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Proving Her Worth

Chapter 4 - First Dates

## Jon’s POV ##

It was the following Wednesday before I was able to make good on my offer to take her to dinner. We’d be out of town playing Arizona and Las Vegas and after taking a nap since we’d arrived back home in the early morning hours and didn’t have much time for sleep, I texted Mallory to make sure that we were still on for dinner. I had a feeling that she was going to be nervous but I certainly wasn’t about to let her back out on me because of it.

When she finally texted back that yes we were still on as long as I wanted to be, I shot back that I would pick her up at 7. Hopefully, that would allow her plenty of time to get home from work and also be able to get ready for the date. After all, I’d been with my fair share of women and they all took forever to get ready to go anywhere.

While I was waiting, I watched some highlights from around the league, throwing a load of laundry in while also making a list of a few things I needed to pick up from the store at some point. Before long I headed to get ready, wanting to stop for flowers before picking her up, this was her first date and flowers certainly seemed appropriate.

~*~*~*~ Mallory’s POV ~*~*~*~

After confessing myself to Jon late Friday night I’d spent most of my weekend in bed. I was too tired and the baby had me feeling far too sick to want to put any effort into anything. The start of the following work week was much the same, besides actually going to work I didn’t do much else before climbing into bed when I got home. I honestly wasn’t sure that Jonathan was actually going to make good on taking me on a date, I wasn’t getting my hopes up at least but Monday he’d texted about going out Wednesday and the day of he’d again texted wanting to confirm.

To say I was a little nervous was an understatement, I was certain that I was going to horribly screw the date up and prove to him why no one else had ever bothered with me. It was all I could do when I arrived home to focus on finding something to wear instead of just crawling into bed and saying to hell with it all. He’d told me that I would need to dress up a little bit but not to go too crazy and when I’d read the text I couldn’t help but to laugh, I certainly wasn’t all that good at being one of those girls after all.

It was a chilly Chicago day and I was the type of person who was always freezing, so I searched my closet for something that would fit both the weather and the type of date he’d apparently planned. Thankfully so far the baby seemed to be cooperating with the thought of a night out and after pulling a few things on before quickly deciding that I didn’t like how they looked I settled on a long sleeve grey dress, sliding some black tights on under it to help ward off the chill as well as to hide my ghostly pale skin. A pair of grey ballet flats was thrown on my bed and I quickly found a grey clutch as well before heading to the bathroom in an attempt to do something with my hair.

It took over twenty minutes before I had managed a bun that was cute instead of frumpy looking and at 10 to seven I was frantically trying to put together a fall eye color that wasn’t a smeared mess before dabbing on some clear lip gloss. Grabbing a fall leaf necklace to carry a little bit of the color from my eyes downward I quickly ran back to my room to throw what I needed into the clutch before slipping into the shoes and searching for a jacket. Deciding a cardigan should be enough to keep me warm I found a deep red one that would add a little more of a fall flair and not look completely out of place.

Just as I had pulled the cardigan from its hanger, the familiar buzz of my intercom was going and I dashed across my apartment to let him in. It was seven on the nose according to the clock on my stove and I quickly ran back to the bathroom to check my appearance one more time before Jonathan reached my apartment.

Pulling the cardigan on as I opened the door I couldn’t help the shiver that raced up and down my spine at how good Jon looked. It was a pair of black dress pants and a blue button up that I’m sure I’d probably seen him in before but I still couldn’t help the flush that developed in my cheeks with him standing here in front of me looking like that.

## Jon’s POV ##

Just like that night after the club, Mallory buzzed me up without saying a word and when I arrived at her apartment door she was already there opening it. She looked absolutely incredible and I couldn’t help the smile that appeared on my face as I offered her the bouquet of sunflowers I’d picked up on the way. I knew the guys would never let me hear the end of it if they knew I brought flowers on a first date but Mallory wasn’t like most girls and I had a feeling that she would appreciate it.

“You look beautiful.” I murmured softly, her already pinkened cheeks garnering even more color.

“Thank you.” She replied softly, ducking her head as she took the flowers from me and around into her kitchen, likely searching for a vase. “Just let me put these in water and we can go.”

“You’re fine,” I assured her content to just watch her for a moment. She’d certainly never looked like this at work before, not that she wasn’t always pretty but this was something else. A moment later she was walking back to me and picking up a clutch that she’d left on the counter before grabbing her keys to tuck into it after locking the door behind her.

