"What did we plan exactly?" It was the only thought in my head when I woke up in the morning of the mentioned day.
Was I seeing him today? Where? Today was a weekday so I had to work. I didn't remember him mentioning dinner or coffee.
I thought of asking him but I just couldn't. What if he told that he sent it to me by mistake? What if it was meant for someone else? I was not ready to hear it.
I got ready and went to my office as usual. No point in getting dressed for an imaginary date. What if he didn't text me again today?
I was driving myself crazy with my own thoughts. You have been there. It wasn't exactly pretty, was it? Now imagine being there 24/7. Don't worry, I wouldn't even wish it on my mortal enemy.
Before I lost my mind completely, Dean called me. Was it the first time we spoke on phone? Must be a special occasion. He might even apologize for sending the text to me by mistake. Should I not pick up?
But I did. I had to. For my own sanity. "Hey! How are you doing? Is your day going well? I, uh, I believe I made a mistake. I realized it just now so I called. Hope I didn't interrupt your work".
I thought of telling myself "I told you so" but what was the point?
"Hello to you too, Dean. I am doing good. You didn't interrupt anything. I am just having lunch. What mistake?"
"I said I would meet you tonight. I thought about everything but it I forgot one important detail. Informing you of my plan. It's too late, isn't it? You might have already made plans, of course you would be busy". He chose not to let me talk and rambled on.
Wow. He was as forgetful as me. "Wait, Dean. I don't have any plans tonight. I rarely do. But next time don't forget to let me know beforehand. So that I can actually join you"
"Of course. Great. I saw a nice Italian place near your office. I checked the ratings and it has got 4.3 stars. Is it good enough or is there any other place on your mind?"
"Sure, I have been there and it's good. 4.3 stars rating is ok. But you need to be careful. If there are only a couple of reviews and the rating is 5, it might be the owner and his friends". What? I thought of sharing the wisdom.
"Oh, yeah? I will be careful next time. Anyway I can't believe I am getting for all those valuable advise for free". He couldn't hide the laughter in his voice.
"Fine, tease all you want. You would think about my words when you are having dinner at a restaurant and the owner of the place eating from a takeout container". I couldn't believe I came up with a decent comeback.
Ahh, I got it. This was because we were talking on the phone. Should I avoid meeting with him and talk only on the phone? What fun it would be without a little challenge of looking at his handsome face and not drooling?
"Fine. Shall I pick you up tonight? Will you be at the office?" He surrendered. Go, Alex!
"Yeah, but I brought my car. Shall I meet you at the restaurant?" Was he offering me a ride? Did I have to bring my car today? Sigh.
"Can you leave it at your office parking lot for a day? I want to give you a ride", He answered my un-asked question.
I knew it was time. I got used to having the butterflies inside my stomach. At this point, I might as well start naming them. How is Blaire for a butterfly name? "Ok. When are you coming?".
"I have a small errand and I will pick you up at 7. Be ready, Alex". Eventhough he mentioned it casually, I felt a chill on hearing my name. It felt like he was inviting me on a dare. I wasn't the one to back out.
Two can play this game. "Bring it on, Dean".
When I told my friends that Dean was picking me up for dinner, Rose wanted to stay and meet him. George was leaving and he said he wanted to stay but his housemate was sick.
Jake came to pick up Rose around 6 but she wanted to stay back and meet Dean. Jake said he made a reservation to celebrate their 1 month anniversary and apologized.
I really wanted Dean to meet my friends but that had to wait. I spent the remaining time doodling and playing games. I was counting the minutes.
Dean called me 10 minutes early and said he was waiting for me at the entrance. Thank god for his sense of timing as I was growing impatient with each passing second.
I saw him at the entrance and wondered whether I should go back and hide. You might be surprised by my sudden change of mind.
However, you would understand if you have seen what was waiting for me.
It was a motorcycle. Dean spotted me and asked me to come over. He had 2 helmets on his hand. He actually looked so cool like he could do a photoshoot on the spot.
I gathered my courage and walked towards him. He visibly brightened on seeing me and I would have appreciated if my heart wasn't beating erratically. As cliche as it sounds, I have never been on a motorcycle as I heard they were dangerous and I was a bit afraid to test that theory.
"Hi" I said breathlessly. He gave me a once over and said, "You look good. Nice shirt". I blushed at his simple comment and replied lamely, "You too".
He handed me a helmet and said "Hop on". I put on the helmet and stood on my spot. He must have sensed my discomfort. He squeezed my hands and said, "Trust me. You will enjoy it. If not, we can come back and take your car".
It sounded like a reasonable plan. So I decided to get on the motorcycle. Let me enjoy the thrill at least once in my life.
He took my hands and wrapped it around his waist. "Don't be shy and hold on tightly".
I nodded because I didn't trust my voice. I wrapped my hands around his torso. Was I hugging him? Before I could start looking for the butterflies, he took off.
Forget butterflies. It felt like hummingbirds and woodpeckers have taken over.
A/N: I loved writing this chapter and I like reading it again :) So, do you think Alex would like the new experience?
What would you do if you are given a chance to experience something similar? Would you let the fear take over?
Sometimes, it's ok to take a deep breath and not take the risk. But YOU owe it to yourself to experience things if you don't want to regret it later.
That being said, set up some boundaries though :) No need to give in to FOMO.