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Lilly fiddles around soiddy as a little kid Eventually she puts the phone down, quits taking pictures, and realizes I’ at her

“Why are you being so quiet?”

Because I want to shit my pants

“Because I’h anxiously, the sh the , but it’s the first gift I’ve given a woman, and it’s so cheesy I’m not sure how she’ll react to it

I clu it out of one with our drink order

The last thing I need is an audience

Lilly’s keen brown eyes flit to the cheerful red wrapping paper then up at my face; she doesn’t ask what’s in the box or who it’s for

I slide it across the table ever so aardly “This is for you”

She bites down on her lower lip, excited Gingerly plucks it off the table, pulling the ribbon that was painstakingly tied

This tie aroundaway the only nerves I have left, palms sweaty

I run the of my jeans as Lilly unwraps the present

“I didn’t get you anything”

“I wasn’t expecting you to Don’t get your hopes up—it’s not that exciting” I downplay it, a defense against rejection

Watch as she carefully removes the square box top Takes the object inside and lifts it by the silky ribbon so it dangles above the table between us

“Our first Christ up “A, this is so sweet, Roman Thank you”

“I’ it to you for a reason”

She tilts her head to the side, waiting for further explanation

“Obviously it would be to co up, but also I wanted…” I take a sip of water, needing to wet my suddenly dry throat “I wanted to ask you…” Shit It sounds like I’e to her hat I really want to say is, “Will you be irlfriend? I know this is our first date, but we’ve already done a few things out of order, and I already know I have feelings for you”

This is not at all the speech I prepared yesterday, rehearsing it in my bathroom mirror at least a dozen times

“I know you weren’t originally interested in dating due to your guy detox and you haven’t been single long, but sometimes…” I clear my throat “When you know, you know” At least, that’s what ut; it never steers you wrong

“You’re right,” she says at last, setting the ornament down on the linen tablecloth “I wasn’t interested in dating when I broke up with you knoho, but that’s because I thought all guys were going to treat uys before him treated me Why? Because I always date the same kind of person Not on purpose, but because that’s who I’m surrounded by” She takes a piece of bread fro herself a s I was”