaining. "I was just nervous, Sir Brian. I... I don't have a b-boyfriend. N-never had one." I stuttered quietly. "In fact, I've never been on a date before. This... this is actually the first closest thing to a date that I've ever been to. That's why I'm a ball of nerves, Sir." I nervously explained. "Well, not that this was a real date, of course. I'm sure you were just so hungry and you needed some company and I just happened to be in the right place at the right time." I blabbered awkwardly looking at the thumb-wrestling match that resumed on my lap like it's the most fascinating thing in the world.
But then what he said next turned my world upside-down.
"The truth is, I was actually pretending this was a real date, Dayne." He looked at me intently and I gasped as I saw just how serious he was.
You have got to be kidding me!