Page 39 of When He Saved Me
FINN
We drovethrough the streets of Midtown, Jamie’s black Honda following my Jeep to my place so I could change my clothes. It had dawned on me that this would be our first official date, and I had never really been on one. I’d taken Carmen to events over the years, and I’d participated in the occasional hookup, but I’d never been on an actual date.
I was nervous as fuck.
We pulled into the parking lot of the complex, and I waited for Jamie to join me so we could walk up to my apartment together.
I unlocked the door, proud when my hand only shook a little, and walked into the empty apartment, flipping on the switch as we entered. Carmen was gone for the weekend. With her finals complete, she’d flown to Denver to see Isa perform with her ballet company in the Nutcracker, so we had the place to ourselves.
“So, um, can I get you something to drink?” I asked, fidgeting with the strings on my hoodie. I was suddenly very aware of how small my apartment was and how that must look to him.
Jamie didn’t answer my question, instead crossing over to me and pulling me into his arms. He wasn’t much taller than me, so my head rested perfectly on his shoulder, and I breathed in the scent of him. He smelled like the forest after it rains, and it calmed my racing heart.
“Don’t be nervous, baby. It’s just dinner,” he said, stroking his hand down my back.
“I’m not nervous,” I lied.
He chuckled, pulling away and pressing a kiss to my forehead. “Show me around your place.”
“There’s not much to see. We’re obviously standing in the living room. The kitchen’s right there.” I pointed to the tiny kitchen adjacent to the living space. “And back there is my bedroom.”
He waggled his eyebrows, saying, “My favorite room.”
I rolled my eyes but felt more of the tension melt, just as I was sure he’d intended.
“Come on,” I gestured for him to follow me back to the bedroom, glad I’d spent some time folding and putting away laundry yesterday. We entered the space, and I moved to the closet to pull out my black slacks and button-down, my standard gig attire.
I turned to find Jamie sitting in the chair next to the bed, watching me.
“I’ll just be a second,” I said, crossing to the bathroom.
“Where are you going?” he asked, eyebrows raised, mouth curved in a sarcastic little smirk.
“I’m just going to change in here,” I said, hooking my thumb over my shoulder and gesturing to the bathroom behind me.
“Shy, Finn?”
“Um, no…maybe.” I let out a frustrated sigh. “Cut me some slack, Jamie. I’ve never dated before. I don’t know how to…do…this.”
He stood and crossed over to me, his features softening as he placed his hands on either side of my hips. “I’m sorry. I was just flipping you shit. The only wrong way to do this is to do something you’re uncomfortable with.” He kissed my forehead and stepped away. “Why don’t I just go back out and wait in the living room?”
“No,” I said, reaching for his arm. “Stay.”
I made my way back to the bed, setting my things down as I pulled my hoodie over my head, exchanging it for the button-down. “So tell me about this student-teaching gig. What’s the deal with Swope?”
His eyes watched my hands as I worked my way down the buttons, and he swallowed, his eyes darting back up to mine before responding. “Swope Middle School is the school I attended, as well as where my mom taught. I could student teach anywhere, really, but Swope feels like home, you know?” I reached for my pants, turning my back to him as I dropped my sweats and pulled my slacks up. “I’m hoping student teaching there will lead to a permanent position in the fall,” he continued. “A couple of teachers in the English department are retiring, so there will be some openings.”
Facing him again, I buttoned my slacks and then reached for my belt, threading it through the loops at my waist. “That’s cool,” I said. “I figured you went to private school.”
“Nah. My mom is a big believer in the public school system, so that’s where I went. Swope Middle and then Ward High.” I sat on the edge of the bed closest to him to put on my socks and shoes. “Where’d you go to school?” he asked.
“KC Prep Academy. I think we played you guys in basketball.”
“Yeah, most sports, actually. I competed against you guys in swim and track.”
I ducked my head. “I used to run cross country, mostly to appease my parents, but other than that, I’m not really a sports sort of guy.”
He leaned forward, placing his fingers under my chin, forcing me to look up at him. “You know I don’t care about that shit, right?”
