for: @joliedebeauvoir
location: casa de beauvior, ventura
time: friday, around 9 pm
Ethan smoothed down his unruly hair for the third time that night. He reached for his mop of brown waves before he caught himself midway and immediately brought his hand down and planted it firmly by his side. This was ridiculous. Why was he nervous? Why was he acting like a teenager on their first date? He didn’t have the answer to those questions. Ethan had been on dates before, though few and far in-between, he had been on them. Maybe he was out of practice like Jolie and his sister, Allison, had said. What a team they made, they only met virtually but quickly become inseparable in trying to get Ethan to date, ignoring all and every complaint the boy had. His sister couldn’t be here to force him, so Jolie willing took on the title of his wing woman and matchmaker extraordinaire, much to his amusement. He wasn’t expecting her to actually try though, his friends back in college had tried a similar thing, but soon gave up when people looked their way instead, but Jolie wasn’t like that. She tried and the effort itself brought a smile to Ethan’s face, and when she made it known that a date was ready, Ethan obliged as to not disappoint her.
Friday nights were usually reserved for being holed up in his apartment while a random movie ran in the background, but here he was tonight, dressed somewhat nicely, in a nice button down and jeans that weren’t ripped - something different from his usual uniform. If only he could sit still, when nerves got the better of him Ethan fidgeted uncontrollably. A fact that was not made better by his early arrival. He didn’t mean to show up half an hour early, he was trying not to be late, but another half hour after the scheduled time, Ethan figured his date didn’t mean to show up at all. He wished he had something stronger to drink, the situation demanded it but that would take him back to square one and losing all the progress he had made over the years over one failed date was not worth it. So he stayed a few more minutes, sipping on water wondering why he stepped out of his comfort zone. A silent sigh escaped him as the fact he was stood up cemented in. The chair scarped and squeaked lightly as he pushed back, he had told the waitress to wait a little longer three times now, it wasn’t far to keep a table for two occupied for his single soul any longer. The staff must have sensed his situation, for he returned their sympathy smiles with a small apologetic one of his one. Paying for the dumplings he had gotten as an appetizer while waiting, Ethan left the establishment with a fortune cookie as a parting gift, courtesy of the waitress.
The night wasn’t cold but he stuffed his hands into this jacket pocket and wrapped them tight around his body, but the feeling wasn’t comforting. He opted to take the cab, usually the one to walk everywhere, Ethan just wanted this night to end and for him to be away from this place as quick as possible. He paused when the driver asked for an address, thoughts flooded into his brain, thoughts he wished to escape and going back to an empty apartment, he realised in that moment, would not help him. Giving him the address of the one person who would be okay with a late night visitor, Ethan slid into the leather interior of the cab and finally cracked the cookie open. A beautiful, smart, and loving person will be coming into your life. Ethan stifled a laugh as he read the written wisdom it held. How wrong that statement was. Crumpling the piece of paper, he got out of the cab but told the driver to keep the engine running, Jolie told him he could go straight to her house after and he was going to take her up on that offer. Ethan didn’t want to be alone tonight, especially not after what transpired. He ran up the gravel path to check if she was asleep but eyes falling onto the illuminated house, Ethan exhaled in relief. Paying the driver and watching the car drive off into the star speckled horizon, Ethan slowly made his way up to her house. He knocked twice on the double doors and sent a quick text to let her know he was outside, not wanting to surprise her so late at night with his glum face.