Hungover Weekend Update: Part Three

"I don't want to be here right now," Scott said as he leaned down and nuzzled my neck. I didn't blame him. I heard the shower begin to run. His sister definitely seemed like the type who would be a pain until she left to go wherever she was headed that night.

"Let's go get frozen yogurt," I spontaneously spout out. "My treat," as he pulled his head away from my neck.

Scott's eyes widened. "That sounds so good right now."

I drove us to a frozen yogurt place close to his house. He got some type of vanilla and added chocolate sprinkles. "Geez, you are boring," I teased as I piled brownie bites onto my cup, which had three different flavors in it. What's the point of self serve if you're not going to get creative. Am I right?

He leaned down and whispered in my ear. "I'm anything but boring." I bit my lip as I turned red. I'm sure the teenage boy behind the counter hadn't heard Scott, but the thought that he could have was enough to turn me a bright crimson.

I placed my yogurt on the scale and then Scott followed suit. While he took out his wallet and was insistent on paying, I refused. "I said it was my treat!" I playfully argued.

We sat in my car listening to the radio for a while as we ate our treats and talked about what kind of music we liked. I was surprised to learn Scott is actually a big country fan.

"I would've never guessed," I replied.

"Too boring for you?" He asked as he arched an eyebrow my way.

I smiled at him before taking another bite of my yogurt. We chatted for another few minutes before we were both done. "So, should I drop you off?" I asked with uncertainty. It was after eleven and I wasn't really sure where his mind was at after the encounter with his sister.

"Uh," he thought aloud. "Just drive in that direction."

I was confused but I complied. I couldn't really figure out what he was thinking, but figured all would be revealed soon enough. As I neared his house, he began dictating different directions. After a few rights and lefts, he told me to park in front of a park. I could tell we were close to his house, but since I didn't know his area that well, I wasn't exactly sure how close.

"What park is this?" I curiously asked. I didn't really feel like going for a walk in a park, especially at night.

"I don't know," Scott replied. He leaned over and shut my car's engine and lights off. Before I could ask him what he was doing, he put his hand behind my ear and begin passionately kissing me. Scott really seemed to be getting comfortable with me and even better, he seemed to be showing me much more affection than usual.

I kissed Scott back, trying to match his intensity. He began moving his hand down my neck and let it linger near the top of my shirt. He gripped the clothe of my shirt, so I could only feel a light touch form his fingernails against my skin.

"Let me know if you want to stop," he said as he paused from kissing me. He was breathing a little heavy and it was such a turn on. I nodded before continuing to kiss him. I found it really sweet how he remembered that I told him I wanted to take it slow earlier that night. He pulled down my shirt and bra. As he moved his way down my neck, kissing me lightly, I couldn't help but look around. Sure, we were parked in front of a park and the spot seemed surprisingly convenient since the closest house was still pretty far away. If someone were to look in our direction from in front of a house, we'd probably be hard to make out in the distance. Regardless of all of this, I was a little nervous to get caught. It did make it kind of hotter, though.

As Scott teased my nipples with his tongue, I began moaning. It felt so good and I really wanted to just jump on his lap right then. "Be patient," I thought to myself.

Scott and I began kissing again. I began rubbing his thigh for almost a minute before I ran it over his penis. He was so hard and I had to repeat my mantra about being patient. Why was I waiting, though? I guess I just figured that I told myself earlier in the night that I wasn't ready and didn't want to do anything in the heat of the moment that I'd regret. Scott really seemed like the type who would respect waiting.

"Fuck, you're hot," he whispered in my ear as he began kissing my neck again. I was rubbing him through his sweatpants, which almost seemed better than taking them off because they were so soft. As he went to  reach for my pants, I realized if I didn't stop then, I wouldn't be able to stop.

"Um," I mumbled. "Do you mind if we, um." I couldn't even physically get the words out because I didn't really want to stop.

"Yeah," Scott said with a light laugh, knowing exactly what I meant. "Let's head back."

I fixed my shirt and I caught Scott taking a few deep breaths as he rolled his neck. Once he directed me back to his house, we kissed for a few minutes before he headed in.

