I healed fairly well. I have lost a bit of flexibility in the ankle that I broke, but nothing that affects anything that I need to do. It is also expected that it will improve over time anyway, so I can't really complain.
I messaged Andy as soon as I was physically able again and insisted that he let me take him out for a meal to say thank you. He resisted, but I am fairly persuasive when I want to be so he eventually agreed to it. We didn't go anywhere really posh, I am not exactly rolling in the cash, but the restaurant was nice enough. It was one of the ones where you needed to dress up. Everyone else there would be smartly dressed and not being the same would mean you would stand out.
It took me all day to pick my outfit. There is a very fine line between a slinky dinner dress and where is the rest of it? I wanted to look nice for him and I realise how condescending that sounds. He was under no illusion that it was not a date and it was just a thank you. Not being a bitch, but I really didn't want to lead him on. He fancies me and that is cute and I am flattered, but messing with him in any way like that would make me a bitch, and I am not. I don't think anyway. Well, unless you want me to be, in which case I can be a super bitch if you so wish.
I eventually settled on a black pleated bodycon dress. It was mid-thigh length, so long enough to be sophisticated, but also short enough to be sexy. The front had a bow-type design that wrapped across my chest in an off-the-shoulder design. The back was a low-ish cut around where my shoulder blades were. So no bra, but I didn't need one and the dress had built-in support, again, not that I needed it. It would at least hide perky nipples if I got cold. I opted for black six-inch stiletto heels which had a silver design on the straps which I paired with a silver clutch bag which was big enough for my phone, wallet, key, basic make-up and a mini perfume.
My underwear for the single item I would be wearing took a fair amount of time as well. Which considering my earlier statement of "it is not a date" seems a little silly. Why spend so long deciding on something that he isn't going to see. Good question, confidence I guess. Fake it till you make it as they say. If you feel confident you tend to be confident and cute underwear, even if no one is going to see it goes a long way to projecting confidence. I eventually settled on a pair of bikini DKNY black panties, with the DKNY printed around the waistband of them in white. Cute and sexy, a good combination.
I did toy with going without any underwear on and for a while, I did seriously consider it. The dress though was not long enough to reliably get away with it. I had been to the restaurant before and as they didn't pack the people in you were visible from a lot of shallow angles from the people seated. A clumsy shift of position or something and it was very possible a few people would see up my dress. I did model for Mum and grilled her if she could see a visible panty line. She insisted that she couldn't and after several "are you sure" and different positions I believed her. Further cemented when she said, and I quote, "That dress is way too short and floaty to not be wearing any if that is what you are hinting at."
I showered, removed all body hair, again, a confidence thing and got dressed. I put on a small cardigan as well as it was fairly chilly outside. I refused the offer of a lift by Dad and went and got the bus. I liked catching the bus on a Friday in the early evening. It was the best people-watching time. People on their way out for the night like me, mixed in with people who were on their way back from work. The different dynamics were intriguing. The bubbly ripple of "pre-night out alcohol loaded" partygoers and the subdued "thank fuck the working week is done," people. I took a seat and watched the people.
I got to the restaurant first and put my bank card on the table so there would be no bill presented it would just be debited off my card. I say my card, it was in my name, but it was Mum and Dad's money. I knew what Andy was like, he would try and pay and I didn't want him to. This was my treat to him as a thank you.
I checked the time and I was a bit early so I ordered myself a Vodka and diet coke, took a seat and waited. I checked my phone nervously as the minutes ticked by and wondered if I had been stood up. That would be really annoying if I had been. I don't see why he would though? Maybe his attraction to me was just a big joke and everyone was laughing at me. It had taken him so much time, but the trap had been sprung and here I was, sitting on my own like a saddo. Maybe the bar staff were in on it, maybe they were running a book in the kitchen for how long I would wait. Being a teenager is shit, you have so many stupid hang-ups it is insane.
The door opened and Andy came in. He saw me and smiled. It was 19:31. He was a whole minute late. He came over and I stood up. We had a hug and sat down. "Wow, you look amazing," he said.
