14

Here I was, sitting in front of my date in a small restaurant, still anxious even though I now felt more comfortable around Rachel.

Conversation flowed easily and we were about ready to go, as we were done eating.

I insisted on paying for dinner but she absolutely refused and we ended up splitting the bill in half. Then we got in her car, hers because she'd picked me up from my house.

I put the seatbelt on and looked at her sternly. "Drive slowly."

In the short ride to the restaurant I'd learned that she was a careless driver and I honestly feared for my life.

She laughed dismissively. "I'll try."

Well, she didn't. In fact I spent the whole ride clinging to the armrest as if that could save me.

When we arrived, she stopped the car and turned to look at me. There was an awkward moment of silence, neither of us knowing what to do or say.

A moment of silence that was interrupted by someone tapping on the passenger's window, my window.

I got startled and made a little jump making Rachel laugh. Turning around I was perplexed in seeing my mother looking down at me through the window. What did she want now?

She was supposed to be out with friends tonight and I certainly didn't expect her to be back by 10pm.

Before I knew what was happening I saw Rachel rolling down the window.

"Hello, you must be Cam's mother right?"

My mother, in her usual fashion, narrowed down her eyes, always suspicious. "Yes, and you are?"

"Oh, right. I'm Rachel. We spoke on the phone a couple of days ago."

Realization swept through my mother's face and she put on her most charming smile.

"Oh, so you are Rachel. Nice to meet you. Cam has told me a lot about you."

I shot her a glare. What the fuck. I haven't said anything about Rachel whatsoever.

The both of them extended their hands and shook them, in the meanwhile completely ignoring me.

"Why don't you come up for a cup of coffee? It's not that late, is it?"

Oh God, no. Please no.

Of course my plea was unanswered and I found myself following them up the stairs.

I ended up silently watching my mother talking with Rachel as if they'd known each other for years. I barely said a word in the half an hour they spent gossiping about me so when Rachel finally said she had to go, I happily stood up and offered to accompany her to her car.

I opened the front door as she said goodbye to my mother and, when she was done, we started making our way down the stairs.

"I'm sorry." I said as I led the way.

"For what?"

I sighed. "My mother, she's just so nosy and she still doesn't know..."

She seemed perplexed. "Doesn't know?"

"About me, I mean." We'd stopped just outside the entrance of the building and faced each other.

When she still didn't seem to get what I wanted to say, I started gesturing between her and me. "You, me, you know?"

"Cam, I authorize you to use words. I can't read your mind."

I sighed impatiently. "She doesn't know about the," I lowered my voice getting closer to her ear, "whole gay thing."

Realization dawned on her. "Oh."

And after a moment of silence she continued. "I kind of figured that though, you were so jumpy earlier."

"I was not jumpy at all."

"Yes, you were. You were so scared of what I could say to your mother."

"I was not." I protested.

She smirked. "Yeah, I mean, why would you be? It's not like I'm your secret girlfriend or anything."

That left me speechless for a second.

"We're simply friends, right?" She asked, still smiling.

"Y-yeah."

"And friends don't out each other."

"Right." I managed to say. I was embarassed. So we were friends apparently, huh? Was she not there when she asked me out on a date yesterday?

She patted my cheek. "So, you don't have to worry about what I say."

We regarded each other and then she leaned closer and hugged me. I was almost relieved that she didn't try to kiss me or anything, not that I would be opposed to it but still...

As I pulled her closer and wrapped my arms around her I saw a familiar car pull up next to our building and slowly let go of Rachel.

I saw my neighbor come out of her car and take what seemed like a grocery bag from the passenger side. I knew she'd seen me too, well us, because I'd caught her gaze as she was parking.

Rachel turned around to see what I was staring at and we both watched as Ann made her way towards us. She was wearing a short black dress under her coat, a dress that - I couldn't help but notice - was very, very tight. She had also heels on and that made it easy enough to guess where she was coming back from.

Rachel turned towards me. "Who's that?"

I cleared my throat. "That's my neighbor." I replied and when said neighbor reached us I just said "Hi" lamely.

"Hi, Cam. What are you doing here at this hour?"

"Oh." I said. "Just, uhm... Telling goodbye to a friend."

I looked at Rachel, as if in search of approval from her. She'd said we were friends and I'd refered to her as such.

Ann shifted her attention to her then and offered a handshake. "Hi, I'm Ann. Cam's neighbor."

Rachel smiled and shook her hand. "Rachel."

Ann's gaze turned back to me surprised, she'd put two and two together and looked at me as if to ask 'that Rachel?'

'Yes, that Rachel.' I replied back telepathically.

"Oh, well then. I have to make my way upstairs. I'm sorry if I interrupted your, uhm... goodbyes."

I blushed. She'd gotten the wrong idea and I desperately wanted to deny whatever she thought we were doing.

"It was nice meeting you." Rachel said.

"Likewise." Ann replied.

"Bye." I said and watched her start up the stairs before turning back to Rachel.

"So-" I started.

"She's hot." Rachel interrupted.

Well, that she is.

"I guess." I replied dismissively.

She smiled and started walking towards her car, while I followed behind. "I had fun tonight." She said.

"Yeah, me too. Although it seemed you enjoyed my mother's company more than mine."

She laughed. "Well, she does talk more than you do."

I pouted. "Thanks."

"She's not really my type though."

"Thank God," I said. "I wouldn't want you to hit on my mother."

"Yeah, so we should do this more often."

"If you want."

"I'll take that as a yes." She replied and opened the door of her car. "Do I get at least a hug or?"

