carter hart // lunch dates
request: 28 from the prompt list for carter hart?
28: my mom asked about you again.
word count: 1655 words
a/n: long time no see! enjoy :) (ALSO I COULD SOOOO DO A PART TWO TO THIS SO LET ME KNOW IF YOU WOULD LIKE ONE) feel free to send in any requests <3
- - - - -
Carter Hart: My mom asked about you again.
You put your phone down after rereading and analyzing the text for what feels like the 50th time.
Your brain is currently running a million miles an hour.
- - - - -
Why is he telling you this?
Why did he text you?
Why did he use a period at the end of the sentence? What could that mean?
Why is his mom talking about me?
What if it is just a lie?
Could he be lying just to get some?
You shake your head, trying to get rid of all the bad thoughts.
It doesn’t work, though. You sigh and grab the phone again. You start to type back:
Cool
Then delete it. Sounds too harsh. You try again with:
Why?
No...that won’t work. You delete it. Maybe:
Tell her I say hi.
That will do. You hit the send button, and almost immediately regret it. You didn’t need to respond to him, you tell yourself.
My thoughts of regret are interrupted by a chime.
Carter Hart: She wants to get lunch with you.
You start to laugh out loud.
Lunch? With your ex’s mom?
You remember how sweet she was to you the only time you met her in person, and she sent you embarrassing pictures of Carter to tease him with.
You sigh and write back:
Sure, when is she in town?
- - - - -
You walk five blocks to a hot and trendy lunch spot known for its soups and salads.
The nerves are definitely kicking in.
Why does Carter’s mom want to get lunch with me?
When you arrive, you tell the hostess your name and she shows you to a cute two person table in a room filled with leafy plants as its decor. If you were here with a girlfriend of yours, you would most definitely be snapping pictures for your Instagram feed in her.
You thank the hostess as you sit down, and pick up the menu to gaze at it as you wait patiently.
The waiting only lasts five minutes. Shauna Hart walks into the restaurant and beelines over to you with the biggest smile on her face. You get up to greet her and she embraces you with a warm hug. You know the feeling of a Hart hug. It is iconic.
“How are you, dear?” She asks as you retreat back to your seat.
“I’m well, how about yourself?” You reply.
“I’m lovely. Thank you for coming with me. Have you been here before?”
You shake your head, “No, this was actually Carter’s recommendation.”
Her smile grows when you mention his name.
Before she can say anything, the waitress comes over to introduce herself and inform us on the specials of the day including homemade chicken noodle soup! Sounds fucking good.
She leaves to let us continue our process of figuring out what we want for lunch.
After a minute of silence, Shauna speaks up, “He misses you.”
You look up from your menu, but don’t know how to respond. The fastest thing you can think of is, “That is nice of him.”
The minute the words leave your mouth, you get a little embarrassed and start to blush.
The waitress comes back to take your orders. You order a cup of the chicken noodle soup and a BLT salad with fresh avocados. Shauna orders a chicken salad sandwich, which is advertised as one of their bestsellers.
After handing our waitress the menus, you and Shauna get into a conversation that, thankfully, ignores the elephant in the room, Carter.
The nervousness you felt early starts to disappear with time. Shauna is such a easy person to have a conversation with and makes you feel relaxed despite the odd situation the two of you are in.
Your food comes out to the two of you and it looks amazing. You both start to dive into your meals while continuing to chat in between bites.
Eventually, the conversation takes a turn. Shauna starts to share a story of Carter, without even realizing it. You listen, though, and the mood does not shift. It starts to feel normal and comfortable.
The story ends up with both of you nearly in tears.
You manage to get out, “Why was he so obsessed with that stuffed animal?” through your laughter.
- - - - -
At the end of lunch, Shauna insists on paying for your meal, too, and you thank her a million times. You check your phone and realize you’ve been at lunch for almost two hours. Time flies when you are having fun.
You say your goodbyes to Shauna, and go off your own ways.