“So...I thought we’d get some dinner and then maybe walk around for a bit if you’re feeling up to it,” I explained as we rode the elevator down to the garage and I opened her car door for her before moving to climb into the driver’s seat.

“Sounds nice.” She simply stated, glancing at me before turning to look out the window. For a few minutes, there was nothing but the soft sounds of the radio before she turned to me, her legs crossed in the small space of my passenger seat. “So one out of two on the last road trip, not ideal I know but not bad either. You played well.” She proclaimed, her tone soft as if not really sure what to talk about.

“I would have preferred two of two but you have to take what you can get I suppose,” I replied. “Anything interesting happen at the office?” Honestly, I didn’t really know much about what it was that she did other than that she’d gone over some paperwork to continue my work visa in the states when the season started. When she shook her head I nodded and turned my attention back to the road and getting to the restaurant.

~*~*~*~ Mallory’s POV ~*~*~*~

I could only hope that conversation would flow easier when we got to the restaurant because from what I had attempted in the car, it didn’t seem to be going anywhere. Chewing on my lip so that I didn’t get ahead of myself and deem the date a disaster, I fiddled with smoothing the fabric of my dress before looking back out at the Chicago streets.

When Jon finally pulled the car into a parking lot, I moved to let myself out, only to be stopped by a soft glare as he got out of the car himself before coming around to open my door. “Thank you,” I whispered glancing up at him again before following him inside the restaurant. After giving his name to the hostess we were led back to a table and he pulled my chair out for me.

“I’d offer to let you pick a bottle of wine but…” He trailed off, his eyes showing no signs of anger, just that he was teasing me good-naturedly a little.

“Sorry..definitely no wine.” I breathed, trying to steady my nerves a little before they made me sick.

“It’s fine.” He insisted, reaching across the table to brush his thumb over my hand and I nodded before looking down at the menu.

“Have you been here before, any recommendations?” I asked as the waitress came over to take our drink orders. Asking for just a glass of water I thanked her and then shrugged out of my cardigan since we were inside and it didn’t appear to be freezing.

“Everything I’ve tried has been wonderful.” He assured me and after staring at the menu so long I didn’t even notice the waitress bring back our drinks I finally decided to have a steak with whipped potatoes and a side salad. When we ordered, I noticed him giving me a look and I glanced down again unconsciously.

“What?” I whispered, afraid that I had done something wrong with my choice of food. Quickly he responded, urging me to look at him as he chuckled.

“Nothing just didn’t have you pegged for ordering steak.” He assured me, his eyes more than his words telling me that everything was okay.

“Oh…I uh...I’ve been craving a good steak for about three days now.” I explained, shrugging softly. It was too early for it to technically be pregnancy cravings but I had a feeling it was because I needed more iron in my system because of the pregnancy. He took my explanation and as I sipped at my water I sighed because conversation really wasn’t flowing at all.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, wanting to run to the bathroom to escape the silence but instead just found myself apologizing for it. “This is awkward isn’t it?” I was certain that my body language was showing just how awkward it was and I was certain that he certainly wouldn’t want to take me on another date after this.


## Jon’s POV ##

It was evident that she’d never been on a date before and while yes, it was slightly awkward, her acknowledgment of it more than made up for that fact. Knowing that in order for her to relax I’d have to come up with something for us to talk about I leaned a little closer before speaking.

“So...it’s pretty clear that you’re into sports, at least hockey, what else do you enjoy?” First dates were about getting to know someone and admittedly I didn’t know as much about her as she probably did about me.

“Um...when I’m not watching sports, and I do love more than just hockey...I’m kind of addicted to crime shows on tv, computer games, and theater.”

“What are the sports besides hockey that you watch then?” It was refreshing to spend time with a girl that was clearly into sports enough to at least understand them, and from what I’d seen in passing, she was certainly passionate about her teams.

“College and pro football, college basketball, and baseball but only in person. It’s just too slow to watch on tv.”

“Damn..” I couldn’t help but comment. “I take it your dad is into sports?”

“Mom too but dad moreso yes. I’ve been going to hockey games since I was three. Obviously not Columbus of course but Miami of Ohio.” We were still talking about our favorite sports teams when our food arrived and after tucking her napkin onto her lap she dug in, moaning softly as she ate the first piece of steak.

