The Wallflower and The Star Athlete (closed for Poprockz)

[Poprockz]

"Oh okay, sounds good!" She replied, wrapping up what was left of her muffin and picking up her coffee cup. The chair made a slight scraping noise as she stood up as well. "I'll see you in class!"

Later that day, she texted him saying, "Hey there, it's Olivia." It was a simple text, but it got the job done. Now all that was left was to use the remainder of her Saturday to try to hunt down some clothes that would be decent for an Italian restaurant, even if they were just going to a private table.

 

[Mr_Positive]

The next few days flew by for Adrian. He only made the Monday biology class by the skin of his teeth, so he took the first available seat. He did look around for Olivia, seeing her in her usual seat. But she didn’t look up, busy concentrating on her notes.
That evening, he called owner of the restaurant and asked for the private table for Friday evening. He then texted Olivia the details.

Hey - 7pm Friday at Belle Italia on Wilshere Street. Remember - no face mask

 

[Poprockz]

"Yeah yeah. I'll be sure to turn up all naked-faced. " Was the reply he had received.

When Olivia showed up to the restaurant, one might assume that she was an entirely different person. She was wearing a pretty blue dress she had found in a second-hand store for a good price, a pair of sandy-colored flats on her feet. Her mask was nowhere to be seen, and her hair wasn’t as frizzy and unkempt as it usually was (though she hadn’t styled it at all). She didn't own make-up since she didn't really wear it, so she hadn't applied any. Regardless, her natural beauty was enough for her not to need it.

The young woman was nervous, mostly because she hadn't been this dressed up since she was seven years old on Easter. That and the fact that she didn't have her mask to hide behind. As she waited for her friend, she had tucked herself away to the side of the restaurant, playing with her phone to avoid having to meet anyone's eyes.

 

[Mr_Positive]

Adrian dressed in a navy dress shirt, tucked into his best jeans. He completed the look with a pair of brown boots. His short brown hair never needed styling.

As he neared the restaurant, he noticed an incredible woman standing by the side in a stunning blue dress. As he got closer, he couldn’t believe his eyes.

‘Olivia?! Wow you look incredible!’

 

[Poprockz]

"Hey." She looked just a bit shy when he complimented her appearance, but she was pleased nonetheless. "Yeah, when you wear sweatpants a sweatshirts all the time, anything else makes you look way better. Anyway, you're looking pretty put-together yourself..."

As she looked at his clothes, she noticed that the two of them looked like they had coordinated their outfits to match in color like some sort of couple. Hopefully no one would make any weird assumptions though. For all they knew, this could be two coworkers celebration one of their promotions or something.

Olivia cleared her throat. "So uh, do you want to go inside? I feel weird without the mask on, so it'd be nice to be a bit tucked away about now."

 

[Mr_Positive]

‘Sure let’s go inside. In fact, the private table has its own private entrance. Follow me’.

He led further down the side of the restaurant to a nondescript door. A simple knock and it was opened immediately. They were greeted by a smiling waitress who led them up a small staircase to the table. It was the only one in the space, which was decorated with tall plants in the corner and modern paintings on the wall. The table was set with white linen and simple yet elegant ware.

‘Please sit’, admiring her again as she made her way around the table.

 

[Poprockz]

"Huh," she looked around appreciatively as she sat down, smoothing her skirt as she did so. The thing about dresses were that they made her feel so exposed. Not having pants to completely cover all of her legs was weird, as was the fact that the skirt on the dress was literally the only thing shielding her from having her panties exposed. A single gust of wind could expose her to any unfortunate passersby. Fortunately though, there was no wind inside the restaurant.

"If I had known it was really this private, I would have worn something way more casual," she commented, admiring one of the nearby plants. "I thought we'd have to go through the main restaurant and I didn't want you to look weird with me in front of people you knew."

 

[Mr_Positive]

Adrian smiled at her remark.
‘Well I appreciate the effort. You should wear dresses more often, they suit you’.
He hoped that didn’t off as creepy.
‘Well after the debacle of the newspaper article last week, I figured that you’d prefer a completely private evening. That’s why I suggested this place. And yes, I didn’t want any assumptions made, for both our sakes’.

