p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222; text-align: center;" data-p-id="427b333e819c42d1b388bea980300646" ︎✯ ︎/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="b6878a54be0af82b70c1b9ae10b6243f""So let me get this straight. You slept with that waitress from our favourite, saw her again at your work, and tried to avoid her until your co-worker swooped into the rescue by kissing you and asked you out when you confronted her about it," Christian said, summarising everything I told him./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="7df00a7dc1688b75ec067e0b1c694c79""Yep, that's pretty much what happened," I confirmed with a sigh./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="7a24cdd4694152b0a0cc7202c7a46f3e""Okay, so why did you agree to go on this date with her?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="7d9bdfacd91484a6b9b11826d14d9703"I kept asking myself that question ever since Lisa texted me to confirm the date and what time to pick her up. I had all the right and reason to reject her and stand firm in enforcing my rules. But there I was standing in front of the mirror in my room trying to find something to wear for said date while Christian was staring at me as if I did something out of character. And honestly, he wasn't exactly wrong because this was something I would never have done with every other girl./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="e8544fe96639c5cac361e5db9fa8f937""It's not a date. She's just taking me out to make up for the stunt she pulled," I said./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="148f015831724be607b08b9401241463""Mate, if a girl asks you to meet at a particular place at a particular time and spend a particular amount of time together; it's a date."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="3f1b8a61724446b77d9d123cb4343941""We work together,"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="de4289c38c3a2a9a4a524dc5d05178e3""So, a friendly date then,"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="56158d8857a0670aae9423cd874fc4e7"I rolled my eyes and put back the shirt I was holding into my wardrobe./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="da7c010a58ab09dc7832f47069446a7b""But for real though; why did you agree to this," he asked in all seriousness./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="6333a2709b0d799cc137e2db8c5fefe2""Are you opposed to me going?" I raised an eyebrow./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="3684dca24df485f6141cc401d5fae692""No! Not at all," he raised his hands. "It's just... this is the first time you've never rejected a girl who has taken an interest in you and I'm just trying to wrap my head around this."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="390b21f14663d5b2b572034c52edc764""Just because she kissed me doesn't me that she's interested in me," I dismissed him. "Besides, she seemed very insistent on going on this outing with her."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="62fbec641895b1d2c9c981afa9068e80""I call bullshit. The same thing happened in high school with Krystal Jung, but you stood her up. Like, imagine standing one up of the popular "It" girls in school."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="f8bd98e049b18a198d43ce277b35eb3e""I wasn't obligated to go on a date with her."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="bd8928d776574143c0226a0a5d5c49b1""Yet for some strange and miraculous reason, you feel obligated to go on this outing with this specific girl? Fuck outta here."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="b63a3072ed82026a73f59d01cd10eab5""What are you getting at, Christian," I threw my head back with a sigh, already annoyed with his pestering./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="29ffe7de22c2177b50b5fa26b4b94ee2""You're interested in this chick."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="f457a6f718c7a0c85a0df8e6962bf77e"I frowned at his statement. Lisa had caught my attention when I first saw her, and I was slightly curious about her because something about her was just... mysteriously captivating. I felt like there was something more to her being an Honours student by day and an exotic dancer at night, but I often pushed these at the back of my head because I didn't know her, and I wasn't close to her. There was no way I was interested in her like that. There wasn't any convincing evidence to prove these ridiculously bold statements, at least by my standards./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="403392abd272f5a061dcdaf208349b0d""Even if I was, you know I can't sleep with people in my work life," I answered in a distant monotone. "I'm just doing this because I owe her for helping me. It's not like we'll be best of friends after this."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="315915d4df33e40da73da2c8a6de6db6"Christian sighed and decided to drop the subject altogether – which I was glad for. I didn't want to dwell on topics surrounding my "dating life" anyway./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="eb7b2501d654c40c7d512edc4c4f5b6a" ︎✯ ︎/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="17d18df3db2602b8781521ba3db9c5b7"I was leaning against the hood of my car. I blew out an impatient breath through my lips and checked the time on my phone. It had only been about thirty minutes or so since I arrived at her residence block, but it felt like I had been waiting for hours and it was pretty dark outside. I'm hardly the type of guy who gets nervous and impatient, but I was. I lost count of how many times I checked the times and my last text that informed her that I was waiting outside – which she replied with a thumbs-up emoji./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="fe8d2cae3dc345eb3960402eb6c1cb17"em style="box-sizing: border-box;"It's probably because I don't know what to expect from this chick,/em I thought./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="cc41d793025bbce355af18dbc6c8de4f"Since Lisa didn't tell me where we were going and what will be doing for the entire evening, I work a simple black t-shirt that had Johnny Depp in his youth printed on the front, a pair of black skinny jeans with some black and white Jordans and a black satin bomber jacket./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="7cad3a5a482d4dcbfe286d53b8d9b467"Finally, Lisa emerged from her building and approached my car. "Hi," she smiled, standing in front of me./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="cfb99f9ca87fb011b05af634c86e6c2c""You look interesting," I commented, cocking an eyebrow at her outfit./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="e7d2b55379c8733d35d528ba2de70317"She wore a crystal butterfly net top over her torn black t-shirt, a pair of black shorts with ripped black leggings and a pair of white wedged combat boots. She also wore a padded bomber jacket over her fit./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="69e44d7a5715dc97d874afac6fbd7a28""Well, since we're going to a concert, might as well dress the part," she shrugged./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="3077a0f002c0f9e2b426eecffb44f75c""A concert?" I crowed./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="7965a4f742a69cce7a34bd00d249e8e3""Yeah, I bought tickets to Kehlani's concert. I was meaning to go with someone."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="905484392a0401bc8d9e4f6258ff29fa""Couldn't you go with your friends?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="12839a29d93e4ad685e9b260c3ec0335""Not many of them like listening to Kehlani as much as I do. Plus, most of them are busy with life and school."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="fd8a026b6dd80164e7f8dd14b504dafa""Why not go by yourself then?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="2a6a25ab4133e2b344a03d1cd90b4d66""It wouldn't be as fun and memorable if I go alone. I like doing the things I love with people and vice versa."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="c55ef98d78fa342ee7f874f54ae49740"I stared at her for a moment and let out a low chuckle. "You know, when you said you were going to make it up to me, I half expected a lunch date or something."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="8f7f72aa74dfddbdfdd6003829df5151""Well, I don't do basic and cliché stuff that is straight from a Wattpad romance story," she replied, tilting her head to the said./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="89eefeef0d558a7d9f526385d2bd8ce5"I continued staring at her. She was very odd. So odd that her actions seemed to render me speechless. I didn't know if I was impressed or concerned because her playful nature was just so unpredictable./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #222222;" data-p-id="d1d3e863e179f874fb5bc2960f807fa1""Come on. I don't want us to be late," she walked over to the passenger seat./p