Tempestuous Triangle

hanging out!

After seeing Daniel again my mind was on overdrive, trying to think of all the ways I could avoid him but then Allie would get suspicious and I didn't want her to know the truth. I had made things so complicated and I couldn't think of a way out except tell the truth. Oh yes the truth which is what I should have done but never did, live and learn they say, well this was definitely a learning experience.
After a couple of weeks Allie had this amazing idea that me and Dan should get to know each other better one on one, I mean come on! Really!
"I'm working tonight at the restaurant, Dan has the evening off so do you"
How could I say no now, the word suspicious kept cropping up in my head.
"Is Daniel ok with this?"
"Why wouldn't he be, you're my best friend, he's meeting you at the coffee shop at 5 where we always go"
Not the club, somewhere low key so we could talk.... greeaaatt!
"Sounds lovely"
"Casey you don't sound like happy about it, do you not like Dan?"
"Yes of course, I just don't know him that well so this will solve that won't it"
Allie smiled "good because I want you to like each other as much as I like the both of you, well I love you but you know what I mean. Anyway I have to go it's 3 and I'm gonna be late you know how Michael gets if we are late"

So an evening to myself had turned into an awkward hang out with the guy I should have ended up with but didn't because I was so stupid I missed my chance. But why couldn't we just be friends, nothing in the rule books says we can't just be friends. The more I said those words in my head the more crazy I sounded.
Ok let's do this, let's hang out!

I pulled up to the coffee shop, I didn't want to overdress so I just put on my black jeans, yellow tank top, black flats and my yellow headband which helped contain my wavy hair. Granted I looked like a bumblebee but by the time I noticed this I was half way to the coffee shop. If I went back to change I was just proving to myself how hard I was trying and I was too stubborn for that, one of my many amazing qualities I got from my mum.
He was already inside I could see him sitting waiting with a cup in his hand, he looked as nervous as I felt. He was wearing blue jeans with a green hoodie and pumps. He was dressed down but he looked natural and cute. Those were thoughts I needed to erase from my brain. I walked in and joined him at the table.
"Hi"
"Hi"
If this was going to be the conversation for the next couple hours I think my attraction might wear off and I won't have a problem.
"Any more motorway karaoke gigs?"
I couldn't help but laugh, he broke the ice with my most embarassing moment at the most needed time.
"No, that was a one time gig"
"And I got to see it front row live, I'm honoured"
We both smiled
"So are we really gonna do this, be friends"
"Well we both care about Allie, she's your best friend, my girlfriend"
"Girlfriend, wow, moved up a level"
"Yeah last night, I guess it just happened"
I managed to compose myself out of shock "that's great"
That moment was way more intense than it needed to be. It wasn't like I was wishing for them to break up, I lied to make my best friend happy in the first place, I guess it was just when I heard girlfriend I just choked up. It was like my whole body was rebelling against me and I had to fight to get it back into the "Cool zone"
"Are you ok Casey?"
"What, oh yeah I'm great, so let's get to know each other, our likes dislikes"
It's was like an alien had taken over my body and I wasn't me anymore, I was acting like way over the top, I just needed to act natural, the problem was natural had left my dictionary.
"You sure you're ok, it's just the girl I've met up until now has been funny, cool and together, this doesn't seem like you"
He was acting like he knew me, worst part was he had me pegged because this wasn't me.
"I'm sorry Daniel this is just weird for me, this situation and I'm trying to be cool and natural"
"It's ok it's weird for me too"
"Really?"
"Yes, and it's Dan"
I looked confused
"Everyone calls me Dan"
"What's your issue with Daniel?"
"No issue just the only person who calls me Daniel is my mum, usually if anyone calls me it I don't like it"
"Got it, Dan" we both laughed and that broke another piece of ice that needed to be broken.

For the next 3 hours we talked about our favourite music, films and I was most pleased to learn he also loved "the script" and "the fray" as much as me. He was also an "arnie" running man fan and he loved "law abiding citizen" and "taken". We had quite a bit in common, although I did not agree with his love for "green day" or "the godfather". Even when we had a difference in opinion we still seemed to get along, he didn't understand my love for 80s films but he could appreciate the classic that is the"breakfast club"
He also had read Mary Shelley Frankenstein and shared my views, I think we spent an hour just talking about that book.
He was interested in the news and politics and that was 2 subjects I could never get my head around, the news just made me sad and politics had never interested me. So to get it out of the way I made him promise me those 2 items were off the hangout list for future reference, just as he did with me and my obsession with "The Great British Bake Off" and History.

"This was fun"
"Yeah it was Case"
"Casey"
Now it was his turn to look confused
"Only my mum calls me Case, she's the only one allowed"
"Weird isn't it, my mum can only call me Daniel and your mum Case, 2 opposites"
It was weird but at least we had gotten through our first solo hangout and survived, actually we discovered we might just make it as friends without it being awkward.