Given we're back up and running again, here's another chapter... Want to post again before it stops working for any reason.
This chapter covers some of their next date... and Joey tries something a bit different. Intrigued... read on.
Chapter 4.
For the first time ever Lauren struggled to concentrate in her class. She was eager for it to end because it meant she could see Joey. At the moment she was pretty sure this new relationship could affect her art studies and there was a small part of her that was worried about this but she didn't consider the thought of not meeting him. For the first time in a long time she was excited about the way her life was heading.
The class ended and suddenly she was incredibly nervous about what she was about to do which was ridiculous. It's not like she hadn't already spent time with him but she now felt a little exposed and vulnerable. She left the college building and there he was, in exactly the same place as he'd been the day before. His face lit up as he saw her and she couldn't help but smile as she saw him herself.
He hugged her when she was close enough which took her by surprise but she couldn't say she didn't like the feeling of being held in his strong arms. "It's good to see you, babe." He told her softly in her ear and Lauren could feel her face begin to heat.
"Good to see you too," she said. They pulled apart slightly and she wasn't sure what made her do it but she leant forward and kissed his lips briefly. The smile on his face widened as she moved away from him again and Lauren felt her embarrassment increase. "Let's go and get some food," she suggested.
"Good plan. Come on, I know the perfect place." He took her hand in his as he spoke and yet again he'd managed to surprise Lauren. She walked behind him slightly, staring at their hands that were combined so naturally. She jogged a couple of steps to catch him up, vowing to not dwell on the little things and just enjoy the rest of the day.
She let herself be led to a small cafe about a ten minute walk from her college. It wasn't somewhere Lauren had been before and looking at the outside of it she could understand why. "Are you sure this is the right place?" she asked him quietly.
"It may not look like much but the service and food is really great." He turned to face her, "Trust me..." he asked her gently and she nodded at him.
It became apparent that Joey was a regular at this place from the welcome they both got as they walked into the cafe. Lauren could also see the interest that was being sent in her direction as they were told to sit wherever they wanted and she wondered if it was a regular occurrence for him to bring a girl here. That thought made her pause slightly and she couldn't deny the stab of pain she felt at the very notion.
Again he helped her into her seat at the small booth he'd selected. Then he took a seat across the table from her. "So what do you recommend?" she asked as she glanced at the menu for 'Maggie's'.
"The burgers are great." He said, "But whatever you want would be good."
"A burger sounds good to me." She said after a couple of minutes of perusing the menu.
Joey smiled at her and when the waitress came over he ordered two burgers and some drinks. Once they were alone again Lauren became nervous for some inexplicable reason. "How's your brother?" Joey asked her suddenly.
"He's fine. I think it taught him a lesson about rushing his food." She smiled fondly as she thought of her brother.
"Are you close with him?"
"Yeah. He's really sweet. I want him to have the childhood I didn't. So I try and protect him from the bad things that happen sometimes."
"Bad things?" He frowned.
She shrugged and was quiet for a couple of minutes, "Poor choice of words really." Their drinks arrive and they both fall silent. "It wasn't too bad when I was Oscar's age but mum and dad fought a lot when I was a bit older. There were a few rough patches. It wasn't always a good place to live."
"Was he violent?"
"Who? Dad?" Joey nodded, "No, nothing like that. He just had a wandering eye."
"He cheated?"
"Yeah." She looked at him, "I guess that's better than being violent."
"I think it is." He said softly.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to put this conversation on a downer." She smiled at him slightly. "Let's talk about happier things."
"Like what?"
She thought about it for a second then knew what she wanted to talk about. Could she ask him? "Me and you..." she whispered.
Their burgers arrived and Lauren could see he'd been right about the food. It sure looked good. She looked up at him and found him smirking at her. "What about that subject did you want to talk about exactly?" he asked her.
"What you want..."
"From you? Or for the two of us?" He asked, suddenly serious.
"Both... I think." She said.
He smiled at her, "Well, from you... I hope you realise that I like you. I feel like there's something between us." He stops talking and stares at her, "Is that what you wanted to hear?" he asked her quietly.
"Yes." She said, smiling at him shyly. "So you think this might be something?" she asked hesitantly. "Us I mean..."
