Date Nights

Fabrizio followed his GPS to one of Chicago's Scandinavian neighborhoods. As he drove through, he noticed that there were several Scandinavian stores and restuarants as well as scattered apartment complexes. Finally, his GPS stopped him in front one of the apartment buildings. He parked his car on the street and got out.

He walked around to the back as Helga had told him to and climbed two flights of stairs. Once he reached the second level, he came to a large balcony that went all the way around. There were several doors with numbers on them. He found apartment B-03 and knocked on the door.

The door opened and he was face to face with a man who looked like he was around 47. The man had a fluffy gray mustache and was wearing a Bears jersey. Fabrizio figured him to be Helga's father and the man who answered the phone before. He could feel Olaf Dahl's eyes boring right through him. Olaf shared his daughter's electrifying blue eyes. His eyes are like x-ray lasers or something...

"Yeah?" Olaf asked in a gruff voice.

"Er..." Fabrizio shifted nervously on his feet. Just then, to his great relief, he heard someone else coming to the door.

"Olaf, invite the poor boy inside, he's here for Helga," a lady's voice interjected. Olaf stepped to the side as a lady with graying blonde hair and soft blue eyes ushered Fabrizio inside. He guessed that she was Helga's mother. She led him into what looked like their living room. The television was paused and another young man was laying across the dark teal colored sofa. His hair was blonde and shaggy.

"Thanks," Fabrizio tried to smile at Mrs. Dahl, but he was incredibly nervous, and Olaf was still staring at him.

"So you're the foodcourt guy, eh?" the guy from the sofa asked, raising an eyebrow. He sat up and leaned his arm over the edge, looking directly at Fabrizio. He also had those same electrifying turquoise eyes.

"Er...yeah, I am." Fabrizio shrugged, shifting awkwardly.

"I see, well you should know our dad will f*ck your shit up if you break widdle Helgsie's heart, but you didn't hear that from me," the guy said. Olaf grinned and playfully punched his son's shoulder. Fabrizio stepped back a few inches.

Mrs. Dahl smiled warmly at Fabrizio. "Ignore them. Helga's just finishing getting ready, she should be in here in a minute or two, would you like some water? You're sweating bullets."

Fabrizio adjusted his tie. "Um, sure, thanks," he said. Olaf huffed and sat down on the sofa, resuming the Bears game he'd been watching on cable. Fabrizio looked around the apartment. In the TV room, he noticed several pictures of Helga and her brother, and behind the sofa was a giant Norwegian flag. Next to the flag, was a giant portrait of Helga and her brother.

His eyes followed Mrs. Dahl into the kitchen, where he noticed she had a chicken motif going on. Chicken knicknacks were on a shelf behind their table and there were even chicken themed decorative plates on display.

He turned his attention back to the room he was in. Olaf was eating pretzels, but before he could eat one, he'd touch it to the flag. Weird... Fabrizio thought. The whole room was either filled with pictures of Helga and her brother, or Norwegian knicknacks, not much else.

"So that's the Norwegian flag, right?" He tried to make conversation.

"Well it certainly isn't the flag of Russia," the brother interjected with a giant smirk across his face.

"I-I knew that," Fabrizio stammered. He was still really nervous about going out with Helga, and being teased by her father and brother was making his anxiety a hundred times worse.

Olaf looked at him. "Ah, the boy knows Geography!" he exclaimed. "Hear that Kjetil, he knows the difference between Russia and Norway."

Kjetil snorted and nudged his father. "Helga will appreciate that," he said.

Fabrizio smiled awkwardly. "So are you from Norway?" he asked curiously. "I noticed you have a lot of Norway stuff in here."

Olaf shook his head. "No. Johanne and I were both born here in Illinois, but both of our grandparents were Norwegian immigrants. Our kids have full Norwegian lineage," he explained.

Fabrizio smiled. "Oh really? I actually have full Italian lineage, my grandparents own the pizza palace downtown. Helga tells me you like their cheesy breadsticks, maybe we can get you a deal sometime," he said, scratching behind his ear. He figured bringing up the cheesy breadsticks might score him some brownie points if Olaf thought that he could swing him a deal next time he came in.

