A/N: Hey guys, hope you're all doing well! I'm back, I honestly didn't plan on disappearing but it just happened. To make up for the lack of updates, this chapter is going to be an Otis and Maeve only event. This is also my longest chapter till now (I think) so I hope you guys like it xx
Maeve looked in the mirror straightening the black dress she had worn to the dance last year. Otis had called her earlier that day to let her know they were going to a fancy place for dinner and this was the only decent dress she had. Maeve wasn't sure why she was so nervous, this wasn't her first date with Otis but somehow it felt different. They'd been doing really great lately and things had progressively been getting more serious between them. And while that was exactly what Maeve wanted commitment had always made her nervous.
She was about to spiral further, when a knock on her door snapped her out of her thoughts.
"Hey." Maeve said, opening the door.
"Wow." Otis said, staring at Maeve.
"Thanks, you look really handsome." Maeve said with a smile.
Otis absentmindedly brushed a hand over his shirt while still staring at Maeve. It felt like his mind was short-circuiting.
"Come on, you've already seen me in this dress." Maeve said, getting a little shy.
"Doesn't mean you look any less beautiful than you did that night." Otis said finally.
Maeve didn't say anything, she just blushed. She had no idea she was even capable of blushing but here she was, completely smitten.
"Are you ready to go?" Otis asked after he had come to terms with how beautiful Maeve looked.
"Yeah." Maeve said, holding onto to Otis' arm.
Maeve and Otis walked to Otis' car in silence, just enjoying each other's company.
"I had no idea you even knew how to drive." Maeve said, looking over at Otis once they'd begun driving to the restaurant.
"I learnt last year but I don't really like it. Besides cycling is better for you and the environment." Otis said, looking kind of proud of himself.
"And you've always been someone who's super into fitness." Maeve said teasingly.
Otis shot Maeve a look before focusing on the road again.
"I'm kidding. I actually think you look really cute with your little helmet." Maeve said, biting her lip to suppress the smile that was threatening to take over her face.
Otis began short-circuiting again because he had no idea what to say. He just reached over and held Maeve's hand in his own.
They sat in silence for a while until Maeve noticed the smile on Otis' face.
"What?" Maeve asked, looking over at Otis with a smile of her own.
"What?" Otis asked, briefly looking over at Maeve.
"You're smiling." Maeve said.
"Yup." Otis said.
"Why?" Maeve asked.
"Because I'm thinking about the dance and how the first time I saw you that night, all I could think about was how much I wished you'd gone with me. I was so hopelessly in love with you and I was desperately trying to move on and I thought it was working, till I saw you in that dress. And when you opened the door tonight, in the same dress, I kind of felt like we were getting another shot at what should've been our night." Otis said.
Maeve smiled her signature Otis smile. She wanted so badly to grab him and kiss him but she wasn't really in the mood for getting into a car accident so she managed to control herself.
"You know, that was the night I knew for sure that I really liked you." Maeve said.
"Wait, you liked me back then?" Otis asked.
"Yeah." Maeve said.
"You're making it sound like it was obvious but it wasn't." Otis said.
"Well apparently it was obvious to everyone, including Jackson." Maeve said.
"Wait what? Is that why he was so mad at me?" Otis asked.
"Yeah, I guess so." Maeve said.
"Why didn't you say anything?" Otis asked.
"I was about to but then Jackson told me about the whole you helping him purse me thing and it kind of killed the mood." Maeve said.
"Yeah, sorry about that." Otis said, cringing a little.
"Why did you help him if you liked me?" Maeve asked.
"I wasn't trying to help him, I thought the whole grand public gesture thing would turn you off but it actually worked out really well." Otis said, sounding a little embarrassed.
Maeve was silent for a second before she burst out laughing.
"What?" Otis asked.
"That's actually really funny and something that would so happen to you." Maeve said, trying to stop laughing but failing.
Otis didn't say anything; he just shook his head in annoyance. Noticing this, Maeve leaned over and gave him a peck on his cheek, which did a pretty good job of calming him down.
As soon as they reached the restaurant, Otis got out of the car and opened the door for Maeve. Maeve just stared at the huge glass building before her. Even though they hadn't entered the hotel yet, Maeve was already feeling a little out of place. Before Maeve could overthink anything else, Otis and her were ushered inside the hotel and into the restaurant. They were seated at a table in the corner. Everything was moving really fast around them; it was becoming hard for Maeve to keep track of what was going on. Things only slowed down when she was handed a menu by one of the staff there.
"Isn't this place a little too expensive? We can go somewhere else." Maeve said, looking over the menu.
"Don't worry about the price, I've been saving money from the clinic for months. You should get whatever you like." Otis said, looking up from the menu and smiling at Maeve.
Maeve just nodded in response. She tried to pick the simplest thing on the menu and was glad to find out Otis was going to be placing the order for the both of them. In every other circumstance, Maeve would've hated being with a guy who placed the order for her as well but she could tell Otis could sense her unease and she was grateful that he had taken over. She looked around at the other people in the restaurant and even though they were kind of dressed like her, she couldn't help but feel like she didn't belong there.
"Do you not like this place?" Otis asked, once someone had taken their order.
