After my date with Chris, I wasn't really sure where to go from there. Of course, he was absolutely wonderful and charming, not to mention good looking, but the fact that he was so famous was suddenly very frightening. It's not like that fact changed who he was as a person, I mean you could hardly tell the man was a celebrity by the way he carried himself. I didn't want it to, but it freaked me out.

Estelle thought I was a complete fucking idiot. "Why on earth would him being famous be such a dealbreaker? That makes him even more of a total package." It had been two days since the date and she still couldn't get over it. 

"How is dating a famous person a positive for you?" I asked her through a mouthful of Chinese food as we sat on the couch watching tv. "Please enlighten me."

"Oh come on! You'd be famous almost instantly without even trying or being remotely talented in any way." She paused the tv, clearly wanting to have a complete discussion on the topic. 

"I guess I understand what you mean, but I would want to be recognized for my own personal talents after all that's what I've been trying to do for the past four years. I don't want to be recognized just because I'm attached to someone successful."

Estelle sighed and set down her fork to look directly at me. "I understand where you're coming from and I know how much work you've put into your writing these past years, but I really don't get why you are so hung up on this. I mean, clearly he really likes you and I'm pretty sure you feel the same way so why is this an issue?"

I thought to myself for a while, mindlessly twirling my lo mein with my chopsticks before I answered her. "Honestly, I don't know why it feels like such a big deal. He's still an insanely wonderful person I just don't know if I'd be able to handle being in a spotlight like that." We both went quiet for a while. "Don't you think we're getting a little ahead of ourselves here? I mean, we've only been on one date, two days ago, and he still hasn't texted me back."

"He's a dumb boy, he's probably just following the three-day rule."

I groaned and threw myself back on the couch. "I hate that stupid fucking three-day rule. Why do men think that it's going to make any real impact."

"Well, why haven't you texted him first then." She gave me a pointed look while she downed a piece of Mongolian beef. 

"What about this conversation makes you think I'm even close to being in the state of mind to even consider doing that?"

"All I'm saying is you won't really know how you feel about it until you try. So either he texts first or you do. Either way, you'll only find out how it's gonna go if you give it a shot." Before I could respond she turned back to the tv and this topic of conversation was officially closed. She was right though. Even though Chris and I were nowhere near a relationship at that point if that were ever an option the only way to know how I would handle it was to try.

*****

The next day at work I decided to use my break as time to mull over whether or not I would make the next move. I sat at one of the tables towards the back of the cafe with my mug and a notebook listing the pros and cons of taking the plunge. What can I say, I like to weigh my options. 

PROS: he's so attractive it's almost painful, CUTEST.LAUGH.EVER., smart as hell, is actually a genuinely good person

CONS: the whole famous thing (i.e. lots of paparazzi, people recognizing me random places, his fans vehemently hating me)

The pros were honestly more plentiful and better than the cons, but it was that one con that continued to plague me. I stared at the open page, attempting to come up with anything else that could possibly be a reason for me not jumping into this until someone sat down across from me. I jumped a little from the unexpected company and shut my notebook so fast when I realized it was Chris with me at the table. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He chuckled.

"Oh no, you're all right. I always look like a deer in headlights, it's not just you." I joked and he laughed. I know this sounds so cheesy but hearing that laugh made my heart flutter.

"You know, I was worried when I didn't see you up at the counter that you'd skipped town just to avoid seeing me." The look in his eyes told me that, even though it was just a joke, some part of him was genuinely worried that it might be true.

"I am basically always here. I sold my soul to Mark a while ago so I'm contractually obligated to spend my days here." I joked. "I am wondering why you didn't just text though." As much as I loved seeing him sat there across from me, it was kind of strange that he had just shown up like that. 

"Well, I was trying to follow the three-day rule and then I felt like a fucking idiot for doing it so I decided to make up for it by seeing you in person." He paused for a second before continuing. "In hindsight, it does seem kind of weird, but here I am." 

I laughed a little. "It is nice to see you again. Even if it is a little strange." We both smiled at one another.

"I guess I really came here to see if you had changed your mind from where we left off the other night." I paused for a second and I could see Chris tense up as his nerves got to him. My hesitation wasn't because I didn't want to continue seeing him, but because I was working up the courage to tell him I did. I guess the nerves were getting to me too. 

Just as I was about to speak again, Mark threw a rag at me to get my attention. "Hey F. Scott, get your butt over here, the break is over." 

