Reaching Emma

33.

The next few days went by slowly. I spent Christmas with my family and grandparents who came to visit. We opened presents and watched classic Christmas movies all day. My family bought me clothes and a new phone. A few days after Christmas, David and I went skiing, it was fun to get back on the slopes for an afternoon.

It was finally New Years Eve and I was excited for the party tonight. Emma told me that she got back late last night and I was eager to see her tonight, so much so that I invited her to get dinner before the party. I wasn't sure if we were considering it an official date because I asked her over text, but wanted to do something fancier than the diner we usually go to with our friends. I Googled a few places and made a reservation at a nice Italian restaurant downtown.

I didn't realize how nervous I was until I was in the car on my way to pick up Emma. I decided on wearing a dark blue button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up and jeans. I pulled up outside her apartment, hoping that my outfit looked alright as I waited for Emma. I considered going up to her apartment or even waiting in the lobby, but I could already see the elevator door open and Emma walking towards me from the car. She was wearing a dark green, long-sleeve dress with tights and short boots with a small heel. Even from a few feet away, she looked incredible.

She climbed into the car and said hello. Up close I could tell that she was tanner after her trip and even noticed that she was wearing the necklace that I got her. I smiled proudly to myself, glad that she actually liked it.

"So where are we going?" she asked curiously. I told Emma about the Italian restaurant and she said that she hadn't been there yet.

We arrived at the restaurant shortly. It was pretty busy because it was New Years Eve and I was happy that I had made a reservation ahead of time. The ambiance was romantic; the lights were dimmed and tables were lined with white tablecloths.

We sat down and started looking through the menu. For one second, I was worried that dinner might be awkward, but quickly realized how ridiculous that thought was, especially with Emma. We talked about her trip to California, her visit with her parents and Christmas, as well as mine here. She said that she had a fun time in Los Angeles, but mostly enjoyed seeing her family and friends. I wasn't too surprised about much of her trip, we had been texting most of the days she was gone and we even talked on the phone a few times. I had such a great time with Emma; the food, conversation, and company were amazing.

After we finished dinner, we got ready to go to Andrew's party. Emma suggested that Thomas drive us there so I could drink, so I parked at home and Thomas picked us up from my house. I glanced over at Emma sitting next to me in the back of Thomas's car, and moved my hand to hold hers. She turned at me, smiling at my action. She looked so beautiful tonight, her hair looked so soft and her dress made her eyes look so blue in contrast to her dark red lipstick. I've thought about kissing her tonight, I mean it was New Years Eve and a midnight kiss with Emma sounded absolutely perfect. I wanted to make sure to stand near her at midnight, if I hadn't gained the courage to do it before then.

We pulled up outside Andrew's house and thanked Thomas for the ride. Emma told him that she'll text him when she's ready to come home. I wonder if he's always on call for her and Noah or if they ask him ahead of time. I had no idea how their relationship with Thomas worked, but always forgot to ask them. I shook my head and followed Emma who was already a few steps ahead of me.

We walked into Andrew's house and I felt like I was walking on a cloud with the most beautiful girl on my arm. We went to the kitchen to get a drink and saw our friends in the living room. The music was loud and everyone was laughing and dancing around us. We found Anna, David, and Chloe in the crowd, they were playing a drinking game with some guys from the football team.