Chapter 7
SEVEN
I stepped out of the Lazy Cat with light flutters of anticipation dancing through me. I could feel my nerves in my fingertips but it wasn't a bad feeling. Even if I had no idea what tonight was going to bring, I trusted Faye. I knew she would never take me somewhere that I would absolutely hate.
The dull clicks of flat heels made me turn towards the left and I felt my breathing hitch.
Faye was just turning the corner looking absolutely adorable in her leather jacket and her big scarf.
She wore tights under her shorts and her bag was studded with little pins that she'd been collecting for years.
She looked so very much like herself and yet, I could tell this wasn't her casual everyday look.
"Hello, Cassio," she said, sounding slightly breathless.
"Hey, Faye," I rhymed, moving towards her to greet her. I wasn't quite sure how familiar to be but a kiss on the cheek felt like a safe but brave bet.
It wasn't until I was much closer and caught a hint of her lovely perfume that made my stomach flipflop and I lost my nerve.
I changed my cheek kiss for a hug but Faye's face was only inches away and she seemed to have different ideas.
Her lips grazed my cheek at the same time as I turned my head and our lips brushed against each other.
My breath hitched and sparks exploded in my stomach.
"Oops, sorry," Faye said, the quiver in her voice betraying her nerves.
"Sorry, that was my fault. I was trying to kiss your cheek," I said, reaching up to touch my mouth. The way our lips grazed together couldn't be classed as a kiss and yet, I felt it deep within me.
A grin curled up Faye's lips and she turned her face and tapped her cheek, her eyes closed. "Oh, in that case. Try again."
How cheeky. If it was anyone else, I would've just ignored it but with Faye, I felt bolder and braver than I had in a long time. I moved quickly, kissing her before my insecurities set in and only lingering when my lips touched her soft skin.
Faye jolted back, her hands clamping her cheek. She looked shocked and delighted at the same time. "Wait, I didn't actually think you were going to do that."
"Are you blushing?" I asked, satisfaction curling through me at her shocked expression. So I wasn't the only one who was a little nervous about tonight and that made me feel much better. It was nice to know I was having an effect on her.
"No, I'm not blushing. I don't blush," Faye denied while she was most definitely blushing. It didn't fully show on her cheek but her ears looked a shade redder.
So cute.
This date was off to a good start and we hadn't even left the stoop of the coffee house.
"So where are we going?" I asked, wondering how much longer she was going to keep me in suspense.
"Not far," Faye said, touching my arm as she set in motion.
I followed, matching my pace to hers. She might be half a head shorter but she was nimble on her feet, even in her low heels.
I wondered what was in that but I figured time would tell and decided to just follow Faye's lead.
It wasn't unusual for me to be in the passenger's seat when it came to dates.
That was certainly how it used to be with my ex but it had never felt like this.
I had no idea where Faye was taking me but I knew it would be something fun for me, not something she wanted to do.
True to her word, we only went a few blocks before we found ourselves at the entrance of the local park. It was empty at this time of night but someone had strung fairy lights all throughout the gazebo.
"What have you done?" I asked, cautiously approaching. When I got closer, I noticed there were blankets and pillows too, and what looked like a picnic basket guarded by a crow. "Is that Hei Hei?"
Faye chuckled and gave the crow a peanut from her pocket. "Good job guarding my stuff, Hei Hei. You can go back to Gugu now."
The crow cricked her neck and took flight, leaving us standing under the gazebo together. The fairy lights were so pretty and sparkly and I could tell Faye had put a lot of effort into this.
She opened the wicker basket and pulled out a bottle of rosé with two plastic glasses. More came out, including some fancy chocolates, salt & vinegar crisps, and a bag of sweets.
"Do you still like witch hat gummies? They used to be your favourite," she said, holding out the packet of sour sweets.
"Yes!" I grabbed the packet, touched that she'd remembered something small like this.
I didn't think Agatha ever knew or bothered to ask.
Agatha was never a small-gesture kind of person.
She liked grand declarations and making a big deal about dates, banking on them to revive intimacy instead of keeping it alive with daily actions.
It had taken me far too long to realise that we didn't actually enjoy each other's company or that our wants and needs were badly misaligned.
I pushed the thoughts of my ex away, not wanting to let them drag my mood down when I was out with Faye.
My relationship with Agatha had already impacted my friendship with Faye once, I couldn't let it happen again.
Agatha, whether it was the real her or the ghost of my past, wasn't allowed anywhere near this.
"Wine?" Faye asked, holding up the bottle.
"I'd love some wine," I said, enchanted by how beautiful she looked under the twinkly lights. "This is all lovely, by the way. I love the lights and the pillows. It's so cosy."
"This is where we first met," Faye said as she wrestled the cap off of the bottle. "We were seven, I think? We played on the swing and the seesaw."
I smiled at the memory. "We were best friends by the time we had to go home. Luckily, Gran knew how to reach out to your pawpaw to arrange a playdate and twenty years later, here we are."
Faye gave me a soft smile in return. "Yes, it's been a wild ride and it's all thanks to us meeting here in this park. It kicked off our friendship so I thought it would be the perfect spot to start something new with you."
My throat got tight with emotion. "I couldn't agree more. This is perfect."
There was affection in Faye's gaze, the kind that couldn't be cultivated overnight. No, there was a bond between us that had been forged over the years, thousands of small moments folded together to create the perfect stable base to build a relationship upon.
She held out a glass of wine, a small smile playing around her pink lips. "To us?"
I took the wine, deliberately catching her hand with mine. "To us."