by Lila Lacroix
Still, she was definitely going to admit everything to Maria, even if it was just so that Maria would understand why she was so reluctant to date Ryan. Keeping to herself as much as possible on the bus, it felt as though the number in her pocket weighed much more than the piece of paper it was written on. She didn't want to analyze what was going on too much, even if she did want Maria's opinion, because she was afraid that she would end up deciding not to go through with it.
Now that she knew he wasn't the adulterer she had thought of him, and whatever she had thought of herself, then she could be sure he was definitely the kind of person who could make her happy. Even her mother would approve, but that also left the question of just why he wanted to be with her. He was everything she had never thought she deserved.
Perhaps now was the time for her luck to change. She would go out with him on a date and she would see exactly what Ryan was like in a social setting. Maybe they wouldn't even be compatible, and she wouldn't have to worry at all.
Still, she was definitely going to call Maria and find out what she thought about everything. It had been a long time since she had really spoken to Maria, and it would be nice to catch up. Especially if it meant that they could go shopping; Tina decided she could use some retail therapy to put everything into perspective.
When she finally made it home, Tina dumped her bag and coat in the hallway and made her way through the apartment to the bathroom. As she undressed, she made certain to put Ryan’s number on the dresser so that she would know where it was.
The shower was a welcome relief after a long day spent on her feet, and the uncertainty with Ryan. The water pounded down on her back and she could feel herself relaxing. Cleaning up and washing her hair, she grabbed the fluffiest towel from the rack and wrapped herself up in it. Grabbing her phone off the dresser, she pulled up Maria's number and hit dial.
It took a few rings, but eventually Maria picked up.
“Tina! How have your first couple of shifts been?”
“Exhausting, but good. Some of the kids are so cute.” Tina rooted around in her dresser from some nightclothes. “You should see them.”
“You know children aren't my thing,” Maria said, dismissively. “There's a reason we're in different areas.”
Tina did know. It was definitely good for them; she couldn't imagine she would want to be in the same area as Maria. She wasn’t exactly good with kids, being the total scientist, Maria was better at dealing with adults, and even then she sometimes rubbed them the wrong way. “I know. So, how are things with you?”
Maria launched into a description of her love and private life, both of which seemed to be way more colorful and exciting than Tina's – at least, before she had met Ryan – and complained a little about her superiors, but that she didn't mind because she wouldn't have to put up with it for too long. “Anyway,” Maria said, when she had exhausted herself. “Tell me about you.”
Tina sucked in a breath. Well, there was only one way to deal with this, and that was to just go ahead and tell Maria everything. She started months ago, before the exams, hoping that Maria wouldn't be too put out about the fact that she'd kept it quiet for so long, and then told her about meeting Ryan again. “It's insane,” she said. “What am I supposed to do?”
“I can't believe it,” Maria gasped. “You slept with someone you thought was married?!”
“I'm not proud of it,” Tina said quickly. “But he's so hot, Maria, you should see him.”
Maria laughed. “Take a picture and I will. Anyway. Hang on to that one, if he's that hot. Besides, it's not every day a billionaire offers to take you out on a date!”
“You know I don't care about that,” Tina said, dismissively. She tugged on her pajama bottoms and then dropped down onto the couch. She felt as though a weight had been lifted off of her, and telling someone seemed to have done what nothing else could. She didn't know why she hadn't called Maria back then – she could have done without the added stress when she was trying to get through her exams. “I'm still not sure I'm doing the right thing.”
“Are you crazy?” Maria sounded incredulous. “We should all be so lucky! You should care about that! Money’s important honey. Even if it isn’t long term, he can buy you nice things you can keep forever. He sounds like a dream.”
“He's hot, that's all you know,” Tina said. Sighing, she kicked her legs up onto the couch and stretched out. “I mean, I feel like there's more to him than just the money, you know? But I'm nervous. What if he finds out that I'm not what he wants? I don't want to get my hopes up.”
Maria made a considering noise. “There's always going to be that worry, though, with anyone.”
Tina nodded, even though she knew Maria couldn't see her. “Yeah, but he could be an asshole. Maybe he's not even really interested in me. It’s worse when he’s a billionaire. I sort of immediately feel like I’m way out of my league, whereas with your average douchebag at the bar it’s like, who cares, we’re basically equals. You know?”
“It obviously mattered to him that you didn't call,” Maria pointed out. “It's been months. Most guys would move on and not care. Stop being pessimistic.”
Tina laughed. “I guess it won't hurt to go this once and see what he's really like.”
“See? I knew you called me for a reason.”
Flicking on the TV, knowing that the call with Maria was coming to a close, Tina said, “Hey, you want to go shopping tomorrow?”
“Duh,” Maria said immediately. “We need to make sure you look date appropriate.”
“I always look date appropriate.
Maria hummed, sounding disbelieving. “If you say so.”
They made plans to meet up the following morning in town, and Tina hung up, confident that with Maria's help, she was at least going to look good. Still, there would be time enough to worry about what was going to happen with Ryan later. For now, she could relax and have a good night. She figured she had earned it.
