I pulled the hem of my shirt down nervously, smoothing out all the wrinkles before quickly pulling the brush through wavy strands of my black hair. Sighing, I set it back down on my dresser and gave myself a once-over in the mirror. Well, this is as good as it's gonna get, I thought to myself. From downstairs, I heard the doorbell ring and sucked in a deep breath. He was here. The sound of Miss Carlisle's voice drifted up to me as I stepped into the hallway.

"Oh, you must be Matei! Come in, come in!" she greeted him, her voice warm and inviting. 

A smile tugged at the corners of my lips. I think she was as excited for this date as I was. The wooden steps of the stairs creaked beneath my weight as I made my way down them, my hand sliding along the smooth railing. And then my honey brown eyes met warm chocolate orbs. Butterflies erupted in my stomach instantly and I bit my lip as I reached the bottom step. Slowly, Matei made his way over and held out a hand to me.

"Hello again," he said softly.

"Hi." I responded quietly, suddenly shy for some reason.

My hand took his, my cheeks heating up at the contact. His skin was warm and soft on my own as he pulled me towards the doorway gently.

"It was lovely meeting you." he told the headmistress, nodding his head towards her.

She smiled at him brightly before shutting the door behind us. We stepped out into the fresh sunlight and I glanced over at Matei as we began to walk down the street. The glow of the sun lit up his features - straight aquiline nose, deep brown eyes, porcelain skin, and plump pink lips. He was...breathtaking. So why did he want to go out with me? That's the one thing I hadn't figured out yet.

Of all the girls in school, why choose me? A cool breeze blew past us and I shivered in its wake. I cleared my throat then and Matei glanced at me.

"So, um, where are you taking me?" I asked him, smiling.

He smiled back, digging his hands into the pockets of his dark coat.

"Figured we'd head to the Kafe, if that's alright with you?" he replied, biting his lip.

My throat closed up at his question. Just seeing him bite his lip like that sent butterflies swarming in my belly. Wordlessly, I nodded and he smiled again. He led the way to the Kafe and I followed at his side. He would sneak glances the whole way there to which I'd always blush and look away from him. When we arrived, he held the door open for me.

Tiny silver bells on the door jingled as we entered the small shop. Once again, I was bombarded by the smells of fresh pastries and biscuits. Matei slipped by me, his hand grasping mine along the way. His fingertips grazed the back of my hand sending delicious tingles up my spine. We dodged the other customers until finally, we reached a table in the back. With a start, I realized it was the same table I'd sat at the first time I came here.

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion and I glanced up at him. He grinned.

"What? You didn't think I noticed you that day?" he teased and I blushed scarlet as he pulled out my chair for me.

Sinking into it, he sat down across from me. He was about to open his mouth to speak when he was cut off by a masculine voice behind us.

"I didn't know you were coming here, mate."