A Touch Away Ch. 04

She listed off the names of a few places, and then added, "But it depends on what kind of food and vibe you're going for. Oh! Make sure to get a reservation - that always makes a good impression."

I'd have to do a little research to see which of these matched a laid-back vibe that we were going for.

"By the way," she asked, pausing to clear her throat, "why did you ask me?"

I turned to face her. She was looking out of the window, watching the outside world roll by. I could only see a distant look on her face.

"Who else would I ask? Have you seen my friends?"

"I'm pretty sure you could have asked Melinda or Jane."

"Good point. Can't have too many opinions, I guess. Besides, Mel doesn't exactly date, so I don't know how much help she'll be. And I know you've dated quite a few guys."

"Huh... is that so?"

"I've seen Dad and Emily worry about you over the years. And I've seen you bring over boyfriends."

"Oh... you noticed."

"Huh?" Scowling, I asked, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Sarah didn't turn back for a while. When she did, she looked me in the eye and smiled.

"Sorry if I said something weird, I zoned out for a second. Forget about it, okay?"

The rest of the journey was very short, but I was now submerged in a completely different atmosphere.

Why did she say that? What does that mean? Could she... is it possible that she likes me? No fucking way... but, maybe? After all Claire does. But then again, Sarah's my sister, so there's no fucking way!

***

I didn't have to think along that icky line for much longer. As soon as the bus stopped, I said my goodbyes to Sarah and made a beeline for my friends. And what better was to distract myself than asking for their suggestions?

"Dinner date?" Haru pondered. "Really depends. What do you want to eat, what kind of date... What does Claire like?"

I knew of three things Claire liked. Cheerleading, which wasn't a dinner option. Having her tits fondled, which I wasn't about to say. And...

"Books?" I muttered.

Yeah, I know it's not any different from the first one. The realization that I didn't know anything about Claire made me blurt it out.

"Really?" Haru scowled. "You want to feed her books?"

Alex ran his hands through his hair and said, "There are some book themed cafes, but I don't know if you'd go there for dinner."

Shaking my head, I said, "No, but she wanted something chill, so I guess it kinda fits."

"Boys, boys, no one in their right mind should take a lady to a book-themed café for a first date, no matter how much she likes reading, " Cole said, puffing his chest with bravado. I couldn't blame him, he had been on dates.

"Aesthetics and vibes are important. Girls might say they're fine with something chill, but that doesn't mean you can just take them to a McDonald's."

"Well, I wouldn't take her to a Mc..."

Cole didn't let me finish. "You gotta make her feel special, man. So none of that chill shit, definitely not on a first date. You also have to make her feel like a lady, you know. If she wanted to chill, she'd go with Brenda or something."

Who the fuck is Brenda? I didn't bother asking.

Haru continued scowling. "I feel like there's truth muddled in with all that P.U.A. lecture."

Cole shot him a not-so-serious challenging look. "Like you'd know. How many dates have you been on?"

"I have...n't. But it's not like you're going on actual dates either."

Haru paused only for a little while, easy to miss if you aren't paying attention. But it seemed like he was about to say that he had. Had he been secretly dating someone as well? It would make sense in some ways. His sudden transformation and integration with the cool kids might just be a peacocking strategy. That being said, I couldn't imagine who he would be going after. Not that I knew all the girls from the in-crowd.

I had lost track of what the others were saying. "Kyle? Still here?" Haru was asking.

"Hah! You lost him," Cole taunted. "Try explaining in English next time."

With a heavy sigh, he ignored Cole and told me, "What I said was that everyone welcomes the feeling of feeling special... Being pampered is nice. I think it's inherently human, regardless of genders. And if you do something nice, I'm sure she'll appreciate the gesture and thought. But if she is looking forward to something chill and you throw in something else, you'll disappoint her. So, the best thing you can do is ask her to get a better feel."

***

Between the first and last bell, things were weird. I received a lot of stares, all of them uncomfortable. First was the look of awe, from all the guys and some girls who felt invisible but dreamt of intimacy. Second was the curious tier, it seemed like a lot of people were suddenly aware of me and wanted to get a feel for who and what I was. And of course, the third kind was full of hate and envy.