"No, it not that. It's just, isn't a little too fancy?" Maeve asked.
Before Otis could answer, someone came and served Maeve and Otis their appetizers.
Maeve stared at the multiple folks and knifes around her, not knowing which one was the correct one to use. She looked over at Otis with a pained expression.
"I have no idea which one is the right one." Otis said.
"What?" Maeve asked, feeling like Otis was kidding.
"Yeah I have no clue." Otis said.
"Then how did you pick this one?" Maeve asked, gesturing towards the folk in Otis' hand.
"I usually just pick the one that looks shiniest and start from there." Otis said.
Maeve stared at Otis for a second before she burst out laughing. She ended up being a lot louder than she intended and she looked around to see some people staring at her. She immediately stopped and looked over at Otis, expecting to see him look super embarrassed but the only look on his face was that of pure adoration.
Otis reached across the table and held Maeve's hand. "I don't care that this place is fancy, I don't need to be at a place like this to have a good time. I know I would have the best night with you even at a McDonald's drive thru, I just really like the food here and wanted us to have a night which wasn't filled with greasy fries and milkshakes. But if that's what you want, just say the word and we'll be out of here. I just want us to have a good night, it doesn't matter where." He said.
"I love you and I love that you planned this for us. Let's stay." Maeve said, squeezing Otis' hand.
"I love you too." Otis said, squeezing Maeve's hand back.
Seeing Otis' reaction made Maeve realise that she had nothing to be embarrassed about. Otis loved her and that's all that mattered. She decided to make it a point to have a good time and she did.
They had just finished eating their main course and now it was time for dessert. By this time, Maeve had calmed down about the prices and was looking forward to seeing what they had on the menu.
"Would you like some dessert?" The manager asked. Maeve and Otis had been getting special treatment all night since the owner of the restaurant had been a client of Jean's.
"No thanks, could we have the check please?" Otis asked.
"Certainly." The manager said, walking away.
Maeve looked at Otis with a confused expression.
"We're not having desert here." Otis said, as he proceeded to pay the bill.
Maeve didn't say anything; she let Otis lead her out of the restaurant and into his car.
"Where are we going?" Maeve asked once they were in the car.
"You'll see, it's not too far from here." Otis said.
Maeve wanted to know more but she decided to drop it. She just turned on some slow music on her phone and allowed it to take over the comfortable silence in the car. She was so busy staring outside her window that she didn't realise when they reached.
"We're here." Otis said.
Maeve looked up to see they were at a McDonald's drive thru.
"Haha, really?" Maeve asked, laughing.
"I told you, I could have a good time anywhere, as long as you're with me." Otis said, stopping the car as they waited in line.
Maeve reached across the seat and pulled Otis in for a slow kiss. She wanted to convey to him how much he meant to her and words had never really been her thing. They only pulled away when the car behind them started honking, asking them to move.
Otis took a second to collect himself before he drove.
"Hi, can we have one McFlurry and, Maeve what do you want?" Otis asked, turning to Maeve.
"I'll have the same." Maeve said.
"Two McFlurries then." Otis said.
Once they'd gotten their order, they began driving towards Maeve's house which wasn't too far away.
"I actually know the perfect place where we can eat these." Maeve said, grabbing Otis' hand once they reached the trailer park.
Otis just followed Maeve up the small hill at the top of the park. It had a very nice view of their city. They sat there on the grass underneath the stars that covered the night sky.
"I had a really good tonight." Maeve said, looking over at Otis.
"Me too. I'm sorry if you didn't like the restaurant. " Otis said, taking a break from eating his ice cream.
"No, I did but what I liked even more was how much you didn't care about what anyone else thought. It was very unlike you." Maeve said.
"Yeah I know but since we've gotten together, I find myself caring a lot less about what anyone thinks. I think it's because I always felt like I was missing something in my life, someone who could see me and so I spent a lot of time worrying if I would ever find anyone who would like me or care for me. I was always occupied by doing what everyone around me would want so that they would want me but then I met you and I realised someone could actually like me for me." Otis said.
"For what it's worth, I love everything about you." Maeve said, picking up her spoon and putting some ice cream on Otis' nose.
"What'd you do that for?!" Otis asked, wiping the ice cream off his nose.
"You're cute when you get all bothered." Maeve said, smirking.
"Is that right?" Otis asked.
"Um hmm." Maeve said, leaning closer to Otis.
Otis moved forward and closed the gap between them. He tangled his hand in Maeve's hair and pulled her closer. They only pulled away when they ran out of air.
"Do you want to come back to my place?" Maeve asked, the uncertainty evident in her eyes.
"Yeah, are you sure?" Otis asked.
"Yeah. I know I want to do this with you. I'm ready and I love you. Are you ready?" Maeve said, giving Otis a quick peck.
"Yeah." Otis said with a smile.
Maeve reached her hand out to grab Otis' and they headed down the hill towards her trailer. Both of them knew what was going to happen but neither of them needed to say it. They'd developed a connection that didn't need words. And even though both of them were nervous as hell, they were also excited because they knew they were going to take a huge step in their relationship. There was no one either of them trusted more and they knew it was going to be worth the wait.
