Routes to Romance Read online

  In short, Keith realized, he was fucked.

  So caught up in his own thoughts, ruminating on her beauty, that he didn't notice her lips had moved from smiling to speaking. Once her hand found his shoulder however, everything came racing back to him. Keith jolted, the sudden movement catching her off guard briefly and sending her hand shooting back to her side. He grimaced apologetically, his voice hushed as he said, "Sorry, I zoned out a little there, I didn't mean to scare you or anything like that."

  She took a moment to breathe, calming herself before she waved him off. "It's nothing, it's nothing. I was just asking if you wanted my phone number."

  His eyes widened, his hands patting down his jacket as he searched for a pen. "Yeah absolutely, I'll give you mine too." He smiled, the expression coming easily. "Wouldn't want to fall out of contact now, would we?"

  She nodded, trying to ignore the fluttering in her chest as she looked at his face filled with obvious joy. "No, no we wouldn't want that."

  After exchanging numbers, they both looked at the time, Sarah grimacing as she remembered her plans. "I'm sorry, I told Maggie that I'd help her cook dinner tonight. She's finally teaching me how to cook Italian, I've wanted to learn for a while."

  He raised his hand, chuckling lightly, "Don't worry, I get it. You've got your own life with your own friends, believe it or not I do too." He stood, leaving money for the coffee on the table. "I really enjoyed this though, we should do it again soon."

  Sarah followed him out of the store, waving goodbye to the Three Musketeers and Anna as she passed. Surprisingly enough, they waved back quite warmly; it seemed that she had already been accepted.

  Both hesitated as they stood outside, their apartments lying in different directions, neither one wanting to be the first to leave. Finally, giggling to herself, Sarah said, "Why don't we both just turn around and start walking on three?"

  "Alright..." He smiled. "One."

  "Two."

  "Three!" They turned around and started walking, borderline jogging, before they could change their minds. Once they reached the corner however, neither could resist looking back, and it was with great embarrassment that they locked eyes with each other. Though they were too far away to hear it, both of them had the exact same response.

  "I'm fucked."

  Two

  —

  Keith and Sarah

  It had been weeks since their first coffee, and their frequency had only increased. One a week turned into two, two had turned into three, and before they knew it they were spending almost every afternoon together. Topics were brought up and discussed, where they were from, what they wanted in life, the usual method of getting to know a person. Throughout it all, to their great dismay, they only noticed those helpless feelings of attraction and desire increasing with each word that passed between them. Each flick of Sarah's hair, each time Keith's lips curled in a smirk at whatever joke or remark Sarah had made, each minute adjustment stuck out to them so much that it was rapidly becoming a pain to stay silent.

  Unfortunately for both of them however, neither could see just how obvious their attraction was, that classic blind spot hitting where they were acutely aware of just how the other person made them feel but not the other way around. So, it was with a mounting sense of dread that they started to think that they didn't want to let anything get in the way of the strong friendship that had so rapidly formed, even if it meant sacrificing these feelings which refused to stop growing.

  To that end, both of them started to pull back, even if neither realized the other was doing it. Messages were replied to more slowly than before, almost every afternoon became every three, then every two. The way they interacted changed: familiar touches to their hands and arms had become commonplace, now they were nowhere to be seen lest the recipient get clued into the exact extent of the other's feelings.

  But even though they thought it was for the best, neither could avoid noticing how their moods plummeted, and each longed for the touch of the other.

  Now it was worse than ever.

  Rather than talk directly to each other, which to them seemed like a recipe for disaster, they were each confiding in their respective best friends. Their hope was that they would find a sympathetic ear and someone to give them some advice.

  As it turned out, sympathy was decidedly... lacking.

  "You fucking idiot." Gareth snorted, paying half-attention as he threw a ball against the lounge wall. "You really need someone to lay it all out for you, huh?"

