Chapter 12- The First Official Date

"MAX!!!!! I'M HOME!!" Haley yelled as she entered her apartment. Max quickly greeted Haley excited to see her. "oh boy, I missed you so much."

Just then the phone rang, "I wonder who that is?" Haley walked to the phone and answered it, "Hello?" Haley answered.

"Hey, I was just calling to make sure you know that I was going to keep my promise."

"Nathan!! I'm impressed. You know you have a very sexy phone voice. You should call more often." Haley said with a smile on her face as she made her way to the couch to lye down.

"Well I'll be sure to call more often. So what are you doing tonight?"

"Oh I don't know, I was hoping to get some of that well deserved sleep that I missed last night and of course spend a little quality time with my dog. I missed him."

"Ok well, how about you, me and Max go get some ice cream and maybe a walk on the beach?"

Haley couldn't hold back the smile any longer, "yah that sounds really great."

"Well good then, I guess I'll be there to pick you up at 7, sounds good?" Nathan asked.

"yah sounds very good, I'll see you then. Bye."

"Bye Haley."

Haley hung up the phone and quickly ran to Max. "Max guess who we're going out with tonight!! You know, that nice guy from the park and the beach. Yah boy we're going to get some ice cream and take a walk on the beach and we are going to have so much fun."

Max wagged his tail and smiled at her excitement.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

Haley quickly ran to the door and fixed her clothes and hair one more time before she opened the door. "Nathan! Hey!" Haley said as she opened the door.

"Hey how are you?" Nathan said as he gave Haley a quick kiss.

"I'm great."

"Good, so are you and Max ready to go?" Nathan said looking around for Max.

"Yah, MAX!!" Haley yelled and in came Max. He quickly ran to Nathan.

"Hey Max, I haven't seen you in awhile." Nathan said as he played with his ears and patted his head. Haley just smiled at the two feeling very happy that her dog and boyfriend got along. It may have seemed funny that Haley would find it important that her dog and her boyfriend got along but it was to her. Max was important to Haley and if any guy couldn't get along with Max then they had no future. Haley quickly figured this out when she broke up with Lucas. Max never liked Lucas, so from then on she always trusted his opinion. Max was a good judge of character and he really liked Nathan.

"ok guys let's get going" Haley interrupted the greeting as she clapped her hands to get their attention.

"You see that Max, that's a woman who isn't afraid to boss her men around." Nathan smiled at Haley.

"You better believe it." Haley said as he grabbed Nathan's hand and lead them out the door, Max following close behind.

"So what would you like Ms. James?"

"How about Mint Chocolate Pattie." Haley answered.

"Ok that sounds good." Nathan said to Haley then turned his attention to the young girl who was serving the ice cream. "hi, um, the lady would like Mint Chocolate Pattie and I'll have chocolate chip."

"Ok that would be $3.50."

"Ok here you go." Nathan said as she handed the money to the girl. "hey Haley why don't you go find a seat outside while I get these ice creams."

"ok." Haley gave Nathan a quick kiss and then made her way to find a nice bench for them to sit out.

A few minutes later Nathan emerged with ice cream in hand. "Here you go. Mint Chocolate pattie."

"oh Thank you."

"It's really beautiful out, isn't it?" Nathan said as he sat down next to her.

"Yah it is, it's really nice night for a walk on the beach."

"Yah but before that, tell me about yourself, I want to know everything about you Haley James." Nathan said as he looked into her eyes.

"What do you want to know?"

"um...do you have any brother's and sister's?"

"yah, I have 7, 5 brothers, 2 sisters, I'm the youngest."

"Wow, that's pretty huge."

"yah, it made for some pretty interesting child hood memories. What about you, do you have any brothers and sisters besides Lucas?"

"yah I got a very little sister, she's about 2 years old. I can safely say that she is the only reason why I even bother with my family anymore."

"Why's that?" Haley asked curious as to his answer.

"Well you know my dad? He is pretty intense and when I was younger he pushed me a lot to be better than him in basketball and everything. When I finally got good, really good, he started saying that I would never be as good as him. I just don't want him to do to Mikayla what he did to me."

"Well that's really sweet of you, I can tell you love your sister a lot."

"I do," Nathan said as he looked in Haley's eyes, "So what's the story between you and Max here?"

"Oh well I have had Max since he was a puppy. My dad, for my birthday, gave him to me before he died."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"yah, it was right before I moved to New York. I kept on calling him telling him how much I missed everyone and how lonely I was. He kept on saying I need to get out and meet new people but all I wanted was my family. Yah so on my birthday, I was sitting on my couch feeling bad for myself because I was alone on my birthday and I hear a knock on my door. Sure enough it's my dad and he had Max in his hands. My dad hands Max to me, gives me a kiss on the cheek and says happy birthday and to stop calling him and get a life." Haley laughs at the memory. "He didn't stay because he had to get back for work the next morning so we said our goodbyes and that was the last time I talked to him. He got in a car accident on his way home"

"Wow, that's horrible! I understand why you and Max are so close now." Nathan said as he wiped a stray tear from Haley's eye.

"yah well, he's the last thing my father gave to me."

"you know what? I think it's time for us to take that walk on the beach." Nathan holds out his hand for Haley to take and she quickly takes it.

"yah I think it's time."

"I love the beach at night." Haley said as she leaned into Nathan's shoulder.

"yah, I always loved it too." Nathan responded placing his arm around Haley's shoulders.

"Oh my God, do you see my dog? What is he doing?" Haley stares at Max and sees him jumping up and down and barking at something in the water.

Nathan laughed at the dog, "It looks like he might have caught a fish or something."

"Oh brother, well as long as he is entertained."

Nathan and Haley stop and stare out into the ocean, looking at the moon reflect on the water. "You know Haley, I think that this here might be the happiest I have ever been in my life."

"Oh really and why is that Mr. Scott?"

"Because I'm with you." Nathan smiled at her as she began to blush. Just then Nathan leaned in to kiss Haley in a passionate way. "Come back to my place with me." Nathan whispered to her.

"You know I want to but-"

"you don't feel the same way about me." Nathan finished her sentence.

"No that's not it at all, I just like you a lot and I want this to work." Nathan looked at Haley confused so Haley proceeded to explain. "It's just that we skipped a lot of steps in a relationship when we slept together the other night. I just think we should back up and slow it down a little. I just don't want to screw this up with sex."

"I understand, and I respect that, I really do. I want this to work just as much as you do. So how about I take you and Max home and maybe I can get a goodnight kiss on the cheek." Nathan said with a smirk on his face.

"oh well only if you're good." Haley said as she grabbed Nathan's waist and he put his arms around her shoulder's and they walked back to Haley's apartment.