Disclaimer: I own nothing, including knowledge of how to write romance or humour, but not including the out-of-thin-air babysitter.
Author's Note 1: I labelled this as "humour", but this is more along the lines of "awkward embarrassment" than "humour". Just so you know. Also, this isn't as romantic as the label might suggest.
Thanks to: The Lion's Call writers' group: Cherokee, Lady Arlian, Lil, Sir-William, and Tenethia (whom I still blame for encouraging this crazy idea, btw) for having read this in advance and offered advice.
"Poor Lisa is probably wondering where I am. I hope her parents aren't worried."
"I'll get you home quick as I can."
It was still mildly warm out as they left the humming of the diner behind. Amanda reached for the handle of the passenger door, but David beat her to it and extended a hand. She smiled, a little tentatively, then took him by his fingertips as she hopped into the truck. With a relieved upward turn of his lips, he shut her door and walked around to his. At least she acknowledged his helping hand this time, unlike the past… dozen? two dozen times?
"Sorry to have kept you out later than planned," he said. Again. "Should have kept an eye on the time."
"That's why they call it a watch."
David let out a small chuckle before it would be too awkward to attempt it. Judging by the half-smile on her face, he figured it was an appropriate move after all. He started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot. It wasn't until he'd turned onto the street that the silence broke. "I know I've told you before, but I wanna thank you for letting me do this."
"What, taking me out or taking me home?"
He studied her expression, but she betrayed neither levity nor gravity. "Uh… both, I suppose?"
"Sure."
"So… when would you want to do this again?"
She turned to look at him, brows raised ever-so-slightly. As if to say, "You expect a 'next time'?" It looked playful enough, but….
"I'll even take you home an hour early to make up for tonight."
"And show up an extra fifteen minutes early and in something other than your uniform?"
"Hey, I tried to come as quick as I could. A rookie needed help and I had to –"
She backhanded his arm. Lightly. Playfully. "I know, David."
He grinned at her dancing eyes and subconsciously noted that they were soft chocolate-brown. "Besides, Olivia seems to think I look pretty good in uniform."
"Maybe because you –" She bit her tongue. Literally. "Maybe 'cause you've got that shiny badge."
He was pretty sure he knew what she was going to say the first time, but laughed past it with a protesting "What?".
"Anyway," she continued with a wagging finger, "if you want these trust-building talks to really take effect, you'd better stick to the schedules you set."
"Fine, how about this: you and Olivia come over sometime. I'll grill up a couple steaks and we'll both know when it ends because we'll both be fully aware of her bedtime." One glance at her face led him to rush on, "I mean, only if you're comfortable with it."
"I don't exactly cuddle with my steaks, David."
David smiled in spite of himself. "Well, I can make a pretty mean angel's food. Angels are apparently attracted to the stuff." Amanda raised her brows with something that looked like pleasant surprise and… whatever-you-call-the-expression-that-let-you-know -you-overstepped-your-bounds.
"And what exactly are you implying?"
David could have slapped himself for letting that comment slip out, but unless she displayed a truly adverse reaction, he wasn't going to feel sorry for it. Certainly not enough to keep a straight face long enough to say, "Nothing."
She smiled back – a beautiful smile, even if it was shrouded by suspicion –, shook her head, and watched the streets of Albany fly past her window. They drove on in silence for a few blocks before she spoke. "One question. Why do you want to have us over? As opposed to anywhere else?"
"It's been a while since I've been visited by angels."
"David!"
He quailed. "Okay, okay. I was thinking that we've been doing this in cafés and such for a long while and was hoping that Olivia… you know, with me being her…." He cleared his throat and started again, but the tremor didn't quite go away. "I was hoping that maybe you and I could make it… I guess, a little more normal? For her, I mean."
"'Normal', huh?" she mused.
His eyes darted between her face and the road. And frankly, the road was easier to interpret. He knew his fingertips were drumming on the steering wheel. They did every time he had no other outlet for his stress, regardless of whether or not he wanted them to.
She didn't answer. Whether or not she knew it, the tension was killing him. He wanted to say more. Explain himself. Even share his underlying hopes. But instead, he punched on the radio. The only part of the song he registered was the beat that his fingertips were now naturally tapping to; the rest of his mental capacities were divided between his racing thoughts and attention to the road. Only when he braked for a red light did the rest penetrate his consciousness. Something about a metaphorical cop… being in love? His heart stopped. He shot Amanda a side glance and decided she was too lost in her own thoughts to pay any attention to the music. Or at least he hoped so. Either way, the song was anything but a reflection of his thoughts.
The radio belted out vocalized police sirens and Amanda turned from the window to give the offending hardware a quizzical stare. David closed his eyes and felt his ears burn. But the only thing she said was, "Green light, David." His eyes flew open and he stepped on the gas. Definitely too late to shut off the radio now; he'd just have to roll with it. At least they were no more than a minute from her home. But what a torturous minute! She'd looked out her window again and was covering her mouth in… mortification? amusement? Or – this concerned him more than anything – did she suddenly feel physically sick? Whatever her thoughts, he felt her watching him from the corner of her eye.
When he pulled up to the curb in front of her place, she barely even waited for him to come to a complete stop before she opened her door and jumped out. He set the truck in park and opened his door to follow – after all, if she was sick, he might be needed. He shot his hand at the radio controls.
Vocalized sirens.
For the whole neighbourhood to hear.
His ears no longer burned: they screamed. Heat flashed through him. Amanda had almost made it to her door, shoulders definitely shaking – and he thought he heard a muffled snort, but with his ears buzzing so, he couldn't be sure of anything. He lost no time in closing his door again and hightailing it home. With the radio off.
He'd barely made it home when his cell phone buzzed. "Hello?"
"Hey, are you coming back to drive Lisa home?"
Author's Note 2: The referenced song is Owl City's "I'm Coming After You". I'd include the lyrics (it's so much better with them in there!), but you'll have to hear the song yourself to completely understand poor David's reaction.
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