Acid

"...tell me who your date is."

Eva twisted one of her braids around her finger. She was having a drink with Tessa at a nearby bar that Tessa's dad owns.

"I'm seeing Ashley tonight," Eva said. Tessa stirred her Cosmo with a black straw.

"Oh?" Tessa prompted for her to tell her more.

"I'm really nervous. He's taking me out to dinner."

"Where to?"

"Dolphin Tail. To be honest I was surprised he could afford it. Usually I only see elitists there."

"Looks like you are very special to him," Tessa said with a wink. Eva smiled and looked down.

"I hope. This is the first real date I've gone on."

"Your parents know you're going on a date?" she asked.

"God no! If they did I'd be hounded with questions and they'd want to meet him. He's thirty years old, my parents would skin me alive-they're going out tonight, I told them I'm just staying home," Tessa nodded.

"Sounds like a plan, keep me posted," Tessa said. They clinked glasses.

Eva sat in her living room reading The Secret. Her mom sauntered into the living room in a red dress with lips to match.

"Hi honey. So you're not going out with Iris or Tessa tonight?" she asked. Eva shook her head.

"Nope. Just gonna catch up on my reading." Eva lied. Her mother nodded.

"Your fathers taking me out-I don't know where to. I'm excited," she said flashing a bleached-white smile. Her father came in adjusting his crimson tie.

"We'll be back at midnight, sweetheart."

Her father tousled her hair, "See you later, pumpkin,"

Eva watched their car drive off into the night then she dashed to her room to get ready. Her dress for tonight was chosen by Iris; a fitted white cocktail dress. She put on some mascara and used her mother's red lipstick. I wish I was good at makeup. She scoured her mother's closet in search of the perfect shoes for her date. Ugh, they're all high heels. Those are the worst. She settled for some small white pumps. She does not need to be tripping over her own feet tonight. Eva had one of her housekeepers, Alicia, help fix her terrible blonde hair. Alicia took a hair curler to Eva's hair and curled and teased and hair sprayed the crap out of it. Eva gasped when she looked at herself in the mirror. Damn, I look nineteen years old! Eva threw her arms around Alicia and skipped down the stairs. By 7:30 she was ready. Eva was really nervous, her palms were sweating and her heart was racing. After a few minutes there was a knock on the door, Eva's heart leaped in her chest. Here goes nothing.

She coyly opened the door. Ashley was standing, he smiled at her, his beautiful smile completed his look of black jeans, a navy blue shirt and a black jacket. He held a bouquet of daisy flowers. Eva's favorite flower.

"These are for you," he said sweetly handing the flowers to her. Eva shyly took them.

"You remembered," she murmured. She tried to suppress her face-splitting grin but failed.

"Can I come in?" he asked. Eva nodded and led him into the kitchen. She placed the flowers in a vase with shaking fingers fully aware that he was watching her. After a few minutes of Alicia asking him one million questions and reminding him to keep Eva safe, he lead her outside to his car. The warm night air welcomed them. Ashley opened her door for her and Eva not-so-gracefully stepped in.

At the restaurant they got many odd stares. One of the reasons was for their obvious age difference, another was that Evangeline is an elitist so she was recognized. Eva ordered a salad, she already felt nervous. She didn't need to end up sick to her stomach. Ashley ordered a steak with asparagus.