Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic // The Police

I'm nervous. I don't date much so I'm unfamiliar with these types of nerves. I wasn't even this nervous taking Alison to the cabin, even though I was faking most of my confidence. But when I pull up to the address she gave me knowing the course of the evening may confirm how meant to be we are...or destroy every fantasy I've had this week, I want to puke.

How do guys handle this level of pressure? I know people think the pressure of performance on the field before hundreds, or even thousands, of screaming fans is too much to take. But this shit is next level. I don't go home with the fans yelling at me. I don't want to hold them close or have them look at me with dark eyes and open hopes.

Alison is the only person I absolutely need to see me that way. It's taking me by storm, this draw I have to her. I know infatuation is a serious possibility but that would usually involve sex. We haven't had any. My draw to her is all intellectual.

Fuck. That's not true. I'm turned on just looking at the girl, but there's more to my attraction than base lust. She's funny. She's smart. And damn that girl is determined. She's carving a path for her future that most people right out of college have no drive to do. But Alison does and she's working it like a boss.

Is it too soon to be proud of her the way I am? I have no idea but I am. And I could care less if this is hyper speed. I rarely go for what I want. But this time is different.

Alison is who I want.

I get out of my car, a dusty Camero that my dad found at an auction. We may have money, but he's always emphasized working for what you've got, not handouts to his kids just because. I had to mow a lot of lawns and paint a lot of trim to earn this car. His methods worked because I love this stupid car.

Once my doors are locked, I make my way up to Alison's door. She's on the ground floor, first door on the right. I knock twice and seconds later I hear footsteps right before the door swings open. As soon as it does, I understand why she was able to answer so fast. Her place is the size of a postage stamp.

"Hey," she says, breathless. I feel the same. Gorgeous. Her brown hair is pulled to the side in a braid and she's got a similar outfit to the one she wore the night we met. Realization dawns that I did the same. Dark jeans and a button up shirt, this time plaid, with a white t-shirt underneath.

And fuck. I also realize I left the flowers I got her in the car. I'm hopeless at this.

"Is something wrong?" Alison frowns and asks tentatively. I must have made a face about the flowers.

"No. I just remembered something I left in the car for you. Are you ready?" I flash a reassuring smile. The last thing I want is to start this date on a bad note. I've waited all week for this. We've been texting and talking every day since I came back, before and after my practice or her shift. It's been silly, simple conversations, nothing heavy. And none of it has been awkward. Yet. But this is face to face. And I don't want to fuck it up.

"Sure. Let me grab my bag." She steps away from the door giving me a full view of her little place. The room in front of me is small but filled with a sitting area surrounding a small T.V. and her bed against the opposite wall. There's a bookcase overflowing with books and I see the edge of a desk next to the door. I don't step all the way in, she didn't invite me, but from the threshold most of the room is visible.

"Okay," Alison says breathlessly as she returns from the back corner, "we can go now." I wonder if she's feeling the same nerves that I am. The thought calms me down. We're both putting ourselves out there.

She steps around me and locks her door. Then I put my hand on the small of her back and lead her to my car. My fingertips tingle at the contact. We get to the car and I do the gentlemanly thing and open her door. Alison slides in, I close the door and round the car to the driver's side.

Once I'm in, I turn to her and reach into the back seat for the flowers. I wasn't sure what to get so I went with a summer bouquet, according to the sign above the flowers at the grocery store. Lavender and yellow flowers with smaller white flowers mixed in.

"I should have brought these to the door." I hand them to her in the most awkward exchange imaginable. A first for us. I realize my nerves might turn this night into a fail and I have to do something about it.

I turn to face her, keys in hand rather than the ignition. "I'm nervous." Call it like it is and maybe we'll get a handle on it. "Since we met, things have been smooth, perfect actually. I don't want to mess things up."

I watch as Alison visibly relaxes. "I'm nervous, too. And yeah, it's been so perfect, almost too perfect. I guess I'm worried our dark sides will take over and ruin everything."

"Dark sides? Like Vader?"

