Almost Always You

Chapter 20

Xander left without saying anything. It was weird. I looked at Mercy confused, and she just shrugged her shoulders. I was ready for my date. I did minimal makeup and dressed casually. I don't know where Nate might take me. At seven forty-five I got a text from an unknown number.

'Hey! Nate here. I'm outside your dorm.'

"Nate's here. "I told Mercy.

She came towards me and straightened my hair. "Alright! You look really amazing!" she said in a high voice. "All thanks to me. Now go enjoy your evening, and I want all the details when you get back. I'll be waiting for you."

I said goodbye to Mercy and made my way outside. When I got outside, there was just one person. I guessed it was Nate and made my way towards him.

"Nate?" I asked.

"Hey! Ella, right?" he asked with a dimpled smile.

"Yes," I said. Nate was really good-looking. He had hazel eyes, a button nose, and dirty blond hair. He had a really nice smile.

"You're looking beautiful, Ella." He handed me flowers.

"Thanks."

"I didn't know what you like, so I thought we could go to a small restaurant where there are fewer crowds so we could talk in peace and get to know each other. Is that okay?"

"Yes, of course," I said with a smile.

"I parked my car down the street," he said. We made our way over to his car. It was a beautiful classic red Mustang.

He opened the door for me. I was really getting the whole date experience. He shut my door and got in after me.

"Your car is really beautiful," I said.

'I love vintage cars,' he said, driving out of the campus.

"So what's your major?" he asked.

"English Literature. What about you?"

"Environmental scientist. Rachel Carson is my idol."

"Wow! It's not that often you see guys with female idols. I'm impressed."

He chuckled. We chatted on, and after a few minutes we arrived at the restaurant. He parked the car, and we made our way over. There were only a few customers. We sat down at an empty booth. It was very cosy. As we got comfortable, a middle-aged waitress came to take our orders. I ordered a salad, as I didn't want to put on more weight, and Nate ordered a burger, fries and a milkshake. He didn't comment on me for ordering a salad.

"So Ella, tell me about yourself."

"Well, I'm American." I said, and we both laughed.

"I moved to London for college."

"Why? All the way to London?"

"There was not much for me back at home. My parents wanted to go on vacations once I started college, and my brother is also here; he came here for college too."

"It looks like you guys don't like the colleges in the States."

"It's not that; I just wanted some change in life."

"Weren't you sad to leave home and friends?'

"I never had a close friend to miss. Enough about me; tell me about you. Did you grow up here in London?" I asked.

"I grew up in Cambridge. My dad owns his own coffee house franchise, and my mum has her own boutique. I have a brother who is in tenth grade."

"Okay. Do you play any sports?"

"I'm into tennis. Actually, I wanted to become a professional player, but I'm not that good," he said with an awkward smile.

I giggled. Our food arrived. We started eating and talked more about our childhood. I didn't even realise we spent over an hour in that restaurant. When more customers started coming in, we decided to leave. I was about to pay when Nate said, "Please, Ella, don't. I'm paying, and don't you dare argue." I smiled and nodded. We left the restaurant. We got in the car.

"I don't want this evening to end so soon. Would you like to go to the park that is near your dorms?" he asked.

"Yes. Of course," I said. I was enjoying hanging out with Nate. We drove back and stopped near the park that was just a few minutes away from my dorm. We got out. It was a small but beautiful park. Since it was almost eleven-thirty, there weren't many people around. We walked around in silence for a few minutes before sitting down on a bench near the fountain. The sky was clear, and the stars were visible. It was a pleasant night.

"So, did you enjoy our date?" Nate asked, breaking the silence.

I smiled and said, "Yes. I enjoyed it a lot."

"Good, I was hoping you would say that. "I enjoyed the date too," he said, smiling.

I blushed. I saw him leaning towards me. He was really close to me; if I just leaned in, we would kiss. He looked into my eyes as if asking for my permission. I gave him the answer by closing the gap between us. The kiss was very sweet. But all I could think was how different it is from Xander. I don't know why I was still thinking about him. Nate pulled back after a few seconds and gave me a sly smile. I didn't feel any sparks, and I'm pretty sure he didn't either.

"I think the kiss was really weird for us both. Am I right?" he asked as if reading my mind.

"I guess so. Maybe because we don't know each other that well. I mean, it was only one date." I sounded desperate. I hope he doesn't think I'm some creep eager to date him.

"Maybe," he said, smiling weakly. "I really loved spending the evening with you, Ella. But I think we should just be friends."

"Yeah, I think so too."

"How about this? First we form a good friendship, then we can try this date again,' he said. I liked that idea because he's so sweet. I agreed with him.

"Yes. We can hang out soon and keep it casual and see where things go," I said. He nodded, smiling.

He asked if I wanted to go back to the dorms. It was getting late, and I was cold, so I said yes. He drove me back. We got out. and he came in front of the car.

"Do you want me to walk up to your room?" he asked.

"Actually it's pretty late, and my roommate might be asleep; otherwise I would have asked you to come upstairs for a bit," I said, feeling awkward.

"Hey, I understand," he said. He came toward me and kissed my forehead lightly and said, "Goodnight, Ella." I hope we can meet again soon."

"Goodnight, Nate." I said, smiling at him, and walked towards the dorm.