Olaf nodded. "Hey boy, now you're talking," he said with a grin. "Give me free breadsticks and you'll have my blessing," he joked. Fabrizio let out a nervous laugh as Kjetil snickered from his spot on the sofa.

Even though he was talking to him, Fabrizio could still feel that Olaf didn't trust him, because he was still staring at him funny. Fabrizio wiped some more sweat off of his forehead with his sleeve. Seeing how jittery he was, Olaf nodded with satisfaction and turned his focus back on the game.

Mrs. Dahl came back out and handed Fabrizio a glass of water. "Thank you," he said, sipping the cold water. It actually did help calm him down a little. Mrs. Dahl brought Olaf and Kjetil some cheese and crackers, and then she went back into the kitchen.

"So have the Bears scored yet?," Fabrizio asked, slowly sitting down on the armchair.

"Dude, did you seriously just ask that?" Kjetil teased him.

"I wasn't watching." Fabrizio shrugged.

Olaf nodded. "Yeah it's 9-3 right now," he said.

Fabrizio grinned. "Oh yeah, I see the Bears are winning, that's good," he said. Olaf just nodded and Kjetil rolled his eyes.

Just then, out of nowhere, a fluffy orange cat jumped into Fabrizio's lap. "Wha-!" Fabrizio jumped, accidentally spilling water on the cat. The cat hissed at him.

"No Mister Fluff, bad cat!" Mrs. Dahl snapped, coming out of the kitchen. She gently smacked the cat with her spatula and Mister Fluff ran back down the hallway. "I'm sorry. Mister Fluff always gets excited around guests, Helga loves that crazy cat," she apologized.

"Oh no, it's okay." Fabrizio caught his breath.

"Yeah to you, try asking the poor drenched cat," Kjetil snickered, earning a slap on the shoulder from his mother.

Mrs. Dahl smiled awkwardly. "Where is Helga?" she wondered aloud.

"I'm coming! I'm coming!" Helga called from her bedroom. She ran down the hallway into the living room with a giddy smile across her face.

Fabrizio turned to see Helga coming down the hall, and was instantly speechless. She was wearing a flowy pink cocktail dress that fit her perfectly in all the right places and her silky blonde hair was up in a wavy bun. Suddenly, Mister Fluff ran down the hall again and tripped her. Helga yelped as she lost her balance and Mister Fluff yelped when Helga landed on his tail. Kjetil bust out laughing. "Good job, Helgsie," he teased.

She glared at him. "Shut up ignoramus," she snapped, annoyed.

Fabrizio stood up instantly. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Helga jumped up and brushed herself off. She was beet red. "Um, yeah I'm fine." She smiled nervously.

Mrs. Dahl shook her head. "Crazy cat!" she sighed.

Olaf jumped up off the sofa. "TOUCHDOWN WHOOO!" he yelled. Kjetil started clapping really loud and yelling 'GO BEARS'. Mrs. Dahl rolled her eyes and went back in the kitchen to finish making dinner.

Helga looked at Fabrizio. "Told you my dad and brother like football," she giggled.

Kjetil turned around and glared at them. "Hush lovebirds, we're listening to the game," he said. Helga stuck her tongue out at him.

Fabrizio grinned and she smiled shyly. He handed her the flowers. "You look amazing," he said breathlessly.

Helga smiled shyly again and shifted on her heels. "Thanks," she giggled, nervously tucking a loose blonde curl behind her ear. Mister Fluff the cat was already curled up on Olaf's lap watching the game, and Mrs. Dahl was standing in the kitchen with her cooking apron on.

Fabrizio offered Helga his arm. "Should we go?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yeah." Helga looked back at her mother. "I'll be back later," she said. Mrs. Dahl smiled and shooed them off with her spatula.

"Bye bye wuvie dovies," Kjetil called, making obnoxious kissy faces at them.

"SHUT UP!" Helga snapped at him.

"Whatever," Kjetil snickered. This time, Olaf elbowed him hard in the ribcage.

"Be nice to your sister," he warned.

Helga smiled at her father. "Bye, Daddy!" she waved.

Olaf waved back. "Be back before midnight, I'll be waiting right here!" he yelled.

