The outfit I chose for our dinner date was rather simple. It’s not like I had much to choose from, anyway, so I picked some loose, wide jeans, and a snug little t-shirt in white that ended just above my belly button, and for shoes … I only had one pair, and I slipped into those as I readied myself for dinner, constantly staring at myself in the mirror, wondering if these clothes would even fit our dinner setting.

What if the restaurant has a dress code? I’ll stick out like a sore thumb … 

I gulped. Honestly, I had no idea what to expect, and my heart ran all the way up to my throat when Thomas asked me where he should pick me up, or if I wanted to meet him at the restaurant. Not knowing where exactly the restaurant was, anyway, I offered to take a bus into downtown, where he could pick me up, and Tommy absolutely respected my decision, and didn’t ask for my address or anything like that. 

Lastly, I curled my hair, because Thomas had liked it the last time I’d done so, and I covered some impurities along my skin with a quick little makeup, a simple one I hoped he wouldn’t notice, and in the end, with a racing heart, my little t-shirt felt too daring, and I slipped into a white cardigan to cover up some more. 

My hands sweat like crazy on the bus, rubbing against my jeans over and over again. Driving past restaurants and shops, I could only wonder where we’d end up eating, what we would end up doing, or even talk about. What if I couldn’t think of anything, and we sat there in silence?

A ruined date, that’s what that would be! 

Arriving at the designated station, it took me a while to realize where Thomas was. Something like that wasn’t on my mind at all, a car like that, and to think Thomas sat inside of it as he had waited for my arrival …

With my phone in hand, my eyes searching for Thomas, I walked right by that black vehicle. Of course, my eyes had felt drawn to it, because there was no way you could ignore seeing such a fancy GT coupe, with such an amazing custom matte color … 

But I didn’t register Thomas, not until I walked past, and the driver’s side door opened, and his voice tickled my ears in the weirdest way possible, forcing me to a flinch and squeak.

“Felix.” I turned in a blush, and there he was. In a fine, hand-tailored suit, like always. Honestly, he had dressed the exact same way I always saw him, but since it suited him so, so well, I didn’t mind it at all. Hell, honestly, I loved it. What a view it was, because he looked so amazing in these suits, and his shoulders looked so broad and handsome, and the vest totally gave him that attractive V-shape … 

“T-Tommy …” I gulped, and watched Thomas walk around that fancy car, only to open the passenger side’s door, waving me closer all the same. He chuckled when I approached as red as a tomato, and when he reached for my hand to help me step into his car, because it was just that low, I could have squeaked right there, because once again, he totally tried stealing my heart away from me.

He was a total gentleman! What the hell! Opening the door for me, helping me get in, and closing the door once I was comfortable … I stared as he entered the car on the driver’s side, and I sat there, knees together, tense all over, too scared to touch a single thing. The fine, real leather, I was terrified of dirtying, and in general, I was worried about breaking anything, because then, I’d be in debt for the rest of my pitiful life. 

Of course, he noticed my bright red face, and my stiff body, and before he drove off, he realized I was completely frozen, and hadn’t even put my seatbelt on. Blood rushed through my ears so, so, so much louder when he leaned towards me, his face right in front of mine, and I stared, couldn’t even say a single word, as he slipped the seatbelt around my body to secure me.

“Are you cold?” he wondered, still way, way, way too close to my face, his voice vibrating right through me, and just as I thought he’d kiss me, he disappeared! He leaned away and back into his own seat, reaching for the controls of the air conditioning inside the car, instead.

“N-No! I’m not! T-This is fine!” I squeaked, and Thomas froze, and a smile appeared on his lips, and amused little shake of his head.

 If he hadn’t realized before, now he totally knew my nerves were killing me right now. 

And there was no way he thought his next words would help at all! He only made it worse, and worse, and worse!

“You look beautiful today,” he mumbled. “Very sweet.” 

My fingers clung into my jeans, my knees trembling up and down. 

“T-Thank you,” I stuttered, and as he drove off, I couldn’t help but stare over at him again, and again. “You are very … handsome … as well.” 

Thomas simply smiled, and I knew he got lots and lots of compliments on his looks. His compliments completely ruined me, and here he was, accepting his so nonchalantly, I just knew he heard it all the time! To top it off, he knew himself just how attractive he was! 

The way his suit fit him, I couldn’t help but wonder what he looked like beneath. 

Whenever I got a sneak peek onto his collar bone, at the bar, when he loosened his tie and opened the first button of his shirt … Ugh. I just wanted to see more. It really wasn’t fair. 

“Were you excited? You’re quite radiant today.” Radiant … ? Where did he find all these words to describe good old me?

I could only nod, and in my shame, I avoided looking at him and stared out of the window, instead, watching buildings pass by, more fancy cars both parked and driving past us, but my heart never stopped racing. 

