Before The Now

before

            It's 8:45. I'm dressed in a short, blood-red, lace dress and matching heels. I just finished making the huge bowls of spaghetti and meat balls, and the margaritas and beers are sitting on ice. I flash back to last time I was on a date. That night, I almost killed a man. I was attacked from behind, and thrown into a car. I barely escaped from him.
             I hear a knock on my door. It is already 8:56. I try to shake the images from my mind, but I can't. It is as if I am trapped inside my past. I run to the door. There is a mirror right by the door. I stop and look in it. I smooth out my dress, walk to the door, and pry it open.
             Antonio stands there in a nice shirt and shorts. He looks nervous, and he holds flowers. I look at them and I blush. I decide to say something.
             "Um.. Hi, and welcome. I, uh, really like the flowers. So, um, come inside and I'll get a vase. For the flowers. And water. I'm sorry, I talk when I'm nervous." He laughs, and smiles at me. He walks in and let's out a small hi. It's obvious I'm not the only nervous one here. I turn and walk back into the kitchen, looking for a small vase. I find one in the snack closet behind the Cheezits. I grab it, and knock over the box of Cheezits. They fly across the floor, and I sigh.
             "Do you need help? Here, I'll clean the floor. You just, uh, be you?" He kneels done and starts cleaning the floor. I laugh, and then kneel besides him. I help him clean the Cheezits up, and then get the broom and sweep the floor.
            "You know," he says, "We could have done this in the first place." I laugh.
            "Yah, but where is the fun in that?" He nods, and I laugh more.
            "Let's just eat." I show him over to the dining room table, where I have the food set up in a small circle.
            "Wow. Did you make all this, like, for tonight only?"
            "Well, if there are leftovers, I can always eat pasta for breakfast. And lunch." He laughs, and we dig in to my food. We discuss little things, like where our classes are, and which ones we like. We don't discuss anything heavy. We just enjoy each others company. After we are done, I head into my living room.
            "So, you want to watch a movie, or something?" He looks at his phone, and shrugs.
            "Why not?" I turn on Netflix, and look under ROMCOM. I mean, why not? I find a classic, and jump on my couch. I pat the cushion besides me.
            "Come, sit." He shrugs and walks over, sitting down besides me. I move closer to him.
            "If this is too much, tell me. Please, Antonio. I don't want to scare you away." He looks over at me in shock.
            "You can't scare me away. That's impossible." I laugh.
            "Well than, mister tough guy, fine. I'm going to have to try now." He smirks, and rolls his eyes. I flick a piece of popcorn at his face and turn back to the movie. I don't look back at him until the end.