i wanna see her in a dress... (JAY)

[free3]

Shane was nervous. It wasn't his first date, but he was most certainly rusty. He wasn't wearing a suit, but had instead opted for a nice pair of slacks, leather shoes, and a dark blue striped dress shirt. He though he looked good, he just hoped Jay hadn't dressed nicer than he. He took one last look in the mirror and went to find his nice watch. It wasn't where he typically left it, so he had to rummage around in his bathroom drawers to find it. He put it on his wrist, and then felt satisfied. Casual enough, but dressy enough.

He walked out to the car, a surprisingly sporty car for a ranch. It was a dark red Infiniti that didn't get used much, seeing as they ran a working ranch. Then again, when you had two adult guys, one of them is bound to go buy themselves a nice car. They just happened to do it together, and whenever they just needed to be guys, either one could take it without fear of brotherly wrath.

He slid into the front seat, stroking the steering wheel before starting the car. He drove carefully down the driveway that was much better suited to trucks, and breathed a sigh of relieve when he reached paved road. The car wasn't expensive enough to have a manual transmission, but he still enjoyed driving it. It wasn't long before he arrived at her door, and he parked the car and got out.

He walked to the front door, wondering if her dad was home. If he was, he could just say they had reservations to keep. And they did, but he had left some time just in case they wanted to stroll the city center. He rang the door bell, putting his hands in his pockets to comfortably wait for someone to answer the door. He wasn't sure if she would make him wait or be right at the door, so he was prepared for both.

[jaydenmitchell]

// I'M A WILDFLOWER\\
growin in the sunshine, soakin up the way of life i was raised in

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She'd counted the minutes all day long until she'd finally allowed herself to start getting ready for her date with Shane. She couldn't remember ever being so excited about a date in her life. Maybe that was a good sign. A step in the right direction at least.

Jayden showered, did her hair, and applied her makeup, making sure it was all just right. She even went so far as to put on a little more makeup than usually, carefully penciling on some eyeliner and a touch of pale brown eyeshadow. She'd stepped back and admired her work when she'd finished, pleased to see that she looked prettied up but still had the natural look she liked to go for.

The hard part had come when she decided to get dressed. She went through her closet, trying on various things. First, it was her dressiest dress. It was beautiful, but she'd decided it was too dressy for the occasion. She couldn't actually remember why she'd gotten it, maybe a wedding or something. Then she tried on the three skirts she owned, one black, one charcoal, and one demin. She had a couple shirts that looked really nice with them, but nothing seemed just right. By this point, a pile of tossed aside clothes had ended up on her bed, and she was nearly out of options. But then she dug into the back of her closet and pulled out a dress that still had tags on it. Ah, yes, the dress she'd never worn nor even considered wearing. One of her friends had bought it for her as a present, but she'd always thought it was more of a joke, and had never tried it on. At the they'd told her it wouldn't hurt her to try wearing pink at least once. They'd also assured her the dress wasn't really "pink" but more of a pinky-coral color.

Staring at it now, she had to disagree. The dress was definitely pink. But it wasn't a bright pink, so it didn't blind her retinas the way some pinks did. Jay found herself taking it off the hanger and slipping it onto her body for the first time ever. She stood in front of the mirror and realized it was...well, perfect. Even a couple of years later, it still fit her frame amazingly, snug in all the right places but not so tight it felt like she was wearing a second skin. The "ruffles" really didn't look so ruffly once it was on, more like a contoured texture that only further defined her figure. She felt gorgeous for the first time in maybe forever. But could she pull off the pink and not feel completely uncomfortable the whole time? It wasn't too dressy, just right, but still...pink!

Just then she heard the doorbell ring. In all her time spent musing over what to wear she'd lost track of the time and was now stuck making a hasty decision. Her blue-green eyes glanced over at the pile of clothes on the bed, trying to decide if she wanted to stick with the pink or hurry up and throw something else on. She sighed, and admitted to herself that this dressed looked better than anything else she'd tried. Before she could talk herself out of it, she hurried down the stairs, grabbed her small purse, and walked over to the door. She opened the door and greeted Shane with a dazzling smile. Hi Shane,

[/b] she said in a tone meant only for him to hear.
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runnin barefoot blooming in a summer shower, ponytail dancing
\\I CAN'T HELP IT, I'M A WILDFLOWER//

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COMPLETE

[/b] with 700[/b] words, just for SHANE[/b]!
PS - he got his dress! (:[/b]

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[free3]

He wasn't really right on either of his guesses. She wasn't right there, but neither did she make him wait long. His expectant smile fell to a look of amazement. She looked good. While her looks had first drawn him to her, this was a whole new level. He lifted his finger and spun it, silently asking her to turn so that he could recover his brain. Her greeting hadn't done anything to help his state of mind either. He blinked a couple times, then gave her a smile. You look beautiful, Jay. Ready to go? his voice was lower than it usually was, but he managed to keep huskiness out of it. He couldn't rush this, she was already spooky enough about the whole relationship.

