Not Scared Anymore

Chapter 31 - Kevin

Kevin was dressed in his new jeans and nicest new shirt, holding a bouquet of candy roses, when he knocked on Stephanie's door. She answered the door wearing a knee length navy blue dress, her hair was down and neatly curled, and her makeup made her eyes even more alluring than normal. Kevin's jaw dropped.

"Wow. You look amazing."

She blushed. "Thanks, you do too."

Her smile took his breath away, he cleared his throat and remembered the roses he was holding. "Uh, these are for you."

"Oh, you didn't have to bring me anything." She peered closer at them, "Wait, are these made of candy?"

"Yeah."

"Oh my gosh, that's amazing! Give me one second to grab my bag." He watched her head into the kitchen and put the roses on the counter, grab her purse, and slip on a pair of black lace flats. Coming outside, she quickly locked the door and they headed to his car.

Kevin opened her door for her, and waited until she was fully seated before closing it. When he got in the driver's seat and started the engine, she asked where they were going for dinner.

"We have two options. Either Gio's or Lombardi's."

"Oh, Gio's! Definitely Gio's!" She said it with such urgency, he thought he better not ask.

"Okay, Gio's it is."

The drive to the restaurant was somewhat quiet. Kevin was nervous and didn't know what to say. There was still one thing on his mind he felt needed clearing up.

He kept his eyes forward, cleared his throat and began, "So, I want you to know that I was not planning to jump you in the bookstore today. I had planned out a whole thing that I wanted to say to you, and none of it involved kissing you. I mean, I wouldn't have said no if you wanted to, but I just want you to know I'm not a total beast."

He glanced at her and could see a faint smile playing on her lips. "Okay, noted. Do I get to know what your plan actually was then?"

Kevin immediately felt the heat rush up his cheeks. "Uh, well, the end result is what I hoped for, so... do we really need to do that?"

They were stopped at a red light, so he took the chance to look at her, and her smile was brilliant now. "Yeah, I think we do. I'm curious. I want to know your moves."

He laughed at that. "Well, I'm not sure how many moves I have. Definitely don't want to exhaust all of them off the bat."

"Try me."

He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as he considered. "This is going to sound so cheesy. Please don't laugh."

"I promise."

He took a deep breath. "Oh my god I'm so nervous now."

She reached over and patted his thigh, "Just humour me." He still hesitated so she continued, "Kevin, I'm just curious. I'm already here with you, so you know what my answer was going to be."

The light changed, he took a steadying breath as he continued driving. "Stephanie, I've been drawn to you since the day we met. Even stuck in an elevator, I've had fun with you every time we've been together. I think you are smart, and kind, and beautiful, and I really like you.

"I know you've come out of a long-term relationship, and I don't really know what you are looking for now. Obviously, I know you've been using MatchedUp, since that's how you found me, but I was wondering if you would go out with me sometime? On a date, not just as friends."

His voice had begun to shake near the end, and he could feel his palms were damp on the wheel. He coughed. "That's what I had planned to say. I know its not like, super romantic or anything, but I was really hoping it was enough to get you to say yes to dinner."

He looked over and her eyes were shining. "Obviously I was going to say yes. The only reason I was still using MatchedUp was because I didn't think you were interested in me that way. I figured my baggage had scared you off."

"Your baggage?"

"You know, Mark, David- "

He cut her off immediately, "Wait, you actually have history with David?"

"No! Not like that. He just keeps trying to connect with me and asking me out."

"Is he harassing you?"

"It's fine, I've just been ignoring him and blocking him on everything."

Kevin could feel the furrow in his brow as they pulled into the restaurant parking lot. He looked over at Stephanie, and she was looking at him with a frown. He parked the car and offered her a flimsy smile. "Ready?"

She reached over and gave his hand a quick squeeze and a brilliant smile. "Let's do this."

Once they were seated, conversation began to flow more naturally, and Kevin could feel himself relaxing. Gio's was a safe restaurant choice. The food was always good, the prices were affordable, and the atmosphere was perfect for a relaxing evening.

By the time they had finished their dinner and wine, Kevin was feeling quite relaxed and content. He paid the bill and they headed out.

"Do you want anything for dessert?"

"Always. What did you have in mind?"

"Cheesecake café?" It was about two blocks down the street, so he grabbed her hand and pulled her along with him. "Now, the big question is, are you the kind of person who shares dessert, or do you always get your own?"

"Well, that very much depends. I will always happily have my own slice, but if you don't want a whole one, we can share," she said with a smile.

He was sure her smile was going to stop his heart one day. 

"So then, what kind do you like, plain with a topping, or flavours baked right in?"

She thought about her answer for a moment before answering. "Cookies and cream with the cookie bits throughout is probably my overall winner, but a classic, luxurious New York style cheesecake covered in strawberry sauce is always a safe option. But not cherry."

Conversation stayed easy, and when they finally reached the café Stephanie grabbed them a table while he went to order. The Sunday Special was 2-for-1 cake slices, so naturally, he had to get two separate kinds. Placing the order for strawberry cheesecake and chocolate crunch, he headed back to Stephanie to wait for their order.

"What did you get?"

"It's a surprise."

"Did you decide we would share or not?"

"Share. This is a date isn't it?"

"Yes it is!" she smiled and leaned over to kiss him. The feeling of her lips on his, however briefly, was like ecstasy.

The cheesecakes arrived and they dug in, sharing both slices. By the time they got back to Kevin's car, he was feeling completely stuffed, and they were quiet on the way back to her house. The silence between them was comfortable. He got out to walk her to the door.

"So, I had a really great time tonight."

"Me too. Talk to you tomorrow?"

"Absolutely." They were standing right on her door step now. She pulled her keys out of her bag and unlocked the door. "Well, goodnight."

He leaned over and kissed her gently. "Goodnight, Stephanie."