Brad greeted me from the distance with an icy smile, and for once I wondered if I was underestimating him... or overestimating myself. There were a bunch of other guys too, not limited to jocks, who seemed to be thinking 'why him and not me?' Amanda glared as always did, so I wasn't sure where she belonged.

I ran into Claire several times between classes. It was during lunch break that I got the chance to take her to the side for a brief conversation.

"What's up?" She asked with a quizzical smile. It almost seemed like she was happy to hear me talk.

"Well, I just wanted to talk about our date."

"Okay?" Her face became neutral.

"I was doing a bit of research to figure out what kind of place we should go to. And I wanted to know what kind of place you want to go to."

The stillness of her face softened, and I was graced with a little smile.

"It's sweet that you're thinking so much about this. But... you don't have to worry about a thing."

"What do you mean?"

"Remember when we met in the library? You didn't know what to do, and I guided you. You trusted me, right? Trust me now, I have a plan, and you'll like it!"

Sometime later at the Jolly Cup, Jane shrugged and said, "I don't know really. I guess I've lost some clout, but I don't care. Amanda won't come at me directly, and it doesn't even matter anymore. Soon, none of this bullshit will even matter. Anyway, how's it going with you and your new girlfriend?"

"Nice, I think."

"You think?" Mel asked.

My hesitation was enough for Jane. "Okay, something's bothering you. Spill!"

Her sister muttered, "This early?"

Sitting across from them, I asked, "How common is it for you to make decisions for your significant other?"

Mel raised an eyebrow, her sister pursed her lips.

"I'm tapping out, this question isn't for me," the first said.

Jane tilted her head and said, "I'm gonna need a lot more details and context before I can give you a proper answer. In general, making decisions for someone else, without consulting them or taking their preferences into account, will always lead to trouble. Personally, I'll throw in little surprises for Ash now and then, but it's only after I've gotten to know her quite well. And I'd never make a major decision."

"Hmm. I don't know, maybe I'm just reading into it too much. Maybe I'm reading between the wrong lines."

Mel scratched her chin and said, "Maybe. Maybe not. I know she has a tendency to command and lead groups, but I didn't think it'd come out like this and so quickly."

"What do you mean by that?"

Jane shrugged and said, "You know how no one really cared about you until yesterday, but now everyone's more or less okay with you? That's Claire's doing. Just by agreeing to go out with you, and by standing for that decision, she's declared that you're ok. If it was another girl, she might have faced more backlash. But not Claire. She leads without even knowing it, and everyone willingly follows."

Back in the library, two weeks ago, she might have done that very thing. She guided, and I followed her to seclusion, unbuttoned her shirt and touched her warm chest. No, not just the flesh. Rather, I was being engulfed in her warmth. Maybe that's when it began, and I was bound to follow from right then.

"I know she doesn't have bad intentions. She's far from malicious," Jane went on. "But if you feel uncomfortable, you have to talk to her. There really is no substitute for that."

***

Wednesday went by in a flash. Brad had yet to do anything aggressive, so we were still safe. Alex was looking a little lost and a tad bit pale, so I tried consoling him by patting his back. He jolted from my touch and sat upright, but I wasn't sure why. Then again, my thumb brushed against his collar, the tip touching the skin of his neck. Neither of us being very comfortable with physical contact, it must have taken him by surprise.

My shift couldn't end fast enough. I made sure to text Claire that I would go home and shower before heading over. She agreed, but since she insisted on picking me up, I agreed.

I thought about asking Sarah how to dress up. I didn't particularly care, but it seemed like an easy way to bring up something and try to close the gap between us. But for some reason, she was acting weird.

"I don't have time right now," she said icily.

"Oh... okay?" I muttered, wondering what I did wrong. Even Emily seemed surprised at her daughter.

As much as I wanted to reframe my perspective, I didn't have the time or patience to deal with this hot-and-cold bullshit. Besides, I had a date to look forward to. And given that there were 15 minutes left till 7:30 PM, I didn't have a lot of time.

In the end, I decided to go with a black T-Shirt with blue jeans and white shoes. Simple and easy. Claire arrived just on time, and her outfit wasn't anything short of breathtaking. She was wearing a light pink spaghetti strap top and a red and black striped skirt. None of what she wore was particularly revealing - the top, though form-fitting, revealed just a bit of cleavage and flashed only an inch of skin below, and her skirt was slightly longer than the ones she wears to school. And yet, the vision of her was tantalizing.

