"So?" Dustin hung out the passenger window, rain beating town on the peak of his cap. He liked to think Rosie had a certain spring in her step. She was definitely smiling. As she plopped down in the driver's seat, staring dreamily out the windshield, he clicked his fingers in her face. "Hellooooo!"
"What?"
"What do you mean what!"
"I mean it."
"How did it go? With Eddie?"
"Um." His aunt was blushing. Over Eddie. Revolting. "Good. I mean - we're all good."
"That's great!"
That stupid grin was a delight to see. Rosie kept it on as the engine revved up. "Did you sit this whole time with no radio or anything?"
"I was too busy fighting the urge not to run to the rescue."
Rosie started. "Whatever you do, don't try to rescue us again."
"I fixed things!" He debated. "…after I broke them."
"Hah! Go on, pick something."
There wasn't much on, so he settled for some classic rock. He always tried to tune the radio to something they could both enjoy. Rosie continued to simper for the duration of the ride home. He waited until they were pulling up the driveway to ask.
"Soooo…does this mean you and Eddie are dating?"
She considered this very seriously. "I guess. Yeah."
"Rosie?"
"Hmm?"
"I don't have to call him 'Uncle', do I?"
She sniggered. "That's up to Eddie."
"Noooo!"
Dating. Were they? There was definitely something between them now. Something more real, definitely more solid than before. Could she really say they were "dating", though?
"Ay, mi amor." Her coworker, Carlos, huffed when she asked him this. They had both been condemned to working the stockroom, since they were so terrible on the registers (customers were not her thing), and had become fast friends. "I can't understand you questioning me. You wanna date the guy, go date him. He's obviously into you, so if you just pick up the phone and ask him out, he's gonna say yes. Si?"
"But he's never asked -"
"If you always wait for the guy to invite you're gonna die alone, Princesa. Men are stupid and hints go over their head every time."
"Gimme five minutes." She started to make for the vacant office, but heard his footsteps trotting up behind. "Hey!"
"I wanna hear."
"You're so nosy!"
"I've been stacking toilet paper for an hour, give me this!"
"Fine."
They weren't really meant to use the phone unless it was an emergency, so having Carlos there to watch for their manager was actually a good idea. Trouble was, he didn't watch. Just sat on the desk chewing gum and pressing the speaker button while she dialed.
"Hideout." A gruff voice barked down the line. Carlos made a face. She shook her head not him.
"Hi, um, Joe, isn't it?"
"Yah."
"Is Eddie there?"
There was no response, just dead silence and then a shout: "EDDIE! SOME CHICK'S ON THE PHONE FOR YA!"
Someone wolf-whistled in the background. Rosie cringed. Maybe calling the bar hadn't been a good idea.
"Hello?"
"Hi."
"Rosie!" His voice perked up. "What's up?"
"Not much, h-how are you?"
"Good."
"Good."
Carlos rolled his eyes and motioned for her to move on.
"Listen, I'm on the clock here, so…"
"Yeah, me too."His tone lowered, he blatantly put his hand over the receiver to add: "It's really nice to hear your voice, though."
Carlos put a hand to his chest and made mock-thumping noises. She threw a pen at him. "You too."
"Sooo…?"
"Right. Ahhh… Wh-what are you doing tomorrow?"
"Working."
Carlos winced. So did she."Oh. Right."
"I'm off on Tuesday. You, ah, wanna do something?"
"Yeah! I mean… yeah, that's why I called."
"Great." She could hear him bouncing. "I saw there was some dumb horror movie still on up at the mall -"
"Sounds good." He could have invited her to a sewage works, for all she cared.
"Cool. I'll pick you up around eight?"
"Cool. See you Tuesday."
"Oh, and Rosie?"
"Yes?"
His voice lowered again: "Could you wear that little dress for me?"
That heated her to her core. "S-sh-sure."
"Talk to you later."
"Talk to you."
"Bye."
"Bye."
"B-"
Carlos put his finger on the hook.
"That was cute."
"Shut the fuck up."
"You are pink."
"Shut!"
"So cute."
Rosie put on the dress, and the boots. She re-painted her nails and sprayed her hair into loose waves. A bit of eyeliner and some red lipstick for the occasion, and she sat in the living room waiting for the knock. Dustin sat next to her, flipping idly through a comic, seemingly oblivious to the panic washing over her. She tried to remember to breathe.
It didn't help that Dustin's mother clearly didn't like Eddie, and was currently making it known. Rosie shut her out as Claudia mocked his hair and leather jacket, and peeked through the curtains again.
To his credit, Eddie rolled up in his van five minutes before eight. She nearly tripped over Dustin on her way to the door, and opened it before he could ring the bell. He hung with his hand in the air for a second.
"Hi."
"Hi."
"Wow." Eddie ran a hand through his hair. "Y-you look really pretty."
"Thanks. You look handsome, too."
"No…" He tried to straighten out the black shirt he'd worn. His patched vest was gone, and his jeans had no holes in them. He had even put on his own docs.
"You do." He smelled amazing, too. Like leather and cologne and a touch of shampoo. She stood on tiptoe to kiss him.
"Shit!" Eddie blurted, ducking away. "S-s-sorry. Wait there."
Rosie giggled, watching him jog back to the van, then clapped a hand to her mouth. "You didn't!"
The poor guy's face dropped. "You don't like 'em?"
"That's not what I meant."
"She hates them!" He spun dramatically, waving the little bouquet at the stars.
"I do not!" Rosie batted him playfully, taking the flowers and touching the soft petals. They were colourful. Not at all what she expected from him. "Just…no-one's ever given me flowers before."
"Bonus points to Eddie?"
"Definitely." She kissed him again.
