When the Clock Struck Midnight

When the Clock Struck Midnight-16

Chapter 16

          I was nervous when I got in his car. My hands were sweaty and clammy. I took in a shaky breath as I rubbed my hands against my dress. For our first date, I chose to wear a white dress that ended just above the knee, and since it was still February, I covered myself with my coat. I wore silver sandals and silver bracelets to match.

          Jordan took me to a restaurant I’d never heard of before and was surprised he’d been there before. It was one of those places where people sit in darkly lit rooms and listen to performers. The waitress seated us at a table close to the stage up front.

          “Wow,” I said as I sat down. “This is really cool.” I took in the scenery; there were small, tall, round tables surrounding the stage. There was a bar in the very back and several waitresses walking around taking orders or carrying trays. There small candles placed at the center of every table, making it a romantic atmosphere.

          “You think?”

          “Yeah.” One of the waitresses came up to our table.

          “Hi, my name is Brandy and I will be your server for the evening. What can I get you to drink?”

          We gave her our drink orders and she walked off. There was a silence that I thought was very awkward, but Jordan looked pretty comfortable.

          “I’m not sure if I told you this or not, but you look beautiful tonight.” That earned him a blush from me and I looked down into my lap.

          “Thank you.” That was when a guy walked onto the stage and started to speak into the microphone.

          “Hey, guys. This is my band, Endless Storytellers, and we’re here to play you a couple songs. Hope you like ‘em.” I watched as they started to play a slow song that strangely relaxed me for the rest of the evening. Brandy popped up and gave us our drinks. We gave her our orders and she walked off again.

          Though I still wasn’t completely comfortable with Jordan and me being…intimate, I thought this night would be perfect.

          And I was right. The rest of the night was perfect. I hated myself for pushing Jordan away before. It would’ve only held off the inevitable. I knew that now.

          After dinner, we took a walk, hand-in-hand, down to a nearby small ice cream shop. No matter how cliché it was to eat ice cream on a first date, I loved it anyway, but it was still February, so we stayed inside the shop until we finished. Then we rushed back to the café’s parking lot.

          As we drove home, we laughed and joked around, as if we hadn’t a care in the world. I felt like a different person, which was weird, since we’d laughed and joked around before, but as best friends. Maybe that was it. We weren’t friends anymore. We were so much more.

          Jordan parked in his driveway and we reluctantly got out. He walked me to my door and stopped.

          “Holly….” I waited patiently, but instead of finishing his sentence, he pulled me in for a blissfully sweet kiss. His lips were soft and warm, which was a great comparison to the weather. It sent shivers down my spine, the good kind. We broke apart breathlessly, leaving me still wanting more. He leaned his forehead on mine and gazed into my eyes. His blue eyes were so clear, it took my breath away. They reminded me so much of…. No, I refused to think about Him anymore.

          “Goodnight, Holly,” he whispered. Disappointment ran through me, though I knew deep down we had to say goodbye eventually.

          “Goodnight.” I said, making my way inside. I ran upstairs before my mother figured out I was home. God knew the woman would pound me with questions and wouldn’t rest until she got her answers. She probably has our wedding already planned. The thought gave me goose bumps and I smiled. It could happen.