Always hovering..."All right!" Helga called. She flipped off her brother just as she walked out the door. As soon as the door shut, they could hear Kjetil yelling that she'd just flipped him off, but he couldn't prove it now. Helga smirked. "Jackass," she muttered under her breath.

"So you and your brother don't get on too well?" Fabrizio asked with a smirk.

"Kjetil's an asshole. He's always making fun of me," Helga told him, rolling her eyes. "I guess it's just sibling rivalry, but he always manages to take it just one step too far. Do you have any siblings?"

"I see," Fabrizio chuckled. "-and nope, it's just me." He opened his car door for her, before climbing in himself. Helga scooted as close to him as she could get. He grinned.

It was chilly and Helga pulled her sweater tighter around herself. Fabrizio reached for the heater knob. "Here let me-" he began.

"No it's fine, you're driving, I'll get it-" Helga interjected, shaking her head. They reached for it at the same time and their hands touched. Helga yanked her hand back. "Okay I seriously felt static," she giggled.

Fabrizio grinned. "So did I, your touch is almost as electrifying as your eyes," he said.

Helga giggled again. "I'm going to take that as a compliment," she said. They both laughed.

Meanwhile, Rose took a cab to the bookstore. She looked around at the half-priced books for a few minutes, because Jack wasn't there yet. She was looking at some different art books, when a pair of strong hands gripped her shoulders. "Hey, long time no see!"

Nearly jumping half a foot in the air, Rose spun around. "Didn't mean to startle you." Jack stood in front of her, a wide smirk across his boyishly handsome face, and a gleam of mischief dancing in his enchanting seafoam pools.

"Oh God, okay, it's just you." Rose caught her breath. "I mean...hey." She smiled, blushing bright red.

Jack grinned at her obvious embarrassment. "Let's go get some coffee," he suggested, offering her his arm.

Rose smiled at him and gave a small nod. "Okay," she agreed. They went into the cafe area, where Jack found them a table in the corner.

"Here, I'll get the drinks," Rose offered.

"Cool, thanks. I'll just have a regular coffee," Jack said.

"Okay, be right back," Rose replied. She walked up to the counter and ordered two coffees, and then brought them back to the table.

"Thanks," Jack said, taking a swig of his warm coffee.

"You're welcome." Rose flashed him a shy smile as she sat down across from him.

"So, what other artists do you like?" Jack asked curiously, setting his coffee cup back down on the table.

"Mostly Monet, but I too like Van Gogh, and I've recently taken an interest in Michelangelo. He was an incredibly talented artist in his time," Rose told him, wafting the hot steam away from her lid.

"Oh yeah, the Sistine Chapel guy!" Jack laughed.

"Yes, I've actually seen the Sistine Chapel in person," Rose told him happily. For the first time in ages, her smile actually reached her eyes.

"Really? Was it awesome?" Jack demanded, fascinated.

"Oh yes, it was amazing. I just remember gazing up at it, absolutely awestruck. I took a whole bunch of pictures on this trip around Europe I went on, and I had a lot of good ones of the chapel. Unfortunately they're all on my computer right now, otherwise I'd show you," Rose replied with a giggle. For their engagement, Cal had taken Rose and her mother to all of the major European cities, but it seemed as if Rose had been the only one to really take it all in. Cal and Ruth had only been interested in luxury foods and hotels, and shopping at designer stores, while Rose had been all about experiencing the cultures and their art forms.

"Man, I'd pay to see that!" Jack exclaimed, a glimmer of jealousy dancing in his eyes. "I'd love to see those pictures some other time," he added.

"You should go sometime, it's expensive but worth it," Rose told him. "And definitely, remind me," she agreed.

"Cool, next time I'm trying to decide on a vacation spot, I'll remember that," Jack chuckled.

"So... we both like art, what else do you like?" Rose asked, searching for another conversation topic.

"I like to travel, too," Jack told her. "Just because I've never been to the Sistine Chapel, doesn't mean I haven't been on tons of vacations," he joked.

"Where else have you been, then?" Rose wanted to know, sipping more of her coffee.

"I've been to Paris, London, and even to Tokyo." Jack replied with a grin.

"Tokyo, Japan?" Rose giggled. "Why?"

"Just because." Jack shrugged.

"Oh, I bet it was beautiful there," Rose mused with a smile.

