___________________________
Bold - Renan
Italics - Eve

Be there in 5 ;)

Good bc I'm freezing

Eve...
R u waiting for me outside?

...yeah

Y don't u just wait inside,
where it's warm?
And where I can walk up
to the front door, n ring
the bell, n meet ur dad,
n escort u to my car...
like a gentleman should on
a first date :)

Ya. Not gonna happen.
Just make sure uv
got the seat warmers
ready.

Fine,
They're already on.
___________________________

I smile to myself. I could practically see the eye roll in Renan's last texts.

I decide to sit down on the cement steps in front of my apartment while I'm waiting. I pull my knees to my chest, wrap my arms around my shins, and rest my chin on top of my knees.

Renan hadn't told me what we were doing tonight so I had to dress semi-flexible. I opted to wear one of his sweaters tucked into a pair of high-waisted skinny jeans with a belt, and ankle boots, which Mrs. Hender kindly loaned me. I left my hair wavy and put on some concealer, a bit of mascara, and tinted chapstick because this frigid air has not been good for my lips.

I pick at the seam of my jeans and watch my breathe condense in the air in front of me. I sigh. When Renan asked me out the night we found out we qualified for Nationals, I was so confident in my answer. We were both so high off of adrenaline and hope and disbelief. But now as nerves begin to set in I'm not sure whether I made the right decision.

When our names were announced as the winners for the duo division, only moments later we were confronted by the same interviewer holding a handheld camera up straining to capture our celebratory actions.

Renan had instantly wrapped me up in a hug, my feet leaving the ground as he spun us around. I laughed when he set me down and we both stumbled a bit from giddiness and dizziness.

When we were finally focused enough on him, the interviewer congratulated us on our advancement in the competition. Then he asked us what we were going to do to celebrate.

"I have an idea," Renan had said beaming.

"You do?"

"Yeah," Renan confirmed turning to look at me, "let's go out."

"Go out," I had asked confused and still breathless from our jubilation. "Go out like..."

"Like on a date Eve," he said taking my hand in his. "I wanna take you on a date. I've been meaning to ask you for a little while now but couldn't find the right time or place."

I heard awes and gasps from the competitors standing around us. But, I went speechless and he noticed. Then he noticed the little red recording light.

"I- I mean only if you want to though. Ugh, this was definitely not the place or time huh. Asking you in front of all these people, I'm so stupid. I'm so sorry Evie, I wasn't thinking. Well actually I was thinking, thinking about how happy I've been these past months with you. But I'd understand if you say no. You know if you'd want to keep our relationship strictly professional."

It was probably a little evil of me but I laughed. Strictly professional, I thought to myself, what are we lawyers working at the same firm? I also probably should have cut off his nervous rant right when it started but I wanted to see where it went and it would also make for good blackmail footage in the future, because the truth was I had made my decision before he even said the word 'date.'

When I stopped laughing, I could see his smile had fallen, he had let go of my hand a while back, and the interviewer was hanging on to every moment of silence willing me to break it.

I chuckled. "Relax Mathews," then lightly shoved his shoulder to get his attention. "I'd love to go on a date with you. Just say when and where."

His face instantly brightened and his full warm smile returned to his face. The interviewer let out a sigh of relief and the other competitors began to give little cheers of relief and congratulations.

Finding his confidence once more Renan had grabbed my hand and said, "the when I'll get back to you about, but the where is gonna be a surprise." Then he winked at the camera.

I rolled my eyes.

He knows I hate surprises.

~•~•~•~•~•~

"You know I hate surprises," I remind him for the fourth time since he picked me up and began driving us to our secret date destination. "Can't you just tell me where we're going please," I whine.

"Have I mentioned how beautiful you look today," he says shooting me a side glance and wink.

I huff. "Stop deflecting the question Mathews."

He rolls his eyes and chuckles. "Fine I'll give you a hint." I sit up straighter in my seat. "What's the thing you always order whenever we eat out together?"

I think for a second. "I don't know I order lots of things. You always insist on eating at different places."

"Ok, but what's the thing you look for, before you even see what meals are on the menu?"

"The prices," I offer.

