I might as well give him a try and see if I like him. He's just taking me on a casual date no big deal. I hopped out of the car and was glad of finally glad to take the pleasant weather. After waking into the restaurant, I was hit with a delicious, greasy, fatty smell. I ordered a half a chicken Parmesan sub. Rohan payed for me, just like Caleb did on my first date. I was intrigued how different both the guys were. Caleb was more carefree almost, he was himself with me. Rohan wasn't like that. He was trying hard to keep me happy. Caleb someone just got me, like he knew me all his life and easily accommodated me to things I liked the best. And I thought that was the best feeling, but with Rohan I am learning maybe love is different. Maybe it is someone getting to know you and working hard to see you smile.
"Where should we go?" Rohan asked me.
"I don't know. I asked you to teach me." I smiled at him teasingly.
"Alright, lets sit there and eat first because I am starving." He jutted his chin at the black, metal that was beautifully designed to seat two people. He respected my space and kept a decent gap between us.
"I love this stuff." I said after taking my first bite. He seemed surprised I spoke out.
"I am glad you like it, I wasn't sure if you would."
"Are you kidding me? This is one of my favorite places on earth. I wouldn't mind living here for the rest of my life."
After saying that, I realized why I me and Caleb had such a smooth and easy time. I experienced so many firsts with Caleb that he never needed to know what I liked. I guess our relationship was more like friendship than I thought. He took me to places he found interesting or showed me things he thought I might appreciate, but he never once had to ask me if I liked something because he was the one I experienced the majority of my good times with. That's why I can't just let him go, he is my best friend. He showed me things I never saw and I showed him things he never saw so we both were using our relationship as a foundation to build our lives but we never once realized it wasn't romance. We worked like a team, but there wasn't any thing more to us than basic friendship. I wish he could see that. I hope he will come around soon and that I will never have to hurt him again.
"Are you serious? I love this place, too! I came here my freshman year and god every bite was a heaven"
Rohan had an excited look on his face. I realized maybe we both need to get to know each other and then open up. Maybe this is what falling in love is, getting to know each other. I mean I get it, friends could turn into lovers like Caleb and I but sometimes friends are just friends. But a boy friend is more than that, he needs to make you feel like you are him not just a part of him. He needs to make you feel like you are both one person. Caleb never made me feel that way. I knew everything about his life, he knew everything about mine, but we could never see each other as one. He fulfilled a lot of my boyfriend requirements, but he just didn't make me feel like I had a challenge. Everything about him was easy, for a lack of better term. I didn't feel the rush.
"I came here my sophomore year with a couple friends. Every since then, I came back a lot. Especially me and Cal, we would leave school and walk around."
"Cal, huh? You'll never forget him, then?"
I shook my head.
"Listen, I will never forget Cal. He was and is my best friend to this day. No one understood me like Cal did and I thought that was love meant, but that was in the past. I was never in love with him, but I loved him like a friend. Its crazy, I know. How can I be so stupid to mistake friendship and love?"
"I don't think so." He surprised me yet again. "I think there is a very fine line between both. There were times my brothers would give me gifts or throw me a surprise party or something. Now, that was love but love from friendship. It's hard not to blend the lines. I am a straight guy, but maybe if I was the other way it might've been different. You get what I am saying?"
"Yeah, I understand. I never felt jealous when he spoke to other girls. Well, may be a little but hey I was his girlfriend then. But I don't know there was always something missing with us. There was the rush of having a secret relationship I guess, but I never felt like I should do more to keep him or even push to make us public and stuff. It was always his effort with everything."
"And that's not what you wanted." He finished for me. I nodded as I finished the last of my sub.
"So what about you? Did you ever have any girls?" It was the inevitable question. I had to ask him.
"Yeah but I could never really feel right with anyone. They were always trying to keep me away from my friends or didn't let me talk to other women. I couldn't deal with that so I didn't really go into any relationships after that."
"I see. That sucks. I would've dropped my boyfriend like a hot potato if that was the case."
He laughed at that.
"Lets walk?" He held out his hand for me. I smiled and put my hand in his.
"For the rest of the evening, lets just forget the past and try to get to know each other as strangers. I know you know about me but I am sure you have a lot to learn." I proposed.
"Fine. What would you do if you had no restriction?"
"Travel" I answered.
"Travel? Think about it, absolutely no restrictions"
"Yeah, I would like to travel if I had no restriction. Why, whats wrong with traveling?"
"Nothing. I just didn't expect that you know?"
"I guess, but I've always wanted to go places and experience the local culture and blend in for a bit."
"What do you mean?"
"Like I want to go to Paris. The thing is I don't just want to go there to see the history or the buildings and crap. I want to go there experience the fashion, the stores, the food, and whatever else is there."
"Is that where you want to go? Paris?"
"It is one of the places I would like to go. What about you? What would you do if you had absolutely no restrictions?"
"I don't know, I would follow you around the world and enjoy it with you"
I looked at him and smiled.
"Stop being so cheesy. Tell me what you would really do"
"I would become the CEO of Merck and buy myself a Lamborghini or a couple and marry you. And no, I am being completely real"
"I don't understand"
"What do you mean?"
"I don't get how you like me so much. I mean I'm alright looking I guess, but I wouldn't call myself beautiful. I'm not that smart. Heck, I don't even have any skills. I am a complete looser who likes to spend her time reading novels hoping one of them will be true for her. So why do you like me?"