"Yeah it really was, and I love sushi so I ate good!" Jack laughed.

"You like sushi? Ew, I hate sushi!" Rose giggled.

"What? How do you hate sushi? It's amazing!" Jack couldn't believe his ears.

"Amazing? Try awful!" Rose giggled again.

"You keep your opinion and I'll keep mine." Jack grinned at her as he slid his coffee cup between his hands.

"Okay, fine." Rose smiled. "So what do you love most about traveling?" she asked him.

"Well...I'm no Monet, but I like to call myself an artist of sorts. I don't do it as a full time job or anything, but in my free time I like photography, painting, and drawing cool things that I see in my sketch pad. Traveling around the world has provided me with so many opportunities to capture so many cool and amazing sights," Jack explained, genuinely excited to be sharing his interests with someone who could relate. Fabrizio was too into his own world of techy stuff to care about Jack's art.

"Wow, talk about a jack of all trades," Rose giggled. "I'm sorry, bad pun." She waved her hand dismissively. "No but seriously, that is so cool. I'd love to see some of your work sometime," she told him with a sincere smile.

"I can appreciate a bad pun now and again," Jack chuckled. "And yeah, I actually have my sketch pad with me right now. Would you like to see?"

Rose nodded eagerly. "Of course!" she exclaimed.

Jack pulled out his sketch pad and flipped to a drawing of the Chicago skyline. "I did this on one of those boat tours, it took me about four and a half hours before I was completely satisfied with it," he said, sliding it across the table.

Rose's piercing emerald eyes lit up with delight. "Jack, this is exquisite work!" she commented, fascinated with his level of detail. He'd drawn out everything, down to the very last visible window on the tallest skyscraper.

"Thanks," Jack replied with a grin. Just then, he noticed Rose's giant diamond engagement ring. "Whoa, that's a nice ring ya got there!" he exclaimed, wide-eyed.

Rose looked at her ring "Oh this? Oh well..." She trailed off.

"Wait just a minute, so who's the lucky guy?" Jack teased. He couldn't help noticing how young she looked-younger than himself actually-but he didn't want to make any false assumptions, so he didn't comment on it.

"It's a long story, I'm not sure if it's a story I even want to get into right now," Rose replied with an eye roll. Every time she had to explain why she was trapped in an arranged marriage at seventeen years old, she hated her life just a little bit more.

"Come on now, there's something more to this," Jack pushed. Now I'm curious... I knew there was something more to this girl the second I saw her.

"Fine. I'm engaged, but not happily." Rose let out an exhausted sigh.

Jack was shocked at her revelation. "Not happily? That's not good," he mused, shaking his head.

Rose nodded and rubbed her hands together. "Actually, I'm really quite miserable," she admitted.

"Well that's really not good," Jack said. "Why?" he pushed again.

"Do you want to know who my fiancé is?" Rose asked irritably. She liked Jack a lot, but was already sick of their latest conversation topic.

"Yeah," Jack said. "Who's making you so miserable?" he asked curiously.

"Caledon Hockley, the big tycoon, you know...head of Hockley Enterprises," Rose said flatly.

"Holy- that guy's a multi billionaire!" Jack exclaimed. Shit... this girl's family must be loaded.

"Yeah, I know what he is, he's also a giant asshole." Rose let out a slight giggle as she tossed a strand of her long ginger hair over her shoulder.

"Do you love him?" Jack asked suddenly. He wanted to take it back as soon as he said it, but it was too late now.

"Pardon me?"

"Do you love him?"

"That's kind of rude..." Rose gave him a funny look.

"It's a simple question, do ya love him or don't you?" Jack inquired. I already asked... may as well find out.

"Fine, honestly, no. I don't." Rose sighed miserably, resting her face in her hands.

"Why are you guys engaged, then?" Jack prodded. I need to know what her deal is, she's so interesting.

"My mother set the whole thing up, all she cares about is money and having the high society life. She gives zero shits about me or my dreams," Rose stated flatly, her face still buried in her hands.

"What about you dad?" Jack asked.