Renan rests his head on top of the steering wheel in defeat as we sit and wait for the red light to turn green. "Yes Eve, the prices. I'm taking you to a financial literacy seminar for our first date." He tilts his head to look at me. "Surprise!"

I roll my eyes.

"The night we ate at the diner after your fight what did you order to drink?" He asks me as SoCal traffic begins to move again.

"A cookie dough milkshake?"

He nods his head. "And when we went and got ice cream for Mrs. Hender and the daycare kids for their Thanksgiving feast, which we were also conveniently invited to, what kind did you get?"

"Cookie dough."

He smiles now. "And when Mr. Hender buys us pizza sometimes when we're rehearsing late into the evening, what does he always make sure to buy you for desert?"

"A pizookie."

"And on days you need a pick-me-up what do you always ask me to smuggle out for you from the cafeteria?"

"Ok, ok, I get it," I chuckle, "I have a slight chocolate-chip cookie problem."

"Slight?"

I shove Renan's shoulder and scoff.

"Woah, I'm driving here. Maybe don't smack the person who holds your life in their hands."

He turns to look at me with a lopsided smile and I look back at him as well. "That still doesn't answer my question of where we're going."

He turns back to look ahead of him as we begin to head off the main road and weave through streets surrounded by mom-and-pop shops and local restaurants. "I'm taking you to cookie heaven," Renan says smiling.

I shake my head. What have I gotten myself into?

~•~•~•~•~•~

"Just Dough it," I say reading aloud the pink neon pun that illuminates the top of a little modern bakery. "What is this place?"

Renan opens the shop's door for me to enter, and I hear a little bell ring signal that new costumers have entered. "This is a cookie lovers dream Eve." His face lights up as he tells me all about the shop. "They make all kinds of different cookie creations, but the best part is you can schedule little appointments to make your own 8 inch cookies."

My jaw drops. "What!?"

"Each person gets a 30 minute session where you pick what kind of dough and add-ins you want and then they cook it up for you right then so you can eat your cookie warm and fresh from the oven."

Just as he's finished saying this, we reach the glass covered counter containing all the sweet add-ins. My eyes go wide at all the choices and I can't help the huge smile that my lips form. On the inside I'm squealing like a rich kid in a candy shop, but on the outside I'm as cool as a cucumber.

I hear Renan clear his throat beside me. "So, good surprise then?" He asks sheepishly looking down at me.

"Great surprise," I beam looking up at him before turning my attention to the employee who explains to us how our appointment will work and what ingredients we can pick from.

Renan lets me go first. "Before I start choosing, are you allergic to anything?"

"Not that I know of, why?" Then he pauses to think a bit. "Are you seriously turning our date into a competition," he chuckles.

"Of course I am, and I just want to make sure you can taste defeat once my cookie beats yours."

"Well that's to bad for you because I'm actually allergic to losing," he says rocking back on the heels of his feet and giving me a cheeky smile.

"Well then I hope you brought an epipen Mathews because you're so going down," I give him a smirk before turning back to the chuckling employee and begin to pick out my ingredients. As I do I feel Renan place his hand on the small of my back. He rests his elbow on the top of the counter and leans a little to scope out his ingredients. His thumb traces absentminded circles into my back as he thinks about what to make.

This time it's his turn to make me stumble on my words.

I sneak a glance at him to see if he's noticed what he's done. There's a smirk on his face but he doesn't look back at me.

That saboteur.

~•~•~•~•~•~

"Admit it my cookie is so much better than yours," I tease popping another piece of mine into my mouth. We're lounging on a couch inside the bakery's cozy dining area. "Mmmm," I hum in contentment as I close my eyes and savor the sweet and salty taste of my double chocolate, caramel, peanut butter, pretzel, almond masterpiece.

"Not a chance Joyce," Renan retorts pointing his half eaten cookie at me. I open my eyes just in time to see his marshmallow, lucky charm, strawberry, white chocolate, rainbow sprinkle, extra sweet and sugary creation inches from my face. 

So I do what any sane person would, I lean forward and take a bite out of it.

A look of shock appears on Renan's face. "Did you just steal a bite of my cookie?"

I shrug innocently and swallow before letting out another satisfying, "mmmm."

