Friday, October 5.
Arabella was running around her room in a panic. Her black purse was nowhere to be found and Ethan was going to be there any minute. She was pretty well all set to go, wearing a black and white dress with black high heels and a black cardigan. Ethan had not told her where they were going. He told her to dress fancy but he would not give her any specifics, no matter how much she begged him.
She let out a sigh of relief when she found the small black purse and she hurried into her bathroom. After putting a swipe of red lipstick on her lips, Arabella tossed the lipstick in her purse and she ran out of her bedroom. She walked down the stairs and when she got to the bottom floor, she leaned against the wall, taking deep breaths. Arabella glanced at the clock, seeing that she had one minute until Ethan got there. She smiled a little bit and closed her eyes, tugging on the hem of her dress.
In all honesty, Arabella was nervous. Her stomach was in knots and she felt like she was going to puke. Arabella had never really been out on a date like this before and she was worried that she was going to mess up somehow or she was going to embarrass herself. Ethan made her smile and he made her laugh. She didn't want to screw it up and lose him.
The doorbell rang and Arabella nearly jumped out of her skin. She took a small breath, fixing her hair, before rushing over to the door and pulling it open. Ethan had on a suit and he looked better than ever. When she opened the door, he gasped, looking down at her with a slightly stunned look on his face. "You..you look amazing" He told her and Arabella blushed, glancing down at the ground.
"Well, thanks" Arabella giggled softly and she looked around, back into the house a little, trying to remember if she forgot anything. "Is there anything you want before we go?"
"Nope, everything is perfect" Ethan held out his hand and when she placed hers in his, he pulled her out of her home. He wrapped a strong arm around her and he kissed her lightly, making the butterflies in her stomach go crazy.
"Okay...let's go before my dad gets home" Arabella breathed and she locked the door before letting Ethan lead her down the stairs. "Are you going to tell me where we're going?"
"You'll find out. When we get there" He teased and when she groaned, he laughed. Ethan slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. Arabella was so close to him, she coudl feel the heat coming off his body and the way his muscles moved as he walked.
"You should at least give me a hint so that I know how far I'm going to have to walk in these heels" Arabella giggled.
"We're going to that car, over there" Ethan chuckled, pointing to the town car that was parked a few doors down, where the nearest parking spot was.
"Oh, well, that was obvious" Arabella laughed a little, blushing. Ethan walked with her to the car and held the door open for her. She smiled and slid into the car, scooting over to the other side. Ethan slid in beside her and nodded at the driver. Soon enough, they were speeding down the road.
"Seriously, Arabella...you look stunning" Ethan told her and Arabella smiled, reaching over and taking his hand. She twisted her fingers with his and leaned over, placing a little kiss on his cheek.
"So do you" She told him with a little smiled then she turned to glance out of the window, almost bouncing in her seat. "Where are we going?" She asked him quickly, like she was expecting to be able to catch him off guard.
"Spain" Ethan said, smiling over at here. "I heard it's wonderful this time of year"
"Gee, thanks" Arabella sighed, rolling her eyes. Ethan pulled her closer to him, making her giggle and he kissed her tightly.
"Mmm..we're here" Ethan said softly and he laughed when Arabella squeaked, turning to look out of the window. They were in front of a theater, women in beautiful dresses and men in amazing suits were walking in.
"We're going to see a Broadway show?" Arabella gasped and Ethan nodded, holding out their tickets.
"Mamma Mia" Ethan grinned and Arabella squeaked again, throwing her arms around him.
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"That was the most amazing thing I've ever seen!" Arabella grinned up at Ethan. He had his arm around her shoulders and she hand her arms around his middle. After the show, they had decided to walk home. It was a beautiful night and Arabella was having a good time with him.
"I'm glad that you liked it, my dear" Ethan said and he leaned down, placing a kiss on her nose. Arabella wrinkled her nose a little bit, smiling.
"Thanks for all of this, really. I've had a really amazing night" Arabella said and she took her arms away from his middle, slipping her hand in his. Together, they walked up the steps to her home.
"Well, so did I" Ethan said, running his hands down her arms lightly then put his hands on her hips. He leaned back against the wall, pulling her in front of him. "Does this mean that I'll get a chance at a second date"
"Mmm...I don't know. I have a lot of offers" Arabella giggled. Ethan gave her a hurt look and she grinned, kissing him lightly. "I'd say you have a pretty damn good chance"
"Wonderful" Ethan said softly and he kissed her again. Arabella's heart was racing and as he pulled her closer to him, she placed her hands on his chest. His lips started to travel down to her jaw and he danced his fingers up her back. Arabella wasn't sure where this was going and she wasn't sure where he thought this was going. She didn't want him to get the wrong idea. Ethan pulled her as close as possible to him but her stomach started to get knotted up in a bad way.
"I should go inside. My dad's probably home" Arabella whispered, pulling herself away from Ethan. "Thanks again, for tonight" She smiled and gave him a little kiss on his cheeks before turning and walking inside of her house. Arabella closed the door behind her and she took a deep breath before walking up the stairs.
As soon as she got to her bedroom, Arabella pulled off her clothes and slipped into a pair of sweatpants and her camp shirt. She sat down on her bed with a pen and a piece of paper and started to write another letter to Hunter. Arabella had been writing letters to him everyday since she wrote that first one, but she wasn't sending them to him. They were all hidden away.
Dearest Hunter,
I went on a date with Ethan tonight. It was beautiful and it was romantic and it was sweet. We saw Mamma Mia on Broadway and then walked home under the stars. It was the most romantic date I've ever been on and I loved it.
But why do I have this bad feeling in the pit of my stomach? The whole date, as amazing as it was, felt very ordinary and plain, I guess. I was hoping for something special. Something that no one had ever thought of before. Something quirky and fun.
I guess the hardest part was when we came home. He was kissing me and he started to...get a little bit carried away. It made me so nervous and scared. The only guy that I've ever been close to like that broke my heart this year. I guess I'm afraid of it happening again.
Right now, however, I am going to get into my pajamas and make some hot chocolate and watch Mean Girls.
I miss you
XXOO
Arabella
Arabella folded up the piece of paper and she tucked it neatly into an envelope. She held it close to her heart for a moment before hiding it a box under her bed.