Why is that? Is it because of the fit? The colors? Perhaps it was in how much was left covered - they say less is more. Or maybe it was just because she was Claire.

"Like what you see?" She asked.

There was a brightness behind her that was lighting up the entire world. It was clear that she had put effort into it. Her make-up was done very lightly, it accentuated her features without going too hard. Her shoulder-length hair was untied, a refreshing sheen on her straight hair.

"I... you look beautiful."

She smiled sweetly. "Thank you, Kyle. That's sweet of you. You're looking pretty good yourself. Ready to go?"

Silence set in as I got in and she began driving. I thought I should say something, ask her about her day, but that didn't seem right. A little too much in the realm of small-talk. At the same time, I didn't know how to begin the conversation. After that one compliment, I was blank.

She glanced at my direction, before asking, "We're both struggling a bit with this, aren't we?"

Chuckling, I replied, "I know right? It's almost like it was easier before."

Her response was an amused snort. "Please, I was the one keeping the conversation going. You were busy elsewhere."

"You make it sound like I was the only one enjoying it."

"Touché."

The silence returned. I noticed her nails, not long, very well shaped, manicured, with a reddish-brown coating of nail polish. Was that burgundy? I don't know colors.

"Still feeling nervous?"

"That obvious?"

"Heh, anyone would be able to tell. But you have nothing to worry about." Her voice softened, "I'm nervous too."

I looked at, blinking away my surprise.

"You're nervous?"

"Yeah. Quite nervous. So don't worry, you're not the only one."

I thought that she'd have the confidence that came from experience, but in hindsight, I suppose she could have all that and still be nervous. The more something matters to you, the more likely you'll feel the nerves. And she did say she liked me.

"That's kinda relieving to hear."

"Right? And that's where the magic of conversation comes in."

I raised an eyebrow. "You mean small talk? That's annoying and boring. Like, how my day went, or how's the weather?"

Laughing, she said, "No, something a little less generic. Something personal without being a transgression. Even something silly is fine, like, let's say 'What do you do for fun?'"

When she asked that question, she deepened her voice and then stuck her tongue.

"Hey! I do not sound like that!"

"Sure you don't! But answer it anyway, I'm curious."

I shrugged and listed off some of the things. Reading, gaming, hanging out with friends and the occasional soccer match.

"And by the way," I added, "Where are we even going?"

A cheeky grin adorned her face. "Don't you trust me? Worried I'll take you somewhere shady, drop you off and leave?"

"Umm, I wasn't thinking about any of that until you mentioned it."

"I'm kidding," she said, laughing. "The place is a little out of the way, but I assure you it's nice. It's this quiet diner that I know, pretty cheap, great food and we'll be able to relax. We're almost there!"

We were both quiet again, but the silence did not feel oppressive or uncomfortable. Somehow, she had made small-talk fun.

It wasn't long until I saw the place. When Claire said 'chill', I thought it would be laidback place with pretty aesthetics. One might say 'cute'. The place, however, was just an ordinary diner, at least in appearance.

"We're here!" she said. "Don't judge a book by its cover."

"I'm not judging, just wasn't expecting it."

As we stood side by side, I saw her hand and wondered if I should grab it. My hand moved a little towards hers, but in the end, I couldn't work up the nerve.

The interior was a small place with a handful of tables. While the decor was sparse and very mundane, it was clean and well-maintained. Despite the size of the place, it wasn't packed either. Then again, 8 PM on a weekday might not be the busiest hour. The owner caught a glimpse of Claire and waved at her.

"Right on time! And I assume this is your date?"

The disdain I saw in his eyes stopped me in my tracks for a moment. This guy just took one look at me and decided I wasn't good enough for Claire! Who the hell was he anyway?

Claire's elbow gently nudged at my side, bringing me back to reality. "Hello. I'm Kyle."

I extended my hand and he shook it. He had a firm grip, and I was praying mine didn't falter.

Suddenly, I saw his eyes harder. He stepped closer and said, "Listen closely, Kyle, and I hope you listen well. Claire's a very special girl, we absolutely love her. You don't seem like much, but I respect her decision and won't interfere. But if you hurt her, there's a lot of people who would gladly break your face."

"Umm..." was all I could manage.

Claire was a lot more articulate. She stepped in, creating some distance between the two of us.

