Chapter 5

"Would you like to go on a date with me?" Austin asked.

Ally looked at him. "What?"

Apparently Dallas had heard because he had yelled, "WHAT?!" making the whole shop look at him.

"Would you go on a date with me?" he repeated.

"What? Why?" Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Because if I don't find her, which I doubt, I'll have you," he reasons.

Ally was furious. This was no way to ask a girl out! She plastered a fake smile on her face and said, "As much as I appreciate being your second choice" -she scoffed and picked up her things, preparing to go- "No thanks," she flatly declined.

As much as she wanted to say yes, she knew she couldn't. First, he already belonged to someone else, well technically. Second, he doesn't live here, so no way for a steady relationship, not that she planned to, what? no. Third, that is no way to ask you a girl.

She gave him a sad, apologetic smile and stood up.

Austin's smile disappeared when she didn't take the offer. She stood and started to leave. He saw Dallas' snide smirk and he couldn't take it. Ally was too good of a girl to let to. He stood up and followed her.

"Wait." He grabbed her wrist and spun her around.

"What?!" she flared.

He cast a look at that Dallas guy and saw him watching them with his two little beady eyes, ignoring the cup that was over the top of its rim with hot coffee.

"Look I said that wrong..." he started.

"Hell you did!" she muttered.

"Let me explain," he continued ignoring her comment. "I have my reasons."

"Well they must be damn good reasons," she fired back.

"Um," he looked uncertain. "Have a seat." He gestured to their table.

She raised an eyebrow but sat anyway. She nodded for him to continue when she was settled.

"So um, how should I say this?" he looked at her uncertainly. He was nervous and Austin Moon was never nervous.

"Just say it. No long back-stories or prolongs. Just to the point," she encouraged.

He nodded. "Okay here goes." He bit his lip, eyebrows furrowing, which by the way Ally found cute, and gathered his wits. "I like you Ally. I can't stop thinking about you. You're on my mind day and night."

She looked at him with eyes as big as dinner plates. She was prepared for some off reason, not this. "You... you like me?"

He nodded. "Yeah," he breathed. "Look, I know I'm looking for someone else, but I'm preparing myself to give up on her. I've waited ten years and I think I've waited too long. And I think its time... that I let her go and move on." He looked up at her hopefully.

She was watching his every move. "But... but why me? I'm Ally Dawson. Plain 'ol Ally Dawson. Quiet as a mouse and quite insecure. I rarely let people into my life, and you are one of the few. And we've just met!"

"I know we've just met, but ever sine then, you've invaded my every thought," he argued. "I 'll accept you for who you are, flaws and all. So do you accept Ms. Dawson?" he said the last bit in a funny, not-so-much-on-the-spot British accent.

"I'm not sure of this Austin," she started, but got cut off.

"Please Ally. Just one date and then decide form there," he begged with hopeful, eager eyes.

She looked at him and sighed before muttering, "I can't believe I'm doing this but..."

Austin couldn't believe his luck! And he saw Dallas' face flush with anger when he got up and hugged her, when she had accepted. He was to pick her up and then whisk her away for an enchanted, magical evening.

He wanted to stay and talk to her all afternoon, but he wanted the date to be perfect so he had to leave. He spent the entire afternoon in town, shopping; going in and out of places, preparing. Late nearly evening he was someplace else but not in town. Austin wanted everything in place. To be perfect.

Ten minutes before seven thirty, he was walking down the hall of his apartment building looking for Ally's apartment. She had written down her address and it so happens that they lived in the same building (shocker!). So now he was looking for.

"17B," he muttered. Repeating it over and over as he looked over each apartment building. Somehow that seemed familiar. When he found it, realization clicked in the back of his head. He turned his head to his apartment down the hall. He pulled out his phone and pulled up the note he had written that very morning.

So that girl that seemed so much like his long lost love was Ally! No wonder she seemed familiar! So it was Ally that he had seen that morning. Well, so much for a lead, he thought. But Ally's my girl now. He shook that out of his mind, and took a deep breath and ran the doorbell.

A few seconds later there she stood as stunning as ever. "Wow... Um, nice. You look gorgeous," Austin complimented.

Ally blushed, but indeed she was. She was wearing a long-sleeved button up navy blue chiffon see through blouse. It hung loose around her body and arms and she wore a black camisole underneath. She had white short-shorts on that really complimented her long silky smooth legs. And she wore matching navy blue flats that made her look a whole foot shorter and minimal make-up to show off her real beauty.

"Looking nice yourself," she returned with a smile.

He smiled back. Austin was wearing black jeans with a light blue button up under a classic gray cardigan that was buttoned up. He was wearing casual shoes instead of his usual high-tops. He was looking and wearing clothes that didn't seem the usual him, but he wanted to make a good, no, great impression on their fist date.

"So shall we go then, mi' lady?" he asked in a British accent as he offered her his arm.

"We shall," she played along with a much better accent.

He laughed and they head off.

In the car, during the drive, Ally asked, "Austin, where are we going for our date?"

