Always With You - A Best Friends To Lovers Novel

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

Bowie

Ford: I'll pick you up at eight. Wear something nice.

I stared at Ford's message for a while, then looked at myself in the mirror and wondered if what I was wearing was enough to please him. Not that I cared, but it was my first date, and I wanted to look decent.

It was still warm outside, but I decided to top the dress with a jean jacket. "Going out?" I turned to see River standing by my bedroom door, and I smiled at him and nodded.

"I got a date," I announced, sounding slightly more excited than I was. He raised a brow, letting his eyes wander all over my white dress. This was didn't have a floral print, but the rustic style of the buttons running all the way down gave it a nice, sweet look. "With Ford. He's taking me to the 81," I added.

"Ford Warren?" he asked, and I nodded, pressing my lips into a thin line. River sighed, sitting down on the edge of my bed. "I should've known he would be the only one brave enough to talk to you. I've heard some guys talk about you, saying how they're scared of being rejected," he chuckled.

"Really?" I asked, finding that rather amusing than flattered. "Well, I thought I'd give Ford a try. I'm probably not gonna like the date much."

"Why's that? It might be fun. He's talkative." Out of all the things River could've said, he decided to go with "he's talkative"?

I laughed, reaching out my hand to tug a little of his blond hair underneath the black baseball cap he was wearing. "I'll see. I like this," I said, tapping the top of his cap and smiling. He had it on backward, with all the hair sticking out on the sides and giving him a messy look. "Suits you," I added.

River smiled, taking my hand, and pulling it to his lips to hiss the backside of it. "Mind if I take Whitley to the bar tonight? I wanna keep an eye on you." I wasn't sure I would be able to talk to Ford, knowing River and Whitley were there, watching me. But somehow, it made me feel safe. I didn't know Ford. Who knows what he's up to tonight?

I slowly nodded, watching River plant another kiss to the back of my hand, with his eyes looking up to me. We were silent for a minute, then he got up from the bed and leaned in to kiss my cheek. "You look beautiful, by the way. I like your hair open, but this looks...classy." I had pulled my hair into a high ponytail, mostly because they were starting to get oily, but on the other hand, I thought it would be nice to get some air to reach my back and neck since it was always very warm at the bar.

"Thank you," I said with a smile. He nodded, then left the room. I heard him talk to Whitley, but I couldn't understand them. With another look in the mirror, I decided I looked okay and exited my room to find Whitley and River on the couch, watching tv.

"When's he picking you up?" Whitley asked.

"Eight," I replied, looking at the clock on my phone. It was only seven-thirty, so I had a little time to calm my nerves. I wasn't nervous because of Ford, not really. I never went on a date, and I had yet to find out how to act around guys who were seemingly interested in me.

"Come here," River said, patting the empty space next to him. I sat down and leaned back, taking in a deep breath.

"What if I make a total fool out of myself?"

"Your name's not Whitley," River pointed out, and I had to laugh at his mean comment. Whitley laughed too, and she shrugged. "I think you gotta worry more about not talking enough. You're not very good at conversating. Don't bore him," she said, and I nodded. She was right about that. I was only good at keeping a conversation going when I was asked a lot of questions. I didn't come up with them myself.

But even that was different with River. I always knew how to cheer him up when he was sad, and when he was hurting, I had the right words to say to him to make him feel better. I guess I was only good with words when it came to him.

"You'll do just fine. And if he does think you're boring, then it's his loss." River also knew how to make me feel good about myself. I could always count on him, and his support meant the world to me.

River

I was telling myself not to stare at them too much. Whitley and I sat a few booths away from Bowie, so I was only able to observe them, not hear them. I promised Bowie not to act like a weirdo, stalking her on her first date, but I couldn't help but look at her from afar.

It seemed as if Ford had his eyes fixed on Bowie's tits instead of her eyes, but the sweet and innocent girl she was, she didn't realize it and continued to smile and nod at everything Ford said.

The conversation was one-sided. He talked a lot, and when it seemed as if he asked her a question, she gave a short answer, with him taking over straight after.

I was drinking a beer, and Whitley was on her third one already. "Quit staring. I think it's you making her this uncomfortable," she said, but every time Bowie looked my way, there was a silent cry for help.

"I bet he's telling her all about his football trophies and all that shit. God, she deserves someone better. Someone that's not self-absorbed like Ford." Another look from Bowie, but this time, she smiled, as if telling me not to worry.

I tried my best to stay where I was and let her enjoy the evening. As time passed, Bowie seemed to have opened up a bit more. She didn't look tense anymore, and she smiled more often. Even laughed at whatever Ford was saying.

At one point, he reached out to brush a little bit of sour cream off her bottom lip. They got some nachos with dip, and I blamed the food for her positive mood. Food always made her happy.

Bowie's hand touched Ford's arm a few times, and he leaned in more, whispering things into her ear. That was enough Bowie-watch for me. I had seen enough, and I decided that Ford wasn't such a bad guy after all. I still wished she wouldn't have gone out with him. But there was nothing I could do.