"I don't even know where he is. He's nothing but an irresponsible prick with gambling and drinking problems, and three years ago, he up and left us for a band of Los Vegas showgirls. All Mother and I have now is a legacy of bad debts hidden by our respected family name, but when that goes, I don't know what will happen to us... and Mother is terrified of losing her place among the other society ladies, so she's forcing me to marry Cal in order to keep our social status. If I ever see my father again, I'll deck him straight in the jewels," Rose explained miserably.

"Oh, I see." Jack nodded. "I'm sorry to hear that," he said. "Wait, so how did you guys know the Hockleys?"

"Cal's father Nathan was an old business colleague and friend of my father's. Mother called him and arranged the whole thing," Rose spat. "I'm sorry, I'm not trying to take this out on you. It's just that whenever I have to tell people how f*cked up my life is, it makes me feel sick," she explained softly, looking at her hands.

Jack nodded along, listening intently to her words. He genuinely felt bad for her, and before he knew what he was doing, he reached across the table and took her hands in his own. "If you don't mind me asking... how old are you anyways?" He couldn't help it...she looked so young.

Rose hesitated and bit her lip. "Please don't think different of me if I tell you," she said, a worried edge in her voice.

"I won't, I promise," Jack told her, patting her hands gently.

"I'm seventeen," Rose admitted. She looked utterly ashamed. "I don't even go to a normal school, Mother's been teaching me herself for the past three years. After my father left, she felt as if she needed to keep an even closer watch on me, so she pulled me out of private school and transferred me to the living room," she told him. "I miss having a normal life. I used to have friends, but I haven't spoken to them in ages."

Damn, her life really sucks... Jack thought to himself. "Wow... and isn't that Cal guy like thirty something?" He couldn't believe what the poor girl was telling him.

Rose nodded. "Yeah, he's thirty. It's so wrong, yet no one seems to care except for me," she said, shaking her head miserably.

"I'm so sorry." Jack gave her hand a sympathetic squeeze. He wanted to help this girl, but he didn't even know how or where to start. She's taken poor little rich girl to the next level...he mused.

"Thanks." Rose sniffled, avoiding eye contact as she sipped more of her coffee.

Fabrizio and Helga had arrived at the restaurant just in time for their reservation. The hostess had led them to a table in the back corner next to the window, where they now sat across from each other.

Fabrizio smiled and adjusted his tie. "Thanks for having dinner with me on such short notice," he said, looking directly into Helga's gorgeous electric turquoise pools.

"Oh you're welcome, I wasn't busy tonight, thank you for asking me out," Helga replied shyly, tracing the rim of her water glass.

"How could I not ask you out?" Fabrizio grinned at her. "You are so pretty."

"Aww, um, thanks." Helga blushed.

"Anytime." Fabrizio shrugged with a sly smile across his face. "I really like this background music," he commented.

"Yeah, it's nice," Helga agreed, listening to the slow jazz music in the background. There was an awkward silence as they both scanned the large dinner menu.

Suddenly, a waiter came up to their table to take their orders. "Hi, I'm Steve, I'll be your server this evening. What can I get you?" he asked, flipping to the next page on his order pad.

Fabrizio looked across the table at Helga. "Ladies first, if you know what you want." He smiled warmly at her.

Helga smiled back at him, and then turned her gaze to the waiter. "Can I just get a garden salad with a small bowl of tomato bisque on the side, and a sweetened iced tea?" she asked, closing her menu and handing it to him.

"Of course. For you, Sir?" Steve glanced down at Fabrizio.

"I'll have the steak, cooked medium rare, and a side of mashed potatoes. Hold the gravy. And a cola no ice," Fabrizio said, handing over his menu.

"All right, I'll have that out as soon as it's ready." Steve nodded at them, before scurrying across the room to a different table.

There was an awkward silence as Fabrizio tried to think of what to say next. "So, are you having fun yet?" he asked her. "I definitely am." He grinned.

Helga smiled as she set her napkin down in her lap. "Yeah, it's only been a few minutes and this is the best first date I've ever been on," she told him with an airy giggle.

"How many first dates have you been on?" Fabrizio asked curiously.

"Just one, my ex-boyfriend Aaron that I dated in high school. He's the reason I graduated early, actually," Helga told him, avoiding eye contact.

"What do you mean he's the reason you graduated early?" Fabrizio prodded. He noted that Helga looked as if she'd upset herself.

