The Dip and the Resurface

Part 10

Ivy

At 6 pm I was walking towards the café where I had told Tyler I'd meet him. I wondered if he was able to find it. I sure hoped so. I had spent a good amount of time thinking about him in the last couple of months, hitting myself over and over again for not having gotten his contact information.

I was swinging my blue bike helmet discretely with a hum as I walked to the tune of one of his songs. I had listened to his albums on repeat all morning and all day yesterday. To be honest, it wasn't really my kind of music but I liked the way his voice constantly rang in my ears. And I actually felt a little welcome pang in my stomach every time he started screaming in one of his songs. For that reason, Car Radio was my definite favourite.

As I turned a corner, I saw him standing exactly how I had imagined him: leaned up against the wall behind him, nose buried in his iPhone. He was dressed in black from top to toe, and I couldn't help but laugh a little at the fact that he was actually wearing Adidas trackies, a hoodie, and a cap to a first date. He really was one of a kind.

"Hi," I said as I approached him and tapped him on his shoulder. He looked up from his phone and erupted in a smile as he saw me, "hey," he said and went in for a hug.

"I realise this place isn't really Instagram-material but I hope you like it anyway," I said as I reluctantly let go of our tight embrace, "It used to be my favourite spot in London, but I haven't been here for years."

"Only one way to find out if they still got it," he said and held the door open for me.

We found a secluded table in the back of the café and I tightened the strap of my bike helmet around one of the lamps on the wall above us.

"Wait a minute....you biked here?" he asked me looking all perplexed.

"Of course," I said, looking at him with a curious expression, "I bike everywhere."

"But traffic!" he argued, "It's insane."

"There are bike lanes," I laughed, "Plus, that's why I'm wearing a helmet."

"Wow," he muttered, "do you have some sort of death wish?"

I already felt really good about our date: we were only 2 minutes in, and he had already made me laugh.

-

"You're right, these are absolutely delicious," he said as he devoured yet another spring roll, "are you sure you don't want to try one of mine?"

"We have the exact same, you goof," I laughed and took a bite of one of my own.

He send me the most adorable smile and even though he had a piece of green onion stuck to his cheek, I couldn't help but think he was the cutest thing ever.

We talked and laughed for hours and once more, he was impressed with how much food my small stomach could handle ('Your metabolism does not kid around' he had laughed).

He opened up about his career and he told me how he had to go to Marseille tomorrow for a show.

He told me about his friendship with Josh, and he had laughed whole-heartedly when I had told him that I thought Josh looked a bit like a pokemon.

('which pokemon?' he had asked.
I had pondered for a moment before I had answered, 'I can't decide but he's just so kawaii...you know?' (honestly an expression that I had never used before)

'What the hell is a Kawaii?'  Tyler had mumbled.

'You know; he's adorable in a little-brotherly sense.. He might actually be a mixture between Charmander and Clefairy, come to think about it..'
Tyler had laughed even harder at that, 'he's as useless as a magikarp..')

I had told him my full name and he had told me his ('Tyler Robert Joseph? Do you seriously have two first names for a last name?').

And I told him that I had had fun, letting him sweat over my text yesterday ('sorry, I just couldn't help myself,' I had smiled apologetically, 'of course I wanted to go out with you!')

The conversation between us had been so carefree that time flew by in a blink of an eye. All of a sudden, one of the waiters had to come over to our table to tell us that they were closing down in a bit.

As Tyler and I had gathered all of our stuff and were standing outside the small café, I wasn't ready to let him go just yet.

"Do you want to grab a drink?" I asked him, looking at him suggestively.

He had looked at me intently as if he was weighing his words carefully before he said "Actually," he sighed, "I try to stay away from alcohol."

I was taken a bit aback seeing as our last two encounters had involved a lot of alcohol on my behalf. But come to think of it, I hadn't really seen him drink that much.
"Oh, that's cool! We can go somewhere else too if you'd like," I ended up saying.

"A bar is alright," he nodded, "I just wanted to let you know that I won't order a drink or something like that"

"Sure," I nodded, "I know just the place. Let me just grab my bike."

We walked in silence for a few seconds, while I was pulling my bike beside me.

"So..No alcohol, huh?" I couldn't help myself, "is it because you're pregnant?" I joked.

"You're an idiot," he muttered with a small smile playing on his lips.

"I mean, it's cool and all, I just can't help but wonder if it's because you're a recovering alcoholic?" I asked him with a concerned expression.

"Why would you think that?" he looked at me with a weird smile and raised eyebrows.

"Well, you're in the music industry. It's a tough job.. You never know!"

"Naah, that's not it. I try to stay away from it because of my faith."

"Your faith?" I asked him, "didn't take you for the religious type!"

"Why not?"

I laughed, "I honestly don't know! I guess I've just never really been around religious people before."

"What, you're not religious?"

I shook my head, "nope. I believe in science and in saving the environment. Not in a man watching over us all" I said softly. I knew this was dangerous grounds but I was open for a conversation.

Tyler laughed, "I don't think it's a man with a long white beard. I just like the idea that some sort of presence is watching over me."

I nodded, "I like that. It must be a consolation.."

"It is," he nodded, "how come you don't believe it? Were you not raised in a religious household?"

"My dad is a professor in astrophysics," I said, "I grew up listening to stories of the wonders of outer space instead of the wonders of God."

He nodded, "that's cool too."

"I hope this question isn't too personal for you, but does your faith dictate that you can't drink?" I asked softly.

He laughed, "my faith doesn't dictate anything! I choose it myself. It keeps me more....grounded, I think. I hate feeling out of control and alcohol sometimes has that effect on me."

"I like that you're true to yourself," I said, "I think it's pretty cool!"

Out the corner of my eye, I thought I could see Tyler blush with a small smile playing on his lips.

And in that moment something washed over me that I couldn't quite put my finger on. I felt blessed to be walking alongside this wonderful boy - this wonderful man - who seemed to be falling for me just as hard as I was falling for him. I wondered if it was Tyler's being - his protector - who had seeped into me.