Page 27 of Something New

“So, you are breaking your promise. You are not going to follow through with the pact we made?” I say.

She takes in a sharp breath. “Tuomo — I’m sorry, I just can’t—” I hold up my hand to silence her.

I shake my head and narrow my eyes towards her. My father taught me how to look disappointed.

“Fine.” I say.

Her eyes widen.

“Fine?” She asks, tentative and cautious.

“Yes. I agree. It was - it was so long ago. I don’t know what I was thinking. Of course, we should get to know each other. We should spend some time together.” I laugh, shrugging my shoulders.

“Um - yes.” She nods, looking nervous.

I sit down on the bed again, a relaxed posture and a smile on my face.

“Let me take you on a date. Three weeks from now. I’m sorry about how I pushed in here and came across like a crazy person. I just - I wanted to surprise you and it backfired.” I chuckle.

“You just wanted to surprise me?” She asks, her brows knotted.

“Yeah, I really messed it up, didn’t I?” I grin at her, knowing she always loved my smile.

Slowly a nervous smile spreads across her lips. She pulls her mouth to the side and tilts her head. She looks ever so slightly more relaxed. Good. This is working. Keep going. You have her.

“You really did mess it up.” She giggles.

Fuck. It makes me want to kiss her. That musical sound escaping her lips, the way her eyes glitter when she laughs.

No. Have patience. We have a backup plan.

“So, go on a date with me.” I say. “I promise to be the perfect gentleman. And you need to accept my apology for how things went down tonight.”

She nods.

She locks her eyes onto me.

This is how it works. If a person says no to something big - then they are much more likely to say yes to the next question if it is something smaller - more reasonable.

She is watching my every move. Paying careful attention to my expressions and my body language. I can tell she wants me. I can tell she would love it if I just took her right now on her bed. The bed I have watched her play with herself on. The bed I have dreamed of fucking her on. I run my hands over the duvet, my eyes still locked on hers. My fingers touching the fabric that has been wrapped around her body night after night.

“Ok. I will go on a date with you. But it’s just a date, Tuomo. It doesn’t mean that we are going to get married or anything like that. Just one date. Ok?” She says, trying to gain control over everything again.

“Of course, it is just a date and a chance for us to spend a little time together. If it goes well - I hope, we can have another. But I understand - this is the trial. This is our chance to catch up and learn who we are again.” I nod.

She nods.

We stare at each other for a long time and the air between us is sharp with static electricity. I feel as though I could reach out and touch her and a thread of lighting would connect us.

I pull my eyes away from her.

Just a date.

A date that is going to spark a chain of events that she has no idea has already been planned out. The moment she said no to me. The moment she rejected me and broke her promise. Everything that I put together as my back-up plan became the primary plan.

Just a date - yes - but so much more.

Three weeks.

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