Within the Writing

Chapter Twelve

"D..dinner?" I stuttered. I turned red, embarrassed that I had suddenly begun to stutter. Oh man, please don't start sounding like a blabbering fool.

"Yeah...is that okay?" Aiden asked, looking at me. I was staring at my lap trying to regain my diction of words.

"Of c..course it is." I breathed out. What was wrong with me? Suddenly I was more nervous and I didn't know how to react to that. Pull yourself together, Jamison. Aiden will think you're stupid. I was trying to mentally coach myself and honestly, it wasn't working. Not. One. Bit.

"You don't sound so sure." He was teasing me. I could hear it in his voice. I went absolutely silent, worried I was going to stutter more. I just shrugged slowly and stared out the window. We were both quiet for a minute and when I was sure the silence was going to suffocate me. Aiden spoke up again. "Where would you like to eat?"

"Uh...we could go to Olive Garden? I love their breadsticks." I broke into a smile. I finally regained my composure, which was good. He smiled and nodded.

"Olive Garden sounds good." Aiden told me, agreeing to my choice. He drove on and I stared out the window in silence, not knowing where else to take the conversation. The rest of the car ride was like that. Complete silence except for the radio which filled the empty void. At least it wasn't an awkward silence. It was a perfectly fine silence. When Aiden pulled into the parking lot and parked, I took my seatbelt off and reached for my bag but then stopped, letting it stay on the car floor. Just as I went to open the door, Aiden pulled it open for me and I practically fell out of the vehicle. My face went red.

"Are you okay?" He asked and I regained my composure again, nodding and brushing myself off a little. He smiled and I smiled back, then he held his arm out for me and my face lit up like a little kid's on Christmas Day. I linked my arm through his, feeling electric shocks run up my arm and make my heart beat faster and my cheeks go redder.

"So..." I began before I trailed off and started chewing on my bottom lip nervously. He opened the door for me and I walked into the restaurant, waiting for him and the lady to seat us. She was a nice waitress and I could tell she was flirting with Aiden from the moment she said hi to him. Her body language was also a dead give away. He gave her that "to die for" smile as she sat us down and gave us our menus. I sat in the booth seat across from Aiden and held my menu up, sheilding my face from view and looking at the drinks.

"What would you two like to drink?" The waitress was talking directly to Aiden and I could feel myself getting jealous, which was strange cause it wasn't like we were dating or anything. 

"Can I have a Cherry Sierra Mist please?" I asked, setting the menu down on the table and looking at her. I may be small and girly and stuff but I do tend to get jealous or feel like there's competition. I learned that, that day at least. Since well....never dated before...even if me and Aiden weren't dating. I heard Aiden chuckle as he set his menu down too.

"Dr. Pepper, please, sweetheart." He told her, and winked. The girl grinned and walked away. I was pouting like a child as I held the menu up again, deciding what I wanted from Olive Garden. I had already decided what I wanted by the time the waitress came back with our drinks and my menu was closed on the table and my head was propped up lamely.

"Here you are." She set the drinks down on the table and I thanked her politely, as did Aiden. "Are you ready to order?" She asked. She was of course looking at the extremely gorgeous Aiden again. I groaned inwardly to myself.

"I believe so." He answered, looking at me and ignoring the looks he was getting from the waitress. My cheeks went red again. "I would like a Steak Toscano and Jamison would like..." he trailed off so that I could tell the waitress what I wanted.

"An order of breadsticks and shrimp alfredo please." I told her. My head was still propped a little unhappily and I could see Aiden grinning and chuckling quietly. I looked at him questioningly. "what are you laughing about?" I asked when the waitress had gone. He smirked.

"You're too cute." I rolled my eyes at his comment. "Over there pouting and all red." he teased. My face went a brighter crimson.

"Says the one flirting with the waitress?" I asked. He cocked an eyebrow and shook his head instantly. Then spoke up quietly, leaning forward, closer to me a little.

"I am not...I've been trying to flirt with you."