When she woke the next morning it was raining as she pulled back the curtains, raindrops falling lightly onto the grass of the front lawn below. It was a little disappointing, but that wasn't going to stop her going shopping. This date was important, and she needed to find something that was going to wow Ryan, but was within her budget. She had student loans to pay off, and she wasn't sure that going out and buying expensive dresses was the way to go. Choosing clothes that were going to be warm and comfortable, she texted Maria to let her know that she was happy to meet up still if Maria was.
She received a reply while she was toasting her bagel – Maria was definitely up for making Tina look date presentable. Tina wasn't offended; she smiled, and put her phone in her bag, along with her purse and essentials. There was still a little time for her to wash up and grab a jacket before her bus arrived, but she grabbed her umbrella from the cupboard before she opened the door.
“Typical,” she muttered, but walked quickly to the bus stop. Thankfully, it was a covered stop, so she could shake out her umbrella a little to rid it of most of the water. She had been hoping that it would at least be nice; she wanted her evening with Ryan to be as best it could be, especially if it was going to go further than just the one date.
Maria was nowhere to be seen when Tina got to the mall, so she ducked into the nearest coffee shop and ordered a coffee. She could do with the pick-me-up and sitting by the counter along the window she could keep an eye-out for Maria, texting her to let her know where she was, and sipped at her piping hot drink.
Finally, when Tina was almost done with her coffee, Maria showed up. Waving to catch her attention, Tina greeted Maria when she came through the door.
“Lovely weather, isn't it?” Maria grinned. She sat down on the stool, but waved Tina off when asked if she wanted a coffee. “Maybe later. For now, we need to find you something to wear for this date of yours.”
“Don't,” Tina said, groaning. “I'm trying not to think about it too much. I might cry if I think too hard about the fact that I
have a date with a billionaire.”
She hissed the words so as not to draw attention to them, and Maria rolled her eyes.
“Relax. Nobody is listening to you.”
“Fine. Let's get out of here.” Tina tossed her cup in the waste bin and then gathered her bag, shaking out her umbrella, hoping the weather would have cleared up by the time they got out of there. “Where do you want to go first?”
“I don't care,” Maria said, shrugging. “But we have to find you a decent dress.”
Tina felt as though she should say something to that, but it was true. She didn't tend to wear too many dresses, unless she was going out to a nightclub that deserved one, but none that were particularly date worthy. She definitely didn't own any that were suitable for dating a billionaire.
“You have to stop worrying too much about the fact that he has money.” Maria waved her hand, as though dismissing the idea. “You just have to concentrate on the fact that he's hot, and that you want him.”
Tina flushed. “I never said that.”
Maria laughed. “You had sex with the guy when you thought he was married!”
Tina knew she was going to regret telling Maria that, especially as she seemed willing to say it loud enough that the entire town could hear. “Well, he's not married. Let's just find this dress.”
“Whatever you say,” Maria grinned.
“So where is he taking you?” Maria asked. She was searching some of the dresses on the rack, running her eyes critically over them.
Tina shrugged. “I don't know. He just said he would pick me up outside my apartment.”
Maria raised her eyebrows, smiling. “Oh? That sounds ominous.”
Blushing, Tina pretended that she wasn't bothered, though inside her stomach was tying itself up in knots. “What if he takes me somewhere really expensive? I'm going to look so out of place.”
Looking unimpressed, Maria rolled her eyes. “You're just as entitled to be somewhere expensive as he is. You're beautiful and you'll look the part if we find you the right dress.”
Tina let herself believe what Maria was saying, mostly because she could be confident when her best friend was giving her the tools to be that way. “Fine. But first we have to find the right dress.”
They went from shop to shop, searching dress racks and even going so far as to try skirt and shirt combos. By the fourth store, Tina was beginning to lose hope that they would find anything appropriate for this date, and though Maria was making choices, she was becoming disheartened with Tina's lack of enthusiasm.
“Seriously,” Tina moaned. “If we don't find something soon, I'm going to take this as a sign that I shouldn't go.”
“I'm not going to let that happen,” Maria said. “We're going to find the perfect dress, you will look amazing, and he will snap you up. You deserve him far more than he deserves you.”
Feeling warmed by the compliment, and smiling, Tina nudged Maria's arm. “Thanks. Come on, we'll try a couple more.”
They moved up to the second floor, hoping to find something better up there. Thankfully, the second shop in, Tina found a dress that she was happy with, if not completely satisfied. It was a retro dress, not too short, with a sweetheart neckline. It looked like the kind of dress you could wear happily to an expensive restaurant, but was still affordable. Tina did worry about the price. “I don't know if I can afford it.”
“How often are you going to get the chance to buy a dress like this?” Maria asked. “And with the chance to impress a billionaire while you're at it. This is the kind of dress you keep for years, come on. You’ll get tons of value out of it.”
