"How about the red one?" Finn asks with a teasing smile.
He and Poe sit on Rey's bed as she tears through her closet looking for the perfect thing to wear on her first date with Ben Solo. It is still hard for her to believe this is actually happening. Although she is beyond excited, she wants to have everything run perfectly. Upon hearing Finn's suggestion, she whirls around and raises an eyebrow at him.
"The red one? Seriously?" Rey questions.
"Yeah! It's the sexiest one!" Finn replies with a wink.
Rey shakes her head with a laugh and returns to looking through her closet. Her fingers brush across every fabric as she shakes her head in disapproval. Why is nothing fitting for this special night?
"What about the green one? I know it's your favorite," Poe suggests.
Her eyes light up as she remembers this dress. How could she have forgotten? With a smile on her face, Rey pulls the green dress off the hanger and holds it up to herself. Poe and Finn look on with encouraging smiles as they hold hands.
"It's perfect, Rey. He's gonna love it," Poe says with a smile.
Rey smiles proudly back and moves to the bathroom to change. She says her goodbyes to the boys and waits for the minutes to tick by. A knock at the door makes her heart race as she moves quickly to open it. A wide smile crosses her lips as she sees Ben standing before her in a nice button up shirt and slacks. His eyes are wide with amazement at how stunning she looks. He smiles back and leans down to kiss her cheek gently.
"You look so beautiful, truly beautiful," Ben whispers softly.
She blushes from his words as he offers his hand to her. Rey takes it and gives his hand a gentle squeeze. They walk together to the subway station to ride into Manhattan. Their conversations they share are lively despite the slight nervousness they feel. Neither wants anything to go awry. Ben and Rey get off at Columbus Circle to take another train to 72nd Street. Once they reach the next station, they walk up a few blocks to a restaurant called Playa Betty's. Rey's eyes light up and she turns excitedly towards Ben.
"Playa Betty's? I love this restaurant!" she exclaims.
"Really? It's my favorite too!" Ben replies, smiling giddily back at her.
They stand there a moment, looking deeply into each other's eyes. Rey slides her arms around Ben's neck as he wraps his arms around her waist. Their lips meet softly at first then with a slow burning fire as they stand together. When they pull away for air, they still hold each other close. They look at one another and giggle softly before turning into the restaurant.
The food is delicious, but it isn't a surprise to either one. Rey orders the taco dinner with all three of them being filled with short rib while Ben orders three fish tacos. They enjoy the company and share some laughs together. After sharing a delicious churro ice cream sandwich, they have a brief standoff regarding payment. It is playful in nature and Rey finally agrees to let Ben pay.
"Next time I'm buying. It gives us an excuse to go out again," Rey says with a wink as they leave the restaurant.
"What if I don't need an excuse?" Ben asks softly.
They stop and Ben takes Rey's hand with his own. He pulls her hand close to his chest, stroking the back of it with his thumbs tenderly as he sighs gently.
"Rey, I don't mean to be too forward when saying this. And I certainly don't want to make you run away. It's just…here, follow me," he says as he pulls her along.
She follows, her heart beating rapidly as her mind whirls around what he could be saying. Her hand holds his tightly as they briskly move up a few blocks until they reach Central Park. The sun is just beginning to set as he leads her over to the boat house. After paying for a rental, Ben guides her into one of the rowboats. Rey giggles as the boat takes off and she falls a little back off the seat. Ben chuckles and helps her sit up before taking the oars and rowing towards the middle of the lake. He sets the oars in a locked position and reaches for Rey's hands. She can feel him tremble as he takes a deep breath before looking at her with his beautiful eyes.
"Rey, from the moment we met, I felt something I've never felt before. Something I never thought I could have. Since this moment, you have been on my mind constantly. I…I know I can't offer much on a musician's pay. And I know this is only our first date, but I…I can't ignore what I'm feeling inside and what my heart tells me," Ben confesses.
A moment passes between them. Feeling he shouldn't have said anything, Ben begins to pull away until he feels a squeeze on his hands from Rey. He looks at her and his whole body swoons from how her gorgeous eyes lock onto him. She leans forward, careful not to rock the boat, and presses her lips against his softly. Ben kisses her back as a sudden boom sounds close by. The pair turn to look at the sky as they see some fireworks bursting overhead. As the fireworks dance overhead, Ben steals a glance at Rey and feels his heart warm. The wonder and joy on her face makes him so happy, the happiest he has ever felt.
Rey turns to look at him with the biggest grin on her face and cups his cheek lovingly. Ben smiles widely in return and presses his lips to her own. A perfect night indeed.