Page 15 of The Secret Crush Book Club (Peach Blossom #3)
Eleven
W as it possible to feel like a kid with a new crush when you were almost thirty and just meeting a potential new friend for a movie?
If it was, that would describe how Dani felt as she walked up to the movie theater.
She had spent part of last night coming up with strategies with Vini and Ava for how she could subtly get an idea if Zoey was interested in women or not.
Most of them had been overly complicated and borderline ridiculous, but Dani couldn’t help but admit that it felt good to joke around with her sisters again in a way they hadn’t done in a while.
Their lives were quickly changing lanes, but she was feeling a bit better about things, thanks to their conversation.
Now though, she had to figure out the best way to incorporate some of it in.
She had gone with Ava’s suggestion of dressing up a bit more than she would have if she was just meeting Natasha for a movie.
Dani had gone with a pair of tight jeans and a loose blouse that she left partially unbuttoned.
She had scoured various Pinterest boards, trying to find the perfect outfit for her first queer not-quite-date.
Most of the ideas had left her frustrated and more than a little confused.
She was definitely not hip to the lingo when it came to the queer scene.
She still didn’t even know what to label herself.
How was she supposed to figure out where she fit in when she wasn’t even sure if this was a date at all?
If Zoey wasn’t interested in dating women, how else would Dani figure all this out?
She pushed those thoughts away to save for a different time.
For now, she needed to concentrate on tonight and take it from there.
The sun was just starting to set, and Dani could feel the air starting to cool when she made it to the theater.
Her gaze fell on Zoey standing in front of the doors, and Dani didn’t bother trying to stop her smile.
Now that she was aware of it, she could recognize how everything in her perked up at the sight of Zoey.
She had her hair pulled back in a chunky braid tonight, leaving her neck bare, and Dani wondered if she brushed her fingers over Zoey’s skin if it would be as soft as it looked.
She had forgone her usual cardigan, and instead was wearing a tight black shirt tucked into a pair of wide-legged jeans.
It was almost jarring to see her dressed so differently, and belatedly, Dani wondered if Zoey had changed up her style for her.
When Zoey caught sight of Dani, her wide grin had Dani feeling energized and she had to fight to keep herself from bounding up to her like a lovestruck puppy.
Zoey’s normal glasses were gone today, giving Dani unfettered access to her dark brown gaze—a gaze that seemed to turn several degrees hotter when they landed on Dani.
Zoey’s eyes dropped before slowly making their way back up Dani’s body.
With anyone else, Dani would have immediately known it was on with that look alone.
She could almost feel it like a physical caress on her skin, and she looked over her with the same intensity.
“Zoey,” Dani said, not sure what to say next. What were the rules of going on a not-quite-date with another woman? Should they hug? Would that be weird, considering Dani never gave more than a handshake to the men she had gone out with? “Glad to see you. You look amazing.”
Dani couldn’t help the slight breathlessness of her voice, but when Zoey smiled widely, she wanted to ply her with even more compliments. It might have been evening, but her smile was enough to light up the night sky.
“You look really good too,” Zoey said as she gave Dani another once-over. She held up her hand. “I hope you don’t mind, but I already bought the tickets.”
Holy hell. Maybe it really is a date . On the outside, she appeared calm, but on the inside, she was a mess of emotions.
There was nervousness and anticipation for what the night might bring.
Ava was staying at the house with Jordan, so Dani wasn’t expected to be home early.
She wasn’t sure what Zoey might have in mind for after the movie.
Dani had a few ideas just in case, and Ava had made a few suggestions, though Dani wasn’t sure if she was ready for some of the more intense ones on Ava’s list. This was the first time she and Zoey would be alone together.
She didn’t want to come on too strong and scare her away, or get too over her head that she was the one who turned tail and ran.
They walked side by side into the movie theater.
A couple of people were milling about in the lobby and when Dani and Zoey walked around them, the backs of their hands brushed together.
It was such an innocuous touch and yet a zing of electricity shot up Dani’s arm.
