Tori finished putting the batch of carrot cake cupcakes away when the bell at the door announced someone coming in. She smiled as she recognized the familiar face. One of her loyal customers, in fact she had been waiting for him.
“Hey Tori,” his voice interrupted her thoughts. “Can I have my usual?”
Tori smiled nervously, “Hey. Sure, coming right up.” She wanted to find a way to ask him what she had practiced only for the past week in a half. Instead, “How's work?” came out her mouth.
He looked up from his phone and smiled, “good can't complain.” He was now staring at her, it was odd for her to be making conversation, then again most of the time she was busy.
Tori blushed as she looked up, “twelve red velvet cupcakes to go,” she said ringing it up on the register. “It’ll be twelve dollars.” Tori sighed heavily and smiled nervously as she took the twenty dollar bill. “I know this may sound weird and you might never come to my shop again but... I have no choice.” She took a deep breath. “What are you doing this following weekend?” She could feel her cheeks burning as she saw the smirk on Alex's face. She stuttered, “It's just…it’s my sister's wedding and I need a date...and…” she began to talk fast.
“You're asking me on a date?” he asked a full grin on his face.
“Well, well...” Tori bit her lip. “It's more of a favor. If it’s any comfort I’m paying for the trip.”
“Trip?” Alex questioned looking at her curiously.
“Yeah to Wisconsin... if you can I mean.” God she could not believe she had come to this. How pathetic was she that she could not find a real date? Not only was her younger sister getting married, but now she was begging a total stranger to be her date. Stranger? Well he really wasn't a stranger he was more of a good customer slash friend right?
“Okay.” The young man said as he wrote down his number on the receipt she had just handed him. “Call me so we can talk more about it then, later Tori.”
Tori stared at the glass door as he walked out. He had said yes. She folded the piece of paper and put it into her pocket. So she had sort of lied and told her sister Esme that she had a great boyfriend. Her loyal customer would have to do for now, he had agreed to go. She sighed in relief; maybe this trip to Wisconsin would not be so bad after all.
She had no more time to think about this mess because then her shop began to get busy.
***********
“Hi Tiger,” Tori greeted her Pomeranian as she entered her apartment. She was startled at the sound of her phone ringing, the caller ID showed who it was and so she declined to answer.
Taking off her shoes she began her nightly routine. Feeding Tiger and cleaning her one bedroom apartment. It wasn't till she was changing into more comfortable clothes that she remembered the piece of paper with Alex's number.
He had nice writing, he was friendly, cute, and he wasn't the super clean cut guy though. But could she pull this off and could he? What had her more perplexed was that he had accepted, that meant he was single right?
Taking a seat on the couch with her phone in hand she stared at the number. Could she really go through with this? She had no choice though she had to do this. She dialed the number panic hit her and she pushed the end button before it rang.
What exactly was she going to say? Tori bit her bottom lip as she hit redial... it was nerve wrecking as the phone went on the fourth ring. She was about to hang up when she heard the hello. He sounded out of breath, which gave her the urge hang up.
But his voice came on again, “Tori is that you?” he asked as he caught his breath.
Damn. She couldn't just hang up now he knew who it was. She cleared her throat, “Yeah but if I caught you in a bad time I can call back later.”
His chuckle made her blush, “No your fine I just finished my workout. So how was your day?” He asked casually like if they were the best of friends.
“Good I can't complain,” Tori answered trying to find the words to explain to him what her proposal earlier was about. “Listen, I know it was very impromptu of me to have asked you like I did what I did...” she was stuttering a flaw she had always had when she became nervous.
There was a short silence and then he spoke, “its okay, so why did you ask me?” He cut right to the chase.
She took a deep breath and sighed, “I thought about you asking me this and what I would tell you. I have also thought of your reaction...yet I never expected you to accept it.” she finally said to buy herself time to think of the correct words to use on her explanation.
“Well how about we meet somewhere and talk,” he said while she detected his amusement in his voice. “How about Calle 12 in an hour?”
“Yeah sounds great,” with that she hung up and rushed to get ready. Her stomach making flips as she thought of her explanation and how it had been hard for her to actually find a real boyfriend....
How do you tell someone that you are apparently horrible at keeping a boyfriend and that you hadn't really cared till now exactly a week before your younger sister's wedding; where you can't just show up single? Nope. That was a tragedy in her family, especially being twenty seven borderline to thirty. She knew if she went alone, she would get the look of pity from her family and of course her sister would make sure to rub it in her face that she had beaten her to marriage at the age of twenty four.
It's not she regretted her life; on the contrary she liked it. Well except for the romance department but she hadn't lost hope yet. Why did the Latin culture think that if you were still single at age thirty you were an old maid?
Tori looked at the clock and realized she needed to hurry if she planned to be there before him. She still couldn't believe she had actually asked a stranger per say to go with her to an event where she would be scrutinized for her way of life already. Now she was going to add more drama by bringing a man that she she had never even mentioned to anyone. Yet she needed to... she was not going to get tortured by all her family trying to get her to hook up with a friend or friend of a friend. No this was safer and it would only be a weekend right? Then she would make up a good break up story for her family...
Story Notes:
Okay so I decided to give this a try..so far I'm actually writing so this story might get me back to writing. Hope you all like. Leave me a comment. :) OH and I can't forget to thank my beta and friend Kevmylove! thank you Erika.
Chapter End Notes:
oh the banner is coming soon. :)
