We've Still Got Time

Chapter Four: Gibbs

"I really can't believe you're finally doing this," Janice can't hide her excitement when we met at Black & Brew, the café where I work. I'm at my day-off today, and I also can't believe myself that I'm spending it to have a blind date with my best friend's cousin. "You'll love him. He's a former 'playboy' at his high school but he changed for some reason and now he's just a freakin' sweetheart."

I chuckled, "Wow. What a way to introduce him to me." Former playboy? Really? The last thing I wanted is to be with a guy who had a lot of sex in high school.

"Oh my gosh, he's here," Janice's face brightened, like she, herself, has a crush with her own cousin. She glanced over my shoulder, and waved energetically.

I didn't look around, because surprisingly, I got a bit nervous; as of the fact that this would be my first legit date in my twenty years of existence. I just froze there, looking at my best friend in front of me, her smile almost breaking her face.

Someone walked past beside me, and I can smell chocolates. Why does he freakin' smell like chocolates?

Janice stood up and hugged the tall, lean guy whose back is in front of me. I can't make out what he looks like from this angle.

"Gosh. It's been so long! How's Sarah?" Janice hugged him; they almost have the same height. She is freakishly tall.

"Amazing," he answered, letting go from the hug. His voice is kind of low and breaking a little; like he's a grown up man who wake up one morning having his puberty voice again. I don't even know. "She's in Africa now for some medical mission with Dad and some of their friends," he went on.

"Cool," Janice turned to look at me. "Anyway," she beamed and then motioned her hand at my direction, like I'm some expensive painting in an auction event, "Tony, I'd like you to meet my best friend."

Crap. Here comes the anxiety I feel whenever I meet new people, or when I'm introduced to someone for the first time. My palms just started to sweat so much and my knees started shaking.

He slowly looked around, and smiled at me when our eyes met automatically.

He looks like the normal jocks you see in high school; brown hair, baseball cap, grey/blue eyes, his right eyebrow raising while he smiles at my direction charmingly. I don't know if he's doing it in purpose, but I'm pretty sure that the 15 year old girl inside me would fan girl for him or something.

"I'm Tony Gibbs," he put his hand in front of me.

I rubbed my hand frantically on my jeans under the table before I took his hand, "Ell—Isabella," I stuttered, thinking at the middle of saying 'Ella' that we just met so I guess it would be inappropriate if I introduce myself with my nickname.

"So I've heard," the smile at the corner of his mouth didn't disappear. Janice pulled him towards the chair in front of me where she was sitting before.

She put her hands over his shoulders, "So I'll leave the two of you here to talk."

Shit. She sounded like a super proud mom.

"See you later J," Tony tapped her hand.

Janice smiled at me and mouthed the word "Call me after" behind her cousin's back. She's nodding approvingly while she walked towards the door and out of our sights.

As expected, there was a long and awkward silence as soon as Janice was gone.

Tony looked around and cleared his throat, "I'm starving. Do you want anything? My treat."