"David! What's wrong with you? Why would you do that?"

The man blinked, looking once at Claire, then myself. He said, "I... I'm sorry, I don't know why I did that. Look, I didn't mean to scare your date, or put my nose where it didn't belong."

I decided to speak up before the relationship between these two worsened because of me. "No harm done, sir. Besides, she's worth protecting."

He turned in my direction, as if re-evaluating me. With a grin, he said, "Maybe I was wrong. If you think along those lines, we might just get along. But enough about that, I'll take you to your table."

The table was in a corner. It wasn't exactly privacy, but it was out of the way and quite nice. The owner gave us some menus and left us.

"So..." I began, "That wasn't your Dad by any chance, was it?"

Chuckling, she replied, "No, definitely not. But I think he sees me as a daughter. Anyway, I'm sorry for the things he said."

"No worries, I get it."

I did. I remembered when my sister started dating her first boyfriend. It was a weird feeling, but all in all, I knew I'd get mad if he hurt her.

"That's good to hear. Also, that was pretty smooth. I think you won both of us over with that cheesy line."

After a few laughs, we looked through the menu and ordered. The burgers Claire recommended turned out to be really good.

Between bites, I asked her, "How'd you even find this place?"

Suddenly, Claire became really quiet. I saw her chew slowly, working through it. Then she said, "I was driving around once and came upon it by pure chance. Been in love with this place ever since."

"Lucky."

She didn't reply. We were quiet while we ate. I knew it wasn't because the food was so good - somehow I'd touched a sensitive topic.

After a while, I asked, "I said the wrong thing, didn't I?"

The hint of sadness remained in her eyes as she smiled again. I didn't think she was faking it though.

"No, I just don't want to get into it right now. I'll tell you about it eventually, but not now. It'll put a damper on our date."

I nodded. "I won't pry or anything. But I want to know you, so its fine if that happens."

"That's sweet. But I'd rather talk about it some other time. You understand that there are things that I'd rather not get into right now, right?"

She had me there. "Got it."

Once our meal was over, she asked, "Wanna get out of here?"

"Sure..." I thought we'd talk a little more, but it seemed like the date was coming to an end. Remembering something that Cole told me, I asked, "You don't mind if I get it, do you?"

She cradled her face on her palm, saying, "Honestly, I'd prefer splitting. But if it's important to you, I'd be fine with it."

After a pause, she added, "Actually, that would earn a lot of points in David's books."

I grinned, "Got it, I'm paying."

Cole was right, it seemed, in a way. I wouldn't tell him though, then I'd never hear the end of his pick-up artist wisdom.

"Thanks, Kyle. I appreciate it, and I hope you know it's not expected of you."

She was right about David, when I said I'd pay for the meal, he nodded in approval and said a few things about treating a lady right. I don't think Claire adhered to old-school ideologies, but she nodded along, as did I.

Standing outside the diner, she turned to me and said, "So... The night's still young. Do you want to come back to my place?" And her voice changed, taking on that sultry tone, eyes fixing on mine. "No one else is home."

I swallowed hard. My blood was suddenly boiling through my entire body, the rhythm of my heartbeat rising in my ears.

"Is that... alright?"

She giggled in a girlish manner. I knew now that it was a deliberate act, yet she was not faking it. "Of course it is."

Her finger was on the neckline of my T-Shirt, almost touching me. The only thing between her fingertip and my skin was the thin fabric of my shirt. I wondered if that was how she felt when the roles were reversed. Or was it because of my inexperience?

"So, what do you say?" she asked and halted my aberrant thoughts.

I croaked, "Yes." Thinking it wasn't loud enough, I spoke again. "Yes! Let's go!"

Walking towards the car, I found my attention drawn towards her hand. This time, it felt right. We just had a good date and were heading towards her place, so I couldn't be wrong. Breathing deeply, I reached for her hand. Just before I could hold hers, though, she noticed and visibly flinched.

Deflated, I replied, "I... I'm sorry."

I couldn't understand why she didn't want me to touch her yet. After all, holding hands was a pretty innocuous thing, lots of couples just do it. It felt like a minor thing after the physical contact we had experienced.

She looked sad too, but more for my sake. "No, Kyle, you didn't do anything wrong. Please don't be sad, I'll explain everything soon, okay? It'll all make sense, I promise."