I looked at him straight in the eyes, and he seemed sincere when he said,
"I don't know. I've been asking myself that for three years now. Its scary what I feel for you. It scares me how much I think about you. I mean, don't get me wrong. I don't think about all day and all night like some creepy lover. Sometimes I just remember you and then no girl can beat you. You're right there are prettier girls than you" Ouch. "but none of them can beat you. You are just pure inside. I just felt that the first time I met you and you always came back to me. When my parents were doing proposals because I didn't get married yet, they showed me your picture out of the twenty seven girls saying they like you. Was it fate they picked you? I had no idea, but that's when I realized I should learn about you. That's when I approached my frat guys about you--"
"Wait so they didn't keep tabs on me?" Now, I was just confused.
"Well, a few of my brothers noticed me checking you out and ever since I didn't really ask them to keep tabs but they went off tangent and were trying to help our a brother. So they ended up doing research on you and promised me I will die if I don't at least date you."
I chuckled. "So, maybe I am labeling the wrong guy the creep. I would like to meet your brothers once, although I'm not sure how pleasant the meet will be"
"They wouldn't mind finally meet you"
"'Ah, well the feeling is not mutual"
"Is it just me does it look like its gonna rain?" I looked up to see dark, and ominous clouds looming upon us. Immediately, we both pulled out our phones at the same time to check the weather. We looked back at each other,
"Fu*k!"
Immediately, I felt the slow drizzle of the rain. Before I could even think, Rohan grabbed my hand and pulled me into a rather old looking restaurant/bar/ice cream place.
"I can't believe it. I had no clue there was going to be a storm today" He muttered.
"Yeah, I should've remembered. I checked the news this morning, but don't worry. Its only supposed to last a couple hours." I reassured him trying to pull my neatly done hair into a pony tail. I felt a someone touch my face. I instinctively drew back and looked at Rohan.
"Your eyeliner kinda smudged"
"Oh." I could go to the bathroom and fix it, but I let him wipe it away. It just felt good having him take care of me like that.
"Do you want coffee or anything?"
I shook my head. "Grab yourself one if you want to. I am still full from the sub"
He went to grab himself a coffee as I sat at one of the tables. The place wasn't crowded, but it had a comfortable number of people in it.
When Rohan came back, I was surprised he had a coffee flavored ice cream with him. It even had chocolate chips and was in a waffle cone!
"You didn't have to" I said looking at him setting down his coffee in front of me.
"Why do you not like it?"
I shook my head. "No, I like it. It's just I don't know. I don't really like accepting things others pay for. It makes me feel weird."
He looked a bit annoyed. Caleb never looked at me like that. I am sure he would punch Rohan.
"I want to treat you, not just now but your entire life. You get me?"
I smiled at him. "I know Rohan, but that is such a guy thing. I want you to know I can also pay for my things"
"But then whats the point of being a couple? Aren't we supposed to be one and the same? So what does it matter who payed?"
Yet again, he surprised me. I actually gasped hearing his response. It was like I was seeing my mind speak from a different body. Without saying anything back, I grabbed my cone and dug in without a second thought. When I peaked a look at him, he was watching me over his coffee cup.
"How did you know I like this?"
"It was a guess. Chocolate and coffee, who doesn't like that?"
"Are you for real? Not everyone like coffee mister. As much as I am a coffee lover, I refuse to not support coffee haters in this."
"But that's the thing- you like it."
"If I didn't like it, I would've never said anything you know?" I wasn't smiling anymore.
"You don't need to be uncomfortable around me you know? With me, you can always say no. And it wasn't an aloof guess. When you were supposed to offer us tea when we came in, you instead asked us if we wanted coffee. I thought maybe you were a coffee kinda girl. And I am right"
"And so you were'' I said eating my ice cream like a child.
"You are so innocent, Trish" I couldn't help but stare into his eyes.
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing Rohan?"
He cupped my face in his hands and looked into my eyes like there was no one in the world except me. "It's the best thing about you."
I beamed at him.
Too soon, my coffee goodness hid itself in my stomach. Rohan's hand reached out to my mouth. What is he doing? He wiped away the ice cream on the side of my lip with his thumb and brought it to his own mouth and sucked on it. Damn. This guy is making me feel things without even touching me.
"Its delicious" That was his simple comment.
I wanted to say something, but he was already pulling me outside. The rain dissipated, so we decided to head home.
After coming home, my parents were annoyingly sweet and probe my to say what happened. I tried to keep a straight face and say we just went out for lunch and walked around.
That night, I had to sleep uncomfortably with an Indian dress on that was getting all tight and ready to rip. My brother was sleeping beside me. I couldn't even sleep. The thoughts of Rohan, and marriage swirled in my mind. I also thought about Caleb, I didn't know how I would tell him anything. By the time it was six in the morning, my dad was up setting up for the party downstairs and I decided to head out for some air. I walked around the foot path hoping to come across Caleb, although I knew he would be asleep. I was half way through my second round when I saw someone ahead of me. His shape seemed familiar and he was running. I ran to catch up with him, thank god Caleb took me running with him whenever he could.
"Cal!" I called placing an arm on his. He almost tripped as he turned to look at me. He looked at me like he couldn't believe it.
"Trish? What are you doing here?"
"I had to clear my mind" His look told me he was in the same boat. "Seems like I'm not the only one."
He didn't speak to me and instead opted to look down.
"Cal, can we please talk?"
"What is there to talk about Trish? It's over. Your going to get married off to some guy, and I'll be here trying to move on. It's not rocket science."
"Cal. Please I need you to hear me out."
I was confused this morning. Really Confused. Did I still like Cal or was he just a good friend all along? I had the answer now, and I knew I had to speak to him.