I sighed and did my best to wordlessly apologize profusely to Chris as I stood up. "How about we talk more tonight. I'll meet you at seven o'clock at the bar from the other night."

He looked a little more hopeful than he had before. "Sounds like a plan."

*****

Seeing Chris at the cafe really forced me to make my decision as soon as possible. There was no way out of it now. As nervous as I was, I knew exactly what I was going to tell him, and it finally felt like the right thing to do. 

"So you actually made a definite decision?" Estelle asked me over the phone. I had texted her about what happened earlier and she wanted to know everything that was running through my mind. 

"I did indeed." I responded proudly as I left work and got into my car. 

"So is it a good decision or a bad decision?" She prodded and I could mentally picture the face she was making at me through the phone as if she was my mother. I paused for a second before responding, trying to keep her on the edge of her seat for as long as possible. "For the love of God, Laurel. I don't have all day please tell me what is going to happen."

I laughed at her exasperation before finally responding. "It's definitely a good decision. At least by your definition." 

"Oh come on, you wouldn't be doing this if you didn't think it was a good decision too." She tried to be annoyed with me, but I could obviously hear the excitement in her voice. "Well, regardless, I hope tonight goes well for you both and I expect full details when you get home." I promised I would tell her everything the second I got back then hung up the phone. As nervous as I was, I was also really pleased with the decision I had made. 

I got to the bar right on time and I saw Chris standing outside, smoking a cigarette while he waited for me to arrive. My heartbeat started to pick up a little as I got out of the car and walked toward him. He smiled the second he noticed me, but I could tell he had a lot of nervous energy coursing through him. 

"Long time no see." I joked. 

"Most time I've ever gone without seeing someone in my entire life." He joked back, flicking his cigarette butt onto the ground and stepping on it to ensure it was out. "Shall we move inside?" He gestured to the door.

"We shall." I said and led the way inside. I could feel my palms getting a little clammy as my own nerves started to get the better of me. I tried to steady myself. The worst thing that could happen was Chris saying he didn't see things the same way, and the way he was acting made it seem like that would be his least likely reaction to my news. 

"Why don't you grab us a table and I will get us some drinks."

"Sounds good to me. I'll have a Blue Moon, please." He gave me a quick nod and headed over to the bar while I sat down at a table. As Chris waited at the bar, I could tell he was resisting the urge to look over his shoulder at me. It was clear he felt like this might end in a worst-case scenario and I felt a little guilty for making him feel that way. I knew exactly how he felt though. Being in such a vulnerable position is hard and it's easy to fall into a pessimistic view, but I hoped that once I told him how I felt his mood would pick up. 

He finally came back over to the table with two beer bottles in hand. "So, I don't know whether we should indulge ourselves in some small talk or just skip right to the important stuff." 

"Small talk could be good, but I think cutting to the chase might ease both our nerves a little more." I told him, turning my beer between my hands. 

He laughed a little nervously. "I think I like the second option." 

"Okay then." I smiled at him and while he tried to seem at ease I could see his jaw tense up as I started to speak. "I had the time to think about it for a while and even though it kind of makes me nervous I don't want that to keep us from being able to see each other."

Almost immediately I could see his tension melt away and he smiled at me. "Well, that is definitely good news."

"I thought you might think that too." I said mirroring his smile. A wave of relief came over me that I had finally come to a solid decision and it seemed to work out well for me, which was a new trend in my life. We sat together in the bar for a while longer, neither of us really wanting to leave quite yet. We were both filled with that new feeling of excitement and giddiness you get when you start something new, and it was a feeling we both wanted to hang onto for as long as possible. It was new and a little intimidating but I was so excited about it. After a while, we both realized how late it was getting and decided to head home. Yet again he walked me to my car. 

"I'm really glad we could see each other again today." I told him when we got to my car, leaning in closer to him. 

He stepped in closer to me before responding. "I am too. And I'm glad I'll be seeing you again." He gently grasped my hand and I felt the electricity coursing between us as he leaned into me.

"I'm really glad too." I said softly, leaning further into him and he finally leaned in and kissed me. His lips were incredibly soft and he was possibly the best kisser I had ever encountered. With most guys, there was at least one thing they could work on, but with him, it just felt completely perfect. We both pulled away slowly grinning like idiots. "I guess this is goodnight." I said.

"I guess so." He said taking a small step back but still holding onto my hand. "I'll see you soon." He let go of my hand and walked back to his car. My entire body was tingling just from his touch. It felt like something I had never experienced before and I just hoped I would never lose that feeling.