Zayn

The fact that she said yes, blew me away; I felt as though she should have been much more reluctant. But now that she agreed, I feel like I'm on top of the world. Sure, I would have to dye my hair pink if the date went horribly, but I had a chance. For some strange reason, I thought she would decline and I would never see her again. The other boys had definitely picked up on the fact that something good had happened, since I was participating more in conversations and was probably more animated than I had been in a while. I caught Harry and Louis sharing a look about me, but instead of commenting on it - I smiled at the both of them.

It wasn't because I had a date, because I could have one whenever I wanted. As sad as it was, there were many people who were at my beck and call. There was something different about having a date with Joelle; I think it had to do with her attitude towards me. She showed a kind of interest in me, yet also wasn't attempting to force her way into my life. She knew what annoyed celebrities and managed to avoid it, and she knew how to listen.

"Okay, thanks guys! It's been a very productive day with interviews!" Jen congratulated us. She looked exhausted and I pitied her, she definitely did not have the easiest job around. But she did have the best job ever. 

"I didn't break anything. Therefore I am your favorite today, correct?" Louis said, paying attention the conversation for a total of five seconds to hear the answer.

"No, because you were annoying. Anyways, I'll see you guys later. I have to go pick up Olivia." Jen smiled before heading out the door of the third interview station we were at. 

Louis went back to finding out how many M&Ms he could throw into the flower pot on the table in the conference room. Harry was sitting on the couch, face stuck into his phone as he scrolled up and down. Niall was laughing at Louis. Liam was yawning while standing with his arms crossed, trying this best to listen to the people talking to him. I just watched everything going on around me, as I thought about the upcoming date with Joelle. It seemed like everything was happening in slow motion, yet it was also happening faster than lightning. 

"Zayn, mate, you look like you're thinking way too hard." Harry commented, having apparently stuffed his phone back into his pocket and now paying attention to what was going on around him. 

"Nah, exhausted though. I'm heading out, see you." I said it quickly, grabbing my jacket and shrugging it onto my shoulders. I barely said another word as I exited the building, with at least two security guards following me incase there was trouble with mass amounts of fans. A cab was already there, since Jen always calls ahead to get a couple of cabs for those of us who couldn't drive yet. 

I really had no reason to drive, I was perfectly content with cabs and catching rides with friends. There never had been an absolute need for a car. I didn't think when I got into the car, I just grabbed my phone and entered the number in as 'Joelle'. There would be no confusion as to who I was talking about, since this girl was so fantastically unique. 

Girls didn't get me this wound up and I chastised myself for letting something so tiny take over my thought process. I wasn't able to fix that, though, all I could see was unruly curly hair and shocking green eyes that stood out like a candle in a dark room. But I couldn't let myself get into this, all it would lead to was trouble. So after texting her to meet me at this little cafe in the middle of nowhere at noon the next day, I resolved to focus on everything but that girl.

~

Tugging the strings of the grey hoodie tighter, I scanned the area for the twentieth time in the last half hour. Joelle had texted me that she would be late, but thirty minutes? I was usually a patient guy, but there was a point where the patience broke and annoyance took over. How could this girl have the nerve to be this late without texting me a reason? I had a dozen places I needed to be after this date, I was hoping to actually be able to enjoy it.

"I'm so sorry, I got caught up at work." A soft voice said as she slid into the seat opposite me. 

I felt a rush of air leave my lungs. "Oh."

When she didn't say anything farther, I searched the topics we could discuss. Anything, everything. Why was I suddenly horrible at talking to a girl? I usually was able to charm any woman within five seconds of being in her presence. The sound of Joelle clearing her throat, made me glance up quickly. She looked uncomfortable and unsure. "Did you get coffee yet?" 

"No, I wanted to wait for you. What do you want? I'll go get us some." I jumped onto the subject, already sliding out of the seat.

"Um, a large iced peppermint coffee if they have it. If not, something with cinnamon." Joelle replied as she dug into her purse for what I assumed was a wallet.

"No, don't worry. It's my treat." I flashed her a smile. "It's not like I can't afford it."

"I can afford it as well, Zayn. Just because you get paid more, doesn't mean the rest of us are broke nothings." 

The way she said it made me regret my stupid joke immediately, not knowing how to react to her sudden statement. She didn't seem bitter or even angry, just like she was stating a fact. To be honest, I never really saw it that way. I just knew that I wasn't exactly poor. I shook my head at her as she tried, once again, to hand me a couple of pounds. "It's a date, and I really want to pay."

"Okay." She nodded finally, the side of her mouth tilting up a bit to the right. I hurried through the ordering process, trying to think about what I could say and what I should do. 

Never before had I been so unsure about a date, it was like second nature to me. You take a girl out, you compliment her, you decide if you like her or not, and then you kiss. If things went well, you ask for a second date. If they didn't, you accidentally delete her number. This seemed so much different and I wasn't sure why. Once I had grabbed both the cups, I hurried back to see Joelle staring very intently at her hands, twisting a ring on her right finger around and around. 

"They had peppermint," I informed her. 

She smiled at me as she took a sip of the drink. "Thank you."

"So…" I started, about to ask her the typical first date questions. Things that would help me get to know more about her, but wouldn't be too invasive or personal. 

"Listen, before we get into this, I need you to know something." 

She said it so seriously, her eyes focused so intently on the lid of her drink. She was gnawing on her lip and I didn't think it was possible for her to have a shaken confidence. The previous times I had talked to her, she had been so sure of herself. And now she seemed as if she wasn't completely understanding, a bit of confusion seen in her actions. What she could be confused about, I wasn't sure. 

"I hate secrets and I know that you don't want to hear a bunch of bullcrap lies from me." Joelle's eyes finally left the cup and I looked straight into her eyes. She was nervous. "I don't go on dates. I don't have boyfriends. I don't fall in love. I like to listen to people, but I don't ever invest myself in relationships.  And I don't want to fall in love."

"Why are you telling me this? You don't have to, you know." I replied quietly. 

"Because you deserve to know. I don't want… Uh, I don't want you to get your hopes up. You're the first guy I've even considered saying yes to on a date, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to be good at this." The way she said it made my heart crack open, just a bit. Sounds manly, I know. But there was something about the sincerity of her words, the almost nervousness in her eyes, the way she seemed sad about the facts of her life.

"I like taking risks."

"Good, because I'm definitely a risk. I don't like attention, I'm not used to people caring about what I have to say. This is all new to me." 

There was something about this girl that wouldn't let me leave. A month ago, I would have scoffed in her face and walked away at the fact that she was afraid of dating someone like me. I liked to be sure of everything, whether it was a girl's feelings towards me or that I knew that my family was doing well. To jump into something like this and having been warned that she doesn't fall in love? Instead of being worried of the future, all I knew was that I wanted to know what could have made her like this. What made her think that love wasn't worth it?