"Beatrice, good morning, dear. How are you feeling?" Dad asks me as I enter the kitchen.
"Morning, dad." I lean down, where he's sitting at a chair, and give him a little hug. "I'm doing better. The knee pain is almost gone now."
"That's good to hear." He says. "Do you have any plans for tonight? Your mother and I are thinking about going to watch that new action movie. Would you like to join us?"
"I don't have any plans. But you guys go, please. I'm not really interested in watching a movie. I think I'll call it an early night." I tell him.
"Are you sure? It's a Saturday. You really wanna stay alone at home?" He questions.
"Yes, dad. I'm sure. I'll be exhausted anyway after work. Don't worry about me." I tell him honestly.
"Okay, then." He says.
I get some milk and cereal, then sit down at the table. Mom walks in after a while, offering to make me eggs, but I'm fine with some cereal. I tell them both goodbye and head out, making sure I have my keys and wallet in my pant pocket. I decided to wear a comfortable pair of black cigarette pants with a light green coloured crop top.
I wave for a taxi, and get in when it stops in front of me. Mom said she would happily give me a ride, but I told her to rest. I didn't wanna bother her on her day off. I watch the trees go by, admiring the different coloured leaves. This city is beautiful.
Reaching the bakery, I realise Tori isn't here yet. I use the keys she gave me to open the doors and walk inside. Turning on the lights, I call her up, wondering where she is. The line rings a few times before she picks up and says that she had to drop her dog off at the vet as he isn't feeling well. She tells me she'll be here shortly and we hang up.
Others walk in one by one, putting on their aprons and walking towards the back to the kitchen. Meanwhile, I set up the chairs and write the weekend specials on the board. My mind wanders to Tobias, thinking if he will show up today or not. It has been a few days since he helped me run my errands. He showed up every day since, getting something of my choice. But I'm not sure if he'll come today.
I'm so lost in my thoughts that I don't notice someone walking in. They clear their throat, and I snap my head up. It's Tobias, standing right before me. He's not in his usual formals today, but he looks just as good in a soft flannel shirt and dark jeans.
"Hey." He greets me.
"Hi," I whisper back.
"How are you, Tris? How's your leg?" He asks me.
"I'm good. And my leg barely hurts anymore. See, I can walk without support now." I show him by taking a few steps. He chuckles and leans against the counter, hands in his pockets.
"So, what's my breakfast today?" Tobias asks.
"I didn't think you'd be coming today. Don't you sleep in on a Saturday?" I ask him while grabbing a maple oatmeal muffin.
"No, not really. I'm more of a morning person. Besides, I wanted to talk to you about something." He says.
I hand him his usual coffee along with the muffin and ask, "What did you want to talk about?"
"Um, I was wondering if you had anything planned for tonight? I heard about this Italian restaurant that serves the best Neapolitan pizza, and uh, I wanted to ask if you'd go with me?" He stammers, looking down.
"Are you asking me out on a date, Tobias?" I tease him a little.
"Only if you're interested. You don't have to come if you don't want to. I thought it would be fun-" He is so nervous.
"I'm free tonight, Tobias. And yes, I'll go with you." I answer him with a smile. He lets out a breath, looking relieved, and smiles back at me.
"I'll pick you up around 7?" He asks, and I nod, giving him my parents' house address. We exchange numbers, too.
Tobias leaves after a while, reminding me of our date before walking out. I blush and turn to another customer. It feels surreal. I have a date with Tobias tonight. And I have absolutely no idea what to expect. I've never been on a date before, nor had a boyfriend. I don't even know how a handsome guy like Tobias is single. But I'm not letting this chance get away. I knew I had a small crush on him, but I'm really starting to like him.
Tori walks in a little later, apologising to me. I tell her it's not a big deal. She looks so flustered, her poor dog must have been really sick. I grab her a muffin and try to comfort her. She tells me her dog, Chester, swallowed a small piece of metal. But he is going to be fine.
We work together for the rest of the day, and it keeps getting busier. The weekends usually are, as friends and families come out to spend their time together. It's around 4 pm when the shop is a little less crowded. We chat a little, and I end up telling her about my date tonight. She's so excited, like a kid on Christmas morning. She sends me off early, insisting that I need to start getting ready. I roll my eyes at that, laughing at her enthusiasm, but head out anyway.
"I'm home!" I call out as I enter the house.
"Beatrice, you're back early today!" Mom gives me a sweet hug. "How was your day, sweetheart?"
"It was good, mom. I actually have a date later." I tell her shyly.
"Oh, that's wonderful! Who is the lucky guy?" She smiles widely.
"He's a regular at the shop. We became quick friends and then he asked me out today!" I reply.
