Thursday, the day of my date with Hugo arrived and I grew nervous. I really don’t want to go on a date with Hugo. My past experiences with boys have always been short and not worth remembering because the boys weren’t serious about me, they just wanted to brag to their friends they had gone on a date with me or kissed me. Hugo is different though, he has liked me since we met but I am not interested in dating him.

I am still a little mad a Mum for giving my number to Hugo without asking me first. She didn’t have the right to do that, it’s me who has to deal with the consequences of her actions not her. It’s my life so why did she interfere? It’s already more than enough that I am forced to work in the family business and live at the family home until I marry but trying to control my love life is a step too far and I won’t tolerate it. My personal life is none of my Mum’s business until I want it to be. I am no longer a child. I hate how parents treat you like a child your whole life. It’s like to them you are a child forever even though they see you growing older right in front of their eyes. I guess it’s natural. No matter how old you are, your parents will always see you as their child but it’s so annoying.

If I am not really interested in dating Hugo then maybe I should give him a call and cancel. Yes, that sounds like a good idea.

I grabbed my phone and selected Hugo’s number before touching the call option and waited for him to answer.

“Hi Alyssa. I’m glad you called, I was just about to call you to confirm our date later today,”

“Actually I-” I began to say but Hugo cut me off.

“So will you be wearing a dress to our date?”

“Hell no,” I replied quickly. Me in a dress? I don’t think so. Wearing a dress would require me to shave my legs and that’s not something I enjoy doing. I don’t know how some girls can wear dresses every day with nicely shaven legs. I really don’t know what I am going to wear to the date but it definitely won’t be a dress as I don’t own any. Well..... I do own some but I never wear them with bear legs, I always wear jeans, leggings or tights underneath. There is no way I am wearing one to the date with Hugo if I end up going which I don’t think I will. I need to tell Hugo this if he’ll give me a chance to.

“Why not?”

“I hate dresses,”

“That’s a shame,” Hugo commented. “I think you would look good in one,”

Without thinking about it, I blushed at Hugo’s words. Thank goodness he can’t see me or he would be commenting about my reddening cheeks right now.

“Anyway, I’ll see you at 5,”

“Bye,” I agreed before hanging up. What the hell? I was supposed to cancel our date but I couldn’t even do that. Looks like I have a date with Hugo after all. Damn!

***

Later that day, I was all dressed and ready for my date with Hugo. I said I wouldn’t wear a dress but I ended up wearing a shirt dress, jeans with flats and a jacket. Hugo’s going to love it. I hope.

What am I thinking? I didn’t want to go on this date in the first place. Hugo has managed to get me to say yes so I shouldn’t really care what he thinks of my appearance when he sees me any second now.

“Alyssa? Your boyfriend is here so he is,” Adam called me down when I heard the doorbell ring. I hurriedly checked myself in the mirror before rushing down the stairs. By the time I reached the bottom, Hugo was stood beside my parents. Adam was standing there too with a smirk on his face. I’m going to kill him later.

“You look nice,” Hugo complimented with warm eyes when I was stood in front of him. I didn’t miss the way he eyed me up and down with a satisfied smile. “Shall we go?”

Hugo held his hand out to me to take.

“Not so fast Mr,” Dad cut in before I could even think about placing my hand in Hugo’s.

“Have my daughter back by 10 or else,”
Dad warned playfully as he entered the room to see me off. Dad knew all about my date with Hugo and he was eager for me to go on it.

“Yes sir,” Hugo gulped as he took Dad’s threat seriously but I knew Dad was only messing with him.

“Alan,” Mum scolded Dad. “Don’t ruin their date before it has even began,”

“Let’s go,” I said before Dad could give any more playful warnings to my date. I opened the door and Hugo couldn’t have followed me out of the house fast enough. It was hilarious but I had to keep my laugh in as to not offend him on our first date.

We got into Hugo’s car before he began to drive with a much calmer voice. My Dad really scared him earlier.

“So where are we going?” I asked curiously.

“It’s a surprise,” Hugo replied before fully concentrating on driving while I thought about all the possibilities of where he was taking me.

***

After a while of driving, Hugo pulled up outside a nice looking restaurant. I’m glad Hugo brought me here, it’s been years since I last went to a restaurant to eat.

Hugo had made a reservation so once he gave a waiter our name, we were ushered to our seats for the evening. It was a nice restaurant, nothing too fancy, affordable.

“What can I get you to drink?” A waiter asked after handing us a menu each.

“Just a glass of water for me please,” I was the first to reply.

“I’ll have an orange juice, I’ve got work in the morning,” Hugo decided. I don’t think either of us have had an alcoholic drink ever due to having work every day of the year. I’m not really into drinking anyway so I’m not fussed. If I was a drinker, the fish smell wouldn’t be my only concern, I’d have a hideous boozy smell which is even worse than the stench of fish surprisingly.

We placed our orders which were both without fish unsurprisingly. I know Hugo eats fish sometimes, no one detests fish like I do.

While we waited for our food to arrive, we got chatting and I got to find out things about Hugo I didn’t know before like him wanting to have his own business someday outside of fish mongering. Even though he has enjoyed working for his Dad, it’s not something he wants to do for the rest of his life. That’s great! We have something in common now, I don’t want to spend my whole life working with fish either.

I told Hugo about my hatred for fish but Hugo wasn’t really surprised. He said he kind of guessed that years ago from how I always scrunched my nose up whenever I was around fish.

When our food came, we ate in a comfortable silence and afterwards we split the bill even when Hugo insisted on paying the whole thing, I wasn’t having it.

On the way back home, we didn’t really talk which I didn’t mind as it gave me time to reflect on how the date went. The date went well which I really wasn’t expecting, I thought I would see Hugo’s true colours which would be bad but they weren’t. Hugo was how he has always been if not nicer than normal. He must really like me.

“I had a great time today, maybe we can do it again soon,” Hugo said once he had parked the car outside my house and walked me to the door.

“Maybe,” I replied.

“I guess I’ll see you then,”

“Seeya,” I was about to turn around and head inside but Hugo did something unexpected, he leaned down and kissed me on the forehead softly before walking away and leaving me in shock.

I was still standing there after Hugo had driven away. I shook my head to snap out of it and headed inside where my Dad was waiting for me. I thought everyone would have gone to bed but I had thought wrong.

“So how was it?” Dad asked

“It was ok,” I replied.

“Good,” Dad smiled. “I’ll see you tomorrow,”

I nodded my head before Dad left. I immediately made my way to my room and got ready for bed.

As I lay in bed to get comfortable, I couldn’t help but think about my date with Hugo. It had gone much better than I had thought it would. Hugo was a gentlemen, any other guy would have kissed my mouth but Hugo hadn’t. He had been sweet by kissing my forehead. Maybe he isn’t like the other boys and I misjudged him was my last thought before my eyes closed and I fell asleep.