"Our break-up was incredibly bitter. So bitter in fact, that he basically turned all of our mutual friends against me. I was so embarassed to even be seen in the hallways because everyone started talking about it. If it weren't for my best friend Shannon, I probably would have tried to drop out before the early graduation date, not that my parents would've let me or anything. She even graduated early with me to make sure I didn't try to drop out before then. Plus she said that taking a bunch of bullshit electives second semester wouldn't be as much fun without me, and that she would rather graduate early anyways so she could spend more time with her boyfriend," Helga explained, looking back up at him. She managed a faint smile.

"So... why did you guys break up?" Fabrizio wanted to know. "If you don't mind me asking, that is," he added quickly. The last thing he wanted to do was upset her even more.

"He got accepted into Yale and wanted me to go to a college out there to be close to him, but I told him that I wasn't sure if college was a good fit for me and that I didn't want to move so far away from my family and friends. So he blew up at me and said that I only cared about myself for not supporting his dreams of becoming a world famous lawyer or whatever... and I realized what a self-centered jerk he really was. I called him a hypocrite for only caring about his dreams, and it erupted into this huge fight that ended in a mutual break-up. Then, he told all of our mutual friends that I was the selfish one who broke his heart. I tried to tell them that he was equally to blame for it, but they all sided with him," Helga told him, shaking her head as she looked down at her lap.

"Damn, what a prick," Fabrizio commented. "I'm glad your friend was there for you," he said with a small smile.

"I know, just thinking about it makes my stomach churn." Helga shook her head again. "And yeah, Shannon's a saint. I love her to pieces."

Fabrizio tapped his fingers against the table, thinking of what to say next. "So...how long have you been friends with her?" he asked, a gleam of curiosity shining in his warm hazel eyes.

Helga sipped her cool water and smiled. "Shan Shan? Like fourteen years or so," she said as her face lit up happily.

"That's really cool, I've known my buddy Jack for a long time, too. We've been friends for about twelve years," Fabrizio told her.

"That's so awesome," Helga said with a soft smile.

"Yeah," Fabrizio agreed. "Hey, you wanna hear a funny story?" he asked her.

"Sure, I'd love to," Helga giggled.

"This one time, like three years ago, we got arrested for stealing this huge sum of money. It's not what it sounds like, I swear. So Jack and I were walking out of the mall, where he'd just bought a new briefcase as a present for his uncle Ray. Anyways, we get on the bus to go back to my grandpa's pizza place, and he sets it down on the seat for a few minutes. It turned out that the guy sitting next to us had an identical briefcase filled with stolen cash, and he switched them to make it look like we stole the money so he wouldn't get caught. Sure enough, a cop just happens to spot us with a briefcase that matched their description and insists on searching it. Jack's all cool about it because he doesn't know it was switched, then bam, we end up in a holding cell at the local police station until my mom showed up. After about two hours, the cops finally figured out that the scrawny seventeen year old and his jittery sixteen year old sidekick were innocent, and pinned the crime on the guy from the bus who just happened to be a known felon. No big deal," Fabrizio told her, laughing.

"Wow," Helga giggled again, eyes wide.

"It was an interesting day to say the least," Fabrizio chuckled, shaking his head.

"I bet." Helga smiled at him.

"So...what about you? I'm sure you've got some funny stories racked up, yeah?" Fabrizio asked with a smirk.

"Actually, I do have a nice little gem from last weekend, if you'd like to hear it," Helga replied with a faint laugh.

"Definitely!" Fabrizio exclaimed, slapping his hands down on the table. "Hit me." He grinned.

"Okay so last Saturday, Shannon and I stayed out super late...we shopped until the mall closed and then had dinner afterwards. So it's like eleven o'clock at night by the time we're finished eating, and we're on the opposite side of the city from where we live and it's too dark to walk, so we decide to wait for the bus. We live in different neighborhoods, but they're only a few miles apart, so we could both walk home if the bus dropped us off somewhere in between. Anyways, it's getting later and later, and then finally this bus pulls up around midnight. Shannon insists that it's the right bus, because she thinks she recognizes the street name it's going to, and we get on it. Sure enough, she was wrong, and it drops us off somewhere on the south side. After a few minutes of walking around utterly lost, we realize we're in this really sketchy part of Chinatown. It's so creepy because these sketchy looking guys keep walking past us. I'm like flipping out, and Shannon starts crying... it's a mess. I had left my phone at home because it was charging, so I'm yelling at her to do something because she's the only one of us with a phone. Finally, she manages to compose herself, and calls her boyfriend Tommy to come pick us up at like 2AM. The entire way home he was giving us shit," Helga told him, giggling as she remembered it. "My dad was so pissed at me for staying out that late without my phone," she added with a sly smile.

