IT WAS A warm, August afternoon, and Valerie had just gotten done with a physics test. She was done with her classes for the day and had to go to work.

    She rushed to her flat and slipped into her uniform and sneakers, grabbing his cat eye black sunglasses on her way out. She started to jog down the street. The diner that she worked at wasn't very far from work, so she often took to running, which earned her some questionable looks.

     She came into work right on time and cleaned herself up before grabbing her notepad and heading out into the restaurant.

     She had just finished taking an order when someone calling her name caught her attention. She whirled around to find who it was, and her face broke out into a grin when she discovered that it was John.

     "John, what are you doing here?" Valerie asked as she headed over, her hands on her hips as she stood in front of the corner table he had snagged.

     "I came in for lunch. And you?"

     "I work here, idiot." Valerie said, though not harshly. He raised her eyebrows and smiled.

     "Although, I would rather work at the bookstore across the street. Now, what can I get for you?"  Valerie asked, poising her pen shoved her notepad.

      "A cheese burger with some fries. And a soda, please." John said politely, watching as Valerie scribbled it down.

      "Right, I'll put it in." Valerie said, turning and starting to walk off, only to be caught off guard by John lightly grabbing her wrist.

      "What?" She asked as she turned back around, a strand of her hair falling from the ponytail she had put it in before she went out into the restaurant.

"Are you busy later? Say, eight o clock?"

"No, why?" Valerie asked, raising her eyebrows and smiling.

"Well, there's this cool movie theater that's showing West Side Story tonight. I know you love that movie, and I was wondering if you wanted to go see it with me?" John asked, his voice growing meeker with each word.

     "Really? I'd love to." Valerie said with a grin, and John smiled, more relieved that she even said yes.

     "Really? Okay, I'll go pick you up around seven thirty? When do you get off of work." John asked, hoping Valerie wouldn't notice him blushing.

"Seven. Perfect, I'll just have a bit of time to get ready, but it's okay." Valerie shrugged, making John, once again, be in complete awe of her complete comfort with who she was.

"Alright, cool. See you later, then." He said, and she laughed.

"Yeah, when I bring out your food!" She laughed even more and smiled shyly at him, "but yeah, see you later, John." She said before she walked off to give his order to the cook.
*****

Brian was the one to answer the door when John knocked. He gave him a perplexed look, but asked him to come inside.

"What brings you over?" Brian asked after he greeted John.

"Valerie and I are going to the movies." John said, and Brian smirked slightly. He knew how John had had a bit of a crush on Valerie. It had been two years, and Brian was awaiting John asking her out.

"Oh, I see. What movie?" Brian asked as he sat back down on the couch, John sitting in one of their mismatched seats.

"West Side Story. There's a theater doing a screening of it." John replied, smiling when Brian gave a nod of approval.

"Ah, nice. Tell Val to save me some popcorn, yeah?"

"Tell me yourself, Bri. I'll bring you back some, don't worry." Valerie said as she came into the room wearing a flowy, red skirt with a tight black shirt that had red flowers printed on it.

Brian had gifted her some clogs for her birthday, and so she was wearing those. The whole outfit came together quite nicely. John smiled at her.

"Okay. You two have fun," Brian said as he headed into the kitchen.

"Shall we?" John asked, offering his arm quite gentlemanly to Valerie. She grinned and linked her arm through his.

"We shall," she responded, and they walked out of the apartment together.
*****

"Y'know, Valerie, you look very beautiful tonight." John said as they were walking down the street. The movie was over, and they were heading to a nearby coffee shop to get some late night coffee and pastries.

      Valerie blushes and looked at the ground, kicking a rock in front of her with the toe of her shoe. "Thank you, John. You don't have to say that,  though."

    "But I mean it." John said sweetly, making Valerie smile.

     "Well,  thank you. You yourself are very handsome. And I'm not just saying that to return the compliment." Valerie said as she walked into the shop, thanking John for opening the door for her.

     "What'd'ya want?" He asked, his hands in his pockets as he looked over her shoulder at the menu she had grabbed.

     "A latte, if you will. And a macaron." Valerie said as John took the menu and went up to the counter to order. He himself ordered a croissant and a cappuccino.

     "Here," Valerie said, trying to pay John back,  only to get the money pushed away.

    "No, no, don't worry about it. It was cheap, anyway." John said, shaking his head, and refusing her offer again when she tried to push the money towards him once more.

    "Besides, you take me to all these nice places, it's the least I can do." John told her as she put her wallet back in her purse.

     "Oh, if you insist." Valerie said with an exasperated sigh, lifting her head and smiling at John. After a few minutes of just random conversation, their order was called, and the two of them went up to get the order.

     "So, the movie. Why do you like it so much?" John asked when they sat back down. He knew it was her favourite movie, but he didn't exactly know why.

     "Because the music is just so good. And the choreography! It's a work of art. And Rita Moreno! She's just amazing."  Valerie gushed, making John smile.

     "Did you like it? It's your first time seeing it, right?"  Valerie asked, and John nodded.

     "I can't believe I've never watched it before. It was really amazing and-"

     "And you cried at the end." Valerie concluded, and John scoffed.

     "I hate to say you're right, but you are."

     "What a wimp."

     "Oi! No need to rub it in." John said,  the two of them laughing as they sipped their coffee, their eyes never once leaving each other.