All in all, it was a pretty awesome weekend. My school work seriously took a back seat, but it was totally worth it. I really like where things are going with Scott, but I'm still unsure where we stand. I know he told his sister I was his girlfriend, but did he really think we were there? Or at least headed there?

Hungover Weekend Update: Part Two

Scott's eyes got big and I don't think I've ever seen him look that shocked. He shot off the bed and began fixing his sweatpants. I went and grabbed my shirt from the floor. Once it was on, I was proper to face whatever stranger was lingering.

"Who is that?" I quietly asked. Nobody lived with Scott besides his parents and they were away. Could they have come back early? Even if they did, the voice sounded like it belonged to a younger woman.

"Jenna," Scott replied and I swear my heart sank. Scott wasn't looking at me as he slipped a pair of sneakers on. When I didn't say anything for a few seconds, he looked up at me. "Fuck, no," he began when he saw my blank express. "Not that Jenna, my sister. My sister's name is also Jenna."

I let out a sigh and dramatically clutched my chest. We smiled at each other. Scott walked over and grabbed my hand. "This might get a little intense. Can you handle that?"

"What do you mean?" I curiously asked.

"My sister's a little, well," he began as he scrunched up his face, trying to search for a delicate word. "Assertive," he finally landed on.

"Oh, boy," I replied. He grabbed my hand and guided me out of his bedroom.

"Jenna," Scott said with clearly fake enthusiasm. "What're you doing home?"

Jenna stared at Scott, then back at me in silence, and then back at Scott again. Scott and Jenna were clearly siblings, with similar cheekbones and lips, but Jenna did not have manly features. She was short, petite, and was rocking an unnatural blonde messy bun on the top of her head. She looked about twenty-years-old.

"Can't I come home for a weekend?" She asked with her hands on her hips.

"Of course," Scott said. He seemed to be getting annoyed, but was maintaining his composure. It was actually really sexy. "But why would you come home on a weekend when you know mom and dad are away? You're not planning on having a party are you?"

"No," she responded. "But it seems you're treating this place like a frat house."

Wow, Scott wasn't kidding when he said his sister was "assertive." The conversation between these two had been so intense, I didn't blame Scott for neglecting to introduce me. With Jenna's comment, though, I suddenly felt like I was in middle school and a boy's mom caught us making out. I grabbed my left elbow with my right hand as I tried to disappear.

"Jenna," Scott sternly responded. "This is Caroline. She's my girlfriend."

Girlfriend? Was I Scott's girlfriend? I made a mental note to jump up and down with my friends once I wasn't in the line of fire.

"Whatever," Jenna said, instead of congratulating us. "I'm going to take a shower and head out."

While Jenna basically ignored my existence, I made sure to call out, "nice to meet you" as she pranced down the hall.

Hungover Weekend Update: Part One

I didn't know if I was going to make it through this excursion my mom sent me on; she insisted she needed shrimp from the good supermarket.

We were having my grandparents over for dinner Sunday and if it wasn't bad enough that she woke me up with the loud sound of the vacuum going, she also began yelling my name around ten.

"Caroline!" I heard from the hallway. My head was pounding and the smell of her cleaning supplies only made it worse.

"Enough sleeping," she said as soon as she opened my bedroom door. She proceeded to ramble off a list of things she needed to get done that day and I let out a sigh.

I still can't believe how much I drank Saturday night. Scott, Anna, Martin, and I all decided to hang out and watch college football. This was obviously at the suggestion of the boys. Anna and I hung out beforehand to get ready together. I also wanted to get updated information about her and Martin.

"He's nice," she said, the way she would also describe her neighbor's strange dog. "I just don't think I want a boyfriend, you know? I really like being alone."

"Anna, having a boyfriend isn't like giving birth to triplets," I teased. "You'll still have plenty of time to be alone."

Anna shrugged. "I know, I know. I guess we'll see." I could tell she just wasn't that into him.

We went to Martin's house and began playing a drinking game that involved first downs, touch downs, penalties, and lots of other football landmarks. The night started to get blurry around 10, but I can distinctly remember sloppily making out with Scott, getting picked up by my sister, and eating Taco Bell.

