flushed cheeks

(xii.)

"flushed cheeks"

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°°°

(xii.)

Aside from the one date with Jillian, we had only ever hung out in a group setting, the three of us, so when Lucas asked for just the two of us to go out, as an official date, I was surprised. We were at the coffee shop, as per usual.

I do not remember what we had been talking about, just that he had cleared his throat, straightened in his seat across the table from us girls, and said, "So."

Jillian shifted beside me, her shoulder brushing against mine. I glanced over at her, but her attention was on Lucas. I could not get a read on her expression, so I glanced over to Lucas. There was a peculiar look on his face that I could not quite make out, but something about it made me feel awkward. It was a serious expression, and Lucas was rarely serious.

My hands rubbed lightly over the fabric covering my thighs, letting the texture of it, the tingle it caused in my palms, distract me from the weird atmosphere. She seemed to notice, her arm going around my shoulders, fingers rubbing at the skin on show there. Little goosebumps prickled down my arm, but I relaxed against her, nonetheless.

My hands moved to hold my drink on the table, clasping there despite the chill of the glass. I needed something to keep me grounded, and the coolness was doing the trick. I kept watching Lucas as he shifted in his seat.

His gaze fell on me, his eyes skimming my face. "Doll," he said softly, as if he picked up on how I was feeling. I shivered at the pet name, rubbing my cheek against the soft sleeve of Jill's light cardigan. "I don't want you to feel uncomfortable or like you can't say no, okay?"

I gave a little nod, my cheeks slowly warming under his continued gaze.

He offered a gentle smile that revealed the dimple in his cheek. My fingers itched to touch it, something I had been fighting for a while now, but I just tightened my hold on my cup. "We've been talking," he indicated between himself and Jillian, "and we would like to try something. She's open to it as long as you are, and if you aren't, we'll just continue as we are, okay?"

I nodded again, my confusion starting to grow. I felt my eyebrows furrowing as I tried to imagine what he could be getting at.

He leaned forward a little, his elbows resting on the table. "I was thinking we could go out on a date. Just you and me, doll." He rested his chin in the palm, his hair tumbling over his forehead to skim just above his eyes. "What do you think?"

My eyes went wide, cheeks flushing deeply.

She chuckled beside me, her arm shifting so her hand could rest on my head. "Are you surprised, baby?"

My head bobbed softly, and I curled closer to her side, still watching the man across the table from us. He had that patient look he always had with me, brown eyes soft, sparkling in the lighting of the shop. That dimple still on show.

My heart skipped in my chest, and I had to look away, busying myself with taking a sip of my iced coffee.

Jillian played with my hair, rubbing gently at my scalp. "What did you have in mind?" she asked, dropping a kiss to the top of my forehead. I relaxed further, offering Lucas a small smile to let him know I was listening and interested.

"The fair is coming up soon," he explained, looking at me. His gaze monitored my expression for any negative reaction. "I haven't been in a while, and I thought it might be a fun date. What do you think, doll?"