Behind the Screen

Chapter 15

I reluctantly sat down again, feeling like there was something pulling me back.

"I didn't mean for that to sound so offensive," Chloe said, "I just meant that you're obviously not who I was expecting, and I know the same goes for you with me."

"You're not wrong there," I said quietly.

"I guess I don't really even know you that well, even though we've been working together for a couple of years," she said.

"So what are you saying we should do?" I asked her.

"Continue to get to know each other and see what happens?" She shrugged.

"You really think that will work?" I asked.

"I don't know Katelyn - Katie, sorry," she quickly said, "but I don't think it would hurt to try."

"Maybe," I said quietly as I looked down at the table.

"Maybe we can watch some more movies, I don't know," Chloe said.

My eyes looked up and met hers, and she had a mischievous grin on her face. It was the first time that I felt like I was talking to the person that I'd gotten to know through my phone screen.

I tried to hide my own smile as my face reddened.

"Just - let's just order some food at least, it's too good for you to be here twice and not try it," she continued.

"Okay, fine," I agreed.

"Good," Chloe said as she let out a sigh of relief, "what do you want to eat?"

"Uhh, you can choose whatever is good, I'm not picky," I said.

"You sure?" She asked.

"Yeah," I nodded, "go for it, you know better than I would."

We sat there in silence for a few minutes before the waiter came over, and Chloe ordered a few things for us to try.

"So..." Chloe said as she looked over at me, "this is pretty weird, huh?"

"Yeah, just a bit," I laughed.

"It kind of feels like we got to know each other on the app," Chloe said, "but now that we're in this situation it's like we're starting over."

"I guess you're kind of right," I responded, "I honestly don't know how to act."

"I can tell," Chloe said as she grinned at me.

"Wow, thank you for that," I said sarcastically, "I don't really think you're the expert here either."

"Oh no, I'm definitely not," she said as she shook her head, "but I do think I'm doing a little better than you are."

As we waited for our food, I started to feel a little bit more relaxed. The fact that this was my boss that I was talking to was still hanging in the back of my mind, but I was trying.

The more that we talked, the more that I could see the side of Chloe coming out that I had come to know over the past month. It still felt extremely weird, but she definitely was a different person than I'd always thought she was.

Once our meal was almost done, she held her hand out in front of me.

"Let me see your phone," she said.

"My phone? Why?" I asked.

"I'm going to put my number in it," she responded.

"Oh, well you don't -" I started.

"Do you not want me to?" She asked, "I thought it might be easier than messaging on the app."

"Well, I don't know," I sighed.

Chloe studied my expression before responding.

"You don't know if you want to keep talking at all, huh?" Chloe asked, "I get it, that's okay."

"No that's not it - I..." I trailed off.

Chloe put her hand down and sighed quietly.

"Here," I said as I held my phone out.

I had a feeling that this wasn't a good idea, but seeing how disappointed Chloe looked made me cave.

"You don't have to if you don't want to," she said.

"No it's fine," I said with a nod, "go ahead."

She tried to hide her smile as she took the phone from my hand and put her number in.

She slid it back across the table to me just as the waiter came over with our bill.

Chloe quickly reached her hand out and grabbed it, not even giving me a chance to see it.

"You don't need to do that," I said to her.

"It's supposed to be a date, isn't it?" She asked.

"Yeah I guess so, but that doesn't -" I started, but Chloe put her hand up to stop me.

"I asked you to come here, I'll get it," she assured me.

"Fine, but I owe you," I said.

"I'll hold you to that," she responded with a grin.

I looked down at the table and tried not to smile, and I wasn't even sure why. It was like I knew that I was still feeling things for Chloe, but I didn't want to be. And if I was, I didn't want to admit it to myself. It all just seemed too complicated.

"Ready to go?" Chloe asked after she paid the bill.

I nodded and we both got up from the table and walked towards the door. She held it open for me and I got a whiff of her perfume as I walked by. Had she always smelled this good?

I shook my head slightly, putting the thoughts out of my head as we went towards our cars.

"So um," Chloe said as we stopped in the parking lot, "thanks for staying, and for not completely freaking out about this."

"Oh I already did my freaking out, don't worry," I grinned.

"I kind of figured," she responded, "but either way, I'm glad you were willing to stay and have dinner."

"Yeah, sure," I said as I felt the familiar nervous feeling return to my stomach.

"Guess I'll see you Monday, huh?" She asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure that'll be fun," I said sarcastically.

"Definitely should be," she agreed, "but uh, maybe we don't tell anyone at work about this right now?"

"I wasn't planning on it, don't worry," I said.

"Not that I wouldn't if - well you know what I mean, hopefully," she said.

"Yeah, I get it," I nodded, "only person I've told about any of this is my best friend so we're good."

"Okay," Chloe sighed, "glad we can agree on that."

I nodded and looked down at the ground as we stood there awkwardly.

"Alright well, yeah, I'll see you Monday," she said, "Katie."

I looked up at her and grinned as she waved to me and walked to her car.

I stood there for a minute and watched her drive off before I shook myself out of my trance and got in my car to go home.

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