Chapter 2

When Saturday rolled around, Sophia was up well before dawn. She had slept very little. As she looked at the time, a groan left her lips. There was still another hour before she had to get up, but was now wide awake. Begrudgingly she dragged herself out of bed and walked to the bathroom.

Hoping a long warm shower would relax her.

When she walked into work a good two hours later, she was perfectly groomed and ready for the night to begin. She only had to struggle through 7 hours of work first. She huffed at the thought, relaxation was not something she would find today.

Sophia worked in a bookshop and usually she liked it. Advising people on what to read next or what books to buy for someone else. Often she would daydream about having her own book sold here.

Today however, she just could not concentrate. Even during her break, she could not relax. Her mind went a hundred miles an hour, making her go through any roadblock she could encounter on her way to tonight. The hours ticked by slowly and she thought five o'clock just would not come. Finally the doors to the shop closed as the last patron left and she quickly began her part of the cleaning, eyeing the clock above the registers.

"Have somewhere to be?" one of her co-workers, Tim, wondered.

"Yes, I'm meeting someone in a little bit" she explained simply.

"a date?" Tim asked teasingly.

"As a matter of fact, yes" she said, feeling a smile creep unto her face.

"Well then , we better hurry this up" he smiled and picked up his pace a bit. Sophia smiled at him and mopped the floor. And as soon as they were all done with the clean up, Tim ushered her to the door.

"Have fun" he said, closing the door behind them and walking towards his car.

"Thanks, Tim. Have a nice weekend" she replied and began her stroll to the diner that was only a block from her job. She had plenty of time to get there, but still felt rushed as she moved through the crowds. Her mind was racing again. What if he did not show up. Or if he did and the date was horrible. Or she was horrible. Or...

At least a dozen scenarios crossed her mind, all of them worse than the previous one. She grumbled to herself and kept walking anyway.

Her phone buzzed and she feared it was Steve, cancelling on her. Sighing as she saw it was Zoe, she opened the app.

Good luck!

Sophia smiled and sighed once more, trying to relax her shoulders. She just needed to loosen up and let it all come to her. It would all be fine in the end. After all, what was the worst that could go wrong? Her pride could get hurt. She had been there. She survived. She would again.

Steve was already standing in front of the diner, nervously looking around. He wondered if she was going to show up. Perhaps she had changed her mind. She knew who he was. She knew it would never be simple. Or quiet. What if that had scared her off?

He'd been early. Which he regretted now. People glanced his way repeatedly and it was unnerving. It had been a while since his last date and he worried that he would disappoint her.

Yet, when Sophia rounded the corner he let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding and smiled in her direction. It would be fine. She looked amazing.

As Sophia laid eyes on the handsome soldier, she felt a weight being lifted of her shoulders. Finally she could unwind. She took a deep steadying breath and picked up her pace a little. He had come. And they would have a nice dinner. She was sure of it.

"Hi," she simply said with a smile and he held the door to the diner open for her.

"Hi" he replied and followed her inside.

They were directed to a booth in the back of the diner and quickly sat down, ordering a drink while they waited for the menu's to be brought. Silence fell over the table and neither one really knew what to say in that moment. Both Sophia and Steve had been so nervous about this date and now that it was here, they were at a loss for words. With all their worrying, neither had thought of conversation starters.

"Have you been here before?" Sophia finally asked, trying to break the silence and the accompanying tension. They had spoken so effortlessly earlier that week. There had to be a way to get to that point again.

"Well, I have been in the diner that was here before this one." Steve replied.

"This one has been here for 20 years" Sophia said as she looked at the menu, which mentioned as much.

"It has been a while" Steve chuckled and Sophia remembered just how old he was.

"Right, I forgot" she said feeling a little embarrassed.

"Don't be. I don't exactly look my age" he offered with a shrug of the shoulders.

"That you don't" Sophia laughed. The tension was broken and he laughed along with her.

They ordered their food and talked the night away. When it was time to leave, Sophia felt that she knew the man beside her a lot better. And she liked him even more for it. He really was a good man. Gentle, kind. And being the gentlemen that he was, Steve insisted that he walk her home and Sophia happily accepted.

Walking through the chilly night, Steve hesitated momentarily before taking her hand in his. It felt good. Sophia smiled brightly as she looked from their intertwined hands up to his face.

Again conversation had come so easily to them and the night seemed to end all too soon. When they reached the door to her building they stopped.

"I would invite you in, it's just..."Sophia began. Not sure how to explain that she was certain her room mates would be waiting for her in the living room.

"I have an early morning, anyway" Steve replied.

"Right" Sophia said lightly bouncing from one foot to the other. The night had gone wonderful. And now she was nervous again. She liked the man before her and she wasn't sure yet if that was smart. Or if it was reciprocated. All she knew right now, was that she wanted him to kiss her.

"I would like to do this again." Steve said softly and Sophia could feel her heartbeat speeding up. That was something, right?

"Me too" she replied eagerly and offered him a big smile, "I had fun".

"Great" Steve replied and the smile on his face grew bigger.

They stood close together, inching closer ever so slightly, looking into each others eyes. Sophia wasn't tiny, but she had to look up to meet his gaze. His eyes flickered to her lips for a split second and he bend down, moving his lips closer to hers. Her stomach did a few flips as she felt his breath on her face. Her heart sped up dangerously as his hands slipped around her waist and she stood on her toes to meet him halfway.

His lips grazed hers, hesitantly, before they finally met in a gently kiss. His lips softly adding pressure on hers. Greedily Sophia opened her mouth and he deepened the kiss, tasting her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her. She was sure then, she would take him upstairs despite her room-mates, until they were interrupted by his phone ringing. Slightly out of breath they parted and he took a moment before answering his phone.

Steve grunted into the phone, sounding annoyed.

"Now? Can't it wait?" he asked and sighed. Sophia waited quietly.

"I'll be there as soon as I can" he said angrily and Sophia looked down at her feet.

"I.." He began as he put the phone back in his jacket pocket.

"Duty calls" Sophia said and he nodded solemnly. He bent down again to give her quick peck on the lips.

"I'll call you when I get back?" he asked, rather than said and it was Sophia's turn to nod.

"As soon as I can" he said and gave her another quick kiss, before he started walking away. At the end of the street he looked back once more and waved, before walking out of sight.

Sophia sighed and took out her keys to open de door to her building. She was sad he had to leave so suddenly, but it could not wipe the smile of her face that this evening had put in place.

A/N: again this story is already posted on my tumblr. However I had edited it a bit. The story itself is uchanged but certain sentences flow differently now. Better, I think. I hope you'll like it.