Tina still wasn't completely sure, but she guessed it was better than anything else she had found – and she could wear it and not be embarrassed to be seen with Ryan. She scolded herself a little internally as she and Maria headed for the cashiers desk. She had to stop thinking she was a lesser person than him just because he had money. It could be daunting, having the prospect of a billionaire boyfriend on the horizon, but he as a person just like everybody else – and he could be a douchebag for all she knew. She had thought it of him once, so there was nothing to say she wouldn't feel the same way.
“Good luck with your date,” Maria told her later, when they were waiting for their respective buses. “You have to call me and tell me how it went.”
“Of course I will,” Tina said. She shifted her bag further up her shoulder. “Thanks for coming shopping with me.”
Maria grinned. “Any time. I can't have you looking terrible on dates now, can I?”
Tina rolled her eyes. “I would have found a way to dress myself appropriately.”
Giving her a doubtful look, Maria waved as the bus pulled up. “I mean it, call me!”
Tina called back that she would as Maria disappeared into the bus. It would be a little while longer until Tina's bus arrived, and she tried not to let herself dwell too much on the date. She had no doubts that her fear about what was going to happen once they were in the restaurant was only going to grow over the rest of the day, but she could do this. She just had to envision Ryan as any other person – and not as a billionaire she had already slept with.
Cringing, Tina was relieved when her bus finally pulled up. She found a seat towards the back of the bus, and slipped into the seat, pressing the heels of her hands to her eyes. Breathe, she told herself. Breathe, and it would all be okay.
* * *
Getting ready that evening seemed to take forever. No matter which way she did her hair or makeup, nothing seemed to be good enough for the date. She was frustrated with herself, but more for being ridiculous about a simple date, when anything would work. She didn't think Ryan would be particularly judgmental of the way she had looked – he had slept with her when she was working and looking completely frazzled – but that didn't mean she wanted to look terrible. Finally deciding that minimal was probably better in this case, she adjusted her hair and make-up.
She let her mind drift, wondering what would happen if she and Ryan did work out – and their relationship continued. She hoped that eventually she would get accustomed to the feeling of dating someone like Ryan. She wanted more; she hoped that things would work out because she really liked him, even though she'd only met him the once. There had been a connection there, and she wanted to see how deep it went.
Thankfully, she wasn't left to analyze things for too long. The doorbell went about ten minutes after she'd finished getting ready, and she smoothed down her dress, slipping into heels as she reached for the door. Ryan was standing on the other side, a small bouquet of flowers in his hand. They were tasteful and inexpensive, and she appreciated it as she took them.
“Thank you,” she said, sure she was blushing. “If you come in a second, I'll just put them in water and get my bag.”
Ryan stepped across the threshold and followed her into the kitchen. “I'm glad we're finally going on a date.”
Tina smiled gently. “So am I.” As she was arranging the flowers in the glass, she gave him a quick look.
“Also, I’m Tina,” she continued, realizing even though they’d had sex months ago he might not even know her name.
“I asked around,” Ryan said eventually. “I wanted to know who it was I had met.”
Tina flushed again. She hadn't considered that he would try and find her when she hadn't called. Maybe Maria was right about it after all. Maybe she was right about Ryan. “Okay. Done. Ready?”
“I am,” Ryan said. He led the way out of the kitchen, pausing to let Tina grab her bag and then they were on their way. Ryan's car was sitting outside on the road, and Tina wasn't surprised to see that it wasn’t as expensive as she had imagined. Instead of a flashy red Ferrari Ryan drove a Mercedes sedan. Expensive, sure, but not billionaire expensive. The seats were comfy and she slipped her bag down by her feet.
She didn't ask where they were going, preferring to experience it for herself, though she was pleased when they pulled up outside a restaurant she had been to
many times. It was affordable for her, and she gave Ryan a knowing smile, though he just raised his eyebrows. “What?”
“Nothing.” Tina tugged a little on her dress, and then reached down for her bag. “I love eating here. It has such nice food.”
“I like it here too,” Ryan told her. He guided her into the restaurant with his hand on the base of her spine, and she felt a thrill at the touch. Though nobody else in the room knew who Ryan was, or would probably care, she knew and that made all the difference. Her heels clacked on the floor of the entranceway, and Ryan pushed open the door, gesturing for her to go through.
“Table for two, please,” he said, nodding at the waiter. Well that’s a tick for him. He said please to the server. Having worked as a waitress for a bit when she was studying, Tina always appreciated someone who was polite to the serving staff, as she found people like that were far rarer than she had imagined. They were led over to a table by the window, and Tina settled into the seat across from Ryan, feeling her heart pounding in her chest. She was excited for the date, nervous, but ready for it. Whatever happened from here would dictate her near future, and she really hoped that Ryan would be in it.
Ordering from the menu was easy, though she and Ryan made minimal eye contact as she did. She was trying to force down her nerves, but it didn't help that Ryan was being gracious and perfect. It wasn't a bad thing, but it was still strange enough for Tina that she was slightly thrown.