  "I can't help it Gareth! I'm getting desperate here!" Keith ran a hand through his hair, pacing back and forth across the lounge as Gareth watched with detached interest. He let out a shuddering breath and slapped the sides of his face. "I think I really like her. Like, really like her, you know?"

  Unseen to Keith, Gareth scowled to himself, ball being thrown against the wall with more force than before. By the time his friend turned around Gareth's face was composed once more. "Have you considered, I don't know, actually talking to this woman? You know, like normal people do?"

  "What part of me is normal Gareth?"

  In spite of himself, he burst out laughing, "Jesus Keith you sounded so pretentious just then. Didn't she say that she paints emotions?"

  Keith nodded. "Yeah, happiness, anger that sort of stuff."

  "Well this is just a hunch, but she probably appreciates people who are in touch with their emotions." He smirked and leaned forward, spacing out his words as though he was talking to a child. "Ergo, she would probably appreciate you coming forward with your feelings and being honest rather than doing... Well, whatever the fuck this is supposed to be."

  "This is supposed to be you not being a dick and helping me."

  "Well I am helping you, that's the best you're ever going to get from me." Gareth sighed, running a hand down his face. "Look... Do you really like this girl? I mean, like like?"

  Keith was certain of the answer, but he took a minute to think it over all the same. Once he realized the extent of the answer, he smiled. "I do. I really, really do."

  It was a little while before Gareth gave a reply, and when he did it was almost hushed, as though he didn't want the words to be heard by anyone else. "If that's how you feel, then you shouldn't let this pass you by. You should go after her, talk to her, let her know exactly how you feel before it's too late and someone else swoops in out of nowhere and captures her heart." He looked up, his gaze steely. "So, don't be such a pussy. Pick up that phone, dial her number, tell her how you feel. From what you've told me she obviously feels the same way about you. Make the both of you happy, before I kick your ass for being an idiot."

  Keith, taken aback by the intensity of his speech, walked over and sat next to him. "Gareth are you alright? Did... did something happen?"

  He shook his head, smiling slightly at the concern. "It's nothing, don't worry about it man. Just take the advice at least, don't let this chance pass you by. If there was anything I could say... Jesus, I'd kill for the chance to say it." He patted Keith's knee, standing up and walking towards the door. "I'm gonna go for a walk, when I get back I'm expecting you to have made that call already."

  Keith watched him leave, his fingers idly tapping at the phone in his pocket, considering Gareth's words. True, he didn't want to lose the friendship with her that he so dearly valued, but wasn't what was happening now doing that anyway? This uneasy awkwardness that they found themselves in could very easily shift into resentment, and then they would be truly lost.

  He sighed, tapping the phone gently against his forehead. "You know what Gareth? Fuck it."

  He dialed her number, holding the phone to his ear.

  • • •

  Sarah's conversation with her own friend was not going any better. Maggie appeared to be half interested in what she had to say, though given that Sarah had interrupted her cooking she couldn't blame her. Every two minutes she had to pause what she was saying to hand Maggie some ingredient or another, and if she didn't know that
Maggie would actually give her good advice on what to do she would have just decided to leave.

  But she'd never let her down before, and though it didn't look like it, Sarah knew she was carefully considering what advice she should give, if any.

  Maggie didn't make a habit of getting involved in other people's lives, even if they asked her to. It just wasn't how she wanted to spend her time. But if Sarah was the one asking... Well, there was no end to what Maggie would do for her, so if she wanted her to get involved then there was no way she could say no.

  "It sounds like he's way into you." She barely muttered the words as she chopped her celery into small cubes, not seeing the way Sarah's head whipped around at her words.

  "Excuse me?" She shook her head. "No, that can't be right, I would have noticed."

  Maggie snorted, pointing at her limply with the knife. "No offense Sar, but you are quite possibly the worst person I've ever met at noticing attraction."

  Sarah scrunched up her brow in thought. "When has that ever happened?"