Saturday night was actually the second night in a row that Scott and I hung out. There wasn't a gray cloud in sight and I felt oddly optimistic about things. Friday night, he asked if I wanted to hang out at his house, order in food, and watch a movie. I was a little nervous but I agreed. We all know what "watch a movie" means. He seemed like a really stand up guy and I don't know, something in my gut told me he would respect me more if I didn't sleep with him right away. We had been on a couple of dates so I figured I could give in just a little. So that's exactly what I did.

When I arrived, Scott opened the door in a nice pair of gray sweatpants. I could tell they were designer, but I had no idea what brand. They were paired with a Hanes white crew neck shirt. He smelled good. He had definitely just got out of the shower and I could even smell that he had just used mouth wash. So sexy.

"Hey," I softly said. He always brought out my timid side.

"Hey, yourself," he said back with a smile that made me melt. "I'm glad you're here. I'm starving! How does sushi sound?"

"Heavenly," I said as I looked around his place. He lived with his parents but they were away for a few days. He had a modest sized house but everything inside was obviously new, unlike my house which hadn't been updated in years.

We ordered sushi from a place near his house and since they had a ridiculously long delivery time, Scott asked if we could take the ride to pick it up. I wasn't thrilled to be venturing out in the cold, but it clearly wasn't anything I dared to complain about.

Once we got back, we talked about our weeks over spicy tuna rolls and miso soup. Scott was fidgeting a little bit, which is very out of character for him. It made me begin to wonder if something was on his mind.

Almost immediately upon finishing, Scott got to his feet and began cleaning up the table. I got up to start helping me and he put his hand on my shoulder. "No, you just sit there and look pretty. I got this." With that, he kissed my forehead and walked into the other room with our dirty plates.

I sat back and let out a sigh. I wasn't overly full, which was good since I didn't want to feel bloated as Scott and I "watched a move," whatever that would inevitably entail.

Scott was back within a few minutes. I was just about to ask him what he wanted to do next when he leaned down next to me and kissed me. Hard.

I slowly stood up as I kissed him back, attempting to match his intensity. He placed his hands on the sides of my face, while somehow guiding me to his bedroom. The room was immaculate and I wondered if it was always like that or if he cleaned it for me. I didn't think about it much, though, because at that moment Scott reached at the bottom of my shirt and guided it over my head.

"Hey," I reluctantly interrupted. "I just, um, want to take things a little slow. You know?" The truth was I wanted him inside me more than anything, but this was the first time we would do anymore than kiss and I didn't want to jump right to the end.

"Of course," Scott said with a look that resembled guilt in his eyes. That was the last thing I wanted him to feel.

I got on my tippy toes and whispered in his ear. "But I want to make you feel good." Once I leaned back down and looked him in the eyes, I saw the intensity reappear.

I reached my arms around Scott's neck and lightly guided him back onto the bed. I reached for his sweatpants and began teasing him when my heart stopped. I had just heard a door slam.

A woman's voice loudly made its way from the living room. "Scott? Are you home?"

Burger Mix Up

I walked out of the stall and walked to the sink to wash my hands. The sinks at school are pretty much the most deranged sinks I’ve ever encountered. The water doesn’t have enough pressure but then, out of nowhere, the water splashes out at me.

This was especially frustrating on Wednesday, the first day I was going to be teaching Professor O’Conner’s class. I pulled the bottom of my shirt away from my body and held it under the hand dryer. After a little while, the specks of water began to dissolve and I felt an instant relief. I wouldn’t look like an uncoordinated moron to kids who were only a few years younger than me. Well, at least not because I had water all over the bottom of my portofino shirt from Express.

I walked into class after taking a few deep breathes during the walk there. I had to ooze confidence. Otherwise, these kids would never take me serious. Then what would Professor O’Conner say? I just had to do well.

“Good morning, everyone,” I loudly announced as I placed my bag down on the chair behind the big, brown desk in front of the classroom. “I’m Ms. Lancer and I will be taking over for Dr. O’Conner while he’s out of town.” I could see a look of shock across most of their faces, but not disapproval. Phew, thank goodness there was no disapproval.

I went through the power points and only had a few questions. I was luckily able to answer most of them with ease, while I had to remain vague about the ones I didn’t know the answers to, saying things like, “well, the research might be inconclusive on that, but I’m sure associations could have been found between those two factors.”