 

[Poprockz]

She figured she suited dresses like needles suited balloon parties, but he was entitled to his opinion.

"Thanks," Olivia replied gratefully with a more relaxed posture. "I wouldn't want people to misconstrue stuff too." Picking up her menu, she chuckled to herself and shook her head as though the thought of the two of them dating was laughable. It kinda was, in her opinion. Not that he wasn't a good guy, he was too good actually. Besides, she hadn't dated since high school and the idea of it was nerve-wracking. It felt a lot more comfortable to just hang out with someone without any sort of romantic pressure.

"Hmm... are you getting an appetizer?" she asked. He was paying for the meal, so she wanted to stick to the lower-priced items if possible.

 

[Mr_Positive]

‘Order what your heart desires’, he said with a smile. ‘The bruschetta is very good, as is the caprese salad’.

He couldn’t but keep stealing glances at her. The girl he had met at the soup kitchen two weeks prior was a shadow physically of the beauty in front of him. But beneath the shallow surface lay the same shy, yet intriguing person. He wondered how much he would learn about her this evening.

 

[Poprockz]

“Hmm,” she thought about it. “I think I’ll go with the bruschetta then.”

What should she get for a drink? Did she want to imbibe in alcohol tonight, or did she want to play it safe and just get a sparkling water? Choices choices…

Her blue eyes peeked at him over her menu and she asked, “so you come here with your family, huh? Do you have any siblings?”

 

[Mr_Positive]

'Great, let's get two of those to start', putting in the order to the waitress. 'We'll take two No Fashioneds as well'.
Seeing the puzzled look from Olivia, 'It's an Old Fashioned with no alcohol. I don't drink when I am in training'.

'I have a younger sister, she will be starting college next year. She is following in our my father's footsteps and going into law. What about you, any siblings?', hoping she said no only for the fact he didn't want to hear about another person being subjected to her person.

 

[Poprockz]

“I also have a younger sister,” Olivia smiled wistfully, taking a drink of water. “Her name is Kim but she goes by Kimi. My parents dote on her, and she’s going to college for music and wants to be a singer. She and I don’t talk.”

Kimi was a picturesque spoiled child, and had observed the way her parents treated her and assumed that she was the better child by default. In some ways she felt like it wasn’t her sister’s fault for her upbringing, but it didn’t change the fact that they couldn’t get along.

 

[Mr_Positive]

‘I don’t want you to take this the wrong way, but I’m glad your sister has not been subjected to the same shit you were. I mean it’s still horrible, that you don’t talk’.
He thought they needed to move away from her family.
‘Alright, let’s go in a positive direction. Tell me some things you are passionate about’.

 

[Poprockz]

He might be right about her being spared the same sort of abuse that she was, but she still felt a little bad for her sister. Being spoiled was going to do her no favors in life, especially if she wanted to be a singer.

“Well… “ She struggled to think of what hobbies she had. Normally she just worked, went to school, volunteered and did all the other basic stuff to keep herself alive. “Uh… hm. Sorry, just give me a sec.” She took another drink of her water.

“Okay, so I volunteer, as you know, and I’m a proponent of baths with bath bombs. I… read a bit. Here and there.” Her eyes slid away from his for a moment. It was true that she did indeed read, but most of it was romance web-comics or books.

“I like to cook,” she continued. “Baking is also a hobby of mine. Just look up “basic bitch” on Google and an image of me will pop up,” she shrugged with a grin.

 

[Mr_Positive]

Adrian suppressed a smile at her attempt of a joke.
'I think if I googled "basic bitch", I'd see someone like Lexi', giving Olivia a smile this time.
'Oh give me a bath any day, especially after a hard week's training. I like to cook too. I think because nutrition is such a big component for me as an athlete, I've always wanted to grow my knowledge. What's your favourite dish to make? Mine is a chicken and broccoli pasta bake'.

