Riptide // Jack Maynard

Chapter Twenty-Three

10 minutes later my mind was put to ease as Jack led me into a restaurant down the road. I had never heard of the restaurant before, but it was nice and peaceful with only a few other couples inside, the walls were well decorated and a beautiful chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Jack watched me as I examined the entire room.

"Lovely, isn't it?" Jack said breaking the silence and I looked back towards him.

"It really is, I've never been anywhere like this." I said.

"Neither have I. I've been too absorbed in the world of Nandos to notice there are greater things out there." Jack laughed. "The menu looks amazing too, a bit of everything on there."

After looking through the menu for a few minutes Jack and I both settled for a steak. After ordering we were sat in silence again for a minute or so as I waited for Jack to start conversation, I believe he was waiting for me to do the same with the time it took for him to talk, however he eventually spoke up.

"21 questions. Go." He said to me.

"Erm-" I started. I was caught off guard there and I didn't know what I wanted to know. Over the past few weeks we have found out quite a lot about each other, however with our careers it's also so easy to just go online and find out the answer to my question without asking him, which I've honestly done a few times and my mind just went blank on the little things I could ask. I mean I did have questions I wanted answers to, they just weren't the kind of questions you ask on your first date with a guy as honestly it was none of my business and I didn't want to ruin anything we may have together and that's what also tore me, as I was scared for our relationship to go further without knowing these things. "Favourite colour?" I asked, unsure of whether this is something we've actually had a conversation about before or not.

"Blue."

After asking each other many questions we found ourselves locked into deep conversation over our favourite chic flicks and quoting famous lines to each other. Jack apparently really likes them, which is definitely a positive as I always need a friend to binge out and watch good old rom-coms with and most guys refuse to watch them with me.

An hour or so later we had finished up and the restaurant and were leaving. I took the lead and left the restaurant heading back in the same direction as we came until Jack took my hand pulling me to a stop. 

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"Isn't the car park this way?" I questioned wondering if I was actually going the wrong way.

"You didn't think the date ended here did you?" and I shrugged in reply. "Unless you want it to." He said laughing.

"Oh no, I thought we were just going to dinner." 

"Of course not. I have more planned for us." He winked.

I started to wonder if dinner was just starters for him, something to sweeten me up and now he really is going to take me to the hotel down the road or something for the 'after party'. I tried not to let panic show, but I really hoped I was just over thinking it as it makes it a lot more awkward to say no after dinner and he probably thinks I'm in it for the same thing he is, after all that seems to be the way most people our age operate these days.

"How do you like a bit of sport?" He asked raising an eyebrow.

Sport? This caused me to feel more worry. Sport could mean a friendly game of football, it could also refer to a night of hot sex...

"Depends what it is." I replied trying to get out my words.

He didn't say anything in reply, instead he took my hand again and started leading me the other way. I followed him in silence trying to convince myself to trust him and if it does end up being what I think I can tell him no and he will understand. 

My mind was set at ease when we arrived into a new building. I didn't catch the name before we came inside, however looking around it definitely didn't assemble a hotel lobby having only a couple vending machines and arcade games downstairs. Jack then led me up the stairs and the first thing I noticed was a gigantic bowling alley, followed by many more arcade games. This definitely isn't what I was expecting, but it was cute and I've never been on a date like this before as normally guys just stick to dinners and movies. Jack then went over to the counter and requested 3 games of bowling. The arcade was surprisingly empty which meant we didn't have to wait and got straight into the game.

"I hope you're ok with this, I now bowling is like a 13 year olds date, but I love it." Jack spoke up after taking his first shot.

"It's great." I assured him. "I love bowling and I wasn't expecting it." I giggled.

"What were you expecting?" He then asked his tone turning a bit serious.

"Er- nothing in particular." 

Jack shot me a look like he knew there was more to it. "Come on, I want to know what your expectations of a Jack Maynard date were."

"You don't." I then replied seriously. I didn't want to explain what I had feared the date may end up like and I knew I couldn't convincingly lie my through it.

Jack came and sat besides me giving me that concerned raised eyebrow look which caused me to panic.

"I don't know." I shrugged. "Guess I've been excited and just hoping it would be something along the lines to this, but I've been a bit worried as well. I don't know what you are really in it for and things I've heard about you worry me that you expect more from me. I don't know." I spoke very quickly and I'm surprised Jack took it in, bit he seemed to understand as his expression lightened up, he didn't seem shocked and he then rested his hand on top of mine.

Jack sighed before replying. "I understand that." he paused "But trust me when I say I generally asked you out in hope of getting to know you better and spending some time together."

"I do. I just worry too much." I replied giving him a warm smile.

"Well you should stop worrying. I don't want to hurt you."

I think I really did trust his words. He sounded very sincere and I suppose if he did just want to sleep with me his best chance so far would have been when I was drunk and stayed in his bed last week, but he refrained from trying anything then is that's all he wanted so why would he now? Also who is to say all the things I've heard are true, I've taken in a bunch of things said on the internet by people who probably don't know him themselves. I know Conor basically mentioned he sleeps around, but so do most people I know and it is a mutual thing between them. I obviously don't like to think about past relationships and sexual encounters when I'm seeing someone, but why should I get worked up over someone's history if they were just having harmless and meaningless fun. It doesn't mean they expect the same from everyone they meet, or they will hurt me the same way others have... Does it?