Why was I here again?
Oh yeah, because Bella had suggested it. I mean, I had only done what any nice guy would do. And she'd been sorta kind back. She was looking out for her friend, but for some reason I suspected there was more to it than that.
Oh well, what was done was done. So now I am here in this dinky restaurant with the girl of no one's dreams. Well, that was a bit harsh. Maybe she would grow on me. Her face was relatively pretty, and she was always upbeat.
The waiter walked in, and I snapped back into present tense. She asked us what we would like to drink. I gestured to Jessica to go first, and she smiled slightly back.
"I'll have a light lemonade please." Ahh, so she was one of those girls who was obsessed with diet drinks. Not necessarily a bad thing, but something to put away for future study.
"I will have a Pepsi." I said to the serene waiter, who jotted down some notes and left the table quickly. I looked across the table. Jessica was gazing at the food menu intently as if this choice would change her life forever. This concentration added beauty to her face. Not like Bella and the way she bit her lower lip, but it was still endearing. After a couple seconds of gazing I realized what an idiot I would look like if she glanced up, so I directed my stare towards the menu. I probably would get what I always got. The steak with mashed potatoes, cooked medium rare. Still, I read interesting parts of the menu, seeing if anything else sounded appetizing. Nothing really did. So I set the menu down. Jessica looked up in a panic, and I gestured for her to keep deciding. Girls. Sheesh.
Just then the waiter rounded the corner with our drinks. She placed my Pepsi and Jessica's lemonade on the table. It seemed Jessica had finally chosen, as her face was calmly composed.
"So, what can I get you?" the waiter asked, a bit rushed. I nodded toward Jessica for her to go first.
"I'll have the chicken penne pasta with a Caesar salad," she said, seeming quite resolute.
"And I'll have the Steak and Mashed Potatoes, medium rare." I handed her my menu, as did Jessica.
"I'll be right back with your food." And with that, the waiter left me alone with Jessica, with no excuse to be looking at something else. She smiled shyly, and I couldn't help but smile back. How bad could this be anyways? Jessica was a nice girl, and one date didn't mean we had to get married. So I forced myself to talk.
"So, what did you do this weekend after the beach?" It seemed like a pretty safe question. Not showing too much interest, but not offhandedly indifferent.
"Nothing much. Lauren and I had a girl's night in, watching all the best chick flicks imaginable." Her eyes said something more than nothing much, however. They were animated, playful, as if the memory of the night had reawakened all her energy. I took in this knowledge thoughtfully. The fact that she had downplayed it meant there was something big she wasn't going to tell me, or something big she wanted me to ask about. I assumed the first to be safe, and moved on.
"That's cool. Did you work on the essay at all?" Her face suddenly froze, as if someone had just stopped a film.
"Crap! I totally forgot about that!" I smiled. I wasn't the only one.
"Don't worry, I did too until this morning. Thankfully Bella jogged my memory." I laughed a little. As I did, a longing to have her on the other side of the table overtook me. I struggled not to let it show in my face. Jessica giggled. While it was a very Valley Girl type of giggle, it wasn't as annoying as I had expected it to be. I wondered why she had reacted. I hadn't necessarily said anything funny, I had just been laughing to ease my discomfort. However, her willingness to follow me was a bit endearing. Who didn't want someone who would do anything for you?
Our waiter rounded the corner and placed a salad in front of Jess. I thanked the waiter, and our meal continued in silence. Jessica had every rule of etiquette nailed down. Her napkin was already on her lap as she slowly and delicately placed the leaves in her mouth, as if they were made of glass. I felt a bit awkward, as I had nothing in front of me, and wasn't really doing anything. After about a minute of silence and staring at her methodical eating, Jess spoke.
"So, why don't you tell me about your weekend while I finish this?" I was relieved to have something to do. I began to tell her of how I had gone up to Port Angeles with my Mom on a forced shopping trip. She giggled as I complained about the woes of trying on pants and being constantly assessed by my mother. I immediately felt a little embarrassed to be talking about this in front of her. Most guys my age shopped for clothes on their own, but my mother wouldn't let me, as she was convinced I would buy ugly clothing.
After a couple minutes of this, our main course arrived. Our meal continued in silence from this point on. However, there were plenty of glances across the table. Bella was completely forced to the back of my mind as I took in Jess's eyes. They were so large and round. The curls in her hair reminded me of a bunch of dancing springs, and I could barely resist the temptation to reach out and pull on her hair. Just to see if it would bounce back up. But other than her hair, Jess's features began to grow on me. Her giggle was one of the most enjoyable noises I had heard in a long time, and I desperately wanted to hear it again. Yet, when the waiter returned with my credit card from paying for the bill, I surprised even myself.
"Hey Jess? Do you want to go out again Saturday?" What had I just done? Now I would have this girl stuck on me for the rest of my life. However, as I considered it a bit more, it didn't seem that bad. Jess wasn't really all that horrible. A smile crept across both our faces.
"Of course! What time?" Crap. I thought quickly, and then came up with a number as we pushed in our chairs.
"How about I pick you up at 6?"
"Fine by me. See you at school tomorrow." She walked out the door. Normally I would have driven her home, but as she had to work right before we came she had driven herself to the restaurant. However, next Saturday, that was going to change. A grin filled my face, and it didn't disappear until I was asleep that night.