It was about now he regretted not bringing her flowers. Then again, this was their first real date, he wanted to keep something for her to look forward to. He held out his hand for hers, tucking it into his elbow and walking her to the car. He led her to the passenger side, opening her door for her and offering his hand so she could easily slide in. The car didn't sit too low, but with heels it might be interesting. Once she was settled, he closed the door and went around to the driver's side. He slid in and closed the door. When he started the car, the engine immediately sprung to life with a purr. You like my brother and I's baby? he asked, knowing there was a good chance she would either like the car more than either of them coming from her father's business, or just not be that impressed. It didn't cost a fortune, but it was enough of a sports car they both enjoyed it.

It wasn't a long drive to the city, but he knew she would have assumed that's where they were going. There weren't any classy restaurants in the small town they both called home. He had picked out a small steak place, knowing he probably wouldn't enjoy some French place or something like that. It was very classy, and what he had seen on the menu proved that the food would be good if it was based on price. He wasn't going to pull into that parking lot, but instead one of them that was across the town square. He had planned this carefully. They would stroll past the fountain to the restaurant, and then after their meal, if they wanted, they could walk around. It was quite picturesque, and he hoped Jay appreciated it.

[jaydenmitchell]

// I'M A WILDFLOWER\\
growin in the sunshine, soakin up the way of life i was raised in

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Jayden laughed as Shane motioned for her to twirl around and show off her dress. She did as he wanted, albeit with a slightly mocking attitude. She didn't really know how to twirl around properly, so she turned it into a humorous imitation of what a model might do.

She took his hand and allowed herself to be led to the car. She was glad she only had on short heels. They were the only pair she owned, and she only drug them out when she felt flats just weren't enough...which was no more than once or twice a year. Her stride was a little wobbly at first, and she hoped he didn't notice, but it improved within as she got used to them. She smiled as she took a seat in the car and waited for him to get in his seat and turn the car on before she spoke. Nice car,

[/b] she said with a laugh. I pictured you as more of a pick-up kinda guy, but this is pretty impressive I must say.[/b] She flashed him one of her teasing grins as he started driving down the road towards the highway.

The drive would take awhile, but not too long. It would be the perfect time to talk a little, but she wasn't sure what to talk about. Fishing in her head for something "date appropriate" she ended up just saying the first thing she could thing of. How's your dog doing? I almost forgot to tell you, I talked to my dad and he's fine with me getting a puppy whenever you have any ready. Of course, I never really suspected otherwise.[/b] She laughed lightly and turned to look out the window at the scenery. She didn't get out of their small town often so she always enjoyed the change of pace when she did get to go to the city.

A few moments later, she turned back towards Shane. Oh! My dad is having a poker night over at one of his buddie's houses. He told me he's sorry he couldn't make it, but to let you know if he would have been there he would have made sure to tell you to take good care of "his little Jem" and to have me home by curfew.[/b] She laughed again, realizing she should probably explain that better. Her voice grow softer as she spoke, almost in a sort of flirty way. I don't actually have a curfew, you know.[/b] Jay's dad was a lot like her, she supposed. That was probably where she'd gotten her easygoing nature and her teasing, tomboy attitude. She was proud of who she was, and wouldn't change it for anything.
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runnin barefoot blooming in a summer shower, ponytail dancing
\\I CAN'T HELP IT, I'M A WILDFLOWER//

[/size][/font][/b][/center]

COMPLETE

[/b] with 550[/b] words, just for SHANE[/b]!

[/color][/size][/center]

[free3]

Once he had gotten her tucked into the car, he had to chuckle at her comment. Well, this baby typically sits in the garage unless my brother or I feel the need to boost our ego by being in a sporty car. Or impress girls, we use it for that too. he teased. He really hadn't had many girls around to impress, if he was honest with himself. But having met her, this was probably one of the best ways to do it, and he couldn't have planned it better himself. Usually we do drive the pick ups. he said, grinning.

She's actually doing great. he said, after the pause and then her question. She looks big enough to pop, so my brother is keeping a close eye on her. With her size, she either has some big puppies, or there will be a couple extra for you to choose from. Right now, they were basically just keeping her as comfortable as they could until she gave birth. Having someone around tended to help this particular dog, so he and his brother tag teamed who could be near her or within hearing distance so she never felt alone. Jed, his dog, was sometimes let in, because the two of them had a close friendship, or as close as Shane had seen in dogs.

