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“Will you go out with me?” It was a simple question — yet more than enough to make Cae’s heart race. It took every ounce of focus not to let it show.
The warm dusk sets the city ablaze, bird calls echoing in the distance as Céline crossed her legs, leaning back against a wall, biting into one of the apples they’d just stole from the market nearby. She didn’t seem flattered nor offended — just mildly surprised.
Finally, she raised an eyebrow. “Do I not seem unapproachable enough?”
A puzzled laugh escaped Cae’s lips. “You do seem very unapproachable,” he admitted.
“And yet here you are.” Maybe he was just imagining it, but the slight twitch of her lips almost resembled a smile barely held back. “Approaching me anyway.”
It wasn’t a real smile, probably just wishful thinking, but—
“Well,” he said with a sheepish grin spreading, “you see, that’s because you seem equally fascinating.”
“Oh, do I?” Her laugh pierced right through his chest, and in that moment, he knew he’d do anything to earn it again. “Does that mean you admit to having a massive crush on me?”
“I … uh …” Cae fumbled for words frantically. The right words. Any words. He hadn’t expected her to make him blush. Yet the fact that she’d managed it with nothing but a few words only made him like her more. “Yes,” he finally managed, forcing himself to meet her curious gaze.
And there it was again. That marvelous laugh. “So you’re really asking me out?”
He couldn’t tell whether she was irritated or delighted; just that a playful sparkle gleamed in her eyes. He’d never seen it before, and he hoped it would never fade.
“I am.” At least that he was sure of. “But if you’d rather stay unapproached, I will leave you alone, of course.”
She pondered for a moment, and when she spoke again, it was more a demand than a question. “Where are we going?”
Cae blinked. “Huh?”
“You asked me out. So we’re going out. Where are we going?” Céline tilted her head, her lashes fluttering. The daring smile on her lips was unmistakable now. Almost like she enjoyed rendering him speechless, humbling and challenging him at the same time.
“I …” He hadn’t been sure whether she’d say yes; in fact, he’d known there was a good chance she would laugh at him and tell him to fuck off. So he hadn’t thought that far ahead. His thoughts somersaulted, a chaotic tumble of desperate teenage impulses, and it the moment stretched like an eternity before an idea surfaced. “I think I know a place. Hope you’ve got some time on your hands, though. It’s kind of a long way.”
“I have nothing on my hands if not time.” Céline chuckled. “Lead the way. Surprise me. When we arrive, we’ll see if I would rather stay unapproached.”
With a smile so wide his cheeks almost hurt, Cae nodded. “Of course. Follow me.”
It was a fair offer, and she sure as hell wouldn't have to ask twice. He turned on his heel, gestured for her to follow, and to his surprise, she actually did, the soft summer wind ushering them along on their path.
A trip to the coast would make for a long night. But if the sea proved even half as stunning to her as her smile was to him, it might earn him a second date — and that would make every single step worth it.