She shrugs. "I'm a Star Wars nerd." She says it like an apology. I grab her hand, pull it to my mouth and kiss the back of it.

"Me too." Then I can't help myself. I lean across the center of the car and press my lips to hers. It's been a week since I tasted her, and I need the hit. Like an addict. Not wanting to turn the date into a backseat tango, I end the kiss with a peck and lean back.

"Well, since we're both nervous wrecks, let's get this night started."

"Perfect."

I put the car in drive and head toward our destination. I hope she likes it. There will be music involved, the thing that bonded us in the first place. Although that was horrific music and we bonded over mutual disgust. But anyway, good music should be even better. Right?

Right. Of course it will.

Nerves need to shut up and go back home because this second guessing myself shit is getting old.

***

"Um...downtown Fallbrook?" Alison sounds hesitant when I park and start to get out of the car.

"Yeah. They have live music on almost every street corner on the first Friday of every month." It's the beginning of August. Which means the beginning of the end for me. Football practice is about to go nuclear and I won't have the energy to focus on her the way I should. Or at least, the way I think I should.

"I know." Her words are barely a whisper and I think that maybe she didn't want me to hear her.

"You've been?" I take her by the hand, and she allows it which is a relief. I'm getting a weird vibe from her. She's only one town away so it's entirely possible she's been here for First Fridays.

Alison tucks a lock of hair behind her ear and glances at the store fronts we're passing. "I have."

The vibe hasn't gotten less weird but I keep moving forward. Maybe her nerves haven't settled the way mine have. Or had. They've made a reappearance now that she's acting distant.

We continue along the sidewalk in silence passing stores with eclectic collector's pieces and boutique clothing. City hall, a library and post office, a store for crafting and a toy store. We finally stumble across the first street performers, a trio of guitar, drums and violin. Not your typical pairing but the sound is good. Alison and I come to a stop and listen. The group plays some mash ups of familiar rock songs, not exactly a medley or remix but more like a fresh take on layering the chords.

It's cool. I take a risk putting my arm around Alison's shoulders but am rewarded when she snuggles into me closer. The temperature has dropped enough to be comfortable this late in the summer evening, thankfully. So I know she isn't trying to warm up by getting closer to me, at least.

"Keep walking?" I ask after a few songs. Alison nods but doesn't say anything. We pass a few small restaurants and the smell makes my mouth water. I'm hungry. I planned to take her to the local pizza joint. It's a favorite for high school students more than the college crowd who seems to want dive bars based on the little interaction I've had with my teammates outside of practice. No thanks. I'll stick with gooey cheese and sauce and lay off the other kind of sauce.

"Hungry?" I point to the pizza place.

"Starving. Pizza sounds good."

And that is officially the longest sentence Alison has uttered since getting out of my car. I run a hand through my hair, not sure how to get this date back on track. This is why I was so nervous. Taking our amazing connection and finding it fizzle out in person, in reality away from the bubble we were in up in Salt Creek.

"What do you like on your pizza?"

"The basics. Pepperoni is fine."

This date is tanking. I order a large pepperoni and a pitcher of soda then we grab a table in the back. I guess the only way to change the course we're on is to tackle it directly. That's what my dad would do. He's a get-things-done kind of guy. I want to be more like him but don't know if I have it in me. I'm not that bold.

While we wait for the pizza, I decide to get down to it.

"Are you okay?" I whisper the words, not wanting anyone to hear whatever it is Alison might tell me. No one I know is here right now but that could change in a heartbeat. Fallbrook is no small town, but its small enough that stuff gets around.

Alison's head shoots up and her eyes go wide. "What...what do you mean?"

"I mean, you're really quiet. That's all. I'm hoping I didn't do anything to upset you. And if I did, I'm really sorry."

Her gaze softens and she gives me a warm smile. That's reassuring at least.

"You haven't done anything wrong. You're perfect, actually. It's not you, I swear."

Oh.shit. The kiss of death. It's not you, it's me. Fuck.

She must see the color drain from my face. Her hand reaches across the table and latches onto mine. "That's not what I meant. Not at all."