He smirked. "It's a surprise," he said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Ally never had a thing for surprises. She didn't know why, but she just didn't like it.

After twenty minutes of driving out of town to open fields Austin announced, "We're here!"

Ally scanned their surroundings. "Why here?" It was just barren fields.

"Well not technically there yet. See that path there?" he pointed to a trial opening in the trees that seemed to go higher up that mountain of a hill that loomed over them.

"Yeah..." Ally answered.

"Well its a small hike, but up there is the surprise!" he jumped out of the car eagerly and opened her side and helped her out.

"Thanks and I'm glad that I didn't wear heels which I usually do," she said.

He chucked. "I was praying you wasn't. So um, Ally you said you were from Miami, why'd you leave?"

"Um, Austin... There is reason to why I left, but that's a touchy subject and I really don't want to talk about that," she shifted uncomfortably.

He nodded. He wanted to get to know Ally and he was going to. But if there was something that she didn't want to say, he'd leave her alone. People deserve their privacy and he will totally respect Ally for hers.

"I get it." He looked straight forward. Wondering if this was getting any better than when he played the date in his head.

For Ally it was pretty nice, well so far. Something was different about Austin. He totally respected her and most guys just invade a girl's personal life, sometimes. He was trying so hard, when he didn't need to.

"Oh!" He jumped up. "We're here!" He pulled her through the maze of trees to a clearing that overlooked the whole town.

Ally stopped in her tracks. "It's... it's breathtaking, Austin," she breathed. There was a picnic blanket set up with a basket ready to go and ten feet forward there was a sheer drop, but you could see the whole landscape and its nighttime look with lights fighting the dark. It was absolutely amazing.

"I know," he wrapped his arms from behind her and placed his head on her shoulder. It was warm and they both didn't want to let go, but eventually they had to.

"So let's have a picnic, then?" He led her to the blanket and he sat next to her with hardly any space between them.

He started taking things out and Ally squealed, "Pickles!" And she made a grab for them, while Austin laughed. "How'd you know I like pickles?"

He shrugged. "I guessed. There was a jar of it in the store and somehow they got me to think of you, so I bought them."

She beamed. "Well I'm glad you did because no picnic is like one without pickles. So what else do you have?"

He continued to take out food. "Well there's pancakes." He took out a plate and Ally raised her eyebrows. "What?! It's my favorite food." She just shook her head good-naturedly. "And there's also some lasagna, garlic bread and some drinks."

They dove right in. Then they started talking about life and themselves. Ally found out about Austin's family and how he got to be a professional hockey player and Austin found out Ally's life then and now, exception that incident in high school.

Now that the food was cleared and back into the basket they pulled the blanket closer around them, and looked over the lights shining bright.

She was snuggled up close to him with her head on his chest. Austin had an arm over her shoulders and leaning on her. It was quite warm and comfortable.

"This has been a truly amazing date, Austin," she looked up at him.

He looked down. "Thanks I spent all day preparing."

"You really are a great guy."

"I know."

Then without warning, they started to inch closer. Their faces were so close that they were inches from each other. Their breathes combined as one and their eyes never leaving the other. Closer and closer... Inch by inch...

The gap was closed and there they were. Two lovers, wrapped in a blanket, embracing, kissing. Their lips moved in sync and it was slow and passionate. When they pulled out for air, they just sat looking at each other before turning their heads to look over the town.

This was one of the best nights Ally had ever had. It was just perfect. The ideal first date.

Austin really knew how to create a great impression. Their date had just ended ten minutes ago. Ten minutes ago Austin was at her door biding good night. Ten minutes ago they kissed good night.

Ally twirled around, her mind completely astray, replaying the night's events.

Her thoughts wandered to her high school years. Suddenly that music passion of hers started to climb back up. She thought about her passion for music then. It was her life. She slept, ate, and breathed music. But that was thrown to the trash when she left. She did have instruments but she hardly ever touched them. Her old song book was with her, but she didn't touch it any more. She had bought a new journal for all her story ideas. Her passion for music was replaced by writing, but it was similar.

Then a sudden thought raced through her mind. She ran to her room and ransacked her book shelf looking for it. Books were thrown aside and her bedroom floor was soon a mess as she looked for it.

After ten minutes of grueling searching she found it. Her treasured songbook/diary/journal from high school. It held happy, sad, tragic memories. It held songs that she herself had composed.

Sitting on her bed, she pored over the songs that she had written. She ignored the diary entries knowing they held nothing but pain. She traced the pages knowing she had moved her hand over these pages years ago. She sighed.

Then for the first time in ten years, song lyrics came to her. There were some empty pages so she started writing.

Austin Moon, what have you done to me? she thought.

A/N: *sigh* that date I wrote is my ideal perfect first date, but that's just a dream, sadly. And I am so proud of this chapter, longest yet. But Ally, if only you knew... If you had read the diary entries you'd find Austin. But do we want that?

So tell me what you think, I love reviews! and thanks a million for all the reviews so far, I love reading them.

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