Raspberry Kisses

Chapter 4

Phil

We sat in silence for a few minutes. Finally I smiled at Dan.

“You're my best friend, right, Danosaur?” I asked, trying to both reassure myself and start a conversation. He looked at me and threw me a weird Dan face.

“No. I hate you.”

“Awwww,” I said, making a fake pout and crossing my arms on my chest. “Fine.” He chucked a pillow at me, starting a friendly brawl. We threw pillows and I ended up kicking him in the stomach. He grabbed my feet after that and after a bit more battling we both ended up on the floor taking deep breaths. I punched him in the arm one more time, laughing.

“I win,” I stated.

“I win because I have a llama hat.”

“No. That just makes you Dan,” I said back, rolling my eyes. “So...Whadda you wanna do tonight?” I asked.

“Oh, Carrie and Alex invited us to join them at dinner at Aubaine,” Dan replied, getting up and dusting himself off.

“The French café?” I asked walking towards the bathroom to shower.

“Yeahs. You gonna shower?”

“I was planning on it, yes,” I laughed.

“ ‘Kay. I’ll shower after you then.”

After my shower, I got dressed in a pair of skinny jeans and a dress shirt. I smelled like raspberries, which now also reminded me of Dan. I pushed him out of my thoughts as I brushed my teeth. I opened the door and ran into a shirtless Dan.

“Miss me?” I asked. I could’ve sworn he blushed, but it might have been the lighting.

He quickly slipped inside the bathroom and I left to put on my jacket and wait for Dan. He came out later, his hair still wet like it was last night. I suddenly felt nauseous, but I ignored it.

“Ready to go?” I asked, leading the way to the car.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” he muttered back.

The car ride was like usual. It consisted of Dan and me belting our lungs out to pop songs. We were laughing like crazy when we found Alex and Carrie at their table.

“Hey guys!” Alex said, sending Dan a wink.

“Hi Alex, hallo Carrie,” Dan replied. I gave my standard wave and ‘Hi.’ We took our seats and glanced over the menu before ordering drinks. As we waited we started to talk.

Dan

“I hear you two were in my flat today,” Phil said. “But I noticed an incredible lack of damage.”

“I can’t believe you didn’t notice,” Carrie said.

“We threw a huge party,” Alex said.

“But it was in my room,” I said.

“Ah,” Phil said. “I wouldn’t have noticed anyway. Your room is always a mess.” I stuck my tongue out at him.

“He’s got you there,” Alex said, with another Alex Laugh.

“So you and Carrie...?” Phil said.

“It’s none of your business!” Carrie playfully snapped.

“If you’re going to break up with my best friend--” Phil began.

“He broke up with me,” Carrie said.

“You heart-breaker, Dan!” Phil said.

I know they’re joking. But can’t people talk about something other than relationships?

“You know what would be really cool?” I said.

“What?” Phil asked.

“If there was a cross between an aardvark and an armadillo.”

“An armavark.”

“No, idiot,” I said. “Armavark is a stupid name. It would be an aardvadillo.”

“With two a’s?” Phil said.

“Yes!”

“No. That’s stupid.” He was looking at me in a different way... But in a good way.

“It’s not stupid!” I said. “It’s cool!”

“I love how this is just a normal dinnertime conversation for those two,” Alex said.

“Doesn’t everyone talk about aardvadillos at dinner?” Carrie said.

“Armavark,” Phil said.

“Aardvadillo!” I said.

“Armavark!”

“Aardvadillo!”

“ARMAVARK!”

“AARDVADILLO!”

“ARMAVARK!”

“AARDVADILLO!”

We actually were shouting. Fellow diners were giving us strange looks.

“IT’S ARMAVARK!!!” Phil said, tackling me.

“You guys aren’t embarrassing at all,” Alex said, with yet another laugh.

We sat back in our seats, laughing our heads off. I rested my head on his shoulder subconsciously, and he put his arm around me. My eyes were closed, and after a minute I was finally able to stop laughing and look at him. I saw Carrie and Alex exchange a look. Phil removed his arm and I lifted up my head.

“Bathroom time,” Phil said. “Too much pink lemonade.”

I scrunched my face at him. He scrunched his face back.

Carrie and Alex stared at me as he walked away.

“What?” I said.

“You two are so adorable together,” Carrie said.