Love and Angels

four

Kass

I can see Laney lounging in her backyard, reading a book, from my bedroom window. She's not in anything especially provocative, but she still takes my breath away.

"You can do this," I encourage aloud, giving myself a little pep talk before heading to the back yard.

My gate creaks open as I exit my yard and walk to her gate. I knock on the wood and walk right through. This isn't the first time I've walked into their back yard, inviting myself over.

"Hey," Laney greets, sitting up and closing her book as I approach.

I smile but don't return her greeting. My tongue is already tied and my hands are already sweating; greeting her was not in the plans. Shit. I should have added that in there. Geez, I'm screwing this up already.

"So..." I begin, and she tilts her head to the side, waiting for me to continue. "I was thinking about going for some ice cream a little later and thought maybe you'd like to come with?"

"Like last weekend? With Geo and Renee."

I gulp and shake my head. "Just us." Taking a deep breath, I steel myself for what is coming next. "Like a date."

Nothing. No reaction. That is what I get after being so worked up about this for the past week. She doesn't look surprised, she doesn't look overly happy or giddy, but she also doesn't look mad or disgusted, so I'll mark that in the good category.

Laney nods and picks her book back up, then leans back in the chair. "Sure, what time?"

That's it? Sure, what time? Seriously? Wait... that's a yes. She said yes. I internally fist bump myself but play it cool on the outside. I drop my cheesy grin and do a single head nod like I expected her to say yes. Confidence is key.

"After dinner? Around eight?"

"Okay," she answers, then opens her book back up and begins to read.

"Okay," I confirm, heading back over to my house.

She said yes!

***

The door rattles a little as I knock, and I wonder if I did it too loudly. What if her parents get pissed and don't let her come?

The door opens, and Laney stands in front of me, a soft smile on her lips. She's wearing a white summer dress. It hugs her tightly just under her chest and flares out over her hips and thighs. White sandals adorn her feet, her toenails painted purple.

"Hi," I greet, the flowers behind my back slipping in my sweaty hands. Why am I so nervous? We've hung out alone before.

"Hi," she acknowledges, her bottom lip getting trapped under her teeth. I nearly groan out loud at the sight.

"You look beautiful," I tell her.

"Thank you." She cringes. "My parents would like to speak to you first. I hope that's okay."

I nod. "Of course." Then, like an idiot, I rush to pull the flowers from behind my back. "These are for you," I reveal, shoving them far too close to her face. She rears back a little but graciously takes them from my hands.

"I'll go get a vase. My parents are probably in the kitchen, anyway," she surmises, and I follow her into the house.

Chairs screech across the floor, and her father looks a little out of breath as they sit at the table, pretending to read. The newspaper in her mother's hands is upside down and her father is reading Cosmopolitan. I hold in my laughter; they were spying on us and are doing a terrible job of hiding it.