When class was over, I felt really good about the upcoming week of classes. I checked my phone and had a text from Scott. “Hey there, professor ;). Wanna grab a bite tonight? I’m dying for a burger.”

I wrote him back and we agreed to meet at a burger place by his house later that night. I went home, took a long, well deserved power nap, and met him at the restaurant around 7.

Scott looked so good, still in his work clothes consisting of a button down, grey striped shirt and navy slacks. I felt like a tramp in my lace-sleeved black top and jeans.

“I didn’t know you were going for fancy tonight,” I said as he gave me a peck on the cheek.

“Sorry, the trains were delayed so I didn’t have time to stop home.”

He put his hand on my lower back and led me to a table near the window. We were chatting about our days when a waiter came over.

“Scott Crammer?” He loudly asked with surprise. I was mid chew on a piece of bread and my mouth kind of hung open in shock. I swallowed the piece of bread as I saw Scott’s eyes light up with recognition.

“Mark Sailor, how the fuck are you?” It was a good thing that I was done with that bite of bread, because if I hadn’t been, I would’ve choked at that very moment. I had never heard Scott curse before. It seemed like this friend of his brought out a different side to him.

“Not much, man. I’m still in school and working here for money,” Mark began. Scott started telling him about the accounting firm a little bit when his eyes averted back at me. I was politely sitting there but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little uncomfortable.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Scott said, reverting back to his gentlemanly ways. “Mark, this is…”

Mark cut him off in the worst possible way. “Jenna! So nice to meet you,” he did that awkward thing where instead of putting out his hand and waiting for me to shake it, he grabbed it from the table so I didn’t even have a chance to ignore the shake, or not to mention, ask who the FUCK Jenna is.

I tried to be polite and forced a smile on my face before darting my eyes over to Scott. He looked mortified, with a slight rouge taking over his cheeks, and it made me even more curious. His mouth hung open a little and his hand went out like he was going to say something, but didn't know what.

"Oh, fuck," Mark said looking over at Scott. I thought he picked up on his mistake, but instead he said, "you guys don't even have menus, yet. Let me go get them and I'll be back in a minute."

He walked away and Scott looked me in the eyes. "Listen, I'm so sorry," he began. "Jenna's my ex-girlfriend. I guess Mark just figured we were still dating."

Scott stopped talking as Mark approached our table with the menus. "I'll give you guys a couple minutes."

As he walked away again, I decided to interject. "Scott," I began as I smiled at him. "Listen, we both have pasts. Don't feel bad." Sure, I was curious about Jenna, the ex-girlfriend, and why Mark would think I was her. Wouldn't Mark have met her if Scott and her were dating that long? Maybe Scott just told Mark about her a bunch? How long had it been since they broke up? How serious was it? But I shook those thoughts from my mind. "Really," I said to Scott when I could tell he still felt bad about it. "It's not a big deal."

"Thanks, I'll correct him when he comes back to get our order," Scott said. I actually found it cute how Scott was desperately trying to make things right.

"That's not necessary," I insisted. Scott didn't argue the point and seemed to appreciate just dropping the subject. I ended up having a really nice evening with Scott. I definitely think I'm going in the right direction with this one.

Halloween Party

I pulled my sister's Ugg boots up over my black leggings before standing up to get the door. Darlene did an awesome job on her vampire costume. Anna looked good, too, in her Rosie the Riveter costume.

"You killed it," Darlene said to me.

"Thanks!" I exclaimed. I have to admit, I was impressed with myself. I came up with the idea to be a "basic bitch" a few days before Halloween. In addition to the Uggs and leggings, I was sporting a white t-shirt with a bunch of odd number stickers and holding an old Starbucks cup.

"I don't get the shirt, though," Anna said.

I pulled at the bottom to display it more clear. "I can't even," I replied. It took another couple of seconds before Anna cocked her head back and laughed.

"Oh," she replied. "Clever!"

Scott's friend was having a costume party on Halloween. He invited me and told me to "bring whoever." Anna already knew about the party through Martin, but I invited Jessica and Darlene also. Jessica wasn't feeling well so she wasn't going to make it.