"That's some crazy shit," Fabrizio mused, laughing. "I bet you guys were f*cking terrified." He smirked.

"Umm, yeah, wouldn't you be?" Helga rolled her eyes at him.

"Nah," Fabrizio joked. "No I'm totally kidding, that would be really scary," he said. Just then, Steve came back with their food, and they paused their conversation for a few minutes to enjoy their dinner.

Back at the bookstore, Jack had changed the subject in hopes of raising Rose's mood again. "So besides art, what else do you like?" he asked curiously.

Rose sipped more of her coffee and shrugged. "I like reading, and I'll occasionally watch television. I don't get a lot of free time, you see, typically I'm far too busy being Cal's brainless arm candy," she replied. Her tone still held a lot of bitterness towards her fiancé.

"Ah, I see," Jack chuckled. "I watch a ton of TV, probably more than I should," he told her. "What sorts of books do you like to read?" he wanted to know.

"Anything really, but I tend to favor romance and fantasy novels," Rose replied with a faint smile.

"That's awesome." Jack grinned at her. "I like a lot of those sci-fi and fantasy type books with like mythology and stuff, but truth be told, I don't read very much. Shh," he joked.

Rose giggled. "Your secret is safe with me," she teased him.

Meanwhile, Fabrizio and Helga were finishing their dinner. "You know, it's only been a few months since my break-up, and I was admittedly a bit nervous coming out with you tonight. I was so quick to flirt with you and accept your offer to go out, and then I was sort of afraid that it might be too soon, but this date was amazing. You're a really nice guy, Fabrizio. Thanks for proving me wrong," Helga said quietly, eating one more forkful of her garden salad and washing it down with the last of her iced tea.

Fabrizio smiled warmly at her and reached across the table, gently taking her hands in his own. "I completely understand why you were nervous, and I don't want you to feel like I'm pressuring you into anything when I say this. You're an amazing girl in every way imaginable, and I just want you to know, that I would never hurt you like that jackass Aaron did," he told her sincerely.

Their eyes locked in a passionate gaze, and their hearts were both beating several miles a minute. Before Helga knew what she was doing, she'd leaned across the table and planted a soft kiss on Fabrizio's lips. She was so touched at what he'd said to her, that her emotions had taken over. Instead of pulling away, Fabrizio leaned into it even more, intensifying the kiss. He was becoming more and more convinced that he was in love with her, even though it hadn't even been a full day yet.

Out the window behind their table, the sun had set over the Chicago skyline, and the lights of the skyscrapers illuminated the bluish-purple darkness. The soft jazz music continued to play in the background of the restaurant. It seemed as if time had frozen and they were the only two people in the room, or at least, the only ones who mattered.

"Oops, sorry guys, it's just me with the check," a voice interjected suddenly. It was their waiter Steve to give Fabrizio the check.

"Thanks." Fabrizio nodded as he quickly scribbled out his signature and let Steve run his credit card.

Helga's face was the shade of her soup. "Did that just happen?" She giggled shyly.

Fabrizio flashed her a playful smirk. "Yeah, it was amazing," he said slyly.

"I don't have to tell my dad I did that..." Helga blushed even redder.

"Yeah. That's probably a good idea, he kinda sketched me out when he opened the door, it was like he was trying to peer directly into my soul or something," Fabrizio told her, laughing.

"Daddy's just really protective of me, he's like a big fluffy bear. He can growl, but he won't bite." Helga giggled.

"Okay that's good, because a bear bite would really hurt!" Fabrizio smirked.

"Yes, and we wouldn't want that to happen, now would we?" Helga teased. She stood up from her chair and went over to sit in his lap. "Kiss me again?" she asked.