"I'm so happy for you, honey." Mom kisses my cheek. "Hope you have fun. Dad and I are heading out soon."
I go up to my room and search through my closet to find something nice to wear. Tobias mentioned an Italian restaurant, so I'm guessing it will be quite fancy. My eyes land upon a dark red dress, almost wine coloured, and I smile. I wore it once on my birthday, but never since. I take it out of the closet and place it on my bed, trying to find a pair of shoes that match, but are comfortable so I can still walk. I pick my black strappy sandals, they have just a little block heel, not uncomfortable in the slightest.
After I'm satisfied with the outfit I picked, I decide to take a quick shower. Letting the warm water wash over me, my thoughts go back to Tobias. I am nervous for tonight, that's not a secret, I just hope it doesn't turn out to be a bad nightmare. I have heard a lot of bad first date stories. Please let this be a good one.
I step out of the shower, drying my hair and putting a little bit of makeup on. I don't really need much, just a bit around my eyes. I realise I look different, but good. I check the time and see that it's 6:30 already. I hurry up and put my clothes on.
Standing in front of the mirror, I smooth out the dress. It looks dark against my pale skin, the halter neckline showing off my shoulders. It fits me perfectly, ending just above my knees. I put on the sandals and grab my small black clutch, throwing in my phone, wallet and keys. I hear the doorbell ring and take a final look in the mirror, deciding to leave my hair down, it's straight anyway.
Walking to the front door, I pause and take a deep breath before opening it. There stands Tobias, handsome as always, in black trousers and a satiny textured dark grey shirt. He looks good.
"Hi," He says, taking in my appearance as I'm taking his in.
"Hi," I smile shyly at him. I let out a small gasp when I notice something in his hands. He's carrying a small bouquet of red tulips, my absolute favourite flowers.
"These are for you, Tris." He smiles.
"How did you know I love tulips?" I ask him, taking the bouquet.
"Oh, the florist told me they were the best." He says, looking down.
"I love them, Tobias. Thank you so much. I'll just put them in some water, why don't you come in?" I walk to the kitchen and fill a vase with water, placing the flowers in it.
Turning around, I see Tobias standing in the middle, looking at me with a strange look in his eyes. He smiles when I look at him, and offers me a hand. "Shall we?"
"Yes." I take his hand and he leads me outside. Locking up the house, we walk to his car and he goes to open the door for me. Such a gentleman. I thank him as I sit in the passenger seat, then watch him run to the drivers side, quickly getting in.
We pull out of the driveway and start toward the restaurant. I don't know why, but I feel very calm, like this is how it's always supposed to be. Maybe it's his presence that brings me the sense of peace, but I relish it.
I ask him how his day was, and he says it only just got better, making me blush. We talk about our hobbies, and I learn that he loves playing football. I tell him other than baking, I love to read. We continue asking each other questions, and before I know it, he's parking in front of the restaurant.
Tobias takes my hand and leads me inside, the place is really nice. "Hi, I made reservations for 2. Eaton." He says to the host, and that's how I learn his last name.
"Yes, Mr. and Mrs. Eaton, right this way, please." The host greets us. I blush again, biting my bottom lip. I almost expect Tobias to correct him, but he lets it go, smiling and shaking his head.
We sit at a relatively private table, a small indoor tree separating us from the other tables. There are a bunch of small string lights hung around it and across the restaurant. It couldn't be more romantic. Just then, a waiter walks up to our table, placing a candle jar in the middle and lighting it.
I look across at Tobias, who hasn't stopped smiling, the candlelight making his eyes glow. He looks so happy, and reaches for my hand on the table. "You look so beautiful, baby."
Did he just call me baby? No one has ever called me that before. I'm ready to question him what that was about, but the waiter interrupts us, handing us each a menu.
"Do you wanna get the Neapolitan pizza? We could share it." He asks.
"Sure, that's what I'm here for." I joke.
"Just the pizza?" He questions.
"No... the garlic bread, too." I say and we both burst out laughing.
"Well, I am here for more than just the food." He says and winks at me. I blush again, and wonder if my cheeks are permanently going to stay red the whole night.
The waiter comes to take our order, and Tobias lists off the things we decided. "And what type of drink would you like with your food?" He asks us.
"We'll just take two iced teas, thanks." Tobias says and hands him the menus back.
"How'd you know I like iced teas, Tobias?" I ask him.
"Oh, I just went out on a limb." He chuckles nervously. I keep staring at him and he elaborates, "Well, I can't drink as I'll be driving. And you don't seem the type to drink much. So, I took a lucky guess. I hope you don't mind."