“Good?” I questioned, smirking slightly, though my pants were also just a bit tighter than they’d been before due to that sound. Immediately she flushed again, glancing down as she always seemed to do when she was nervous or embarrassed. When I bumped her leg with mine she looked up again and finally responded.

“Sorry. Yes, it’s very good, thank you, Jon.” She said before dipping her fork into the whipped potatoes and drawing it between her lips. Clearly, she didn’t realize how the way she was eating affected me but there was something definitely attractive about the way her mouth moved around the fork. Throughout the rest of dinner, we talked about our families a little and her obsession with theater, something she really didn’t take advantage enough of living in Chicago with. After paying the check, I helped her back into her sweater and we headed toward the door.

“Are you feeling up to walking around for a bit?” I inquired, not sure how she was feeling but knowing that she had been getting sick fairly often because of the baby. We hadn’t talked about that at all tonight but I certainly hadn’t forgotten about the child currently growing inside of her. It was something I was still trying to wrap my head around in a way but it didn’t change the feelings I was developing for her one iota.

~*~*~*~ Mallory’s POV ~*~*~*~

The dinner part of the date hadn’t gone nearly as horribly as I’d been expecting it to and so when Jon asked if I wanted to walk around for a bit, I quickly agreed, gravitating toward his body just a fraction more as he tucked his hand into my lower back to guide me through the streets. The city was as crazy as always but it wasn’t a bad energy as we just walked and continued to talk about mostly random things. It quickly turned into more of a game of twenty questions and it was a solid half hour later when we appeared in front of an ice cream shop.

Jon stopped, quickly raising an eyebrow in a question to me causing me to laugh softly before nodding.

“You’re asking a pregnant woman if she wants ice cream, what kind of question is that?” I teased, bumping against him gently as he laughed and guided me inside. There were so many flavors that sounded absolutely delicious but I was drawn repeatedly to the dark chocolate. Ordering one scoop of that, I moved to a small booth while Jon waited for our ice cream.

When Jon came over with our ice cream, he slid into the same side of the booth with me and I bit my lip at his proximity before taking a spoonful of the ice cream. It was just as good as dinner had been and I made a note to come back here when my pregnancy cravings were really rearing their head. “This might have to be my new favorite in Chicago...just so you know.” I declared reaching over to steal a spoonful of his ice cream as well before reaching over to wipe away a smear where he’d missed his mouth.

As I was tucking a napkin into my cup, Jon reached over and returned the favor before staring at me for a moment and then dropping a kiss to my forehead. It made my heart race and though I wanted to kiss him, I wasn’t sure I was ready for that yet. Instead, I excused myself to the restroom, trying to keep both my emotions as well as my stomach under control. It was way too soon to let myself have feelings for him, at least if I wanted to keep myself from getting hurt again.

When I returned to the table, Jon had cleaned up our trash and was waiting for me.

“Should I get you home?” He questioned and I found myself yawning as I nodded.

“Probably, you have practice tomorrow and I have to work.” I agreed knowing that it would be at least a twenty-minute walk back to his car and then he’d have to drive me home on top of that. It was almost 11 already and the more I thought about it the more fatigued I was.

His fingers slipped into mine as we walked back to the restaurant and his car and when we got back to my apartment he insisted on walking me inside. At my door, I found myself hesitating and after a moment I leaned up to kiss his cheek, my lips nearly grazing the corner of his mouth. “I had a really good time tonight. Well, once we got past the awkwardness.” I declared smiling.

“Good, I’m glad.” He replied, his body inching closer to mine as he brought me in for a lingering hug. “Good enough that I can take you on a second date?” He asked when he pulled back, his brown eyes making me want nothing more than what he was offering even if I knew that I needed to be cautious, not only for myself but also my baby.

“If you want to…” I eventually replied, finally reaching to unlock my door before turning to face him.

“I do.” He assured me, and suddenly his lips were brushing against mine ever so gently before he pulled away and was walking toward the elevator before I could even react.

Notes

Comments would be lovely to help inspire me to write. I spent some time actually making a calendar to try and help me keep track of things and make them as realistic as possible. Of course, I'm not perfect so please forgive and author's liberties.

Comments

cute updates!

tangerine21 tangerine21
11/29/17

Sounds like a good start. Keep it going!

tangerine21 tangerine21
10/25/17