To my surprise (but delight), the party was bumpin' when we arrived. I figured most people would just be arriving, but when Scott came outside to greet us, he was also carrying out a huge bag of empty beer cans.

"Land mines is getting intense in there," he laughed. I involuntarily grimaced. The idea of that drinking game made my stomach squirm.

"Don't worry. You don't have to play," Scott said as he enveloped me in a bear hug. He said hello to Anna and Darlene and walked us in.

Scott was dressed like a wrestler from the 90s and when I saw the rest of his friends in similar outfits, the costume seemed even cooler. I could tell a lot of coordination went into the process.

We drank in the kitchen with all of Scott's close friends as they told animated stories about past Halloweens. I learned that one year, when Scott was in college, he almost got into a gang fight because he was painted blue like a smurf.

"I'm not going to lie," he began. "I was pretty fucking terrified."

"I bet!" I exclaimed. "You were a frat boy about to get murdered in a gang fight."

"Were you Papa Smurf?" Anna asked as she sipped her gin.

"Nah, just a regular one," he casually replied. I took a sip of my beer and looked over at Anna to check her body language. She didn't seem to be acting too flirty, so I just crossed my fingers that she didn't get too drunk and change her tone. I figured since Martin was right next to her, she couldn't really cross the line too much.

Darlene and I decided to play a round of beer pong against Scott and a random college friend of his. We were pathetically behind and about to lose when Anna came over to me, gin in hand.

"So, do you mind if I go upstairs with Martin?" she loudly whispered in my ear. My eyes widened and I caught Scott furrowing his eyebrows in confusion.

"What are you going to do up there, little lady?" I asked with a smile. Anna wiggled her eyebrows at me. "Okay, are you sure you're not too drunk?" I asked.

"No, I barely drank anything," she replied and I could tell she was basically sober.

I looked over at Scott. He was so damn hot, even with his ridiculous costume on, and I was really glad with how things were going at this point. I know I kind of made a thing out of asking Anna not to sleep with Martin right away, but Scott knew me a little better now. I figured Anna's actions would no longer influence his perception of me anymore.

"Have fun," I replied.

Anna scurried off and within minutes, Scott sunk the last cup. Darlene and I dramatically sighed but the truth was, neither of us cared.

Scott came over to me and gave me a hug. "How does it feel to hug a winner?" he asked.

I laughed into his chest. "Amazing," I said.

He laughed. "Well, I didn't just win at beer pong. I got the prettiest girl to come to this party for me." I felt a flutter in my stomach. There were a lot of girls at the party and most of them had sexy costumes, so it made me feel good to be told I was the "prettiest girl" at the party.

"So, what's going on with Martin and Anna?" Scott quietly asked me.

I let go of our embrace and innocently shrugged. "How would I know?" I asked before smiling with guilt.

"Good for them," he replied without addressing my fib. "Come on, let's head back to my friends."

We walked over to Scott's friends where Darlene was talking to one that I didn't recognize, but he was totally her type. They seemed to be really hitting it off so I didn't intrude.

Anna eventually came downstairs and she looked pretty sleepy. She insisted that they actually fell asleep after fooling around for a little bit and I believed her because they were literally upstairs for almost three hours while the rest of us drank beer, played some drinking games, and ordered Dominos.

The friend Darlene was talking to hadn't been drinking and offered to drive us all home around two when Darlene insisted that she had to be up early for a family engagement. Scott was going to crash at the friend's place, so he walked me out and gave me a passionate kiss in front of everybody. I was ready to rip off his clothes right there, but I restrained myself (but kicked myself for it). I truly don't know if I could've asked for a better Halloween with a guy who I kind of, sort of, really like. I went home and passed out until about noon the next day.

Rooftop Fun

When I parked my car and began walking into my house, I checked my phone. I had a text from Scott and I instantly felt another wave of excitement.

"You're really easy to talk to. We have to do this again soon :)"

"Yes!" I wrote back with a huge smiling emoji. We didn't text after that, but it was nice to get some sort of confirmation that he planned on a second date.

The next day, I woke up early to work on a few assignments. My dad interrupted me after a few hours to ask if I wanted to grab lunch with him and my mom. I happily accepted and indulged in a penne a la vodka slice from this great pizzeria down the road. My parents talked about some minor issues with my grandparents, among other family drama. When your mom has five siblings and your dad has right, there's a lot to talk about. Everyone in my family gets along pretty well, so I'm lucky there.