  "Are you serious? How about Shane back in high school? Tina at last year's party?" Seeing the way Sarah's eyes widened only confirmed what she thought. "Wow, yeah you are terrible. It could be right under your nose and you wouldn't notice it."

  Her mind was reeling from the implication. "So... You really think he's attracted to me?"

  "Why'd you start pulling back Sarah? Because you were starting to fall for him, right?" When she nodded, Maggie continued, "Didn't he start pulling back at around the same time? And let's just say, hypothetically, that given that you started pulling back because you started feeling things, could he maybe be feeling them too?"

  "I... Suppose it's possible." She ran a hand through her hair nervously. "What would I even do though? How am I going to find out?"

  "Well see, people have cellphones nowadays, you're aware of this right?"

  Sarah sighed, she knew where Maggie was going with this, but she figured she deserved it. "Uh-huh."

  "And you are aware that on these cellphones people talk to each other about things?"

  "So, I just call him, tell him how I'm feeling, is that it?"

  Maggie covered her mouth in mock shock. "Oh wow, there's no getting past you is there Sarah?" She spared a second to make sure everything was cooking properly, before walking over and clapping Sarah on the back. "Seriously, it's that easy. If he's interested, great! If he's not, bummer, but at least then you'll know. Besides..." She smirked. "I could always kick his ass if he turned out to be a dick about it."

  Sarah laughed, "Thanks Maggie, but I think I'd prefer it if you didn't assault him."

  Maggie held her arms up. "Alright, alright, offer's there if you ever want it." Her expression turned serious and she laid her hand on Sarah's shoulder. "I just... I want you to be happy. So, if he's anything other than perfect I want you to tell me, you deserve perfect. You're... My best friend Sarah, that means a lot to me."

  She walked over to the couch, where Sarah's phone was resting on the cushion. She picked it up, lightly tossing it between her hands as she stepped in front of her friend, handing her the phone with slightly trembling hands. "Give him a call, tell him how you feel. It's how this has to go."

  Sarah almost jumped out of her skin when the phone suddenly started ringing in her hand, a very familiar name on the screen. Maggie looked down, smiling to herself. "Well, I wonder who that could be? You can use my room, I need the kitchen, and you need the privacy."

  Maggie's speech faded off as Sarah stared down at the phone, walking quickly out of the room to answer. Maggie watched her go, her gaze trailing after her for a few seconds before she shook her head, focusing once more on the vegetables in front of her.

  There was nothing confusing about those.

  • • •

  Sarah shut the door behind her, exhaling heavily before she pressed the answer button, holding the phone to her ear and holding her breath.

  The line was silent for a few seconds, and she was considering hanging up when a tentative, almost shaky voice spoke up. "Hey, Sarah are you there? It's... it's Keith."

  She nodded to herself. "I'm here. H-how are you?"

  "Good! Yeah, yeah I'm good. Is this... Is this a good time to talk?"

  "I was just about to call you actually, we really need to talk I think."

  He chuckled, "Yeah, that's been pretty obvious for a little while now hasn't it?"

  She found herself smiling, he always was easy to talk to. "Who should go first then?"

  On the other side of the line she could hear him fidgeting, clearly thinking over his response. When he finally gave it, it sounded like the most obvious thing in the world. "Well... Why don't we both go on three?"

  "That usually doesn't work for sentences Keith."

  "Do you want to go first then?"

  "Ok we'll go on three..."

  He cleared his throat, "Ok. One..."

  "Two..."

  "Three!"

  They expected their replies to be a mangled mess, words indistinguishable as they went off in separate directions. Imagine their surprise when they synchronized perfectly, their voices melding together flawlessly as those seven glorious words crossed their lips and passed through the line. "I want to go out with you!"

  Both sides were silent, neither quite believing what they had heard until a light giggle escaped from Sarah's mouth. She shook silently, clearly trying not to let Keith hear her but nowhere near as successful as she thought she had been, his own laugh immediately ringing clearly through the receiver. "Wow, we really were dumbasses huh?"

