ONE DATE

AT THE BASKETBALL FIELD
It had been 3 hours since I sat on the bleachers in the indoor basketball field to study. “Hey there”. A nervous voice called out. I looked up from my laptop screen and my heart almost burst. It was the cute guy who always sat right next to the basketball coach, and watched the players play. He wasn't like the other players who were always trying to impress the girls in the room. He did show off his basketball skills once or twice, but not as intense as the players.
He was wearing a black leather jacket, a white t-shirt, black, black, velvet ankle shoes and a white baseball cap.
“Hello there Cruella” I greeted him, which resulted in a meltaway of his nervousness. He seemed calm, unlike how he was earlier. He chuckled at my compliment, and pointed at the empty space on the bleacher right next to me. “May I?” he asked. I knew where it was all leading to. “Sure!” I responded, reaching out my hand in front of him and introduced myself, “I'm Jane” He shook my hand and said “Ben” We retracted our hands and in order to keep the conversation alive, he asked me “I've noticed you sitting here almost everyday, do you study here?” he asked, with an unwanted sly grin, “Yea, I do” I replied, returning a small smile “What about you? I've also noticed you here everyday.”
“I come here for my brother. I pick him up from practice everyday because he cannot be trusted to stay away from trouble. He's the tall guy trying to impress the cheerleaders” he joked. I grinded and looked back at my computer, which I placed on my lap and resumed my study session which was again ruined by him saying 'Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't realize you were studying,'. As he got up to leave, which I didn't want him to, I quickly replied saying “Oh no! I was just wrapping up”
“Why don't you go to the library to study? It’s quiet there.”
“This might sound weird, but the library is too quiet. It isn’t too quiet or too loud here” He gave me a look of confusion. “The silence in the library is pretty distracting while the cafeteria is louder than every swiftie together in a room, singing the bridge of cruel summer” I joked and surprisingly, he understood exactly what I was saying.
“Well, that is the most accurate thing I’ve ever heard my entire life”

We talked for a while before he mentioned his real intentions to make a conversation with me out of the blue,
“You free this weekend?” he asked with his eyes filled with desperation and curiosity. “Why?” I asked him to pull the words from his mouth. “I would like to go on a date with you,” he said, giving up easily. “But i barely know you”
“Yes, but we could get to know each other.” Now, he was on the edge of the bleacher and looked curious for my answer. I decided to give it a shoot and agreed on a few rules:
No kissing
No touching
Definitely no sex
ONLY 1 date
And no fancy places

“Don’t you think the second one is a little too much?” he asked, trying to get rid of it and also trying not to lose his only chance. “I don’t care, you can either play by the rules or toodaloo” I said, showing him that I had the upper hand in this

AT MY DOORWAY


It had been two days since I agreed on the date, and was now getting ready for it. I, of course, was nervous.
I went super light on the make up and as Ben had told me, we were only going to the Sunday Carnival at the field at the end of the street.
I wore a plain white t-shirt, and blue denim jeans with purple sneakers and just as I finished, the doorbell rang, I rushed to the door to open it, and there he was, wearing the same black jacket but with a red t-shirt, blue jeans and leather boots. He handed me a bouquet, which I received, muttering a thank-you, as I put it on the table by the door.
“Do you live alone?” he asked, pointing at the house which was too big for just one person to live in. “Yes.” I replied “But all my friends use this as our clubhouse, so that would mean they almost live here.” I said, as he held out his hand for me. I took it, and both of us stepped into the patio, down the driveway, and on the pavement, making our way towards the Carnival


AT THE CARNIVAL

We talked and walked for a long time, stopping to see the performers perform something interesting. We took in the view of every stall, buying what we felt like, (mainly because he was paying), eating only little at every food stall. We talk about each other, sharing information about our lives “How old are you. Jane?”
“Did you know that it is very impolite to ask a woman her age?”
“Really? So no one other than your parents knows how old you are?”
“No, people who I love and trust know how old I am”
“So you don’t tell your age to even the customs officers at the airport if they ask you?” he jokingly asked,
“I’d ask them to look at my passport” I replied with a casual shrug

About two hours passed by, before we realized how long it had been, another hour passed before we decided to head home, and one and a half hour passed by before we actually went home

AT THE DOORWAY (again)

The gentleman walked me home and all the way till my door to drop me off.
“Did you have fun?” he asked, with the same curiosity I saw, two days ago.
“Yeah! It was kinda fun!” I replied with a smile and like every romantic movie or book, we had a moment right there, a window to kiss. We slowly moved towards each other and his palm slowly rose towards my cheek to cup it and that’s when I looked away, breaking the tension and throwing away what we could’ve had.
“I’m gonna go to bed, I feel exhausted” I said, taking a step back. I wanted to kiss him, but I didn't want to jump into something I had no idea what it would be.

Ben looks away on the ground, as he too slowly steps back “Okay, take care” he said, giving me a sad smile. I stood by the doorway as I watched him walk on the driveway, towards the road, while an indescribable energy flowed through my veins, making me scream “Ben! Stop!” I ran to him and halted right in front of him. Suddenly, I didn't know what to say and why I stopped him as the new energy faded away. I opened my mouth and said the first thing that came to my mind “I’m 21 years old”
“So you trust me now?” he asked, with a sly smile and lifted my hand towards his mouth and gently kissed it and kept holding to it as I slowly nodded my head in agreement. He took his other hand and slowly placed it on my cheek and creased my cheek and jawline with his thumb, and maintained eye contact all the while. He slowly dropped my hand and wrapped it around my waist as I placed one arm on his shoulder and the other on the back of his neck. The next thing I knew, his lips were on mine, gently kissing it.

And that is how I met my husband