“I was looking forward to seeing you, as well. Makes it all the better when you’re glowing like this,” Thomas said, and only the sound of his car’s blinker beeped through the silence. Now, I leaned forward and dropped my head into my hands. 

“Were you … really?”

“Of course.” 

I giggled into my hands. That concept was so strange to me; Vince would have never admitted something like that. Well, he did, but only when he thought it gave him an advantage, and only if he thought it let him get into my pants. But with Thomas, it seemed genuine, even though I was so … boring. 

“But all I do is whine and complain,” I mumbled, but Thomas found ways to reassure me all the quicker.

“Well, in that regard, we’re a good match. You can talk all you want, and I’ll listen.”

“Doesn’t it bother you?”

“Why would it?”

“Because it’s lame,” I whispered, lifting my head and watching Thomas’ side profile as he drove. All he did was chuckle. 

“I’ve never thought that, so please keep talking my ears off. I’ve come to enjoy it.” 

I pouted. Thomas was way too smooth, talking his way out of my worries, and turning them into compliments, instead. You like to hear me blabber, you like my stupid questions, and my ridiculous problems? Why … ?

“I had another student help me out with some photos for my portfolio,” I whispered. “When we’re at the restaurant, would you like to see them? They’re on my phone … I’m just wondering if they’re good enough.” 

“I’ll gladly take a look, but I’ll tell you now, I’ve never worked in marketing, nor in casting, so I wouldn’t know. Those departments have nothing to do with me,” Thomas said, and I nodded.

“Oh, yeah. That makes sense…” 

A sly smile appeared on Tommy’s lips. “But if you want to hear how pretty you are, I can definitely do that.”

I blushed, endlessly, and hid my expression from him for the rest of the drive. It was too much, too much, too much! 

The restaurant we arrived at completely robbed the ground away from my feet, rid me of my balance, and overwhelmed me once again. As if it meant nothing at all, Thomas entered that fancy restaurant. Glossy tiled ground at the entrance, a chandelier right on top. Round tables with deep-colored tablecloths where rich people dined, which I could already tell by the way they laughed! 

This restaurant would squeeze my entire net worth dry! And Thomas … he didn’t even bat an eye. At the entrance, he let the server know that he had a reservation in his name, and we were both led towards a little table at the other end of the restaurant, with a little candle lit atop the table, and overall an incredibly romantic vibe.

If I hadn’t thought this was a date before, now I totally would. There was no mistaking it anymore, and when Thomas asked for a wine recommendation, I completely lost my mind. I wasn’t knowledgeable enough to know anything at all about wine, even though I worked at a bar, and Thomas eventually chose a bottle all by himself, a Merlot he was recommended. 

The food on the menu was exclusively Italian, and already, I played with my curls, twirling my hair around my finger, and grew paler by the minute. “S-Sir—“ 

A gentle chuckle.

“T-Thomas…”

“What is it, darling?” He didn’t look up from the menu, scouring through it to pick something himself.

“There is no prices on here … that’s really, really, really bad!” I peeped. “And these old people are laughing like money is falling out of their mouth!” 

“Their laugh?” Thomas scoffed.

“It’s that typical rich people laugh!” 

“I told you not to worry about it, didn’t I? Pick whatever you want, and enjoy.” 

“B-B-B-But …”

Thomas stole the menu out of my fingers, closed it shut, and laid it down onto the table. All while smiling softly, amused by my behavior. “What do you want to eat?” he asked me. 

“Um … the … lasagna … sounded good.” 

“Alright, then. Was it that hard, darling?” 

I pouted, and he nudged me at my chin, tickling and caressing me like he always did. But when he called me that, and attended to me like that so openly, and without any shame, I worried.

Because I could feel gazes sticking to me, judging me and us together. What’s that man doing with that young one, they probably wondered. 

Or they formed opinions about me, wondering whether I was a gold digger of some sorts. The gazes heated at the back of my head, as if shooting right through me, but when I turned towards them, they looked away all the quicker. 

Thomas didn’t care at all about these gazes, and honestly, I kind of liked that about him. His confidence rubbed off on me, just a little bit, but I was still bright red forever onwards. 

Vince is nothing like this, I thought. He would never openly call me such endearing nicknames. Hell, he’d never even go out to eat with me.

“Do I bore you?” Thomas suddenly asked, handing me an empty wine glass I twirled between my fingers.

“N-No, of course not—!” 

“Then, whatever are you thinking about? If it’s that ex of yours, I should try harder, I suppose.”

“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I was just thinking … that he would never do this with me.” 

“He missed out, then.” Thomas sighed. “Seeing your eyes glow like they do right now, it’s definitely a sight for sore eyes.” 

Once again, I could only blush. I was ready to die, and this date had only just started.