I think this is one of the chapters that I was most excited to write, even if he was unplanned lol and soon, we'll have Valentine's Day! till next time
Paul was nervous as he never was. After going on a coffee date to talk things between them, so it wasn't weird anymore, Paul decided to finally do what he wanted to do ever since New Year's Eve. He asked her on a date.
Bella had accepted, and he was on his way to pick her up. Maya was happily singing on the backseat, happy to spend some time with her 'bestest friend'.
"Are you happy you're going to spend some time with Gio, peanut?" Paul asked, quickly looking at his daughter, before turning to look at the road.
"Yes, Daddy! I can't wait!" Maya replied gladly. "Gio said her grandpa will be there. I like him."
Paul chuckled, knowing that Maya liked Charlie because he often indulged in the girls' shenanigans and baked cookies with them. He was glad Charlie had offered to babysit tonight; he was a little worried about taking the sheriff's daughter on a date, but he wouldn't change it for nothing.
"Remember to behave, alright peanut? Listen to what Charlie says and don't demand anything." Paul looked at her daughter, who was giving him a dead stare. "I know you're a polite young lady, but it bears repeating."
"I know, Daddy." Maya sighed so heavily, it seemed like he was talking to a teenager instead of a four-year-old. "I'm good."
"I know you are, peanut," Paul said, smiling at Maya. "And look, we just arrived."
He stopped at Bella's house, his smile widening seeing Bella already waiting at him on the porch. Giovanna and Charlie were next to her, apparently waiting for Maya to join them.
"Look, Daddy! It's Gio!" Maya yelled and Paul cringed at her tiny lungs being so powerful. "It's my bestest friend!"
"I can see, just tone down the screaming, please?" Paul murmured to himself, stopping the engine, and taking a deep breath. It was now or never. "Ready, Maya?"
"Ready, Daddy!" Maya yelled, and Paul smiled, preparing to go meet Bella and start their date.
Getting out of the car and getting Maya out of the car seat were the easy parts, but actually walk towards Bella on the porch? Paul was sweating just looking at her.
"Move, Daddy, move!" Maya grabbed his hand and tried to drag him towards the porch, but he wasn't moving. "Move, Daddy!"
Knowing he couldn't stall anymore, Paul started walking and seeing Bella talk with her daughter and her father, melted something inside of him that he didn't want to examine too closely tonight.
"Maya's here!" Giovanna yelled, before starting running towards Maya. "Finally!"
Paul chuckled at Giovanna's line, and was glad to see Bella laughing alongside him. She was breathtaking, even when she was wearing a simple dress and heels; Paul will have a hard time keeping his hands to himself.
Bella was wearing a simple purple knitted dress with high-tight boots, and she looked gorgeous. Her hair was loose and dropping on her back, and all Paul could think was grasping her hair in his hands and kissing her senseless.
"You clean up good, Lahote," Charlie grumbled, looking side-ways to his daughter. "Why don't you two just go while I take care of the little ones? Go!"
Paul and Bella looked at each other, amusement written all over their faces, while Maya and Giovanna were talking a mile away on their sides.
"Try not to spoil the girls too much, Dad." Bella pleaded, to which Charlie just shrugged. "You have my cell phone and I wrote down Paul's number and put it next to the landline."
"It's not the first time I'm babysitting, you know?" Charlie murmured, pushing Bella out of the porch. "Go, have adult fun—but not too much fun—and I'll hold down the fort. Just go already. I can't take you and Lahote making gogo eyes to each other."
Paul blushed at being caught, but he wisely said nothing. Walking towards Maya, he hugged her and kissed her temple.
"Behave, have fun and try not to eat too many sweets," Paul whispered on her ear, making her giggle.
"Okie dokie, Daddy." Maya hugged him back, before running towards Charlie, and grabbing his hand; Giovanna was holding his other hand. "Bye, Daddy!"
"Bye, Mummy!" Giovanna yelled, waving at her mother and him, before dragging Charlie to the door. "Come on, grandpa. Let's play!"
"I don't even want to know what they're going to do," Bella murmured, before smiling at him. "Ready?"
Paul took her hand in his, and squeezed it. "Ready. Let's go."
"I've always wanted to come to this restaurant, but I don't think Giovanna would be too happy to accompany me," Bella said, when they arrived at 'Spoontasticle'. "Thank you for bringing me here, Paul."
Paul smiled at her, before leading her inside the restaurant. He wanted her to enjoy their date, and he was glad she liked the place he chose. He wanted to woo her, show Bella he wanted to be with her for a long time.
"I'm glad you liked," Paul whispered in her ear, loving the goosebumps that appeared in her arms. "I want us to come here more times in the future."
"I'm looking forward to it," Bella whispered back.
The dinner was everything he had planned: Bella was smiling and blushing and being the most adorable woman on the planet. Paul was falling for her as easily as breathing.
Paul couldn't wait to discover each inch of what made Bella Bella.
"I don't want to be one of those mums who's always talking about her daughter all the time, but I'm glad Gio met Maya, if allowed me to meet you," Bella said shyly, after they had been seated.
"I've never been happier than the fact that my daughter made me wear a Kristoff costume to Halloween." Paul smirked, wiggling his eyebrows, making Bella laugh. "Who knew it only took us four months to be here."
"I like our pace," Bella simply said, grabbing her menu and looking through it. "Who knows what's going to happen next?"
Paul grabbed his menu and smiled at the entrées for a huge amount of time, and his smile was permanently stuck to his face for the rest of the dinner.
When they returned to Bella's house, Paul wasn't ready to say goodbye. He had enjoyed the night with Bella, and he wanted to stay awhile longer. Before he could open his mouth, Charlie had opened the door and Paul was speechless.
Charlie was wearing a bright pink tutu over his jeans, a featherly purple boá wrapped around his neck and a crown tipped on his head.
"It looks like you had fun, Dad," Bella said, trying to contain her laughter, but failing miserably.
"I had fun," Charlie deadpanned, managing to still look scary while looking like a princess. "When is your man bringing her back?"
It was Paul's turn to try to stop the laughter from bubbling. He liked the fact Charlie called him 'her man'—damn, he was Bella's man, alright—and was more than happy to see Charlie liked his daughter.
"Let's see, Dad. Can you bring the girls? So I can say goodbye to Paul without an audience?" Bella was looking at her father, while he just smirked at her.
"Sure. You two take your time, while I'll go finish tea with my granddaughters," Charlie replied, closing the door on their faces.
Paul tried not to dwell much on what Charlie said, preferring to focus on Bella's blushing face.
"I had an amazing night, thank you." She said, putting one of her locks behind her and smiling shyly at him. "I hope we can repeat it?"
Paul smirked at her, putting his hands on her waist and brought her closer to his body. "I'm thinking about Valentine's Day, what do you say?"
"I think it's a date," Bella whispered, looking at his lips and it was all the invitation Paul needed.
He leaned into her, before finally kissing her, like he had been wanting to do ever since he came to pick her up. This kiss was different from the one they shared at New Year's Eve, it wasn't hurried and it wasn't something that they were ashamed of.
Bella's lips were soft and she tasted like the chocolate lava cake they shared for dessert; her arms were on his neck, bringing him closer to her body, while Paul's hands were on her waist, trying not to hurt her when he brought her.
"I think this is the best kiss I ever had," Paul murmured against her lips, not ready to let go of her. "I'm counting this as our first official kiss."
"You can count whatever you want, as long as you keep kissing me," Bella replied, bringing him closer and kissing him senseless.
Paul decided to shut up and just enjoy the feelings Bella was eliciting on him.