Do You Still Hate Me?

6. Date?

Charlie and I sat by the window, in a two seat table, facing each other. We started chatting about school gossip and random topics while waiting for our food. Since our school is small, everyone knows each other's business. We were deep in our conversation when I suddenly felt like someone was staring at me, making me freeze and zone out. Charlie's sudden coughing fit, caused by choking on his own saliva from laughing too hard, broke the spell. I smiled and asked if he was okay, and despite his red face, he said he was fine. I couldn't help but smile at how cute he looked.

Charlie's POV

We continued chatting until our food arrived. A girl in her 20s with a ponytail brought our food and put it on our table. I stared at the tacos, and my mouth almost watered at how yummy and flavorful they looked. The waiter started talking to Ash like they were friends.

Wow this guy really knows everyone I thought to myself.

From what I was seeing It looked like she was scolding him at first, but her frown turned into a smile after Ash said something. They noticed me staring and chuckled, which made me turn away to face the window in embarrassment. As she was leaving, she said, "Hope you guys enjoy it." Ash responded with a smile, "Sure will."

Ash kept smiling until she was out of sight, and I avoided eye contact, still feeling embarrassed for staring. "What's wrong, Honeybun?" Ash asked me in a casual tone looking directly at me. I was confused since he had never called me that before,
"Honeybun?" I asked in confusion but my question was interrupted by a fight breaking out outside between two homeless men. Everyone in the restaurant glanced over, concerned, but Juan, the cashier, quickly intervened and shooed them away. "Damn, that's crazy," Ash said unconcernedly while taking a bite of his taco.

I looked around and saw everyone returning to normal. Ash suggested I eat my food before it got cold, so I took a bite of the taco. It was incredibly good, with perfectly seasoned meat. I savored the flavors, wondering why my Mexican mom had never cooked something like this before.

I noticed others adding a greenish liquid to their tacos. Influenced by this, I grabbed the bottle, but to my surprise, someone else wanted it too.

It was Ash, his hand grasped mine, our fingers intertwining as he dominated the bottle. I looked up, shocked, my cheeks blushing. He wouldn't let go, staring at me with a blank expression that made me blush even more.

"I saw it first," he said seriously, starting a playful fight. I knew he wanted me to release the bottle so he could pour the liquid first, but I couldn't let that happen!

"But I grabbed it first!" I exclaimed, frowning. This thrilling feeling excited me.

"Come on, Charlie, let go of it," he said, his fingers pressing against mine.

"Make me!" I replied, and we began our playful struggle.

"I will, Charlie, I will." Ash said with an evil smile, sending shivers down my spine.

The force of his hand pressing against the bottle and my fingers grew stronger until the cap exploded, and the greenish liquid gushed out onto the table. Ash quickly cleaned up the mess, his worried face replacing his evil grin. I burst out laughing at his expression, the sound of the bottle exploding that sound like a fart, and the people staring at us. After cleaning his mess he joined in, and we both laughed uncontrollably.

Everyone at the restaurant probably thought we were childish, but I didn't care. My face was bright red from laughing and embarrassment.

"Sorry, Charlie, maybe I took the joke too far," Ash said, still chuckling.

"It's fine," I replied, calming down.

"Charlie, this is called Salsa, it's made out of tomatoes, chilies, and onions" he explained, pouring it onto one of my tacos in a heart shape.

"You know, I should make you get mad and embarrassed more often so I can see your sweet cheeks turn red" Ash teased, smiling.

I took a bite of the taco, and the salsa's spiciness hit me hard. I started sweating, and Ash who was also sweating a bit and coughing noticed,  so he offered me his drink. I quickly drank from the straw, not caring that he had used it too. The milky drink cooled down my tongue. He went somewhere and returned with two ice-cold water bottles.

"Here you go, Charlie," he said, handing me the bottle while drinking from his.
"Sorry about that, Charlie; they usually don't make the salsa that spicy. I talked to Juan, and he said he accidentally added 2x more chilies than usual," Ash explained, chewing on ice.

We finished eating and went to the cashier to pay, but Juan wasn't there, and the girl with the ponytail was there instead.

"Sorry about the salsa, guys," she said apologetically, and Ash assured her it was fine, and even tastier. She knew he was lying to make her feel better, which I admired about Ash - he always tries to make others feel better.

"Here you go; it's on the house," she said, handing Ash a bag with tacos and a coupon to a nearby store. He thanked her and gave her a tip. As we left, the girl shouted something at Ash that made him blush and looked back at me. I wondered what she said...

"What did she say?" I asked Ash curiously.
"Don't worry about it, Charlie. You should call your ride; it's getting late," Ash suggested, putting his arm around my neck in a friendly way.

I pulled out my phone and called my ride to come pick me up as we were waiting in the parking lot.
"Here you go, Charlie, take them," he said, handing me the bag of tacos. I thanked him and said, "Ash, I really had a great time today. You're a really nice person." He looked back at me, and for a moment, it seemed like he wanted to hug me, but instead, he put his hands on my shoulders and said,

"We can hang out whenever you want, Charlie. How about we go to the park someday?" Ash asked, smiling. I nodded.

"Well, I have to go, Charlie." He said.

Ash put his hand out for a dab, and as I let go, he shouted, "Take care, Charlie!"

"You too!" I replied as he walked away, putting his hoodie up and his hands in his pockets. I stared at him, smiling, but my smile turned to confusion when he randomly hid behind a pole. Was he making sure I was safe and waiting for my ride to arrive?

He kept staring at me from behind the pole, which was a bit funny, but I acted like I didn't see him to avoid hurting his feelings. Soon my ride arrived, and as we left the parking lot, I saw Ash leaving too. Which made me smile.

"Did you have fun, Charles?" my personal driver asked.
"Yes" I replied while staring at Ash.