|| As Jeremy put his hand on my shoulder, I raised my eyebrow.
"Dude, you bought a looot of soap yesterday. I think you have a problem." I laughed and shook my head.
"I'm...I'm not here for soap."
"Dude, you also bought a lot of bath bombs just a few days ago. I know their pretty but you gotta know when to stop buying..."
"No no Jeremy I'm...I'm here to see Dory." Jeremy tilted his head and looked at me as if I was insane.
"You're in love with her aren't you?"
"I-I don't think we're that far yet but...it is around Christmas time...Love's in the air--" Jeremy then slowly backed away, grabbed a bottle of air freshener and sprayed it in there.
"Love is a virus I don't want to catch. And if love is in the air I'm officially quitting being a human and becoming a fish." he then shook his head and walked away. Then, Dory walked up to me and smiled.
"You know, you're technically late." I laughed again as Dory tilted her head.
"What do you mean I'm late?"
"You always come at six twenty six pm. It's currently..." she checked her watch then folded her arms. I slowly began to smile. "Eight twenty five..."
"You remembered what time I come in?" she shrugged.
"This might sound a little weird or ironic but...I actually have photographic memory...You picked a specific time to show up?" I laughed a little and shook my head again.
"I want to talk to you." she shrugged.
"Well, we're talking right now. Also did I show you this yet?" I chuckled as she took a bath bomb off a shelf and showed it to me. I slowly put her hand down.
"I don't want to talk about bath bombs..."
"Oh...Soap then? Or you know we haven't gotten you any body wash--"
"Dory, I don't want to talk about any of the products." I laughed again and watched her. "I want to talk with you. About other things...I actually wanted to take you out to dinner..." she raised both of her eyebrows.
"Oh? W-what is that supposed to mean?"
"...Dory...I'm...I'm asking you out." I didn't expect her to be this naive, but at the same time I found her adorable so I didn't mind. After all this was a quite bold move for me. I was asking her out just two days after I had dumped Ariel and got rid of my couch, as if nothing had happened. Most people took time away from their love lives after breaking up with someone but me? Not me. I was ready to get back in the game already.
I had never been more confident and sure about something in my life. Then, when I thought it couldn't get any better, "No." my eyes widened as she spoke up. She kept a straight face as I began to bite my lip.
"A-are you serious? Is it too early?" my confidence suddenly dropped. She then laughed and smiled widely again.
"You know I got you good." as she laughed I slowly began to laugh with her.
"O-oh...Is that a yes?" she smiled a little more and chuckled again.
"Sure but, may I suggest something?" I raised both of my eyebrows.
... thirty minutes later
|| "I can't believe you thought having dinner would be better than this." I smiled a little more and took another lick of my ice cream cone. I nodded as we continued to walk down the sidewalk. It was now eight fifty one at night and I was freezing, but at the same time I couldn't feel more warm inside.
"Well, you can't blame me. It's December and I'm freezing but if you insist..." Dory looked at me and laughed.
"Oh c'mon. Chocolate ice cream is so much better than eating at a fancy restaurant." she looked back at me as I smiled again.
"Yeah well I...I-I don't really like fancy restaurants either but I thought you'd might. And yes I am enjoying this more but for your information I got vanilla." she rolled her eyes and kept walking. "It's nice spending time with you." she nodded as I spoke.
"Yeah...Yeah you're right. This is nice. You know, I still can't believe you haven't seen Finding Nemo."
"Really? Why?" I laughed a little as she tilted her head.
"...There's a character whom is...quite similar to you."
"Oh? Really? Hmm. That's interesting." she then stopped and looked up at me. "I need to ask you something."
"Yes?"
"...Umm... Have you ever considering bringing Ariel back into the store? I think if I spoke to her again maybe she'd be nicer..." I shook my head. She frowned slightly. "Well...Why not?" I looked to her and sighed.
"I broke up with her." she gasped a little and put her hand on my arm. She stopped in her tracks and so did I. "W-what's wrong?"
"You didn't tell me. Are you okay?" I smiled again and took a step towards her. I put my hand on her cheek.
"You have nothing to worry about... Ariel wasn't very nice to me a lot so, I-I decided I didn't want to be with her anymore."
"Why?"
"Because I don't love her anymore."
"Why?"
"Because she cheated on me." she gases before responding.
"...Why?"
"...Because she doesn't love me either."
"Why?"
"Dory..." I chuckled and shook my head. I put both hands on her cheeks. "It's nothing to worry about. Ariel is out of my life and out of my heart. I wanted to focus on other things... I even got rid of the couch she picked out. She's out of my life and I don't intend on inviting her back into my life anytime soon."
"...Do you...have a new couch yet?" I slowly began to laugh again.
"No. I'm working on it, why do you ask?" she then smiled brightly and began to wave her hand in hopes of catching a cab. I arched a eyebrow. "What are you doing?"
"Let's go to Ikea!" I looked to my watch and then stared at her.
"It's almost nine pm."
"So? You need a couch. I can't help it, I have to help you in this time of need!" I grinned and took her hand as the cab pulled up to the curb.
