EXES AND OH'S

Handshakes, Conspiracies, and An Unexpected Encounter 2.0

I purse my taupe pink matte lips together, trying to stop myself from smiling at my reflection in the mirror. Is this too much? Or too date night casual? Well, I told Levi I'll dress up. But I'm kinda thinking this outfit that I'm wearing is a little too sexy and daring for a nice, Friday dinner. I'm showing too much chest and clavicles. I walk back to my closet to grab a crisp blazer and put it on me, neatly tucking and folding the sleeves up to my elbows. I look at my reflection again on the full-length mirror. Yep, much better.

I twirl sideways and check my attire from the side view: ivory blazer over a skin-tight white lace bodysuit, ripped blue skinny jeans, paired with nude strappy heels. The light and neutral colors are so not me, but I kinda like it. I went for natural-looking make-up, too. Just maybe some pleasant change from the vampire chic I'm going for every single day of my goddamned adult life. I look like an entirely different person, even the deep brown shade of my eyes seem to have lightened in color. Perhaps this is good, a fresh look and perspective from all the mess that I've made out of myself. Just a month ago, I was constantly hanging out at the cemetery doing crazy things on a stranger's funeral, and now I finally got dudes interested to date me.

And I haven't been out on a date for so long. Hell, I don't even know if this whole sultry ensemble is appropriate for a date night. Fucking crap. This will do. If Levi complains, I'll bounce on his ass, leave him and maybe go to a bar by myself.

And lastly, to quote Phil's hero Coco Chanel, 'No elegance is possible without perfume. It is the unseen, unforgettable, ultimate accessory.' I grab my perfume bottle from the vanity and generously spritz myself of my favorite scent. Oh, and there's another quote of Chanel, and it's real naughty. No wonder Phil didn't tell me this one. It goes like this, 'Where should one apply perfume? Where one wants to be kissed.' So I snatched the bottle again, sucked in my stomach, and sprayed a lot on the insides of my thighs. That's more like it.

I don't know why, but suddenly I'm feeling so excited. I decided to just dump that whole Levi-talk with Kurt last night. He told me to enjoy this date, and that I will most definitely try to do. I just hope Levi decides to be less of an asshole, so I could act less like a bitch too. I shake my head and sigh at the probability of that. But hey, let's see.

I tie my hair up in a cute, messy bun, leaving some stray wavy strands to frame my face. Satisfied, I take a last look at myself in the mirror. Goddamn, Charlie. Maybe I should try this look every single fucking day, and I'll land a really nice, rich, eligible bachelor that could sweep me off my feet.

The door rings, and I feel my heart jump in my throat. I grab my purse and quickly glance at my reflection one last time. All set. I straighten out my blazer and head towards the door. I open it, and see Levi's pretty face right away. We just stared and eyed each other like cuckoos for a solid minute.

Holy Jiminy. He looks so fucking hot — white tee, black skinny trousers and a casual black tailored jacket paired with plain white Gucci Aces. Fucker knows how to dress up like a million dollars. Well, he probably has a million dollars and more.

"Hi." Levi finally manages to open his mouth to greet me, a sexy lopsided grin on his face. His hand reaches up for my face, and he leans forward to kiss my cheek.

Oh, a cute cheek kiss. What the hell is happening?

"Hey." I tip my toes and pat his back, giving him half a hug. Jesus Christ, why does this feel so fucking awkward? Probably because Levi's acting like a total gentleman. It's just something that I'll never ever get used to.

"Damn, you look so beautiful." Levi mutters as soon as he pulls away from our weird embrace, his voice cracking and almost inaudible. It seems like he's having trouble breathing too, I can totally hear him almost heaving for air.