Runaway Man

Chapter 11: Our First Date?

Chapter 11: Our First Date?

I'd never actually been on a motorbike before in my life so for the first time, I felt the adrenaline pump through my veins as the breeze passed through us. My hands were on Joey's waist (so I didn’t fall off) and I had no idea on where he was taking me. Wait... was this a date?! I couldn't tell because we weren't all dressed up in fancy clothes nor were we flirting with each other. Well, I wasn't flirting anyway.

"Close your eyes!" Joey commanded playfully. The motorbike was swerving a bit between all the gaps between nearby cars. I closed my eyes. I could have sworn that we skidded across the side of a car.

"They're closed," I exclaimed.

A few minutes later, Joey made me open them again. My mouth formed an 'O' shape as I faced Steak Restaurant: one of the best restaurants in town. They were really expensive too. I would have hugged Joey but we hadn't hugged before so I didn't to avoid the awkwardness. He was grinning from ear to ear.

"You like it? We're going next door to that cheap chippy," He pointed his finger at the worst place you can eat at in town. I let out a sigh as we walked into the shop with the smell of urine and other nasty things intoxicating my nose, "Only kidding! Gullible!" He dashed out as fast as he could back outside. I ran out after him and the Chinese man that worked there behind the counter gave me a weird look.

Joey was near Steak Restaurant again with his body hunched over as he laughed. To be honest, he always seemed to be laughing!

"That wasn't funny," I slapped him gently on the arm, "That place reeked of curry as well."

"I love you really." He was still laughing a bit so I didn't know if he seriously did or if he was messing me around. Either way, I felt a blush coming through again. I didn’t think that he noticed though because he was distracted with his snorts.

He held my wrist and took me inside. The place was grand eternally as well as externally. The floorboards were really fancy and there were even chandeliers hanging from the ceilings. I glanced over at a few poker machines too but there was a sign saying that it was only for eighteens and onwards. A few faces of craggy faced men looked at us as well as women that held their mugs with the little finger pointing out like Queen Elizabeth II.

Joey directed me to the bar and an old man that needed to shave with a tooth pick in his mouth served us. For the entire time, his eyes didn't leave me so I even pulled my top up. We found a table and Joey was sitting opposite me. For once, I had to look at him properly. No darkness. No obstacles in our way.

"Have you been here before?" He cut into his steak with his knife.

"Nope. I'm more into Nandos and stuff," I admitted. Joey's straight white teeth beamed.

"There's always a first for everything," He burped really loudly so that we got a couple of gawps, "Please tell me that you've gambled before." His eyes were fixed on the slot machines that we saw on our way in.

"Hell no. I'm sixteen."

"And I'm seventeen and I've played them since I was fifteen. You see, no one pays attention as long as you have money." He leaned over the table and whispered. The sound waves from his whisper tickled my skin and the hairs on the back of my neck were straight up.

"I have money but those things are a scam," I declared, finishing my last roast potatoes.

"You get better when you get paid to do it. Like a fake customer," He defended, also eating his last bite of beef. Red wine slid down his throat and he belched again. I winced. Some waiter with combed back greasy hair came over and I was about to pay for myself when Joey offered.

"I'm not poor," I hissed, pulling out money from my purse, "I'll pay for the both of us." Hell, the bill was thirty altogether and we hadn't really eaten much but whatever. Just because he's a man doesn't mean he's responsible for everything. Besides, knowing him he needed the money for the slots.

Speaking of the slots as I paid he had already pranced over to them. I watched him play for a bit and he only won a fiver out of it that he gambled away in the end.

"I told you it cheats," I teased. He stuck out his tongue and muttered something under his breath that I didn't quite catch. I peered at my watch and somehow it was only half past five.

Wait. It was half past five.

"I need to go home," I waved my hands in the air frantically.

"Chill," he put on the black helmet this time, "I'll sneak you back in like nothing happened, okay?" The look on his face reassured me but my mum be coming home soon.

The ride home wasn't as enjoyable as the way there because I kept on nagging him to drive faster but then he'd complain and be like: "I don't want to get caught on the speed cameras!" or "I still drive faster than a woman." For someone as hard as him, at least he stuck to some laws.

The most annoying thing was, I had to instruct him how to get to my place. He kept on turning the wrong way or slowing down to piss me off but we managed in the end.

Once we were off of the bike, I felt ice flow in the wind. Joey's hands were on my shoulders and he was looking at me directly in the eye.

"Thanks for today," he said, "Am I allowed to hug you or am I too annoying?" I looked up at him and nodded. Our hug was beyond awkward because he was even taller than Dirk and Dirk was two heads taller as it was. I didn't know where to put my hands so I just kept them rested them by my sides (I think that made it all worse). His were running a marathon on my back.

I broke the hug and scurried back into my garden like I was a squirrel or something like that. I gulped, peering up at the tree that looked like a tower now. Then, I peered down at my shoes. I remembered that there was a key under the mat near the front door so I decided that it wasn’t worth climbing the tree like an animal again. I waited in the garden until I heard his motorbike roars fade into the distance before I unlocked the door.

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Haha! What a day, what a day! It looks like their friendship is going well for now... but will it later?

Things really are getting steamy. Remember to vote, comment, fan... whatever! Thank you for all of your nice comments :)