  "I take it you got a talking to as well?"

  He hummed, "In so many words." He hesitated on his next question. "So... What now?"

  "Well, we should probably go out, don't you think? At least test if this is going to work?" She twirled a strand of hair around her finger, biting her lip. "How about dinner?"

  "I think dinner sounds great!" He said, getting progressively giddier as realization sunk in. "Do you want me to pick you up at seven?"

  She thought about whether or not she had plans for that night. Not ones that would mean they would need to reschedule their date, but ones that she would have to apologise for disregarding in favor of taking this chance. When she could think of nothing, she nodded. "Seven works great! I... I'm really looking forward to going out tonight."

  Keith let out the breath he hadn't even realized he was holding. "Believe me, so am I. I just have one question though."

  "Oh? And what's that?"

  "Well... Where do you live exactly?"

  • • •

  Keith pulled up to the curb where she was waiting, breath misting in the cold night air as she waited for his arrival. Her smile brightened as she saw him, wasting no time in walking, almost hopping over to his car. His first thought aside from utter glee that she had agreed was awe at how she looked, a casual red dress draping itself over her body, her hair sensibly tied back and showing off her delicate neck. Each breath she took, every movement flexed the muscles along her neck and exposed shoulders. Keith suddenly had a hard time focusing. "Sarah! You look... Wow, you look gorgeous!" He shook his head, trying to force himself to calm down. He wanted the night to go well, and that was not going to happen if he kept stuttering like a nervous schoolboy.

  Fortunately for him however, she didn't mind, even finding it endearing. After all, she was just as nervous about the night as he was, so it wouldn't be fair if she judged him for it. She opened the door, sliding easily into her seat before turning to him with an appraising look. His outfit was simple, but that certainly did not mean that it was less than stunning. A light gray shirt clung to his torso, the top two buttons undone to show just a hint of his defined chest, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His black pants fitted beautifully, looking almost tailor made. His hair, normally so unkempt, had been slicked back, though he still couldn't escape that naturally messy look. In his case however, messy definitely worked.

  "You're looking handsome
tonight." She smirked, her canines just showing. "You must be looking forward to this."

  "Oh, I could say the same about you." He shifted the car into drive, pulling away from the curb and into the direction of the restaurant he had picked out. "You look like you're about ready to walk down the red carpet. Might make me think you really like me or something."

  Sarah chuckled, leaning back in her seat. "Well... I might let you have that idea." She watched the bob of his Adam's apple as he swallowed, hands flexing around the wheel as he tried to focus. She decided to have mercy on him, reaching over and brushing a hand along his arm. "Relax... I won't tease you anymore till we get to dinner. Getting into a car accident doesn't sound like an ideal first date, no matter how much I like you."

  Keith snorted, "Nothing says 'I'm interested' like driving into the back of a truck."

  "Oooo, pickup or semi? Because you're giving me ideas for a third date."

  She smiled when he let out a laugh, the tension disappearing with each shake of his shoulders. She looked out the windshield, the lights rapidly passing over the car and filling her vision with flashes of blue and red. Breathing came easy as she let her eyes drift closed, fully content to let the night pass her by as she sat next to the man she had come to care so much about in such a brief time. Her reverie was interrupted however when Keith leaned over and shook her shoulder, her eyes snapping open and her head whipping around.

  He smiled apologetically. "Sorry, but we're here now. You looked pretty peaceful but..." He gestured to the entrance of the restaurant. "You also look pretty hungry."

  "You really can read me like a book, can't you?" She said with a teasing smirk, opening her door and stepping out, the night air hitting her with a shiver.

  He offered his arm, Sarah winding her own through it and walking side by side with him through the doors. Keith smiled at the maître d, the two of them being led to their table and left to their own devices. Sarah looked around the room, the decor elegant, patterns of red and black reflected in almost every object with a flourish. "Well," She said, "This is a very nice place you've taken me to."