Chapter 59: "Ask Her Out"

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First Draft: August 2018

"No, no, let me think." Claire raised her hand. "I'm quite certain there's an answer just looking me in the face but I can't see it."

Zayn and Niall sighed as they sat back and let the schemer do her thinking. The Three of them were sitting around the table, waiting for their pizza to be delivered. Claire had started pestering Zayn to tell her all the details of why and how he and Salma had not been able to kiss yet.

Claire's eyes snapped to the pair in annoyance.

"Hey! give me a break, alright!" she said. "I'm doing the best I can. It's a complex issue!"

"It's not," Zayn replied, resting his head against the back of the chair.

"Yes, it is!" Claire returned, wagging a finger at him. "When y'all don't kiss even after a dozen dates, it's obviously a very complicated --"

"We haven't been on a dozen dates --"

"Fine, ten dates. Or is it nine --?"

"I'm quite certain, I counted no less than fourteen," Niall added.

"I haven't taken her out on any dates as yet!" Zayn interjected.

Niall and Claire, who had opened their mouth to argue back, gaped at him, their words failing them upon hearing Zayn's declaration.

"What?" Claire recovered first.

"What were you doing all this time when we thought you were with her?" Niall asked.

"I was with her," Zayn said simply.

"And?"

"And what?" he asked.

"And what?" Claire asked incredulously. "Dude what were you doing together if not dating? Don't tell me y'all were spraying pesticides, baby-sitting the community children or cataloging insects again!"

"We never did that --!"

"Point is, we thought you were taking her out to, you know, do couple-stuff together, like have dinner together, watch movies, go to theme-parks, shopping, that sort of a thing?" Niall explained as if Zayn was a five-year old.

"If the two of you would shut up, I'll explain," Zayn said calmly. They clamp their mouths shut and waited. "I took her to eat and stuff, but none of them were dates. I call them 'outings'."

Claire and Niall blinked, then looked at each other then back at Zayn.

"Outings?" Claire echoed.

"Yeah." Zayn shrugged. "To break ice and, well, get to know one another better. Built that trust and –"

"Nuture love?" Niall finished. "In the human society, it's called a date."

"It's not."

"What's the difference?" Claire turned to him, looking like she was going to challenge him on the very definition of 'date'.

"I . . ." Zayn considered. "I don't take it as a date. So, there's no intention involved for . . . like, I don't make any moves that might, you know?"

"No," the two said in unison.

Zayn sighed.

"It's just me around her, so she gets used to me around her, without her getting worried about what comes with me around her."

"That's a lot of 'you around her', and I don't see how she's not getting used to it," Niall said, laughing.

Zayn opened his mouth to snap at him but Claire interfered.

"That's your problem!" She snapped her fingers. "I knew the answer was just there but – anyway." She turned to Zayn excitedly. "You see, the problem is that you take her out but make absolutely no moves. You can't expect her to be the first one to make a move!"

"It's not like that, it's –" Zayn pursed his lips. Then closed his eyes and rubbed them with his fingers. "It's difficult to explain. So like, I'd hold her hand, or try to put my arm around her but I can tell she's a little uncomfortable with that. Imagine me making a move to kiss her, I'd scare her away and I'm telling you, I've worked really, really hard to get to this point with her, and I'm making absolutely no moves that'll push her away again."

Claire drummed her fingers on the table, thinking.

"Have you asked her on a date yet? Like a proper one?" she asked after a while, her eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "I mean, does she know you're taking her out on an 'outing' and not a date?"

"Yeah." Zayn shrugged.

"Dude, you told her?!" Niall laughed.

"Of course." Zayn shrugged again.

While Niall expressed his disbelief Claire had already started talking about how Zayn should be going about it.

"You should definitely ask her on a first date and make proper plans," she began. "Make her feel special. Don't just expect a girl to jump into your arms. Give her that royal treatment she deserves. Why should she even bother with you if you can't treat her right?"

"Hey!"

"No, don't 'hey!' me," she continued. "You are asking her out on a date tomorrow! And make it romantic. Use that thick skull of yours to come up with something. I thought there was something wrong with her, but it's obviously you! Give that girl the environment to relax around you, to have a sense of belonging, to feel at home with you. You are doing nothing to tug at her heartstrings!"

