Eli and Amelia’s (kinda) first date
The smell of roasting herbs and potatoes wafted through the small apartment complex. The smell of roasting herbs and potatoes wafted through the small apartment complex.
This was a delicious smell, with some altogether unexpected origins as it emanated from the bachelor pad on the second floor whose occupants rarely seemed to cook anything other than microwave meals and popcorn. Inside that apartment, a young man of twenty something with tawny hair and deep grey eyes was anxiously pacing his living room waiting for his guest to arrive. It was 5:57, and she was supposed to arrive at 6. So obviously, she had been in a terrible accident, or simply decided decided to ghost him.
Neither option was pleasant. Or true.
The light knock on the door shook young Eli, for that was his name, out of his stress induced stupor. Taking a steadying breath, he made his way to the door and saw her.
On the other side of the door was Amelia. She was a smartly dressed young woman of approximately the same age with dark pink hair and cute button nose. Unbeknownst to Eli, Amelia had been standing at his door for nearly ten minutes before plucking up the courage to knock. In all honesty she probably would have run if her feet weren’t frozen to the floor. Then the door swung open, and for the first time in a year she saw him.
As awkward as it sounds, they stared at each other in practical silence for near a minute before Amelia plucked up the courage to say something
“Can I come in?” She asked in a tone that betrayed the nervousness she felt.
“Uh.” Eli stared for a second longer before he pulled the door open further and smiled awkwardly “Yes of course.”
Her chunky heels clacked on the linoleum wood floor of the entry way.
It took another second for Eli to return to relative normalcy and ask for her coat.
Most of that left when he saw what she was wearing underneath the coal black duster.
“Do I look ok?” She asked, brushing imaginary lint from her dress shoulder.
″ No. I mean.” He swallowed “You look beautiful.”
″ Really? ” Amelia asked, blood rushing to her cheeks. She had spent nearly three hours trying on outfits before deciding simple was best.
“Yes. Really.” A light blush tinted his cheeks “Absolutely stunning.”
A few more moments of tense silence passed before they spoke at the same.
“What’d you -”
“How have you-”
“I’m sorry.” The said in unison once again.
″ I guess I’m a little nervous” she said with a gentle smile.
″ Me too.”
″ Especially since.. ” her thought trailed off
“Yeah.” He stared at the floor “Since...”
“Dinner smells good?”
“I’m glad you think so!” Eli smiled and gestured towards the kitchen ” I had to call my mom for help- I have a nasty habit of burning chicken.”
″ I still do that and my mom made me take cooking classes!”
The awkwardness seemed to slip away as the two old friends fell into conversation about calling their mom whenever something went wrong. Over dinner they easily switched between talking of home and child hood stories, of favorite foods and recent events.
“Can I ask,” Amelia asked as they were eating dessert, curiosity having burned a question deep in her mind “Do you still talk with David?”
“Well” Eli set his fork down “Not really. He moved out a little bit after you guys. I take it you and he don’t?”
“No. He said not to contact him again after he picked up the last of his things.”
″ Do you miss him?”
″ Sometimes” he
flinched and leaned away ” Sometimes I miss how we used to be, or how I felt when I was around him.” She grabbed his hand on the table and squeezed it gently “But I missed you a lot more.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
A long time after the movie had finished, and the TV screen turned black Amelia woke up curled up against her date, her hand wrapped tightly around his.
The sun peaked through the window, and prickled at her eyes. She could get up, she supposed, but to lie here with him was simply too comfortable.
The sun peaked through the window, and prickled at her eyes. She could get up, she supposed, but to lie here with him was simply too comfortable. The sun peaked through the window, and prickled at her eyes. She could get up, she supposed, but to lie here with him was simply too comfortable.
Eli had been awake for nearly an hour. His left leg had fallen asleep and he was positively dying of thirst but he didn’t want to wake her up. To the outside observer, Amelia wasn’t terribly pretty while she slept, her mouth hung open and she sounded like a tiny chainsaw when she snored. But to Eli, she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever met- her grace, her mind, her humor, the way her eyes twinlked and hair frizzled. All of it was so unequivocally beautiful to him.
“You’re awake” Amelia murmured, snapping Eli out of his thoughts
“Have been for a while.” He smiled at her as she pushed herself upright and brushed the hair out of her face.
“Did you sleep ok?”
“No. Not really” he sighed and leaned on the arm “I’m terrified that this isn’t going to work and that we will be worse off then before. I don’t want to lose you Amelia, even if that means never actually do.... This.”
″ It’s because of David, isn’t it?” She rubbed her numb hand ” though you’re not friends anymore it still feels like cheating. Like a betrayal to date me.”
″ Yes”
″ Eli,” she gently grabbed the sides of his face, and stared into his eyes “I don’t want to give up on us just yet. ” Amelia pressed a gentle kiss to his lips ” I think I love you. ”
“I think I love you too.”