MATEO || bxb

- 24 -

| Camden |

It's been about a week or so since I came back home from our family holiday in Italy and things between Mateo and I had been going great. Things were progressing but at a steady and manageable rate that didn't terrify me. Mateo was always being so tentative and always checking if I was okay with things. To be honest, maybe he was being a bit too tentative. Sometimes you just want a guy to kiss you because he wanted to in that moment and I don't want him to worry that every time he does that, he's done something bad.

Anyhow, I was extremely excited for today. Mateo promised me we were going on a date. I mean no one had ever really taken me on a date before. Anything I had with anyone in the past had always been casual, something we kind of just fell into, and sure we hung out without any intentions of hooking up by the end, but we never specified anything to be a date. So, my first ever proper date was going to be with my lifelong crush. Sometimes even now I wonder how things turned out this way, that he could like me back the way that I had liked him for so long.

Apparently, I just needed to dress in something casual, so I put on some cargos and a graphic tee. It was a date but not like a fancy one and it was also only around midday. I had no idea what he had planned though, and I was just excited for him to get here so we could get going. All day yesterday on my shift in Suzie's smoothies today was all I could think about.

Eventually he texted me that he was outside but by the time I'd put my shoes on and gone down, someone had already let him in, and I found him sitting on the couch with my dad and brother.

"Mateo," I called happily as I jogged over to him and hugged him from behind the sofa.

"Hey," he said smiling and looking up at me with a tilt of his head. I leant down and pecked him not caring that my family could see. Anyway, mum wasn't here and she's the only one that would have made a big deal.

Except I forgot Adrian was his mother's son, just while mum would have been excited, Adrian was always faking disgust. "My eyes! Quick dad, get me the bleach!" I whacked him on the head to get him to shut up. "Oi!" he moaned in response rubbing his head.

Dad just chuckled and shook his head at his two sons and Mateo who might as well have been his third. "Boys. What am I meant to do with you all?" dad asked sarcastically.

"Well, you can figure out what to do with him," I said pointing at my brother. "I have a date to go on. C'mon Mateo, let's go! Pretty please," I said trying to sound as sweet as possible.

Mateo chuckled too. "C'mon then mi sol," he replied getting up and coming around to the back of the couch so he could grab my hand on the way out. We said goodbye to everyone and then I was practically dragging Mateo to his car; I was so excited.

"It's like I'm taking a kid to a candy store," he said as he buckled up in the driver's seat.

"Sweet shop," I said correcting him to the British terms.

"That just doesn't sound as good though, does it?" he replied as he pulled out of the driveway. I didn't comment because I didn't actually care that much. "And now that I think about it, I basically am taking a kid to the 'sweet shop'." He shook his head. "Yeah, see that doesn't sound as good."

"Ugh. What. Ever. Where are you taking me?!"

I was practically bouncing up and down in my seat as he drove away. He turned to look at me and a huge grin overtook his face. "You are so cute, y'know that?"

I blushed and looked away from him and out the window. Maybe if I could figure out the route the I can figure out where we're going as well. I knew we were having a late lunch somewhere together but that he was taking me somewhere else first. But we were soon driving out of town into unfamiliar territory, and I completely gave up guessing.