"YOU WHAT?!" I think to say that Charlotte was a tiny bit shocked when I shared my news about going on a date with Eli, would have been a vast understatement.

"We're going on a date," I repeat, as I search through my closet, trying to decide what to wear.

"I heard you the first time."

"Then why did you act like you didn't?" I'm pulling out, outfit after outfit, silently despairing over each one.

I haven't been on an actual date in five years. I know what you're thinking: Loser, with a capital L.

You're not wrong. I guess you could say that my love life is practically nonexistent.

My last serious relationship was when I was back attending college. His name was Mick. He was an okay guy. He treated me good enough and he wasn't controlling or too macho.

Which I discovered the WHY of that. He turned out to be gay. Now there's nowhere wrong with that. I'm not a homophobic or anything like that.

But when the guy you're dating AND possibly think you could end up marrying, turns out that he's been batting for the other team for YEARS and just now got around to telling you, let me tell you: it's was a major turn off for me for wanting to date anyone after that.

"I heard it, Livvy, I just can't believe it." Charlotte is pacing around my bedroom, brow furrowed.

"Believe it." I hold up a flowery sundress and a plain black dress.

"Which one do you like better?"

"Olivia, what I want you to remember about what I'm about to say, I'm doing so because I care about you: do not go on this date."

"Fine." I smile. "The black dress it is!"

"Did you hear me?" Charlotte scowls.

"Char, I'm going. If you disagree with it, then I'll still respect your opinion."

I start to pull the black dress on and then stand in front of the mirror. I look GOOD. Eli won't know what hit him.

"Livvy, please. I'm only trying to help."

"Charlotte, if you can't be supportive, I strongly suggest that you go."

Charlotte sighs heavily, sitting down on the edge of my bed and falling backwards, her black hair, fanning out.

"I just know this date is going to end with you getting arrested and poor Eli in the hospital."

"Wow, Charlotte, thanks for your positivity." I retrieve my plain, black pumps from the bottom of my closet and slip them on.

"Just please promise me that you'll be on your best behavior."

"I can't promise THAT," I joke. "But I'll try not to stab Eli with my fork or eat like pig."

Charlotte shakes her head, her facial expression, unamused.

"Add one more to that list."

"What?"

"Don't act like a damn comedian."

>>>>>>

At first, Eli and I are kinda awkward each other. We make polite small talk for the first half an hour.

But then...Eli starts opening up about his past relationship. Not anything overly personal. Just mostly how it made him feel.

"I can't stop thinking that I could have done SOMETHING different," Eli says as he fidgets with his fork.

He looks so earnest that I feel this strange tenderness towards him.

"You're not the first person to think that about a relationship that went south. Hell, my last serious relationship ended in shit, too."

"Was he gay?" Eli jokes.

"Bingo." Eli looks surprised.

"Wow. I was kidding. That's too bad."

"I have nothing against gay people," I say. "Except for when I thought I might end up marrying them."

"Was he a pretty boy?" Eli takes a bite of his spaghetti.

"Oh, yes. Hell, he was probably prettier than me." I chuckle. "That should have been the thing to tip me off about his sexuality."

Eli shrugs. I don't mean to be impolite by staring at him. But I can't help it. Nobody could describe him as pretty.

Although, I could say for sure that he's beautiful. He really was. His ex must have been a complete moron to let Eli go.

"I guess sometimes in life, we just run across these people who we think could end up being important to us. And it turns out, we were wrong."

"My parents met during a flight overseas. He was going over to Italy for schooling. My mom was having an identity crisis. Or so she says. So she decided to hop on the first flight out of the country."

I lift my glass, swirling my wine in circles as I think about the story of how my parents met. It almost seems like something right out of a movie.

Although I'm sure it wasn't as smooth and romantic as it would have been in the film.

"That's crazy," Eli remarks. "Was it love at first sight?" He grins. God, those dimples are something else.

"No. In fact, they couldn't stand each other at first. They were seated next to each other and my mom was NOT impressed with my dad."

"Gee, that storyline sounds a little too familiar." I laugh.

"It does, doesn't it."

"So what happened?" Eli asks. "They suddenly realized they couldn't live without each other?" I shake my head.

"Not even close. My mom actually left Italy after a month. She didn't care for it. My dad was still there. He ended up living there for two years. It wasn't until he returned back to America that he and my mom reconnected. They ran into each other again at a party, thrown by a mutual friend."

"That also sounds familiar."

"Yeah. It was funny, too, because they didn't even recognize each other at first. It wasn't until my dad mentioned going to Italy that my mom suddenly remembered him. But...they'd both grown and matured quite a bit since their last meeting. THAT'S when the fireworks hit."

"Now that part isn't quite so familiar," Eli teases and I laugh.

"No, it's sure not." I take the last gulp of my wine.

"I really am sorry for acting like an ice queen, Eli. I honestly don't know what came over me. Just my stupid insecurity, I guess. But that's no excuse."

Eli reaches out for my hand. His eyes look so soft, also as though they're made of velvet.

"I wasn't exactly innocent in all of this, either, Liv. I could have acted better about it."

"So? Friends?" Eli grins.

"Yeah."

>>>>>>>

It's funny sometimes how things work out. After Eli and I left the restaurant, we decided to take a little walk, out in the cool night air.

It was gorgeous out. A little cool, but nothing too awful. I held on to Eli's arm as we walked along, stopping on the bridge that is over the river.

It was perfect. Or that's what I was thinking as Eli stood next to me, our arms touching.

Then...he gently kissed me. And well, crap happened. We ended up back at his place, our clothes coming off and we ended up doing something that I wouldn't have EVER thought I'd want from HIM.

And when we awoke the next morning, I wasn't sure at all IF this was really what I wanted.

So I pulled the oldest trick in the book and snuck out, while Eli was still sound asleep.

Then I went home and contemplated if I really could do this whole relationship thing again.

And with Eli, no less. Shit. Sometimes I wonder just how I get myself into these messes.

Chapter 7-Olivia

0 Comments