"I am," Zayn defended. "I'm just taking it slow, keeping her comfort in mind. It's not like I'm dating for the first time."

"And yet, you seem to not know that if you want that heavenly touch, you have to touch her heart first. Express your feelings –"

"She gets visibly flustered when I tell her how much she means to me," Zayn argued. "It's not that simple."

"Then shut your mouth, don't crowd her and let her environment express your love for her," Claire returned.

"The environment?" Zayn asked incredulously.

"Come to think about it, didn't you say Dean told you to give her a scare and she'd hug you?"

"Seriously?" Claire made a face.

"The two brother share one brain cell together. What do you expect?" Zayn scoffed.

"But they do know her quite well, don't they?" Niall asked, looking a little embarrassed that he was giving the idea an honest thought.

Zayn knew how Niall felt. He had entertained the idea too. The brothers did know her better and truth be told, their suggestion had held ground for Salma welcoming his embrace when she was cold. However, it did not break the spell and once she was no longer shivering, Zayn had sensed her discomfort return. Nothing spelled trouble like a suggestion to dump your love in water every time he wished to hold her. The stupidity of it all had made him not even consider the fear move.

"That's just crazy," Claire said. "Do they really want to help?"

"Talk to Robert, maybe? He's a muslim. He's know," Niall suggested.

"It's not about being a Muslim. It's basic human decency," Zayn argued. "It just feels wrong and selfish that I have to terrify her to make her run into my arms."

"That's what I'm saying," Claire said. "It's kind of mean."

The three of them settled in an uncomfortable silence, each following their own train of thoughts. Zayn wished he could get a hold of the Green Coat Spogmae. She had helped him before and Zayn knew she would know exactly how to go about it again. Earlier, he had even gone through her envelopes again, hoping that he would find a Step IV note stashed somewhere between the other notes but he found nothing.

Sighing in defeat, he wondered about Claire's suggestion of letting her environment tell her how much he loved it. Physical affection was obviously not working, and every time he told her he loved her, he could see the weight of his words put her under a lot of pressure. Perhaps putting effort in subtly passing the message by using her surroundings would work. She had enjoyed the little stream and seemed relaxed and opened up quite a bit. Maybe something similar in the woods --

"Don't you think it's weird," Claire asked, interrupting his thoughts, bemused, "That a girl her age is acting so . . . I don't know. Childishly?"

"Childishly?" Niall asked.

"Yeah, like I find it weird that the idea of dating, and the physical aspect of it doesn't excite her," Claire explained.

"Weird and childish?" Niall scoffed. "That's purity and innocence. Imagine being with a girl that's never even been touched by someone before you."

"And so she's socially so awkward that you gotta devise plans to simply hold her for ten seconds?" Claire raised a brow. "That's not innocence, that's problematic. And besides, that talk of purity and innocence don't suit you men. You switch through girls faster than you change your underwear."

"Want ice for that burn?" Zayn smirked.

"She called your girl awkward," Niall pointed out.

"Firstly, she's not. Bee's just taking things at her own pace and I find that beautiful. Secondly, don't care if she is." Zayn shrugged, smiling fondly. "I love her anyway. Like you said, imagine being with girl who's never been touched by another man before you."

"It's the 21st Century for crying out loud! Girls taking control and being bold is the standard!" Claire argued.

"I meant touched, as in touched her heart --"

"She dragged your brother to court and tried to get him behind bars, you question her boldness or her control?" Niall raised a brow. The fact that Claire was yet to have to courage to press assault charges against Derek hung awkwardly in the air. "She's just right for this jealous ass. He's been hounding men getting close to you. Imagine what he'd do if it were --"

"Seriously, Zayn!" Claire rounded on her brother.

"What, no!" Zayn cried. "That's a lie! When did I do that?"

Out of nowhere, Zayn was reminded of slamming Niall into a wall in an empty corridor in the hospital. It was shortly after he had kissed Claire, which, Niall had claimed, was staged.

"Hold on a minute." Zayn narrowed his eyes at him. "Who are you talking about again? Because I remember scaring only one person away."

"Who was it?!" Claire demanded to know, worried that she might have to make some apologies.

"I don't know," Niall quickly denied, avoiding Zayn's suspicious gaze. "I was only talking about him generally glaring men down around you, like he does with Salma."