He chuckled as she gave him her dad's speech. He had to admit, he had never been on a date where he hadn't been thoroughly threatened by the father of the girl. From what he could gather, her father had the same relaxed temperament- ah, personality, he had been on a ranch too long- that Jay had. And her father had to be pretty trusting of his little girl, because for all he knew Shane had tattoos all over his chest and arms. He didn't, but that was besides the point. The way her next comment came out made his heart beat faster. He knew she wasn't implying what his mind had already jumped to, so he shut down his thoughts and instead reached for her hand. That's handy, little Jem, because I want to relax over a meal. If I had to have you back at a certain time, I'd just never get comfortable. He pulled out his best Southern drawl, not that he didn't have a bit of it always in his voice, but that he felt it would make his statement a bit more humorous.

He pulled into town and parked where he had originally planned, the evening proving nice weather, and even tolerable temperatures as the sun set. He got out of the car and went over to her side, opening her door and again offering his hand. I thought we'd stroll across the square to get to our restaurant, allow us to stretch our legs a little. The fountain provided a soothing background noise, and he hoped to have them both truly relaxed and at ease with each other by the time the date had ended.

[jaydenmitchell]

// I'M A WILDFLOWER\\
growin in the sunshine, soakin up the way of life i was raised in

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She smiled happily as his comment about the puppies, already picturing in her mind what they might look like. She didn't really care if she got a male or a female. She'd had both before and didn't have a preference to one over the other.

Jayden laughed when he called her by her dad's special nickname for her. So he'd caught onto that? She was surprised he hadn't asked how her dad came up with that name for her. She figured he'd probably assumed it was "gem", like a jewel. That was sort of the reason her dad had picked it up, but "Jem" spelled with a J actually came from her initials. Well, you know, if he wanted to be that picky about my life, I probably would have moved out by now. I mean, at 28, he can't exactly control me anymore.

[/b] She smiled, realizing it was the first time her age had come up with him. Good, maybe she'd get to find out how old he was without having to ask.

Soon enough they pulled into the parking lot and she admired the setting. She'd always been a fan of Weston Town Center. It was an outdoor shopping mall with a very upscale design to it. The buildings were brick, but had architectural enhancements that made them look beyond the ordinary. Even the streetlights in the area were of a fancy design, painted black. They had a sort of charming look that just completed the overall setting of the plaza area.

She turned to him, smiling and nodding, her hair picking up a little in the breeze. She took his hand as she got out of the car and then pulled it back to smooth out her dress and hair as she stood. She hadn't bothered to curl her hair in forever, and she hoped it didn't look too tragic. A walk sounds great. I've always loved the view here. I'm not a big city girl, but it's such a nice setting. You can still feel the breeze, but you can smell the food cooking nearby.[/b] She paused and interjected a laugh. Of course smelling the food always makes me hungry. But waiting for whatever smells so good makes it taste all the better in the end, right?[/b] She looked up at him and flashed him one of her award winning smiles. So when exactly are you going to tell me which restaurant you've chosen? Or is that a surprise?[/b]

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runnin barefoot blooming in a summer shower, ponytail dancing
\\I CAN'T HELP IT, I'M A WILDFLOWER//

[/size][/font][/b][/center]

COMPLETE

[/b] with 500[/b] words, just for SHANE[/b]!

[/color][/size][/center]

[free3]

He chuckled. That's true, you've pretty much grown up. He sent her a smile. Just wait until you're thirty like me, then you have the world at your fingertips. Old enough to be respected, yet young enough to still have fun with life. He started them strolling toward the restaurant, content to let a bit of silence stretch as they both took in the surroundings.

Yeah. You'd have a hard time calling me a city boy. he replied with a chuckle. All his life he'd been out in the country, and now owning a ranch, he barely showed his face in town, let alone the city. Exactly. he told her, eyes twinkling. Hunger is the best ingredient. he told her. He could come home from a day's work out on the ranch, and even his brother's cooking could taste good. And that was a stretch, seeing as Shane would never eat it not hungry as a bear. That smile she sent him could just soften him right up.

He had to think about her question, his brain having gone fuzzy around the edges. Oh, of course it's a surprise. he teased, falling silent as they walked. It wasn't long at all between that statement and his opening the door to the small steakhouse for her. He gave her a smile and followed her in, stating his name for the reservation. "Right this way, sir." a waiter said, leading them to a corner table, enough away from everyone that they could talk comfortably and not worry about the noise. He thanked the waiter, who he thought looked at Jay a bit too long, and he set their menus down and left. So, are you up for a steak? Or would you prefer one of their lesser eaten choices? he asked, eyes twinkling at her. It was a bit hard not to eat steak at a steakhouse, but they still had those options.