"I thought you'd never ask," Fabrizio joked, forcefully pressing his lips against hers. "Is it okay if I put my hand here?" he mumbled as he paused for air, gently sliding his hand down to rest on her waist. Helga merely nodded before kissing him again.

Just then, Steve came back up to the table. "Sorry again guys, here's your card back, Sir." He handed a beet red Fabrizio his credit card back. "Have a nice night," he said, waving as he walked away again.

Fabrizio awkwardly scratched behind his right ear. "I swear that dude is a ninja or something, he keeps sneaking up on us," he joked.

Helga smiled at him as she slid off of his lap. "You never know," she giggled. She checked her phone to see that it was already 9:45. "It's getting kinda late," she said, remembering that her dad wanted her home before midnight.

"You want me to take you home?" Fabrizio asked.

"Yeah, probably. My dad wants me home before midnight, but since we still have a little while, you can take the long way," Helga replied with a soft smile.

"Cool. Okay, let's go," Fabrizio said with a grin. He grabbed his jacket and offered Helga his arm again. She smiled softly again as she took it, allowing him to lead her outside. It was a bit chilly, and she shivered slightly as a cool breeze hit them. "Here, you look cold," Fabrizio laughed, draping his jacket around her as he opened the car door for her.

"Thanks." Helga smiled, pulling it tighter around herself as she sat down and clicked her seatbelt in.

"No problem." Fabrizio shut her door and ran around to hop into the driver's seat beside her.

Meanwhile at the bookstore, Jack and Rose had both finished their coffees. Rose glanced out the window to see how dark it was, and figured it was probably getting pretty late. "Well, I should probably get going," she said after a few moments of awkward silence.

Jack smiled at her. "All right," he replied with a nod. "Come on, I'll walk you out."

They both got up and threw away their coffee cups. Jack held the door open for Rose as they stepped out into the chilly night air. "Did you bring your car?" he asked.

Rose shook her head. "No I took a cab."

Jack nodded. "Oh, okay, want me to drive you?" he offered.

"No, it's all right, I think I'll take a cab," Rose said.

"Let me at least walk you to the curb," Jack insisted.

"Okay, fine." Rose giggled.

Jack walked Rose down to the curb and flagged a taxi for her. "Thanks for meeting me tonight, it was really fun." Jack grinned.

Rose giggled again. "I had more fun with you today than I've had in ages," she told him.

Jack flashed her a silly smirk. "Will I see you again?" he asked, a shimmer of hope in his dreamy seafoam eyes.

Rose gently pecked his cheek. "I hope so!" She got into the cab and waved to him as it took off.

Jack waved back and watched the cab speed off down the busy city streets. He swayed on his heels as he admired the beautiful city at night. He took a deep breath of the cool air, and walked across the street to where his car was parked.

As Rose sat in the cab, she realized she'd kissed Jack, but she didn't care what Cal would think or say. Who said he had to find out?

Fabrizio and Helga ended up taking the scenic route along Lake Michigan to get back to her neighborhood. Helga stared out the car window at the lights from the skyscrapers casting their glow over the lake, making the dark teal waters sparkle.

"You can sort of see some of the buildings reflected in the water," she mused, smiling.

"Yeah, it looks so cool at night," Fabrizio agreed with a grin.

They drove for a few more minutes, before Fabrizio took a sharp turn onto the street that led to Helga's neighborhood. He pulled off to the side and parked his car in front of her family's apartment building.

"I had so much fun with you tonight," he said, looking directly into Helga's electrifying eyes.

"Yeah, me too." She smiled at him.

"I'll call you tomorrow." Fabrizio grinned.

"Goodnight, Fabrizio," Helga said. She kissed him one last time before getting out of the car. She ran up the front steps and turned around. "I'll be waiting for your phone call!" she yelled, blowing him a kiss, before sprinting up to her apartment door.

"Okay!" Fabrizio yelled after her, a dreamy look in his eyes. He started his car and then took off towards his and Jack's apartment, thinking about the amazing time he'd had on his date with Helga.

Jack was already home sitting on the couch, contemplating how in the world he could help Rose. She was so young yet so utterly miserable. No one her age should have to endure that amount of pressure or be forced into something that will end up plunging them into an inescapable depression... he thought, shaking his head.

Your feedback means the world to me! :)