Chapter 20:

Peeking inside, I see Adaline laying face down on the floor, holding her stomach and I had to sniffle my laughter. That ice cream must have been something else.

"Adaline?" I asked, walking in. "Hey, are you okay?"

Beginning to think that she was dead, Landon name was on the tip of my tongue to tell him to come help me but her hand wrapped around my ankle. "I already took three Advil's and I'm still dying."

"Three? Are you crazy!" I exclaimed.

She started to sit up. "I look bad?"

"Bad is an understatement."

Groaning, she stood up. "Well at least I put some of the girls to shame then."

"You need to lay down." Then my nostrils got a good whiff of her odor-she smelled of throw up- and I covered my nose. "But first shower first."

"Thanks Mom."

Rolling my eyes, I watched her enter the bathroom. "You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah!" She called back out. "Don't worry too much it's only-" I couldn't hear anything else but I did hear the sound of the toilet seat being lifted and I knew that was my cue to leave.

"Ow!" I hissed falling to the floor. "Shit."

"Sorry." Landon apologized as he helped me off the floor just as quickly as I fell.

"You almost broke my nose!" I dramatically exclaimed before poking at his chest. "What are you made out of?"

"Muscle?"

"Pfft if you say so." I sidestepped him, trying to get to my room for the time being.

Turning me around he genuinely looked amused and confused by me. "You don't agree?"

"Eh, I've seen better." It's okay to tell white lies once and awhile. "I have to go change." I knew he had to as well as I could still tell that his shorts were damp now.

Once again trying to walk pass him, I'm interrupted again. His hand pressed to my stomach, the material I look up to seeing him looking deep in thought sort of speak but his eyes were trained on my lips.

"No more kissing." I needed a break.

"Why?" He seemed hurt.

"Technically I'm breaking the role of not giving you a kiss until our first date. So take me out first." Then I added. "And as your personal assistant I have to say you have to get back to work- after all you didn't even give what's her face an answer."

"That's not important right now, and really? What's her face?"

"You know what I mean." I waved him off. "Now if you'll excuse me." Taking his hand off of my stomach, I successfully walk around him.

I felt my face heat up as his hand tapped my ass and I turned around in shock holding my left cheek. "Really?!" I hiss at him.

"Don't pretend you didn't like it."

I felt a smile trying to creep on to my face and before that could happened, I rolled my eyes turning back around. "Idiot." I mumbled.

"I heard that!" He shouts to me when I'm already at my door I open it, and shout back.

"You were supposed to!"

I shut my-his-door.

•••

Stepping out of the shower, I hear my phone buzzing on the table. I rush over to it with my towel wrapped around me.

I look at the caller ID, to see its Regina.

"Hello?"

"It's me." She sings. "So when are you coming back?"

"In a day or two depending on what happens."

"I miss my best friend." She whined into the phone. "There's nobody to keep me company."

"What about that Xander guy?" I accompanied myself in putting my hair back to together.

"Who?"

"Regina, you're disgusting." I laughed, putting her on speaker. "You're probably glad you have the apartment to yourself."

"Well that's sort of true, I get to know what's its like to walk around naked." Wait a minute.

"Please don't tell you're naked while talking to me?"

"No."

"Regina."

"Maybe?"

"Regina!"

"Okay, I'll go put on a shirt." She laughed on the other side of the phone.

Hearing a knock on the other side of my door, my hand tightened around my towel. "What was that?" Regina asked me as if I knew.

"I am assuming Casper." I went to go open the door, it was probably Adaline.

"Ha ha so funny." I heard her say but my eyes were glued to the person that opened the door.

Landon stood, wearing his usually get up- a suit- and my hand tightened even more around my towel.. why did he look better right now then he did earlier.

He twirled a key in his hand like that was normal before catching it in his hand at the last second. His eyes never leaving mine and even though I knew he saw me in my towel, he didn't make me feel uncomfortable about it. "Uh yes?" I ask him, after a heartbeat pause.