"I do like how she has all of us holding our heads though." Claire laughed. "That's some girl power."

"Don't get any ideas," Niall muttered to himself. "You're tough to get as it is."

The doorbell rang. It was probably the food they had ordered. The two boys acted deaf so Claire got up to get the door. The moment she was out of the kitchen, Zayn rounded on Niall.

"Do you like my sister, Brownie?" Zayn asked, his tone serious. "Because you've been dropping a lot of hints, as of late."

"What're you talking about?!" Niall cried, taken aback.

"Pizza's here, guys!" Claire walked in again, placing the box on the table.

Zayn beamed at his sister before throwing Niall a grim side glance. His shoulders stiffened. Claire left to pay the man. Acting like he was reaching for the pizza, Niall leaned towards Zayn.

"There's nothing going on!" He muttered, "Stop assuming things!"

***

First draft: September 30, 2021

Zayn held his breath as he watched Salma approach the car. Niall pushed a stray branch out of the way to see better.

"Man, the anticipation is killing me." He chuckled.

"Be quiet!" Claire whispered as Salma gingerly picked up the bunch of lilies.

They were huddled together behind the hedge, not far from where Salma had parked her car. Despite Zayn's many efforts to send them packing, the two nosey idiots had insisted on becoming shameless intruders, and see how it went when Zayn asked Salma out on a date.

"She doesn't like flowers," Zayn grumbled. "I told you not to --"

"Shush!" Claire snapped. "Every girl loves flowers."

Zayn pinched the bridge of his nose, exasperated. He eyed Salma's figure, wary of her reaction. He wished he could have had the chance to snatch the flowers away. If only Claire would have been less bothersome and not force her solutions for his love life, on him.

"I can't see how she's taking it." Claire complained, grabbing Zayn's shoulder to balance herself as she stood on her tippy toes.

"We should have picked a different spot," Niall muttered what Zayn was thinking.

Salma stood by the car, where he had stuck the card on her windshield. She tentatively unstuck it.

"Did she just laugh?" Claire grip on Zayn's shoulder tightened excitedly.

"I think that was a scoff." Niall replied.

"Stop being such a pessimist! I'm quite certain she laughed," Claire scolded Niall but even Zayn could hear the doubt in her voice.

"Fine, it was a sarcastic laugh! Better?" Niall returned.

Claire dropped back to her soles and raise a threatening punch at Niall.

"Knock it off!" Zayn warned quietly.

The two stopped but it lasted barely two seconds.

"She just cringed!" Niall pointed at Salma.

"That wasn't a cringe! She inhaled the scent of the flowers!" Claire shot back.

"No she --"

"It's over," Zayn muttered.

The two turned their attention back to Salma to see her stuffing the card in her back and walking away. Niall and Claire's faces distorted with disbelief.

"Is that it?" Niall blinked.

Zayn said nothing as he watched Salma's figure recede. She had seemed happy to receive the flowers and the card, but it was hard to tell considering her expressions were hidden behind the veil. In fact, he could see even now that she was burying her nose into the lilies inhaling the sweet scent of it before running up the few steps and disappearing into the building – or she just cringed again, like Niall said?

"Dude, she was told to check one of the boxes with her reply, right?" Claire asked.

"Yeah," Zayn breathed out. "She was."

Niall clapped his back.

"Tough luck, bro," he said.

Zayn heaved a sigh of defeat. He felt his heart sinking with each passing second. All that planning and she just left him hanging without an answer.

"I have to go," Zayn muttered. "Got a class to catch."

"Hey, shouldn't you be going after her . . ." Niall trailed off to realized Zayn had started walking away.

"He looks upset," Claire muttered, watching Zayn's head hung low. "I hope it works out."

"Maybe he was right about how he was doing things," Niall said. "Given their history, it's complicated between them after all. . ."

"But she looked happy having received those flowers, didn't she?" Claire asked, looking worried. Niall could sense her panic. What if they had undone all of Zayn's hard work?

"I thought so too," Niall replied, just to reassure Claire. "C'mon! let's go."

Author's Note:

Did Claire play Stupid and mess it all up? Or did she play the Cupid?

Let me know what ya'll think.

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Lots of Love,

J.