I look up at her. "Okay. But?"

"But...there's something I should tell you."

I swallow. "Go ahead."

"I grew up in Fallbrook."

"Is that all?" The sense of relief is overwhelming. Is that what she was so concerned about? "You must have gone to Miller." The other high school in town has a reputation for being complete assholes to each other. The way the school lines are drawn in town is like a toddler scribbling on the walls, makes no sense at all. Neighbors could be sent to opposite sides of town for school. The district wanted the schools to have balanced representation from every neighborhood. But for some reason, it seems like the biggest jerks in town ended up at Miller. Maybe Alison doesn't want me to think of her as a Miller shithead. Which is what the Jefferson students called the Miller students. Although I'm not sure we were that much better.

Well, I was. But I can't speak for the rest of my friends.

"Yes. I went to Miller. But that's not really...that's not the problem. You live here, right?"

"For now." I haven't moved into the dorms, yet. Although that would still technically be in Fallbrook since I'm going to Fallbrook University.

"And you said you were staying local for college?"

I'm not sure where she's going with this. "Yeah?"

"You're on the football team."

It's not a question. I feel like she finally got to the bottom of whatever her issue is, but I don't speak this language, so I'm still lost.

"Yes. I'm a running back. Second string." Pretty good for a freshman so I'll take it. And I'm not ashamed to say I'll ride the bench for most of the season. No big deal. I've got four years to make it to the top.

Alison takes a drink of soda, swallows the lump in her throat which I can practically see, and closes her eyes.

"My dad's the coach."

"The coach." I'm not sure she's saying what I think she's saying.

"Your coach."

The emphasis on your is what gets me. "Oh. Shit."

"Yeah. Basically." Her strangled voice also gets me. My hand is still holding hers but now I'm gripping it tighter and I wrap my other hand around it as well.

"Hey. It's okay."

"I should have said something earlier, but we didn't go into specifics and I was thinking, hoping actually, that you might be going to Northern and then everything would be fine, no big deal, and we could still..." She pulls her hands away from mine and grabs a napkin, pulling it apart.

"Alison-"

"But you can get the pizza to go and just drop me at home. I understand. No hard feelings, it's all good. Really."

"Alison, stop." Her hands still and her eyes lift to mine. "I mean, it's okay. I'm not worried about who your dad is. It's not a problem."

She snorts. "You don't know my dad."

"I mean, not that well, yet. But he seems like a good guy. Fair."

"Ha! He's really overprotective. Dating in high school was, well a mess. I didn't. No guy would look twice at me even though he didn't coach the high school team. They still knew who he was and most kids end up local so..."

I chuckle. "Alison, you went to Miller. No dad would want their daughter dating a Miller douche bag."

She glares at me. I put my hands up in surrender. "Just saying."

"Doesn't matter. It won't work."

"Why not? I'll be glad to talk to him. Adults are kind of my specialty."

Now its Alison's turn to chuckle. But her's is laced with sarcasm so I don't think I've convinced her.

"Listen. I'm a nice guy. It sounds douchey to say that about myself but I'm very self-aware. I'm a rule follower. Responsible. Respectful. I know your dad can already see that in me based on the few practices we've had. Let me talk to him. Let me try."

"You'd really do that? Brave the father talk just to date me?" Her jaw is dropped.

I shrug. "Well, yeah. You're worth it."

It's official. My playlist sucks. Don't think I've ever said that about one of my playlists, but today proved it. I've been S T R U G G L I N G with this chapter. So freaking bad. I tried working on it this morning with my playlist on shuffle. Nothing. So after lunch I put a totally different book's playlist on and BAM - the rest of the chapter just poured out.

So... dilemma. I'll figure it out, but looks like my playlist is getting the boot. And I may even go back and change songs already linked to previous chapters if I ever get the right inspiration. The Police is still Jeff's sound, and this song did help, so I'm still adding it to this chapter.

Anyway, Happy New Year! I hope that 2022 is a MUCH better year for all of us.

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I'm not super active on SM lately...too much going on. But if you find me there, I'll say hi!