I just had an amazing experience. I've got to tell you, Dean was a skilled rider. He didn't drive rashly. He was very conscious of our safety. It might sound boring but it made me enjoy the ride more.
My hands around his waist helped too. The wind was on my face. I couldn't hear anything other than the noise of the engine. It was therapeutic. I could imagine why some people were obsessed with their motorcycles.
I scolded myself for choosing a restaurant which was too close. The ride was short but I knew that this wasn't going to be the last time.
I got down and handed him the helmet. He was searching my face for any reaction. He looked visibly releived when I smiled widely.
"That was amazing. You are really good" I complimented him sincerely.
His smile became more shy on hearing that. "I was really worried if I made a bad decision. But I am so glad that you like it. I can give you a ride anytime you want".
"Then expect my call often". I was still on that high.
"God knows that I already do. Let's go inside. It's freezing out here". I was surprised by his little confession. But I just nodded and followed him. Don't think I haven't done a happy dance inside my head.
When I was busy with choreographing my dance number, he walked ahead and held the door open for me and I thanked him. Did he steal my checklist for being a gentleman?
What was next? He was not going to pull up my chair, right?
Well, He did. I guess he referred to the same Wiki-How page on dating. No, I was kidding. I got it from a rom-com. Ok, fine. A daytime soap opera.
It really felt like a date now. This was the same restaurant I visited with my friends some days ago. But suddenly it felt so different. The atmosphere seemed romantic. Did they change the interior in few days? Not possible.
I was hyper-aware of that and wondered why I chose this restaurant instead of a safe place which is designed for a platonic hangout. Like the McDonalds or some small burger joint for which I still had a coupon.
I told myself I chose this place because I liked the food. Yes, that had to be it.
He noticed that I was quiet and voiced his concern. "Are you ok? Do you feel nauseous? Is it because of the ride?"
"No no. I am fine, really. Just thinking about the last time I came here with my friends".
"Oh, that's cool. Tell me about your friends. I want to get to know you".
Was he quoting from the soap opera now? But again, this was what people generally talk about on dates, right?
So I told him about my friends (I could use the plural because there were 3 of them) while ordering our food. Everything felt natural with him.
"Rose is your best friend and Jake is her boyfriend. George is your work friend, right?"
"Right. Rose is like a sister to me. I don't have any siblings of my own. Do you have any siblings? What about your friends?"
"I don't have any siblings. Actually I grew up in an orphanage. I have a guardian but no family members other than that. I have a few friends but no close ones".
He said nonchalantly but I felt bad for prying. "Sorry. You need not answer if you are not ok with it".
He dismissed my concerns with a wave. "No no. Don't feel bad about that. It is what it is. I have learned to accepted life as it comes".
He seemed really mature for his age. Wait, he said he took care of family business. I decided to ask him about that.
"But you said you are taking care of family business. No need to explain if you don't want to. I understand".
"My guardian is like my father. So I take care of his business. Next time I will tell you more about it. I am not in a mafia gang or anything. You can relax". He joked to lighten the mood.
"Actually I am disappointed a bit that you are not a part of mafia. I was looking forward to be a friend of a gang member".
He shook his head and laughed. His blue-green eyes seemed to light up every time he laughed. I was glad that I could make him smile like that. Woah! Where did that thought come from?
"On a serious note, you have me now. You can talk to me anytime, you know? I am not best at giving advise but I can recommend good series to watch and video games to play to forget your troubles".
"Thank you, Alex. I really mean that. You are awesome, you know?"
"You are just saying that because you have been eyeing my raviolis for a long time. Not going to happen, buddy". I tried to lighten the mood and it worked.
"You live upto your nickname, Don't you?" My mature response was sticking out my tongue. Well, I just proved he was not wrong.
We were eating in silence for a few minutes. It was not awkward or anything. It felt really comfortable.
This time I grabbed the check and threw a stern look at him. "My treat. I told you already that I wanted to thank you for everything".
He winked and said, "Ok, next time then". The waitress looked amused and left after giving me suggestive looks. I shook my head and laughed.
He drove me to my home. He insisted that he should come to my door to say goodbye. And I let him.
I opened my door and turned to him. "Thanks for the ride, Dean. See you around".
He stopped me by touching my arm and my heart stopped beating. He pulled me into a hug and said, "No, I should be the one to thank you. For spending time with me and making me happy".
I patted his back awkwardly. Should I pull away after counting 3? Should I count with or without Mississippi? He pulled away after 5 Mississippis.
Was it normal or too long? I didn't know and I didn't have any experience to compare with. I just knew that it turned my legs to jelly and I loved it.
A/N: Where can I get my own Dean? ;)
On a serious note, we don't always know about the things everyone is going through. So, we should not judge others without knowing the whole story. Heck, even after hearing the whole story.
If someone is going through a hard time, give them a hug. If you can't, say some nice words. If you can't, just move on.
Be the change YOU want to see in this world.