Ch. 2: "Not exactly" a date
Not bad, I thought, turning sideways to survey my profile in the bedroom mirror.
A week had passed since my last babysitting appointment with Will – and since that wonderful, wonderful night – and I had barely been able to concentrate on college, life or anything else but the coming adventure. I had, however, shopped: a thin, strappy summer dress with a brown floral print, short but not slutty, new shoes to match, and lingerie too – a pretty balconette bra with a delicate lacy trim, and matching, silky panties. I had been working on my make-up, and on the night itself I put my hair up into a style that I hoped would look elegant and mature. I so, so wanted to please him. Because I so, so wanted him again.
Oh my God, if my parents only knew, I thought, smiling at my reflection and our secret. But if they noticed my more extravagant than normal get up for a babysitting gig – please don't look up, please don't look up, I chanted in my mind like a magic spell as I scurried through the living room and to the front door – well, they didn't mention it. And I didn't care. Seven days had flown by and now Will's 'not exactly' a date with me had arrived. I tried and failed not to run across the road to his house.
***
'Katie. You look... you look just adorable.'
Will roamed all over me with his eyes as I stood in the door, and so I dropped a little curtsey.
'You like? Really?'
He took my hand – the hand, and the fingertip, that last week had led to so much more – lifted it to his lips and gently kissed it.
'I like, and very, very much. Do come in.'
I did so, biting my bottom lip and smiling to myself behind his back, giddy with the moment. Will was dressed in a jacket and open necked shirt, black jeans and – I was surprised to note – no shoes. He saw me looking at his feet as he led me into the dining room and blushed a little. Sweetly. I slipped off my shawl, revealing bare arms and shoulders, and my dress's provocative neckline.
'Yeahhhh, sorry, haven't quite had time to finish dressing tonight.' That boyish little smile. 'The kids needed extra bedtime stories, and so it was just a quick shower, throw some things on, and then into the kitchen. I didn't quite get round to socks and shoes.'
I resisted the urge to say he needn't have bothered getting dressed at all, let alone provided food. Food? Hang on, is that what we are here for? Is this actually a date? 'You look nice, anyway', I managed to say, as he led me by the hand to the dining room table and passed me a glass full of dark red wine.
'To this evening', he toasted, clinking glasses with me. 'Let's get to know each other better.' That smile again, only not so boyish now.
I took a single deep breath in, held it, and smiled back at him. Then I leant up, sighed, and kissed him on the lips.
'So darling', I said, 'what's for dinner?'
***
Thai food, it turned out. Really tasty too, and we sat opposite each other, in the candlelight, trying to make conversation. The wine helped, a bit. We talked about my uni applications; he said he would help if I needed some coaching, with a glimmer of a smile. I told him this was my very first candlelit dinner, and he said he was honoured to be sharing it with me. 'It's the most fun one I've had in a while', he smiled, regaling me with further tales of disastrous dating past.
But the conversation was stop and start... my tummy, for one thing, was too full of butterflies to concentrate on what I was saying... and other bits of my body, too, were distracting me from the lovely food.
Do you feel the same? I wondered. When will he make his move, when can we kiss again, when can we fuck like last week... I've been thinking of nothing else since, after all, and now I have to wait?
It was making me, I realised, devastatingly wet. Perhaps he knew what he was doing after all.
'Will?'
'Katie.'