The local pub is never an ideal first date kind of place. The music's too loud. Too many drunks. And there's that 'pub smell' ingrained into the walls. Well, at least smokers can't smoke near the bar at the Lucky Dollar, so that was one thing on our side.
Since we'd met and sat down together on the dodgy stools, I kept willing him to ask me out on a real date. But so far, nothing. Of course, we'd only been here for ten minutes and hadn't even gotten our beers yet.
Yeah, beer is my poison of choice. I've tried to give it up several times, but since it doesn't affect my weight I don't think it's essential to cut from my diet.
"You look really good." Damien leaned a little closer. "The years have been very kind to you."
"Thanks, that's so sweet." Even if it was true ... Honestly, I've never used a moisturizing cream my entire life and I still have soft, unblemished skin that makes me appear a lot younger than I am. No one ever pegs me at twenty-seven. But even in high school, while other girls suffered the embarrassment of zits, I didn't even have one on my face. A miracle, my mother always claimed.
"I'm being honest." The smile on his face was incredibly sexy.
My stomach did summersaults every time our gaze connected. He was so good looking, with his bright blue eyes and light brown hair. It was styled in one of those new tousled hairstyles that look like you've just jumped out of bed. Except, on him it made you wish you were jumping into bed, with him by your side. The muscles on his forearms stood out as he reached to push the schooner in front of me. He hadn't had much muscle in school--was always a tall and thin boy--but that was my ideal guy back then.
Right now, today, my ideal guy was still him. I couldn't believe the effect he had on me. As soon as I'd gotten here, gazed around the pub and spotted him at the bar, I'd felt all those emotions again. Feelings I thought had faded with time had bubbled to the surface. I wanted him to be mine, as much as I did back when I was sixteen. Would I let him slip away from me again? Allow life to step in the way and pull us in different directions, or would I pursue whatever this blossomed into? Time would tell.
I'd already convinced myself that if he asked me out on a date for Valentine's Day, it confirmed he was the one. I know it sounds juvenile, but here I was in my late twenties sitting beside my teenage crush. I couldn't help but feel the bridge between the past and present come together.
"So what have you been doing with yourself?" He was still staring at me. It made me a little self-conscious but I'd gone to a lot of trouble to look this good. And boy did I look good tonight! I was wearing my hip-hugging-skin-tight dark blue jeans, the ones that hugged every bit of my non-existent hips, butt and legs in the most flattering way possible. I fell in love with these jeans the first time I tried them on. They were made for me. The top was one of my favorites--my off-the-shoulder ala-80s-Flashdance red top. It ended at my hips with my favorite black bra below--and matching undies. Not that he would see them, but I felt good anyway.
My hair was blow-dried straight, skimmed my shoulders, and I had just enough makeup to highlight my dark eyes. I'd left the sneakers at home tonight, and stepped into my chunky sandals.
He turned his attention to his beer. "Not much, really."
"Oh, come on. School was a long time ago."
He laughed. "You haven't changed a bit, do you know that?" His right hand found my left and squeezed. Heat rose up my arm and settled in my cheeks. Boy, even with air-conditioning on in here, I was burning up.
"Well, I've changed a little."
"I bet you're still going from one job to another."
I turned to him and smiled. "What do you mean by that?"
"Nothing kept your interest alive back then. You went from one part-time job to another almost every week, always dragging your poor friend with you. What was her name? She was such a saint, always put up with you no matter what." Damien chuckled as he kept his hand over mine.
"You kept my interest for a long time," I blurted like a moron. At that precise moment, the jukebox decided to stop playing a song, and my raised voice echoed throughout the place.
Damien met my eyes and didn't say anything for a while, not until the next song started. Why did they insist on keeping that old piece of junk in the corner? They should be using something modern to play one song after the other without pause. At least then I would've been saved the embarrassment. And Damien wouldn't have found it necessary to squeeze my hand one last time before pulling it away.
He took a long sip of his beer.
Maybe if I just kept talking and pretended I hadn't made a total idiot out of myself, it would be all right. I'd seen it done on TV shows before. "Her name is Daria, and you're more accurate than you think about her being a saint. She's actually a nun now."
Damien choked on his beer, literally dribbled out some foam and began to cough.
I tapped his back to help him along, until he moved his shoulders to signal he was fine.
He coughed again. "I'm sorry..."
"Don't worry. It was a shock to me too. She's been stuck in that convent for three years, and I'm still not used to the idea."
His voice sounded husky when he said, "Are you serious? She's a nun ... why?"
I shrugged and took a small sip of my beer. The slower I drank the better. I'd made a fool out of myself without a single drop of alcohol to blame. I'd hate to think what would happen if I was intoxicated. Besides, I wanted to be able to remember every single detail about him tonight. His hair shone with gel and light whiskers were already growing on his upper lip and chin. He was so darn sexy I found it very hard to keep my hands to myself.
"I don't know, just woke up one day and decided it was the path she was meant to take." I shrugged. I'd never bothered to get into the nitty-gritty of my best friend's decision.
His eyes darkened for a second before he blinked the reaction away. Maybe I'd just imagined it.
"That's strange. She'd never shown an interest in becoming one before?"
"Nope, not really, though she's always been a good person." I leaned a little closer. "And she never did lose her virginity. But don't tell her I told you, okay?"
"Wouldn't dream of it. Your secret's safe with me." He flashed me a smile. "Listen, Luci, can I ask you a personal question?"
My heart sped up as I nodded. "Uh-huh, go ahead."
The smile faded ever so slowly from those handsome features and the lips I had an impulse to kiss. "Have you been feeling anything strange lately, out of the ordinary ... like a change you can't understand?"
I frowned. Well, of all the things he could've asked me that was certainly not one I had imagined would be on the list. "A change how? Like global warming or a grey hair type of change?"
He laughed again. "You're so darn funny. Well, I guess what I mean is a little more like a grey hair, but on a much bigger scale."
I shook my head. Not that I could remember. Heck, the grey hair thing wasn't even happening to me yet. "Nope, nothing drastic like that. Why? Are you trying to find out if I'm getting old?"
"No, there's just something..."
"Well, do tell."
Damien looked over my shoulder and then shook his head. "Listen, I can't really speak to you about this right now. I need to speak to you in private."
"Ooookay." That sounded weird and mysterious, though of course I would agree to meet him again if that's what he wanted to do.
"Will you have dinner with me tomorrow night?"
My heart sang a tune of happiness I hadn't felt in a long time. I nodded, trying to contain the excitement that made my hands clammy. "Sure, that would be great. You know what day it is, right?"
He frowned. "What do you mean? You know the importance of tomorrow too?"
"Of course I do! I think every girl in the world knows tomorrow's Valentine's Day!" Was he playing games with me here?
"Oh, yeah. Of course, Valentine's Day ... I didn't interfere with your plans, did I?" He lifted an eyebrow in question.
What plans? "Nope, you didn't wreck anything. Want my address?"
"Sure."
I grabbed a napkin and a pen lying on the bar to scribble my name and address. Just in case he forgot. I didn't want him to forget our date. Oh, God. We were going on a Valentine's Day date. I'd never gone on a date during the day of love. Like I mentioned before, for some reason my relationships were always over around this time of the year. But this year was going to be different, I just knew it. Damien and I would finally confess the mutual love neither one of us could escape.
"Here you go."
"Six sound fine to you?"
"Perfect, I'll be ready."
Damien smiled, jumped off his stool and leaned over to press his lips lightly against mine.
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