INTROSPECTIVE

Chapter 19

In his tight jeans, marching black supras and eternally boring grey T-shirt,Eva had to admit, he looked good.

Such a simple outfit, yet at the sight of him, butterflies began to violently move about in her stomach.

But then he smiled. And as cliché as it sounded, the butterflies immediately fluttered away.

Disarming,that's what it was. It felt like his smile could diffuse all tension.

She could swear that his smile should be catalogued as one of the deadliest weapons of the twenty first century. And when you combined his smile with his eyes, then nucleur weapons had nothing on him.

"What's going on in there?"he gently tapped his kunckles on her forehead.

"It feels hollow," he joked.

She barely registered his words because there and then she was too consumed with the lack of proper distance between them.

When had he gotten that close?

Hurriedly, she took a step back.

He didn't seem to notice and went on with what he was saying," Come on, I have a surprise for you."

Eva groaned," Why do you like doing this to me? Why can't you tell me straightforward where you're taking me?"

"It wouldn't be fun if I told you."

"Fun for you or fun for me?" she asked folding her arms under her chest.

"I won't even deny it. I love watching you get restless. It's cute," he said and pinched her cheek.

How had he gotten that close again?

She groaned in frustration.

"At least tell me if I'm dressed right for this place?"If only he knew the wardrobe stress that he caused her each time he took her out.

He stepped back to look at her.And she found herself feeling suddenly embarassed in her white top and blue washed dungaree that reached right before her knees.

She figured she looked kind of retro and bit her lip, suddenly regretting what she was wearing.

She felt bashful like a little girl with her hands clasped behind her back while drawing circles with her feet.

Why was she so self-aware when around him?

"It's good enough."He shrugged dismissively after his brief look-over.

It was like cold water had been poured over her.

She wanted to smack him.She, who had convinced herself that she needed no one's validation to feel pretty.

But then she realised he was trying hard to hide a smile. He had wanted that reaction out of her.

He chuckled then,dramatically opening the car door for her and ushering her in.

"I watched 'Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man'"he explained.

Eva burst out laughing,"Are you serious?"

"Yeah,it taught me things I didn't even know about myself. And most of all, it taught me the very serious importance of always opening the door for the lady."

He walked around the car to the driver's seat.

"I'm curious. What else did you learn?"she questioned.

"I learnt 'bout the 90 day rule," he winked at her.

Warmth rushed to her cheeks and she could have kissed her melanin there and then for not making it obvious that she was blushing.