On your walk home, the memories of you and Carter flood your thoughts. Your cheeks start to hurt from smiling at them. People probably think you are a lunatic walking through the streets of Philadelphia with a smile like the Cheshire Cat for no reason.
When you get home, you kick off your shoes, throw your purse on the couch, and walk into your room. You leap onto your bed and stare at the ceiling. You don’t know what to do.
Your phone starts to ring, but it isn’t your normal ring tone.
It’s Carter’s ringtone. You never changed it.
You rush over to the couch and rummage through your purse to pull out your phone just in time to press accept, “Hello?”
“How was lunch?”
You smile, “It was good. The food was really yummy, and it was so cute. Thank you for the recommendation.”
“Would you ever go back again?”
“Yeah, I think I would. I could get some uber cute Instagram pictures next time. Oh! And some of the drinks looked heavenly, but ya know I didn’t want to get drunk at noon at lunch with my ex’s mom,” you chuckle.
“Want to go tomorrow?”
“Yes, I would love to wha-....wait. What do you mean?”
You hear Carter let out a nervous giggle, “Do you want to go back there for lunch again tomorrow?”
“With you?”
“Yeah. With me.”
You pause before responding. It’s only been three months since he broke up with you. It still hurts you sometimes.
Would it be okay to go to lunch with him already?
What if he wants to get back together?
Was this his plan the whole time?
“Y/N? You still there?” The voice through your phone says.
“Yes, yes I’m still here, sorry. I was thinking.”
“Is it too soon?” He questions.
“No. I’ll go. Tomorrow at noon?”
“Yes, that works for me. I will see you there.”
- - - - -
The next morning, you wake up with a smile on your face, but the smile fades as the anxiety kicks in.
You have no clue what to wear.
What do you think he is going to wear?
Is he going to go all out?
What if you look more dressed up than him? Or what if he looks more dressed up than you?
To let out a little steam, you scream into your pillow.
“Ah, much better.” You can and hop out of bed.
You have three hours until the scheduled lunch date.
Wait is this a date?
You tell your brain to shut up, and get out of bed. You head out into your kitchen to make a cup of iced coffee. In your head, you start to formulate a to do list to complete before heading out.
- - - - -
Carter Hart: I’m early :) I’m at a table in the middle.
You slide your phone back into your purse as you walk out of your apartment building and onto the sidewalks of Philadelphia.
You try to hype yourself up during your walk. It doesn’t work very well, but gives you a little bit of confidence and a break from worrying.
Once you arrive at the restaurant, you enter and see Carter immediately. He looks nervous, which makes you feel a little at ease knowing you are not the only one.
You walk up to his table, and he stands up to give you a hug, “Hi, Y/N, you look good.”
The hug feels so familiar, and not because you were hugging his mom 24 hours ago. Your nose immediately recognizes his smell, too. The scent makes you feel warm and happy inside.
As the gentleman he is, Carter pulls your chair out for you to sit, which you thank him for of course.
He sits down, too, and the two of you look at each other to take in the moment and process what is going on.
You giggle, “I cannot believe this is actually happening.”
“I know.”
“Did your mom actually want to get lunch with me?”
He nods his head, “Yes, of course. She loved you the first time she met you.”
“She’s a really good person. I see where you get it from,” You say to him and smile. You notice he starts to blush a little as he looks down at his menu to avoid eye contact.
To change the subject, Carter speaks up: “Which drink are you getting?”
You are about to respond when the waitress comes up for our drink orders and the whole specials of the day ordeal. You are pleased when she says homemade chicken noodle soup is being served again today.
Since you are unsure how to pick a drink because they all look amazing, you ask the waitress to make whichever she likes the best. Carter only gets a glass of water due to the season being in full swing.
While you wait for your mystery drink, you ask Carter about the season so far and how everything is working out.
When the drink arrives, you slurp it down so fast you aren’t even sure what it was. The drink calms you down, and when you place your lunch order you ask for a new mystery drink to enjoy. Carter laughs while you order it, exactly like he would when you two were dating.
