Page 78 of Leo and His Love Bunny

My hand starts fidgeting in my lap again, and I rub it over the seam of my skirt.

I don’t have too many party clothes, and what I’m wearing looks more like it would be appropriate on a Sunday morning in church rather than for an evening party with a bunch of hockey players. But, when I answered the door, Leo’s eyes lit up and he smiled at me, and I think that means that he likes my outfit, and I honestly don’t care about anyone else.

Except, maybe I would feel a little bit more comfortable if I thought I was wearing the same type of thing that everyone else will be wearing, instead of sticking out like a sore thumb.

“You’re not one of many. You’re... You’re my friend,” he finishes lamely. I don’t know what he meant to say, but I don’t think it was that.

“There’s nothing to be nervous about,” he says after a little bit of silence. “Everyone’s going to love you.”

“I guess I’m not worried about everyone,” I say, looking out the window, even though there’s nothing to see except darkness.

“Then what are you worried about?” he asks, as he flips the turn signal on and waits for an oncoming car before he turns into the parking lot.

“I just don’t want to embarrass you. I... Don’t know that you necessarily need to be proud of me or anything, I just... Don’t want you to wish that you were with someone who is used to these kinds of things and can do them well.”

“If I wanted to be with someone like that, I suppose there are a lot of people to choose from. Any of the girls that are here, forexample,” Leo says as he pulls into a lot and puts the car in park, but he doesn’t shut it off. He just looks across the seat at me. “But I don’t want that. I want you.”

It sounds like he wants me for more than friends, but I know that’s not what he means. He just means that he asked me to come, and he knew what I was, and did it on purpose.

“But maybe compared to those other ones, when you see me side-by-side, I’m going to look provincial and unsophisticated.”

“You can say provincial and unsophisticated, and make it sound like an insult, but I like that you're natural and real and there is no guile in you. That’s what’s attractive about you to me.”

He’s talking about attraction?

Now I’m really confused. I thought we were friends, and you don’t talk about an attraction to your friends, do you?

Maybe I’m too provincial and unsophisticated to know. That’s probably it.

“All right. Thanks,” I say. My words are subdued. I’m not sure what he means, and while he has allayed my fears, I still have butterflies in my stomach. I don’t expect to have a good time at this, but I’m hoping they have good food anyway. Not that I’m going to be able to eat, because I’ll be too nervous.

“Just sit there,” he says, as he gets out of the car.

He’s bossing me around. I laugh a little to myself, because he’s just a commanding kind of person, and I don’t mind. Not even a little bit. Maybe I should.

He walks around the front of the car, and then opens my door, and puts a handout for me to grab a hold of.

Wow. Okay. I’m charmed.

I can’t imagine Leo on a date if this is what he does with his friend.

I put my hand in his, and it gives me the same thrill as it has every time I’ve touched him. I wish I could stop feeling thatway, but my way of fighting that is to just stay away. Of course, I couldn’t ignore his hand, or the gallant, gentlemanly gesture.

We smile at each other as I step out, and he closes the door behind me.

“Have I told you how beautiful you look this evening?” he asks, and I can feel my cheeks heating, even though a laugh bubbles out of my mouth.

“I’m serious. Why are you laughing at me?”

“I’m not exactly the kind of person that anyone calls beautiful.” Maybe he means it, but I think it’s more of a charm thing that he must turn on when he’s escorting a woman somewhere.

“You’re the kind of girl I think is beautiful. In fact, you are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

He sounds so serious that I’m not even tempted to laugh.

I don’t think he could possibly mean it, but he really sounds like he does.

I know I should murmur a thank you or something, but I content myself with not arguing. I feel like that’s a step in the right direction.

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