Your Loss, My Gain

The "Perfect" Date

A date?!?  With Owen?!?

I didn't think that this would happen for another few months.  I mean, we are still student and teacher.  What if someone sees us? Am I dressed okay?  What if we run out of things to talk about? 

I look down at what I am wearing.  I have on my gray pleated skirt and white blouse that makes up my school uniform.  I took the jacked off while in the car with Gabriel.  It was a bit too much uniform for me for after school.  

"Sang, Stop.  I know you are overthinking this. We go out every Sunday, don't we? Just think of this as an early Sunday."  Owen gives me an appraising look and continues, "I havea bag in my trunk that has your name on it.  Let's see what Gabriel packed for you." Knowing Gabriel, he packed something that would match Owen's style.  

When I looked in the bag, I was actually surprised to find a flirty gray dress that represented both Owen and I.  I loved the flow of the dress and how fun it looked while still looking stylish and appropriate for a date with Owen.  

We stop back at Owen's house and I quickly change, apply a bit of lip gloss and mascara and pull my hair up into a french twist with two tendrils hanging down on either side of my face.  I liked the way I looked and how long my neck looked in the dress with my hair up.

Owen looks up from the sofa that he is sitting.  He, too, has changed clothes and is now wearing a white shirt without a tie and his typical gray suit.  The missing tie actually makes him look younger and more fun than when he is wearing one.  

"So, where are we going?" I ask as I move closer to where he is standing gawking at me.

"It is a surprise, but we will be driving for a bit since we don't want anyone recognizing either of us," Owen gives me a small smile that doesn't reach his eyes.

"I understand.  I know that you don't want to keep our relationship a secret, but it is not the time to let the world know just yet."

Owen locked the door and held my hand as we walked to the car.  He held the door open for me as I got in and quietly shut it after I buckled my seat belt.  He quickly got in the car and pulled out of the driveway.  "Are you hungry?"  Now that I think about it, my stomach decides to make itself known and let out the most un-ladylike growl that has ever been heard.  My whole face tints red as Owen smirks at me and answers his own question, "I guess you are, so to dinner we go.

We quickly merge on to the interstate and head north.  Evening is setting in and the lights of nearby businesses flash past us as we travel.  Owen takes the exit for Summerville.  He seems like he knows where he is going as he makes several turns without consulting a GPS or a map.  

We pull into a well lit parking lot that has quite a few cars.  We are able to manage to find a spot fairly close to the building.  The restaurant is called Icehouse.  I wonder what type of food they have.  Owen answers my question by telling me that they serve a number of different types of food and to pick whatever I want to try.  

We enter the foyer which is well lit but not too bright.  The atmosphere is subtlety romantic.  Owen walks to the Hostess. "Belly button."

"Rainbow," she replies. "Well, hello, Owen Blackbourne!" She says softly, but with enthusiasm.

I am guessing that he did the whole greeting for my benefit.  The hostess leads us to a table in a secluded corner.  We order our drinks and start with the idle chitchat.  In the car, we were mostly either quiet or talking about family stuff.  Sitting here, we start talking about ourselves.  It seems like Owen knows  only about the bad things that have happened to me, but not the good things. "My grandparents were a big part of my life for the first 8 years. The stuff that they did with my sister and I wasn't anything major, but they spent time with us every summer.  My step-mother and dad would go on a month long vacation every summer before she got sick.  They  never took us, but we got to stay with our grandparents.   It was the best time for both my sister and I.  My favorite thing that we did every summer was go horseback riding.  I haven't done it since they died in the car accident."