"I'm taking you out tonight."

"What did he say?" Regina asked. I forgot she was on the phone and I quickly took her off speaker phone.

"Regina I'll call you back, okay?"

"With details."

"Okay, bye." I hung up, pressing my phone behind my back. "So uh, you said what?"

"I'm taking you out tonight." He said it again, leaving no space to deny him.

"What if I'm busy?"

"Doing what?" He now seemed interested instead of looking bored.

"Like watching a movie with ice cream." Really? you're such a dork.

"Movies and Ice Cream?" It rolled off his tongue like he was speaking a foreign language.

"Yes." I say, trying to convince him.

"Be ready an a hour."

"You're demanding me now?"

"Please can you be ready in an hour?" He put his hands together as if he was praying.

"No." Shutting the door in his face that was in complete shock. I waited a good solid minute before opening the door to see him still in his daze.

"You can give me an hour and I'll be downstairs." Getting ready to shut the door his hand stopped the doors movement causing it to protest.

This time he made it known that he was eyeing me. "Are you demanding me now?"

"Depends on how you take it." I shrugged.

He let go of the door giving me back leverage to close it. "I'll be downstairs."

"And I'll be up here." I smiled.

He chuckled at me and it caused me to grin even harder. "An hour." He took two steps back before turning and walking down the hallway and I watched me walk down the stairs until he was out of my sight.

Ten minutes later and I was still having a panic attack.. Why is this so hard?

I can't find an outfit I mean I didn't really plan for a date, and my everyday clothes was sitting, looking at me like I did a dirty deed of bringing them.

Then an idea popped inside my head. ADALINE. Quickly running out of my room, I peeked my head into her room.

"Josh really?" She sighed into her phone. "I told you I'll be back, I'm just in New York."

I don't hear the mans response but I think he had calmed down. "I miss you too." nI knocked on the door the signal her that she wasn't alone anymore. "Oh." She jumped startled she switched the phone to go to her right ear, turning to face me.

"Hey, I'm sorry but could you help me with something?" I asked her.

"Sure, just give me sec." She turned her attention back, I'm assuming he boyfriend, she was on the phone with. "Babe- Calm down its just my friend- yeah I gotta go see you soon, I love you."

She hangs up the phone. "Okay what do you need?"

"Um, I have a date and I was wondering if you could help me?" I ask.

"A date?" She exclaimed excited, but she paused. "With who?"

"You promise not to tell anyone?"

"Pinky promise." We sealed our pinky's together.

"Landon."

"LANDON!" She yelled in complete shock. "When did this happened?"

"Shh." I hushed her quickly stepping in to close the door behind me. "He's downstairs."

"I knew it!"

"What?" Oh could she-

"Oh calm on, it's not hard to see you two making eyes at each other."

Is it that noticeable?

"So could you help me?" I changed the subject, back to what I was originally here for.

"Of course." She got up from the bed. "Hold on."

"Okay this is what I have. Pick one, I'll be right back." And she rushed out the door. I look at all three and my eyes lock with one dress. "Okay did you pick one?" She says, coming back into the room , with my makeup bag- it wasn't hard to spot as I literally tore my my suitcase to shreds for an outfit.

"Yes this one." I say, pointing to the black one.

"Good choice." She gloats, obviously liking the one I picked.

It was sleeveless with a v neck that I knew would hit the bridge of my breast just by eyeing it, I felt the fabric and my eyes widen after picking it seeing it had a slit. That's why I felt like I was a nun, I never wanted to try anything new.

"Come on, let me do your makeup." She directed me to her the bathroom and I eyed my bag. "Since you look good with nautral colors were going to keep it that way."

"Alright."

"Let me go get my primer."

"Your what?"