Suddenly Renan lunges forward reaching to break off a piece of my cookie, but so many years of fighting has refined my reflexes and I swivel just in enough time to dodge his attack. With my back facing him I feel his arm snake around my stomach and pull me across the couch to his side. I try my hardest to break free, but I've only got one free hand and a dwindling amount of willpower due to the fact my brain is busy swooning over how close I'm pressed to Renan's chest.

"Admit that I made the better cookie and I'll let you go," Renan bargains his grip loosening as I stop wiggling to break lose from his hold.

"Never," I retort not turning to face him.

Out of the corner of my eye I see him place his cookie down on a napkin on the coffee table in front of us. "I had a feeling you'd say that," he sighs. And then he uses both hands to tickle me.

I let out a surprised and exceptionally girly shriek as I feel his fingers against my abdomen through the sweater. We both begin to laugh, but for very different reasons, and it takes all the energy within me to hold onto my sweet chocolaty creation.

"Renan," I say through laughter, "stop! People are staring, you're causing a scene!" By this point we're both sitting sideways on the couch and I've somehow been situated in between his legs so my back is pressed directly against his chest.

"Not until you admit defeat," he says not letting up on his attack.

I see some customers begin to chuckle at our antics, a few teenage girls look longingly at our public display of affection, and an elderly couple shake their heads at the ruckus we've caused. And it's for these reasons only that I wheeze out, "fine, fine. You win. Are you happy?"

Renan stops tickling me and leans up against the wall as I lean back against his chest. I rest  my head on his shoulder as I try to catch my breathe.

He chuckles before taking the hand that's holding my cookie, which somehow survived that whole ordeal, and brings it to his face and takes a bite out of what's left of my dessert. I don't have enough energy to protest this time.

"You know, now that I think about it," he says still chewing, "your cookie is definitely way better than mine."

I tilt my head to face him and see him smirking, already looking down at me, our noses almost touching

"You're a real piece of work Mathews, you know that," I ask in mock annoyance. "Did you really have to embarrass me in front of all these people?" I cross my arms and turn away from him.

He chuckles and tightens his arms wrapped around my waist. "Awe c'mon Eve, don't be upset. Look, I'm sorry, ok?"

I tilt my head towards him. "Oh yeah," I tease.

"Promise," he says leaning in a bit closer.

"How- how sorry are you," I whisper back unable to think of a witty comeback due to the fact that only centimeters separated our lips.

"Real sorry," he whispers back before I see his eyes flutter shut and he closes the gap between us.

I feel his lips press to mine and wonder for a second when I've closed to my eyes as well. He kisses me soft but swiftly before pulling away. I open my eyes to see his searching mine. Searching for my reaction, searching to see if he's just made a mistake.

But I don't let those thoughts linger long because before I can think about what I'm doing, I shift around so I'm facing him and bring my hand up to his cheek before smiling and leaning in for another kiss. He smiles into it this time.

When we pull apart he rests his forehead against mine our eyes lock onto each other. And because I'm me and I can only stand sickly sweet moments like this for so long, I lick my lips and whisper, "mmm lucky charms."

Renan bursts into surprised laughter finally pulling away from me. I start to laugh as well as Renan smiles at me shaking his head.

"What?" I chuckle.

But Renan just continues to smile. He shrugs, "nothing." Before sitting the right way on the couch and placing his arm around my shoulders.

The rest of our time at "Just Dough It" we spend talking about light-hearted and trivial things. And it's nice. It's nice to be able to feel like a normal teenaged girl on a normal first date with a normal teenaged boy. To feel like the worst thing I have to worry about is whether or not I was a good kisser or when I'm gonna find the time to study for my test on Monday.

I could have gone care free all night, if only my phone hadn't rang on our drive back home.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

A/N:

Hey y'all! I had such a fun time writing this chapter! I hope you all like it!

I wonder who could be calling...? Find out in the next chapter ;)

Thank you for every read, vote, and comment! I really appreciate you all!

<3 Anne :)

Also, for the book I'm planning to write next, I've gotten the book cover, description, and first little chapter done of the character's aesthetics. Would y'all want me to publish that before I'm done with "Fight of Desire" as a sort of preview or wait to publish it until I can start writing it?

Also Also, pic at beginning of the chapter is of Renan on their date :)