 

[Poprockz]

“Not to brag, but I make a mean chicken tikka masala. My meatloaf is also humble but delicious. If I had to pick my favorite to make though…” she mused for a moment, tapping her finger on the table.

“Beef stew with carrots, celery, and potatoes. It’s warm, comforting, and relatively easy to make. It’s like happiness in a bowl.” Olivia let out a wistful, happy sigh. “Do you have any passions or hobbies besides your career and cooking?”

 

[Mr_Positive]

Adrian closed his eyes to create a mental picture of the dishes Olivia has described.
'Wow, they all sound delicious, especially the stew. There is nothing better than a piping hot bowl of stew on a cold day. Luckily we have plenty of those here!'

He pondered her question, almost asking himself if there was more to him than just being the star athlete.
'Hmmm, let me see', he thought out loud, looking away for a second, 'In my offseason, I like to keep my fitness up by trying other sports. My dad is in a softball league with his legal firm in the summer, so I help them out whenever they are short a player. My sister and I sometimes go for bike rides through the forest'.

 

[Poprockz]

"Ooo, that sounds fun," she nodded. "I never really got to do any sports, but I've always been interested in trying one or two of them out. Riding a bike also sounds interesting, especially if you're doing it in the forest. I bet it's pretty peaceful." Truth be told, she had never ridden a bike since she was never taught to do so, nor had a bike to teach herself on.

It was then that the appetizers and drinks were brought out. She glanced at the non-alcoholic drink that had been placed in front of her before going for the bruschetta instead. It was pleasingly crunchy and very flavorful!

 

[Mr_Positive]

'I'll have to take you some time so', replying to her comment on cycling through the forest.
The food looks amazing as always, as he tucks in. He looks up at Olivia and she seems to agree.

Wanting to know more about her, and her dating life, he decided to probe a little.
'So I know you were worried about being seen with me, and people getting the wrong idea. Do I need to worry about a boyfriend confronting me about taking his girl to dinner?', giving her a small laugh.

 

[Poprockz]

He was given a confused look before she laughed as though he had made a funny joke, "Ha! Me? Really? As if I have time for that between my full-time job, school, and the kitchen. I'm just trying to survive here, seriously. Besides, even if by some miracle I was able to reduce my hours at work, I still feel awkward about dating in general."

Olivia gestured at him, "what about you? Do you have a girl squirreled away somewhere?" She took a bite of her appetizer and looked at him curiously. Honestly, she would be surprised if he didn't.

 

[Mr_Positive]

Adrian figured he knew the answer already, given her insane schedule. But it never hurt to ask. He smiled at her return, deciding a little banter might be in order.

'Yes I have someone stashed in the closest of my dorm. Very controversial - I'm only joking! Yeah like you, time is not my friend when it comes to dating. That said, if the right girl was to come along, I'd make the effort'.

 

[Poprockz]

"I'm not sure your closet-girlfriend would appreciate you bringing someone else into the bedroom, but if you do find that person I'll be rooting for you." Olivia grinned, enjoying the natural flow of the conversation. She liked that he was playful and that he didn't take himself too seriously.

"I think it's fine to take your time with those sort of things though, you know? Besides, maybe I'll flip the script by becoming an ungodly wealthy woman and some hot dude will marry me for my money." She joked and took a sip of her drink and was delighted by the taste.

 

[Mr_Positive]

‘Oh please don’t do that! You deserve someone who deserves you. Who gets you, compliments you and cherishes you. It’s what you deserve after all you have been through’.

He noticed her sampling the drink, smiling as her delight at the taste plays across her face.
‘I’m glad you like it, I knew I took a risk ordering for you’.

 

[Poprockz]

"It's a bit bitter, but it has good flavor," she commented appreciatively.

"Anyway, as far as someone who fits the characteristics you said, I don't really believe in that sort of thing. Even if two people match up, it always devolves into divorce, cheating, or just a resigned coexistence." There was a touch of cynicism in her tone as she continued, "When the going gets touch, people will shove each other underwater to try to be the one that floats and survives, drowning other people out of desperation." Her eyes lowered to her drink and her face donned a somber expression.