"It's a spray, it helps your makeup last longer." She came back already talking away. "I'm pretty sure you know how to do your hair, since I don't really know how to- I'm not saying that I wouldn't try I just don't want!-"

"Adaline, it's okay." I laughed it off, it was understandable- I was half black.

She finished less than thirty minutes. "Okay, you're going to have to run across the hall and do your hair while I bring you the dress."

"What if he sees me?"

"Track and Field it then." She was already out the door and I followed after her before seeing her pick up the dress. "See like this." She quickly bolted out of the door and down the hall and I was starting to question if I wanted to become friends with her or not.

Following her lead, I sprinted across the hall but turning into the room, the feeling of my toe being stabbed by the door halted my movement. "Seriously!"

"I know that hurts." Adaline interjected seeing me on the floor.

"Yeah I know." I groaned, standing up to shake off the pain. "Let's just get this over with."

"Maybe, we should put the dress on first." She commented as she already unzipped the back part.

"We couldn't have done that over there?" I pointed in the direction of her room.

"No." She gave me a poker face.

"Okay, give me the dress." I held out my hand.

"You're going to wear a bra with this?"

"Uh.."I looked down to my cleavage. "It's not much I'm only a C cup."

"Perfect." She held out her her hand that held the dress. "No bra."

"But-"

She eyed me and I rolled my eyes before taking the dress. "Fine."

Slipping out of my shorts and tank top, I stepped into the dress before pulling it up to my breast, unhooking the back to slip out of my bra and I quickly covered them before they could kiss the cold air. "Okay, can you come zip me up?"

Turning so my back was to her, the sound of the zipper was the most satisfying. It fitted perfectly.

"Now turn around so I can see." Turning to face her, she nodded her head with a smile plastered on her face. "Well hot damn."

"Is it too much?" I asked, looking down to see the v neck, I felt so exposed.

"What heels do you have?" She asked me and I pointed to a few laying there and she rampaged through them before coming out with my tan ones. "Here, this will make you stand out, wherever you're going."

"Now go do your hair."

"Yes ma'am." Walking into the bathroom, I played with my hair for a little while deciding what to do.. one bun? Two bun? Half up, Half down?

Deciding to give myself a bang, bobby pinning my hair in the front so when my hair did dry, it wouldn't be so frizzy. I put the rest into a bun before spacing it out so it wouldn't be so tight. "So-" I was interrupted when I didn't see Adaline in the room anymore. What the heck?

"Sorry, sorry." She came back in. "So I have jewelry, if you want it." She placed my makeup bag on the bed, before opening her other hand to reveal rings, a bracelet and I saw a long necklace in her hand. "Sorry. I'm going to have to unravel that."

Smiling on how I found someone else that was just a little anxious like me, I nodded my head to tell her I would wait. She smiled before handing me the jewelry and she got busy unraveling the little mess she created before helping me slip it on.

She snapped her fingers. "Earrings!"

"I have some on." They were studs. "I think this is enough."

"Uh no, take those off and put these on." She gave me her hoops. "Alright, make sure you have your handbag, put your lipstick in it just in case your lips get dry, I have pepper spray if you need it, your phone." She started listing out what I needed and while she was doing that I was gathering what she said.

"Now let's go Smokey." She literally was pushing me out the door and I laughed out how eagerly she was being.

I automatically stopped laughing once I saw him, walking up the stairs- probably seee what was taking so long- but he stopped once he saw me as well.

The only thing I felt in that moment was Adaline's hand on my back but taking a deep breath, I stepped away from her and towards him. "You look beautiful." He breathed out once the silence was enough to suffocate a person.

"Thank you, you don't look so bad either." But of course I already seen him.

"I know."

"Cocky much?"

"Shall we?" He ignored my comment but I knew he heard me as he had a slight smile on his face that he didn't want to let fully form.

Holding out his hand to me, I looked back to Adaline with her hands together and up to her cheek. "Go on."

Turning my attention back to him, I put my hand in his hand. "We shall."