All that is skin-deep

10. Vague

Petra’s arm hooked around Otis’s free arm she kept stealing side glances, apart from constantly watching the people along the pavement.

Not much crossed her mind, well—she did overthink the whole situation from the moment Otis let her hook arm and lean on him. For one she didn’t know where she was going and second she had no clue why she enjoyed his company needed.

Timid? Yes, she was internally freaking out overthinking each second she took a step forward.

It wasn’t as though their date had been horrible it was basic and fun, the best she had never asked for but got—thankful, she definitely was.

Freeing his hand from her hold, he place it over her shoulder, Otis got her attention—A wink then a warm smile he spoke. “You need to calm down.”

His action did startle her a bit—it took her few seconds before she relaxed her shoulders. It was good news he hadn’t found her gesture uncomfortable but rather returned it—she definitely liked that.

“I am calm, what makes you think I’m not?” she asked slipping her hand around his waist.

Pretending to think about it, Otis hummed acting like he had quite a lot on his mind—processing each word, which wasn’t far from the truth—he was internally screaming at how close they were to begin with and then how brave yet stupid he became playing it cool.

“Because you were squeezing my arm.”

It wasn’t a lie in the slightest. He was watching her from the corner of his eyes, each step they took the strain on his arm got a bit worse—for a moment he would have sworn she would have dislocated his shoulder.

Petra looked apologetic—she had just happened to freakout right after initiate the physical touch.

“Sorry about. Anyway, where are we going?” she spoke looking over to the boy, who was already looking at her.

“It’s fine. We’re going to get ice cream.”

“At eight in the morning?”

She was surprised, don’t get her wrong she loved ice cream but she had never had it this early mostly in the type of weather they were in.

Sweets in the morning were fine, she practically functioned better with sugar in her system—any opportunity she had to steal the treats her mother left unattended, was the happiest minute.

It never lasted regardless no matter how secretive she tried to be, her mother always caught her someway—it always ended with a painful ear pinch.

“I’m surprised you didn’t ask about your classes.”

Otis’ voice draw her back from her thoughts, to think about it clearly she really didn’t care about the first class of the day.

Had it had a boring lecture? Most definitely—the class itself was lifeless or any class she had today, only one mattered though—the one she had a presentation that would define half her mark for that subject at the end of the semester.

“The only class I will worry about is my class at nine. Will we be back by then?” she questioned without looking over at Otis.

“I hope so.”

They had walked far enough from the campus not to see it anymore just shop owners opening up their shops, others tending to customers—the day had already began but she knew most of them couldn’t wait to go home, because she definitely couldn’t.

Just a moment of silence and a couple of stores before the got to the ice cream shop.

That moment of silence didn’t last as much or long as Petra turned over to Otis a bit too curious for his liking—with the face he gave in response to her furrowed brows.

“I was wondering. . .” she spoke thoroughly studying his body language. He didn’t seem uncomfortable yet, that was enough for her to continue her training train of thoughts.

“Why ice cream if I might ask, it’s freezing out here?”

She wasn’t lying about it freezing—when was it ever not cold enough to lay in bed with a warm cup of tea or hot chocolate.

“I want something sweet.” he simply shrugged not overthinking it at all.

She hummed then gave him a head nod—not missing her wide smile. “Have you tried a warm sweet pastry?” she said, in a obvious tone trying to indicate he bought pastry from no other shop then her mother’s.

Chuckling he shook his head. “Are you advertising right now?”

“Maybe but why can’t we get that instead of cold ice cream in this weather?”

“I want something sweet and creamy.”

“Then—”

“Frozen, sweet & cream that I’ll have to lick it that happens to be in a cone.” he stated while brightly smiling at her pouting.

Letting go of her shoulder he walked over to the shop’s door opening it wide. That smile had not left his face as he looked over at Petra one more time.

“So are you coming?” he asked looking back and forth between the door and Petra.

Either way if she wasn’t, he was definitely still getting ice cream—this was him trying to be kind otherwise he would already be ordering, even when she took longer to respond.

Walking up to him, she sighed then gave him a head nod. “You are dragging me, I don’t think I have a choice.” reluctantly she walked into the shop.

“You didn’t stand a chance.” he said pushing her to walk a bit faster—he was not going to allow her to saddened a bright place like this, with a gloomy walk.

With that push she got, there would have been another push on his face within a second but people were watching—instead she glared at him as he ordered for both of them, still smiling.

He didn’t mind though because he simply ignored her and eventually she let it go—never had she seen a full grown man light up with ice cream.

It made it a lot less hard to glare or resist to smile, mostly when he handed her the ice cream he picked for her.