It made her want to reach out and tangle her fingers with Zoey’s, but until she knew that this was truly a date, she didn’t feel comfortable taking that next step.
Hand-holding wasn’t something you could justify unless someone was about to fall in a hole or something else equally perilous.
If this were a first date with her and a guy, she similarly wouldn’t feel comfortable taking their hand, so Dani gave herself a bit of grace.
They walked over to the snack counter and when it was their turn to order, she turned to Zoey.
“Since you bought the movie tickets, the snacks are on me. Unless you like Goobers in which case you’ll have to pay for that shit yourself because those things are disgusting.”
Zoey laughed, her nose wrinkling in the cutest way that had Dani staring.
How she hadn’t realized that her thoughts of Zoey’s cuteness weren’t just innocent observations she would never know.
Now that she recognized it for what it was, she couldn’t stop cataloging all of the cute things about Zoey.
How her nose crinkled when she smiled. How the brown of her eyes looked so incredibly warm and inviting, whether they were behind lenses or not.
It wasn’t just platonic admiration. No, she was attractive in a way that made Dani want to touch.
“On that we are in complete agreement,” Zoey replied. She turned to look over the menu. “I was thinking about going for the kettle corn popcorn and maybe some Skittles. What were you thinking?”
I was thinking about how cute you are was what Dani wanted to say.
I was thinking that I want to kiss you was a close second.
Instead, she replied, “Kettle corn popcorn sounds great to me. The Skittles are all yours but I’m thinking about the Reese’s Pieces.
Kind of like Skittles’ distant cousin.” Dani was rewarded by another of Zoey’s sweet laughs.
She felt amazingly proud that the night had just began and already she was keeping her entertained.
“They are kind of like cousins, aren’t they?
I never really thought about that before, but it makes a lot of sense,” Zoey said.
Once they finished ordering, Dani was happy enough to pass over her card and pay for everything.
She was finding herself enjoying this even give-and-take.
There had always been a sort of pressure during her previous dates, whereas with Zoey, they seemed to fall into things easily.
Dani wasn’t sure if it was because they were both women, or if it was because they both were who they were.
Either way, she was finding herself smiling as they grabbed their food and moved to find their theater.
After finding their seats they settled in, talking softly before the previews began.
Luckily enough, the theater had gone through a renovation a couple of years ago, replacing the previous seats with lounging chairs that allowed for easy sharing.
They both, under an unspoken agreement, pushed their chairs back and moved the armrest between them to set the popcorn in place so they both could easily reach.
It reminded Dani of lounging on the recliner at home, but this time with a cutie by her side, and damn, wasn’t that a kick in the pants.
Even with this being the only movie theater within a thirty-minute drive, it never really got crowded, which Dani could appreciate.
Then again, she didn’t often go to the movies on opening nights so she couldn’t speak to those experiences.
Jordan wasn’t really into most movies, so she had only had to suffer through crowded theaters once or twice so far.
Now, by the time the previews began there were only a few other couples and groups in the theater, but they were spread out enough that she and Zoey had the whole row to themselves.
Dani sent up thanks to whichever deity was listening.
She was thankful there wouldn’t be anyone else close enough to notice her anxiety as she tried to figure out which of Ava’s and Vini’s strategies she would utilize to see if Zoey was interested in more than just a friendly night at the movie theater.
Ironically enough, it was the popcorn that gave her the perfect chance to test the waters.
As they settled into the movie, they took turns taking handfuls of popcorn from the tub between the two of them.
Dani would glance down every now and then to see Zoey’s fingers drop down, collect a few kernels and then reach back up, popping them in her mouth.
Once or twice, she was distracted looking at Zoey’s lips, but she always ripped her eyes away before she got caught staring.
Dani had just gotten lost in the opening scenes when she realized that her timing was off.
She reached into the tub of popcorn but instead of grabbing kernels she felt the soft touch of Zoey’s fingers. She paused, as did Zoey.