15.The Date
Jesse
“So… Jesse what are you and Lia planning to do today?” Rain asked me, leaning, in the doorway with a curious grin
on his face.
“Coffee,” I said simply.
Rain blinked. “Wait, that’s it? Just… coffee.”
“Yes, Coffee.”
Matt scoffed. “Rain you do know that coffee dates are a thing, right?”
“Well, yes but that sounds super boring.
“Maybe Jesse doesn’t find them boring.”
I nodded. “I don’t find them boring. They are very simple and to the point. We can either sit there or have our coffee and go. What more could you want?”
Rain paled. “I don’t know why you would want to go on such a date. It’s so boring but hey Jesse that’s up to you. Do what you feel like you need to do.”
“I always do, Rain.”
Everyone seemed so nervous. Matt was still in a state of denial and Rain had screwed up breakfast because of how nervous he was, But to be fair, Rain just didn’t have any cooking skills. He had the exact opposite of a cooking skill.
My thoughts drifted to Colby who was on his way back from his outing with Lia. While he tried to appear at ease I knew he wasn’t. Maybe that had changed now that they had gone out together.
I was a man of simple tastes. There was nothing wrong with going on a simple coffee date. Afterward, I might suggest taking a walk on the beach. Walks on the beach were something I had done often. It helped clear my mind. What better way to clear your mind than walking on the sandy beaches under the moonlight?
Matt and Rain broke out into a conversation while I just listened. I was never the type of person to talk to much. If someone were to describe me they would say I was a man of few words, but this was how it was with me.
tia
Some people say I came off as intimidating. It hit me that a might think I am intimidating when we go on our
date.
Rain must’ve seen the flash of panic in my eyes because he sat down next to me and started patting my hand.
“Try to smile. That usually puts people at ease.”
Matt gasped. “No!”
“What?” Rain asked, bewildered.
“Rain, you’ve never seen Jesse smile and there is a reason for this. When he smiles, it’s like you’re sitting in the room with a serial killer.”
I tilted my head to the side. “You’re right. That is how I look when I smile.”
“Okay… so scratch the smile. Try talking a little more about yourself,” Rain suggested,
“But I don’t talk a lot.”
15 The Date
+25 BONUS
Rain sighed. “Jesse, my man, which is why I’m encouraging you to talk some more! It doesn’t have to be about anything life changing. If you were me I’d say crack a joke but I don’t know if you even know any jokes.”
“I know jokes.”
His face lit up. “Oh yes? Tell me one then.”
“Can you guess what the therapist said when I told my therapist I’m scared of dying alone?
“Uh, no what?”
“He said, “Most people don’t die with the company,” I said, chuckling. “Get it?”
I
Rain looked at Matt. “Matt, am I supposed to laugh at that?
“Ideally someone is supposed to laugh when they tell a joke,” Matt said with a sigh. “Jesse, what have I told you about your morbid jokes?”
“Not everyone likes them.”
This caused Rain to wince. “Okay, no jokes! Just make some casual conversation.”
“I’ll try.”
Hard to say if I was going to be able to do that. I was certainly going to try to do it because I wanted to make this work with Lia and make a connection with her. She was my future mate now. All of us needed to push forward and try to form our relationship with her.
We also needed to work as a unit but we couldn’t do that until all of us worked on our relationship with her. Then perhaps the two of us could work together to figure this out with Lia.
“Good luck, buddy. You’ll know what to do,” Matt assured the.
I did hope he was right.
Lia
This was the date I had been dreading. Well both dreading and curious about it because I wondered how Jesse was when the two of us were together. Maybe he would be less intimidating than he normally was. Or he would just be
worse.
I was waiting outside for him that evening. Jesse walked ous, that cold demeanor still there, but his face softened when he found me.
“Hey, Lia.”
“Hi Jesse,” I squeaked out, resisting the urge to take a step away from him. “What’s the plan tonight?” “Coffee.”
“Coffee?” I asked. “Oh, Hove coffee.”
“I’m not surprised. Michael is also a huge coffee drinker sot makes sense that it would run in the family.”
I smiled a little. “Yeah, Michael and I love our coffee.”
“And if you feel up to it we can take a walk on the beach afterward.”
“Jesse, you never struck me as someone who likes to take leng walks on the beach.”
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+25 BONUS
Their eyes met and he smirked softly.
‘I never said I like to take long walks on the beach. It’s just nice to talk about medium–length walks on the beach during nights like this.”
The coffee shop we went to was quiet when we arrived but I smelled the delicious scent of coffee. It tasted even better! Jesse kept glancing at me, watching me with that intense expression.
“Jesse, why are you always so intense?”
He blinked. “I just am. I’ve always taken things seriously and been someone of few words. Rain suggested I try to make casual conversation tonight to break the ice, but I don’t know if I can do that.”
“Well, you do come off as intimidating but there is nothing wrong with silence. I am sure that I’ll be fine waking up on the beach with us not engaging in casual conversation. Nothing wrong with that.”
“Then let’s go.”
It wasn’t a long ride to the beach. The first thing I noticed was how beautiful the ocean looked at this time of night, the stars and moon reflecting off the perfectly still water,
The beach was cool at that time of night. He took off his jacket at one point and put it over my shoulders. I blushed a little, holding onto it with my free hand.
“Thank you.”
He shrugged. “Well, you look like you were cold so I thought it was the nice thing to do.”
“Jesse, do you have siblings?”
“No, only child and parents spent most of their working. I don’t think they ever wanted children to be honest. My parents once told me that I was a mistake.”
I gasped. “Jesse that’s terrible.”
“Well, yes. At the time I thought it was ruder than anything They should’ve kept it to themselves. I could already tell that they didn’t care for me. It’s obvious in their actions,” he explained matter–of–factly. “It’s not as if they don’t care for me. Over the years my parents have paid for my schooling, though I don’t go home during holidays. Easier that way.”
This was the most I had ever learned about Jesse. He was very open and honest, making me wonder if I should perhaps ask the question I had been waiting to ask.
“And the bullying?”
“I cannot say. It was something we all did for one reason or another. But I am sorry for what we did. A shame it took such an event for us to realize it, but that’s unimportant.”
I nodded.” I don’t know if I can forgive any of you but I can try to move forward. Hopefully.”
He smirked. “That’s all we ask.”
It was a relief he didn’t smile. The one time I saw Jesse smile I thought the world was going to end because that was how creepy it was,
When it started to get a lot chillier, Jesse suggested we go back to the house. We drove with me dozing in the passenger seat. It had been a long twenty–four to thirty–six hours. First I was with Matt on a date then hours later, I had breakfast with Rain. A lunch with Colby followed and finally this late–night coffee date and walk with Jesse.
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25 BONUS
Everything had been very surprising. I had learned a lot of things that I never thought I would learn; for one I wasn’t scared of them as much as I was before.
“Lia,” Jesse called out as the car came to a stop.
I blinked, yawning loudly. “Oh, are we back at the house now?”
“Yes, we’re here.”
He walked me upstairs, the two of us going our separate ways. I entered my bedroom, trying to calm my beating
heart.
This whole weekend had been way too much for me. So, it was going to be nice to crawl into bed and sleep, which was exactly what I needed.
