*Authors note. As per guidelines, characters in this story are all above the age of 18 and are consenting adults*
JAKE
As I flipped through the final pages of the brief I begged the clock to tick by just a little faster. This week the firm had finalized the merger of our largest deal to date and I, as a recently minted VP, was in charge of sending out the summary to all parties. How... fun... (fuck me).
Working as a lawyer has its perks don't get me wrong, but even still, working till 9:00 every night for a month was damn draining. My first year was great, still bright eyed and bushy tailed at the thought of becoming partner one day, but after three years it's days like today that make me wish I never bothered.
Snapping back to reality I thought toward the week ahead. With all the work that had gone on this month I was excited to go home and spend some time with my girlfriend Sarah. Having met soon to be four years ago (our anniversary was next Sunday) while she was getting her dual masters in education & math at Columbia and me my law degree at NYU, she was the love of my life. Over the past year we had finally pulled the trigger and bought an apartment together. It was a quaint place, a little studio apartment on the third story of a brownstone. Better yet, it was just a thirty seven minute drive away from my firm's office in NYC and a five minute drive from the college she taught at.
Sarah really is perfect, she's smart, funny, always there for me, and god is she beautiful. She's 5'4, with long brown hair, beautiful blue eyes, and an amazing body. She isn't hot so much in a * I want to fuck you every time I look at you * way, but more in a * let's go to the gym, get some pizza and wine for dinner, and then laugh for hours and end up making out for two more * way.
SARAH
I nudged my friend Kinsey, "who's that at the other corner of the table?"
"Who?... the one in red?"
"No no no, the guy in the NYU sweater off to the corner"
"Oh that's Jake I think, he's Cole's friend."
"Oh okay" I said, smiling into my drink
"Whyyyy... do you think he's cute???" She said nudging me.
"Oh stop that... idk I just don't think I've seen him before"
"yeah okay, whatever you say."
As the appetizers came and went I couldn't help peaking at him through the corner of my eye. Kinsley was maybe a LITTLE right. Idk, he WAS cute, he had nice brown hair, a nice face and seemed taller than me. Granted that wasn't a very high bar, but still. While I couldn't tell from here I could imagine him with green or brown eyes, no, no definitely green actually. He's definitely a green eyes kinda person.
As I sat, continuing to glance over at him as I waited for the food to come out, he caught my eye. My eyes shoot away back down to my plate but Kinsley must have noticed, or seen me blush like crazy, because immediately she punches me "oh you fucking do don't you!"
"one second."
"No Kinsley don't you fucking dare don't you dare" I say half laughing half deadly serious.
"It's fine trust me trust me" she says already getting up from her seat
I fucking hate her. Omg I hate her.
"Don't you dare" I say grabbing her arm
See, Kinsley is the kind of person with NO social anxiety. Like... an uncomfortably low amount. AND, what she was doing right now was so on brand.
"It'll be fine trust meeee" she said shaking off my hand
I watch in horror as she gets up and walks all the way down to the other end of our long table and taps Jake on the shoulder. I can't hear what she's saying but the end result is him laughing and standing up followed by both of them walking back over to me.
"Hi I'm Jake. Nice to meet you. Your friend Kinsley speaks uhhh.... very highly of you!" He said laughingly.
"Yeah mmhm I'm sure she does" I said giving Kinsley a stink face.
"Yeah yeah alright, Jake, this is Sarah. Sarah, I asked him if he wouldn't mind switching seats with me I just REALLY wanted to talk to cole!"
He takes her chair as she leaves to go sit with cole.
As I get a closer look, I was correct. He does have green eyes. Win in my book.
"So Kinsley said you study Math Education at Columbia?
"Well, math AND education but... yeah" I said, still a little more distracted than I'd like to admit by his eyes.
Before we could continue the waiter appeared from no where to ask what we would like to eat.
"What are you thinking?" Jake asked me.
"Uhhh idk I kinda want the mushroom lobster alfredo but it's pretty expensive so probably just the spaghetti and meatballs" I say handing my menu to the waiter.
"Actually can we get two mushroom lobster alfredos." I hear from behind me.
I snap my head around half suprised by his statement, half pissed he ordered on my behalf.
He looked me dead in my eyes and smiled, handing his menu over to the waiter as well before grazing my hand on the way down.
"Guy has to pay for the first date right?" he said smiling at me.
Fuck.