How You Get The Girl - Lukas Dostal

five

Lukas flattened his palm against the steering wheel, backing out of his spot. "So, where do you live?" He questioned, his other hand hovering over the GPS system.

"Newport Beach," Maddie says, fidgeting with her hands. It felt weird being in his car, getting a ride home, but she also felt a sense of excitement.

"Ooooh, in this traffic?" Lukas replies, glancing over at her quickly, smiling. Maddie looks at him wide-eyed, immediately apologizing. "You don't have to drive me home, it's fine, just drop me off here..." She stuttered, fumbling to go unbuckle her seatbelt.

Lukas reached out and gently placed a hand on Maddie's arm. "Hold on," he laughed, "Do Americans not use sarcasm or something?" He said, finally getting out of the parking lot and pulling onto the street.

Maddie felt her face heat up out of embarrassment, but she was also flustered from his touch. "No, we do, I just..."

Lukas chuckled, finding Maddie's reaction endearing. "Relax, I was just teasing," he reassured her, giving her arm a gentle squeeze before returning his eyes to the road. "I want to make sure you get home safely. I'm not used to traffic like this, so I thought I'd make a joke out of it."

Maddie found herself staring at Lukas' side profile, admiring the stubble on his jaw and the way his dark blond hair flopped lazily over his forehead. "Where are you from?" She said, averting her gaze off him even though she desperately didn't want to.

Lukas glanced at Maddie, a smile playing on his lips. "Czechia. I moved to the states a few years ago for hockey, and now I'm playing for the Ducks."

She bit her lip, trying to keep the conversation going. Maddie was really worried that there wasn't going to be a spark, that it was going to be awkward - but she told herself to just push through it. "Your English is really good."

Lukas chuckled at Maddie's comment. "I learned it in school, but I still have the Czech accent." He said, pulling onto the freeway. Maddie kept sneaking glances at him, and in her admiration she blurted out, "I really like your accent."

A faint blush crept onto Lukas's cheeks at Maddie's comment, and he glanced over at her with a sheepish smile. "Thanks," he replied, his voice slightly quieter than before. "I've always been self-conscious about it, but I'm glad you like it."

Maddie smiled back, feeling a warmth spread through her chest at Lukas's reaction. "It's cute," she replied, and she really meant it.

He felt butterflies, so many butterflies, in fact, that he hadn't realized he was in the far right lane, and accidentally took an exit.

Lukas cursed under his breath and Maddie laughed. "You good there, Dosty?" She said, giggling. He couldn't help but feel a tinge of disappointment she called him 'Dosty'. It felt like she was completely friendzoning him, and even though he knew that to not be true, he weirdly enjoyed her calling him by his full name.

"Yes, sorry," He mumbled, rerouting his GPS while Maddie looked out the window and spotted her favourite fast food place. Her stomach grumbled at the sight, and as she looked back over at Lukas, she suggested that they stop to eat. "Hey, are you hungry?"

Lukas glanced over at Maddie, a grin forming on his lips. "Actually, I could go for some food," he admitted, feeling hungry himself. "Where do you want?"