Saturday night, the girls and I had arrangements to go into the city. Jessica's birthday was the following week and she wanted to go to this cute, rooftop bar. It was the perfect timing, since Saturday was beautiful and the weather was only going to go down hill from here. Why don't humans hibernate, huh?

The girls came to my house beforehand, where Jessica informed me the guys would be meeting us there. A bunch of them were already in the Bronx for an alumni thing and were only a subway ride away from the city. I hadn't seen Moose in a few weeks, but I figured there wouldn't be any more awkwardness than usual.

We arrived at Penn Station around 9 o'clock before quickly walking out onto the street and getting in a cab. I bonded with the cab driver and I recommend it. Most of them have really interesting stories.

Anna started talking about her night with Martin. "We went out for a drink and I ended up not feeling well, so I asked him to take me home."

Another fun fact about Anna is that she always gets stomach aches. It's always after she has some sort of dairy, so we've unofficially concluded that she's lactose intolerant. However, that doesn't stop her from eating blocks of mozzarella cheese and then going out for drinks. It wasn't the worst ending her date with Martin could've had though.

"So do you like him?" I asked as we made a left turn onto a side street.

"He's okay," she passively replied. "I'd like to have some fun, but apparently you prohibit that."

"Hey," I defensively began. "I'm not prohibiting anything. I just asked you not to use Scott's friend as your personal boy toy. I mean that literally." The girls laughed and I'm pretty sure I saw the driver crack a smile, too.

"Well, I'm glad things went well on your date!" Darlene exclaimed. I had informed them of the whole story on the train ride.

"Thanks! I have a good feeling about this one, guys." We pulled up to the bar a moment later.

The rooftop had a pretty decent crowd and the view was unreal. We ordered mixed drinks at the bar and started dancing like we were at our senior prom. We weren't even drunk yet, but things were just good. For all of us. For once.

I was trying to get the bartender's attention when I felt a presence next to me. I looked and saw it was Moose.

"Oh, hey," I shyly said. I was kind of caught off guard but at the same time, things were relatively normal between us.

"Hey, yourself," he replied. "What are you having?" I pointed to my empty beer bottle and he nodded before waving a hand at the bartender. He was so tall that the bartender couldn't not see him. He quickly ordered two beers. "So, having fun?"

"Yeah, it's such nice weather," I casually replied as I looked out at the night sky. "Having a good day?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty hammered though," he replied pressing his palms into his eyes. "I don't know how long I'm going to make it."

I hadn't been able to tell that Moose was really drunk, but once he said it, it was obvious. His eyes were kind of red and he looked pretty sleepy. "Wow, you can't day drink like you used to, huh?"

"Nope," he laughed. "I'm getting old, C." People very rarely called me "C" but it's actually my preferred nickname. I don't feel like I can ask people to call me that, though. It's kind of lame to create your own nickname, right?

The bartender handed us our beers and we walked over to the dance area where all our friends were standing. The rest of the night was pretty uneventful, but drama free. I was so glad everyone was having a good time.

We got on a train around 1:45 and luckily found a section of about ten seats. We all collapsed on the seats and chuckled all the way home while eating our dollar slices.

Once we were through the tunnel, I checked my phone and saw I had a text from Scott. It read, "What're you up to?"

I didn't think before honestly responding. "On the train home from the city. You?"

"Out with some friends. Miss you."

I smiled over my phone but quickly stopped myself so none of the guys started making fun of me.

In the morning, though, I questioned his text messages a little more. This was kind of unlike Scott. I wasn't sure if I should be flattered that he thought of me or insulted that he was drunk texting me. Was he texting me as a booty call? Or was it that his drunken words were his sober thoughts? Either way, I was glad we talked and I'm excited to see him again. I like where things are going!

A Real Gentleman

When I walked into the restaurant, I didn't see Scott anywhere. I instantly remembered when Justin stood me up a few weeks ago and I got a sick feeling in my stomach. "You're not being stood up, Caroline," I said to myself. "Stop being paranoid." With that, I walked to the bar and ordered a Riesling. While the bartender poured me a glass, I checked my phone. No new text messages. I put my phone back in my wristlet and took a seat with a view of the door so I'd see Scott when he arrived.

