A Pleasant Surprise Pt. 03

Tom nodded, "Meet you there!" he called after her before making his way back outside to the car.

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"And he spent the DAY like that?" Ellie asked through tears, as she desperately sucked in air between laugher.

Tom grinned harder, "All day, he wouldn't take it off after we told him how lucky it was."

After the best Mexican he'd ever had, Tom sat contentedly telling Ellie a story about Josh from school camp years ago. Ellie was leaning heavily to one side as a duel result of the laughter she couldn't seem to stop and the several drinks she'd had. Tom, having had to drive, had only had one so far.

"Man I will never look at Josh the same way." Ellie said, busting out into a fresh spasm of laughter. "With stories like this, how are you not the most sought after comedian in school?" she asked, leaning her elbows on the table resting her chin on her palms.

Tom blushed at the unexpected compliment, "I'm usually a lot more shy to be honest" he admitted, "You're very disarming, I feel more comfortable than usual around you."

Ellie giggled, "Yeah well it's difficult to be embarrassed with someone you've seen naked I tend to find." Ellie continued, adopting a mock sophisticated tone, "One relaxes around one when one's had one's dick sucked by one."

Tom laughed, "You have to know that made absolutely no sense right?" he managed to say.

Ellie straightened and tilted her chin up in an imitation of royalty, "One fails to know what you mean." But spoiled the effect by bursting out laughing again and snorting accidentally. Ellie covered her mouth with her hands in shock and giggled despite herself. "I didn't mean to make that noise" she murmured as Tom's face reddened with laughter.

After they had calmed down somewhat and settled their bill, Tom and Ellie walked back down the wharf arm in arm. "You know I think that's the best first/second date I've ever had" Ellie said softly, resting her head on Tom's shoulder as they walked.

"You mean that?" he asked, looking across at her.

"I do yeah" she said simply with a smile, "I haven't laughed that hard in what feels like forever."

"Well I'm glad you enjoyed lunch, did you still fancy doing something else?" Tom asked, remembering the suggestions he'd originally made for their date.

"Mmmm tempting, would you prefer to have your ass kicked in bowling or at Arcade Games?" Ellie asked, smirking at him.

Tom chuckled, "I think my ego could take being messed up at the Arcade, besides, they say overconfidence is your downfall."

"Only if you can't deliver" Ellie replied with a wink, as they made their way down the wharf to the arcade. "Besides, I think you secretly love the fact you're dating a girl who's way better at video games than you are."

"We're dating?" Tom asked with a small amount of surprise.

Ellie gave him a slightly exasperated sidelong long, "Yuh, we're dating - we're not talking about what else we may or may not be yet, I'm still making up my mind about you."

Tom shrugged, "I'm okay with that, you've not half put me under pressure though."

Ellie laughed, "Oh my dear, if you can't handle the pressure, then you don't deserve me."

Tom couldn't help but agree with that.

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"And you promise you didn't let me win because you felt bad?" Tom asked jokingly as they left the Arcade and headed back to his car.

Ellie rolled her eyes and laughed, "Your opinion of me is extraordinarily high, perhaps a little too high, but for what feels like the thousandth time, no I did not let you win. It may or may not have something to do with those drinks you kept buying me" Tom grinned like a kid in a candy shop and brandished the enormous stuffed panda he's won with all his tickets. Ellie couldn't help but laugh, "You're also a huge dork for getting the stuffed panda."

"What! It's traditional!" Tom protested, but ruined the effort by bursting out laughing. "What else was I going to get?"

"This is true" Ellie replied, "There wasn't much on offer that was any good." At this point they had reached Tom's car and Tom began the drive back to Ellie's place.

For a while they sat in companionable silence, before Tom noticed a slight frown resting on Ellie's features. "Anything on your mind?" he asked, returning his gaze to the road.

"Kinda," Ellie replied at length, seeming to consider something carefully, she continued, "I'm debating if I should ask you something or if it's a bit soon, after only a date and a half."

"Without knowing, I'm not sure I can help you, but if I know, it's a rather moot point" Tom answered unhelpfully.

"Yes thank you Mr. Philosophy, that was great" she answered sarcastically before seeming to come to a decision, "Do you want me to be your girlfriend?" she asked rather bluntly. Tom opened her mouth to respond but Ellie cut him off, "Cause I really would like you to be my boyfriend, but people will talk... You know I wasn't exactly born...Me. That will matter to some people, they might think differently of you too."

Tom knew what his response was going to be from the second she asked, but he appeared to consider his choice before responding, "I really would like you to be my girlfriend Ellie."

"You sure?" Ellie asked, "Cause this is your last opportunity to back out before you really hurt my feelings."

Tom glanced sidelong at her as they approached her street, "I really am sure" he answered simply.

Ellie made a very uncharacteristic squeaking noise and leaned over the center console to kiss him on the cheek, "I'm really glad you said yes Tommy, you're something special."

"Me? Special? Nah, I'm just lucky" he responded, "After all I get the call TBB my girlfriend after all."

Ellie giggled, punching his arm playfully, "You really aren't going to let that go are you?"

"I'm really not," he answered with a laugh, pulling into her driveway.

"Well I'm just going to have to lean into it then aren't I?" she asked playfully, as she got out of the car and headed towards the house. "Come on inside, my boyfriend doesn't take me on a date without getting a reward" she called over her shoulder as she neared the door.

"I could get used to this" Tom murmured to himself as he locked up his car and followed eagerly after Ellie.

To be continued...