"Don't you?" he asked her... sounding almost hopeful.
"I hope so."
"I guess that wasn't very romantic, was it?" He said, smiling at her, "I can do the romance, if you'd like me to."
"It would be nice..." she said softly, afraid to look at him in case she saw rejection in his eyes.
He chuckled and she looked up at him. She was pleased to see he wasn't laughing at her. There was affection on his face, "Then, I promise you an afternoon of romance." He said, winking at her as he took a bite of his burger.
Lauren ate her burger, suddenly eager to get to the afternoon. She wondered just what an afternoon of romance with Joey would entail. When she'd finished eating she went up to the till and paid for their meal. Joey didn't even let her sit down again before he began protesting about her paying. "I said last night that I was paying for the meal, Joey. I won't be changing my mind. And don't try to make me." She took her seat as she spoke.
He rose from his seat and stood in front of her. Slowly he leaned down so he was right in her face. He had a smirk on his face as he inched ever closer, "I could convince you, you know." He whispered before kissing her gently.
Her eyes were shining when she pulled away from him, "I'm sure you probably could but... I know you aren't going to try, right?"
He stared into her eyes for a couple of minutes, then sighed and stood up again, "Okay." He said, a hint of resignation in his voice. "Let's go then." He added, "I have an afternoon of romance for you."
He held out his hand towards her and she took it, letting him pull her to her feet. "Please tell me what you've got planned."
"It's a surprise." He whispered with a smirk and she groaned. He kissed her again then led her out to the street.
"Please Joey?" she begged.
He stopped and she ran into his back. He turned and looked at her, "Okay... well I was thinking a movie and then maybe a bar afterwards."
Lauren froze, a look of panic on her face, "I can't drink..." she whispered.
"What?"
"I can't drink..." She could barely look at him now, too ashamed of what she was saying.
Joey could tell there was more to it than what she was telling him. "Talk to me, Lauren..." he said.
"I can't drink." She repeated, "I have a problem with alcohol." She lifted her head and looked at his face, tears streaming down her pale face. His hand rose and cupped her cheek. He brushed her hair behind her ear and then stroked her cheek with his thumb. "I started drinking a couple of years ago. It's my way of coping with things when they get too bad. And things have been really bad for quite a while. Just over a year ago, I really lost control and I don't remember most of what happened that night. The bits I do remember scared me so much. I stopped drinking that night. I've only had one drink since then and I regretted it so badly. I can't do that again, I've been doing so well. I can't become that person again. That person, when she drinks too much she's a bitch. I don't like that person. I don't like me when I become that person, Joey and I think you'll like her even less. Don't make me do that." The more she spoke the more she started to panic, she was on the edge of hysteria when Joey wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his body.
"It's okay, Lauren. I'd never make you do that. It's fine. We don't have to go for a drink. I'm sorry, I didn't realise. We can do something else instead. I'll come up with something." He whispered the words softly in her ear, brushing his hand through her hair as he rocked her back and fore. She began to cry into his shoulder and he held her carefully. It was a long time before she'd calmed down enough for her body to stop shaking. He kissed her softly, his lips brushing the skin in front of her ear. "Come on, babe. Let's go and see a film, we'll work out what we want to do after that."
Her hands grasped his jacket tightly, not letting go of him, needing to feel the strength of his arms around her for a little longer. "I'm sorry." She whispered brokenly.
"What do you have to be sorry about?"
"I've just ruined everything. I've ruined our date."
"You didn't ruin anything, babe."
"Yes I did. I just had a meltdown in the middle of the street. On our first date."
"Technically it's not our first date. That was yesterday. By my count this is our third date." He smiled at her brightly. "Apart from all that, you haven't ruined it. Does it look to you like I'm running away? I want to know you, Lauren. The good and the bad. Every little thing." She bit her lip and then the corners of her mouth lifted in the smallest of smiles.
"Turns out you do the romancing bit pretty well, Joey." She said softly.
He kissed her deeply before wrapping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her against his side, leading them towards the cinema.
TBC
A/N: So do you agree with Lauren and think Joey is good at the romancing bit? Let me know... The date continues in the next chapter. Wonder what will happen at the cinema... There shouldn't be any problems with that, right? Back soon...