"Thanks," I said casually as though my outfit, make-up and perfume hadn't been hours and hours of debate and tough decisions. "You too," I said back. He really did. I only ever saw him in cycling gear or casual clothes. He scrubbed up well. He had short-cropped black hair and was wearing a pair of black trousers with a white skull-printed shirt. I think it is a golf brand, from what I understand anyway. Either way, he looked fairly good in it.
We were taken to our table and seated. "Order what you want," I said, "My treat."
He smiled and we browsed the menu. A pointless task for me as I had pre-picked what I was having days ago. A bruschetta to start and then the seared tuna. If I made it to dessert the chocolate orange torte looked favourite. He picked his and we started to chat.
I will be honest that I was expecting it to be a bit awkward. We only knew each other through cycling and as much as I can geek it up with the best of them with the cycling talk I would struggle for the duration of a sit-down restaurant meal. I had nothing to worry about though, the conversation started off on the cycling via how I was with my injuries, but it quickly progressed to general chit-chat. There was never a lull in the conversation and he was actually really funny. Genuinely made me laugh with his bluntness. Not in an offensive way, or even a bit crass, he was just deadpan honest and delivered the lines well.
He was genuinely interested in me. My life, my studies, future plans for my career and all that sort of stuff. He was in finance which he described as "as dull as it sounds," but he did elaborate when I pressed him and he was indeed correct in his description. The courses of food came and went and were all fantastic. He had soup, which I was fairly impressed with, my food choices were mainly the ones I was least likely to drop down myself. He managed to eat it like an adult though and didn't spill any. His main course was a creamy chicken pasta dish which was really nice as well as he let me try some. Off his fork and everything. I know I know. We should have ordered spaghetti and gone all Lady and the Tramp.
We did make it to dessert and the chocolate orange torte was fantastic. He ordered the same thing. We were invited to go to the bar as we had clearly outstayed our welcome at the table and they needed the table. I had been drinking pretty much all night, but I wasn't drunk. The conversation flowed better than the alcohol and it was nice. The evening was nice. More than nice. His eyes are also very dreamy. They are normally hidden behind sunglasses, but he really does have the nicest eyes.
There was no pressure at all on me. Every time I went for dinner with a guy around my age there was the underlying unasked question constantly hanging in the air, and that question was. "Soooo. When do you put out?" Is "putting out" a common phrase? To be a bit more blunt, when a girl (or a guy for that matter) "puts out" you are getting sexy time. It was strange, for the first time in my life I was out for dinner with a guy and it was me toying with that unasked question. My brain wasn't helping, egging me on and goading me into taking a risk. Comments like, "Oh come on, you like him, he likes you. Are you going to fuck him or what?"
For the first time in my life, I was potentially risking rejection. I know how full of myself that sounds, but I had always been the askee and never the asker. I have never asked anyone out before and yes I realise that isn't helping my case for me being full of myself. "Do you want to go for a drink?" he asked.
"I would love to," I said.
"My treat," he said with a smile.
I protested, but not that strongly. I would have happily gone halves on the drinks, but the meal had been over £100 with the drinks and as understanding as my parents were even I would feel like I was taking the piss slightly if I racked up a further three-figure bar bill. We went to a local bar that he knew and I continued on the vodka. Out of habit, I watched the barman when he poured my drink ensuring that it was a single he had ordered and not a "get her drunk" double, or triple. I caught one guy trying to "loosen me up" with a quadruple. That night ended fairly soon after that and not at all in the way that he hoped.
The bar was a little louder and so it was harder to talk, which I would normally have welcomed. I like a good chat, but several hours with someone you don't really know that well and a louder bar would normally be welcome. It was just annoying though as I really did like him. I liked his company. "Where next?" I asked as I finished my drink.
He checked the time and it was approaching closing time. "Err," he said looking at me nervously. That was the first time he had shown any sort of nerves and it was nice to see. Unerring confidence is a little psychotic. In my mind anyway, to have that much confidence in "first date" situations meant you either had no empathy or you are a murderer so have nothing to worry about as even if you make a fool of yourself she will be dead soon, so who cares. "My flat isn't far," he said.