Several minutes later, Scott walked through the door. "Hey," he said with a half smile as he pulled me into a hug. "You look nice."

"Thanks, so do you," I said as I pulled away from the hug. I was wearing jeans and a  blouse with a flower pattern. He was wearing a gray sweater and was also in jeans.

The restaurant was nice, with dim lighting and small tables that were clearly made for two people. We sat down at a table towards the back of the restaurant and as I passed all the other tables, I saw so many different entrees I wanted to order.

As we approached the table, Scott quickly stepped in front of me and pulled out my chair. I smiled and thanked him. As much as I tell myself that that crap doesn't matter to me, since I'm really into gender equality, it's still nice to see a man revert back to some classic chivalry. We sat down and he flicked his cloth napkin with such grace before placing it on his lap. He came off like an etiquette professional.

"So how has your week been?" He asked before he folded his arms in front of him and looked me straight in the eyes. I felt pretty comfortable around him at this point but we still didn't know each other that well. The date felt more intense and suddenly I realized why. This was the first time we were together without a football game on. There were no distractions. Just me, him, and conversation.

"Good," I said as I nervously played with my hands. I stopped myself after a few seconds. "How about yours?"

"Eh," Scott began as he opened the menu. "Things are picking up at the firm. I'm going to have to start putting in a lot more hours as the holidays approach us, but it's been good." Scott works at an accounting firm, so he travels into the city every day. I did not envy that commute.

"I don't know how you stare at those numbers all day," I joked.

Scott luckily laughed. "Yeah, well there's a lot more to it than that." Scott explained to me exactly what he does at the firm and while I understood most of it, a decent amount of it definitely went over my head. "But really, I love the people I work with. That's the best part."

We ordered a few minutes later. Scott asked if I wanted to split calamari as an appetizer and I happily agreed. He ordered a burger while I decided on a really delicious looking apple walnut salad.

"So, psychology," Scott began. "That must be a really interesting field of study. Are you analyzing me right now?"

"Everyone always asks me that," I replied with a smile. It's true; everyone always thinks that since I'm in psychology, I'm just constantly in therapeutic mode. "I actually don't even want to do clinical work."

"What do you want to do then?" Scott asked. I explained to him some of my research and overall career goals. "I want to get my PhD soon, but I don't know when."

"Wow, you're way smarter than me."

I insisted I wasn't as the waiter brought over our appetizer. "I didn't pass a CPA exam," I teased.

"Okay, okay, let's agree to disagree," he laughed.

We talked a little bit more about our work and career goals before moving on to the fun topic of friends. He was telling me about Martin's obsession with the Colts when our dinner was brought out.

"I heard him and Anna have a date tonight?" I innocently asked.

Scott nodded at me as he finished swallowing his first bite. "Yeah, he mentioned something about that. I'm surprised they hit it off so well."

"Yeah, me too," I agreed before completely processing what he said. "What do you mean by surprised?"

"I don't know," Scott uncomfortably began. "Martin's a pretty shy guy. Anna seems too outgoing for him, I guess."

I took a quiet, deep breathe as I tried not to curse Anna in my head. I knew Scott didn't mean anything by it, but I hated being reminded of Anna's inappropriate flirtation with the guy I was interested in.

We talked a little bit more about our friends and family. Before I knew it, dinner was over. I couldn't have asked for a better date night. I really saw a different side of Scott when a football game wasn't on.

Scott opened the door for me and as I walked past him he asked, "So, the night's still young. Do you want to go back to my house for a little?"

I felt my stomach flip. I was extremely tempted, but I didn't feel it was a good idea to jump into things too quick. Scott seemed like a really nice guy and I didn't want him to get the wrong impression of me. I told him I was tired.

"Okay, I understand," he genuinely replied. "I had a really great time tonight," he said as we approached my car. Once I was in front of the driver's door, he turned to face me. "I can't wait to see you again."

"Me neither," I said as my face broke out with a huge smile. I couldn't even help myself.

With that, he leaned in and gave me a soft kiss before saying good night.