"Yeah, I do hugs." I replied and pulled her in for a brief one. When we parted, she climbed in her car and rolled the window down. "Put your seatbelt on." I warned her.

She rolled her eyes.

"And send a message when you get home."

She laughed. "Thanks mom, will do."

I couldn't help but smile. "Well, bye then."

"Till next time."

***

I went back home and wondered if Ann had gone to bed already or if she was still up.

I decided to try my luck and found myself knocking on her door at, I looked at my phone's clock, 11.30pm.

She opened the door almost immediately and regarded me with curiosity. "Don't you have somewhere else to be?"

"Where?" I asked as we made our way inside.

"I don't know, a better place."

I plopped down on the couch. "Nope."

She sat down next to me, she'd changed in her PJs and I was almost disappointed in not being able to see her in that particular dress from up close. "Had a fun night?" She asked turning towards me, smirking.

I was probably blushing right now, feeling embarassed. "It was okay, I guess."

"Okay, you guess?" She laughed.

When I didn't say anything, I felt her eyes on me, observing me. "Come on, it couldn't have been so bad. You were all over each other."

"What?" I asked surprised.

She looked down. "I mean, I didn't see anything. But you were pretty close and hugging when I arrived."

"Friends hug each other." I remarked. "Aside from us, obviously."

"What, we hug each other." She protested. "Well, sometimes we do."

I laughed now. "We can always compensate for it." I opened my arms invitingly, raising my eyebrows expectantly.

She hit my arm. "I see you changing the subject. So, tell me."

I held her gaze. "You looked nice in that dress."

Her eyes widened and I saw her blush as she looked down. "Shut up."

"Just voicing my thoughts."

"Right, you're still changing the subject."

"What subject."

"Your friend Rachel, that subject."

I paused as if to think, looking straight ahead at the TV that was playing some late night cooking show, making me wonder why Ann was watching it, since she'd never cooked a day in her life.

"What about her?" I asked turning my attention back to her.

"I don't know, did you properly say goodbye after I left you?"

I smirked but didn't say anything.

"Well?"

"Wouldn't you like to know..." I trailed off and saw her get mad at my non-answers.

She rolled her eyes. "Why are you here exactly?"

I pouted and feigned being hurt. "If you want me to go, you should just say so."

"Oh, come on. It takes more than that to offend you."

"You're right."

"So, are you going to answer me?" She asked impatiently.

"You are more interested in my love life than I am."

"Maybe you should start paying attention then. Like, do you even notice, uh, girls?"

I suppresed a laugh. "Oh yeah, I definitely do."

She looked pensive. "What do you notice in a girl?"

"Uhm..." I intentionally lowered my gaze from her face to her chest, waiting for her reaction that arrived two seconds later with a hard slap on my arm.

"Actually, don't answer me. I don't want to know." Then, it seemed like she remembered something. "Wait, you still haven't answered my other question."

"I'll answer only if you answer me as well." I said.

"To what?"

An idea popped suddenly in my mind. "I don't know, we'll play the question game."

She closed her eyes. "What are we, 12?"

I took the remote and muted the TV. At her questioning gaze, I shrugged. "What, I want to hear you clearly."

"So," I started as she rolled her eyes. "Who had the pleasure to see you all dressed up tonight?"

"Are we really doing this?" At my eager nod she continued, "I had dinner with my sister and a couple of friends."

I looked at her suspiciously. "You dress like that for a dinner out with friends?"

"It's my turn." She dismissed my question and stared at me. "Were you on a date tonight?"

"Yep." I said and watched out for her reaction, not knowing what to expect, but she maintained a completely neutral expression. "Why are you watching a cooking program exactly?"

She laughed. "I thought I could learn something." After a moment she added. "Is Rachel your type?"

"I don't know, why?"

She counted on her hand, lifting her fingers one by one. "She's blonde, she's tall and she has a nice chest."

At that I snorted. "You noticed her boobs?"

She got red and tried to find an excuse, looking down and mumbling she said. "They were there, it's not like I stared or anything."

I laughed at her defensiveness, I hadn't even realized that in describing my ideal type I'd basically described Rachel.

"Okaaay, back to the game. Have you ever wanted to kiss a girl?" I held my breath.

She snapped her head back up to look at me wide eyed. I could see confusion in her eyes, and embarrassment, probably remembering our kiss that was definitely between two girls. I expected her to say no, of course. I was just teasing her. "Actually no." She said, trying to sound confident. "Did you kiss Rachel tonight?"

I laughed. "Would you rest easy if I said no?"

"Wha-" She furrowed her brows, "I would rest easy even if you said yes, what are you talking about?"

I grinned. "Nothing."

"You have to reply though, those are the rules of the game you started."

"I didn't kiss her, happy?"

She made a face. "Ecstatic."

"Uhm-" I heard my phone chime and took it out of my pocket. It was a message from Rachel.

Home safe and sound. Over and out.

I smiled and typed a quick reply.

"Let me guess, Rachel?"

"Yeah. So, let me think..." I rubbed my chin trying to come up with a new question. "Oh! What's the color of the bra you're wearing right now?"

She hesitated, I didn't expect her to reply so I was surprised when she got redder than usual and looked anywhere but at me.

Then I realized why, she wasn't wearing one. I glanced quickly down and immediately back up, it's not like you could see anything under the layers of clothing she'd put on to sleep in.

"Oh, nevermind. I should go to sleep." I stood up. "Okay, I'm going."

"Yeah, I think that's a good idea. I'm too sleepy to entertain you."

"Good night then."

"Good night."