"You got really lucky, then. I love iced tea." I smile at him. He grins back and holds my gaze, making me feel like I'm about to burst into flames, or turn to liquid.
We talk about everything as we enjoy the delicious food, like where we grew up, where we went to school, about our jobs and our coworkers. Tobias pauses when I ask him about his family. I guess it's a difficult topic. I let it go and instead ask him if he wants any dessert, he smiles and nods eagerly.
We order a big slice of tiramisu, sharing it like everything else. It's so easy being around Tobias, he makes me feel free. I can't remember the last time I threw my head back laughing. I feel like I can be myself around him, not having to pretend.
All too soon, the dinner comes to an end, making my smile disappear. We are back in the car, driving toward my parents' place, or so I thought. He pulls over on the corner of an empty street. "Would you like to go on a walk? It's still early." Tobias asks me.
"I'd love to." We climb out of the car and he takes my hand, walking us through a grove of trees and out to a lake. I stay locked in place, taking in the stunning sight before me.
A large lake stretches out before us, grass surrounding it, and the moonlight shining on the water. How do I not know about this place? It's breathtaking. Tobias pulls me along and we walk further ahead.
"This is unreal, Tobias." I shake my head. "How do you know about this place?"
"I kinda stumbled upon it a while ago. I thought you'd love it, so I brought you here." He scratches the back of his neck, lifting a shoulder.
"Yes, I love, love, love it! Thank you!" I stand on my tiptoes to reach his height and give him a big hug. Tobias chuckles and holds me tight against him, leaning into me. Few seconds later, we pull back and stare at each other in the dim light.
"Come on, let's sit over there." He says, clearing his throat.
We sit on a patch of grass that doesn't have any dirt, our shoulders touching. I admire the view, still in shock that this is real, and I'm here. I wouldn't want to come here with anyone but Tobias. He looks lost in thought, like he's mulling over something in his head.
"My parents were not very good people." He starts, out of nowhere. I realise what he's telling me. He didn't have to, but he's still opening up to me. I stay silent and listen carefully. "My father was very abusive. He would hit my mother and me any chance he got. He was the kind of person who would maintain a perfect image in society, making everyone think he's the perfect husband and father. But behind closed doors, he was not a bit different from a monster. One day, he found my mother on the street talking to another man. He confronted her, and she told him that she's leaving him for the other man. Marcus got enraged, shouting the dirtiest expletives I'd ever heard. And my mother, Evelyn, left him right then. She took off with her lover, not caring to turn back and see me. She left me with that monster. I was only 12. I waited for her everyday, having a tiny sliver of hope that she'd come back for me. But she never did. And Marcus kept taking his wrath out on me. Until the day I turned 18. I ran away, I took everything I had, whatever I needed, and I ran. I moved here after my college professor, Amar, helped me get a job and a place to live. Since then, I've been working hard to make ends meet. But I couldn't be happier, having cut all ties with my parents. I'm better off without them."
I sit and absorb all his words, feeling a million emotions at once. I take his hand in mine and squeeze it gently. Tobias looks over at me and studies my face. Then, reaching over, he tucks a strand of my blonde hair behind my ear, kissing my cheek.
"Thank you." He whispers.
"What for?" I ask him.
"For listening, for being here, and for not giving me that pitiful look, like I'm a kicked puppy or something." He says, his fingers playing with my hair.
"Well, you're not." I tell him honestly. "You're strong, you're brave, and you deserve everything good in this world, Tobias."
At that, he turns his body towards me and looks deep into my eyes. Holding my face with one hand, he slowly leans in and touches his lips to mine. Smiling against me, he kisses me again and again till I melt into him and kiss him back. He puts his other arm around my waist and pulls me closer. My hands wrap around his shoulders, wanting more, so much more. This is the best moment of my life.
We smile from ear to ear when we pull away, needing to breathe. But Tobias doesn't wait long, leaning back in to kiss me again. He feels so good, his lips fitting perfectly with mine, our bodies fitting perfectly, and I feel so safe. Like nothing could harm me when I'm in his arms.
Later that night, standing in the porch of my parents' house, he gives me a big hug, not willing to part just yet. We stay in each other's arms for a while, not saying a word. He only pulls away when I shiver a little, a cold breeze flowing through us.
"I'll see you tomorrow?" Tobias asks me, his eyes hopeful.
"Yes, I'll see you tomorrow morning." I whisper.
"Okay." He smiles. "Good night, Tris."
"Good night, Tobias." He gives me another deep kiss before leaving. And I quietly walk inside, not even trying to wipe the big smile from my face. Today was a good day, but I can't wait for tomorrow.
A/N: And finally, the moment you all have been waiting for! I hope you guys liked it!