#except he still suggested we split the bill🙃💀

[ri-ahhh]

if you do feel like writing, i've always thought you would really kill a concept about your first or one of your first dates with grayson!!😇 i feel like you capture his energy sooo well

“Oh god, I’m so sorry!”

She glanced up from her phone at the sound of a frantic voice, deep and familiar and slightly out of breath.

Her stomach swooped a little at the sight of Grayson towering above her. His cheeks were slightly flushed, hazel eyes wide and scared.

As they should be. She shook her head and let a smirk grace her freshly glossed lips, standing to greet him with a questioning, arched brow. Playing it as cool as she possibly can while dying slightly at (one) the relief flooding her chest and (two) how utterly fine he looked in those casual tailored pants and short sleeved button-down.

“You had me worried for a minute there, Dolan,” she admitted, the heels of her thigh-high boots making her the perfect height to lean up and peck his cheek both in greeting and as a silent acceptance of his apology.

Grayson kissed her back on her own cheek, and took her hand as they both sat down at the table she had been saving for nearly 45 minutes by then. His palm was warm and the perfect mix of calloused and soft, and his fingers squeezed hers as his thumb rubbed the backs of them gently.

“Really, I’m so fucking sorry. I totally forgot they opened a new location a few months ago. I feel like the biggest dick,” he pouted.

She shrugged, secretly enjoying listening to him grovel and watching him almost literally sweat in his seat. While they had hung out casually a couple of times, this was their first official date, and he had named the place... only to leave out some crucial information that left them at the same restaurant, on different sides of town.

“I think the waiter was starting to feel sorry for me. He asked if I was okay and gave me a free margarita about ten minutes ago,” she said, nodding to the mostly untouched glass of frozen slush in front of her.

“Fuck,” Grayson groaned, face-palming and tipping his head back. She finally let a full grin light up her face, biting her lip through it as she watched his Adam’s apple bob in the shadowy light of the restaurant.

He brought his head back to a normal position, and she caught the look of surprise flash in his eyes when he realized she wasn’t that upset. His lips turned up at the corner in a sheepish, crooked smile that made her melt a bit. “Well, if you weren’t gonna let me pay for dinner before, now you definitely have to.”

She giggled and squeezed his hand before letting go, bringing it to the straw of her margarita instead to give the melting ice a stir. “Yeah, I think I might allow it this one time.”

At that moment, the waiter, a jolly middle-aged Hispanic man, returned with two fresh water glasses and an excited shout. “Hey! He’s here!”

She and Grayson both blushed — Gray more so than her. He held up his hands and glanced down in defeat while she laughed heartily.

“He’s here!” she confirmed, resting her chin on her fist and observing the redness in his cheeks subside. “And he’s very sorry for keeping both of us waiting, Mateo.”

“Ay, I knew there was no way anyone was leaving this pretty lady alone on purpose,” Mateo winked. He turned a slightly stern gaze on Grayson. “Right?”

“Oh.. yeah, no, not on purpose,” he blubbered, unprepared for a barrage from the waiter of all people.

Mateo gave him a playful side eye and tutted. “Well, I’ll take care of both of you, and you take care of her, eh?”

Grayson stared, and she had to bite back more laughter at the look of utter bewilderment on his handsome face. “Uh, yes, of course. We were just discussing that, actually.”

The waiter grunted in approval, but left them with a wink after accepting their order of guac to go with the chips and salsa already on the table.

“Why do I feel like I just met your dad?” he asked, watching the man disappear into the kitchen with a shake of his head, slightly dazed.

She swallowed her sip of margarita and smiled. “Oh, you wouldn’t have met my dad if he saw me sitting here alone longer than 15 minutes. He would have been out on the hunt for you.”

“Shit,” he mumbled. “This is gonna take a while to live down, isn’t it?”

“Let’s just say, I can’t wait to tell your brother what an idiot you are.”

“Oh god. That would make ‘a while’ quickly become ‘never.’”

They slipped into easy conversation, as they always did. It was seamless and flowing, made even better by the delicious dinner they had. The little bit of tequila in her system was affecting her in all the right ways by the time Mateo cleared the table and handed Grayson the check without even asking.

They had been sitting across from one another the whole night, but Grayson slid into the seat next to her once Mateo was gone for good. His big, warm palm found her knee, and his fingertips squeezed just enough to send a shock up her thigh, electrifying all of her.

She reached up and swiped at a little drop of water clinging to the inside of his top lip, letting her hand linger on his stubbled cheek so she could stroke it affectionately with her thumb.

“Thanks for not standing me up,” she said quietly, barely audible over the loud mariachi music blasting through the restaurant. She pressed the pad of her thumb into a cute dimple in his cheek.

“You’re welcome,” he joked back, twisting his head and nipping playfully at the digit, eyes locked on hers. “I would have missed out on a pretty awesome date.”

Her teeth caught her lower lip. “And an even better nightcap,” she added suggestively.

She felt as much as she heard his sharp little inhale, and she couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah?”

“Oh yeah,” she said, siding her hand down his chest until it rested on his, interlacing their fingers before she stood up decisively. “I think you’ve redeemed yourself.”

Grayson chuckled, but there was suddenly a heat in his eyes that undoubtedly matched that in her own. He followed her up and turned to lead her out of the restaurant. “Let’s fucking go.”

Mateo gave them an enthusiastic wink and a thumbs up as they left.

“I think you got his approval after all,” she laughed, sliding into the passenger seat of his car. Hers would be fine in the well-lit lot until he could bring her back to it at some point later.

Much later, if she had it her way.

“Oh hell yeah,” he muttered, already reaching across the console to coax her closer with a gentle hand on the side of her neck. “Think he would approve of what I’m about to do to you?”

Before she could answer, he leaned down and pressed his lips to her in a slow, heated kiss that set her whole body on fire. Her hand gripped his veined forearm tightly as she kissed him back. She hummed quietly when they finally separated, both of them breathing heavily. “How about we leave Mateo out of this from now on?”

“Great idea,” he whispered, diving back in quickly, their happy smiles melding together. He pulled back reluctantly after a minute, nodding at her seatbelt as he sat back and fastened his own with a wink.

“One car this time; I’ll make sure we both get to the right spot, at the same time.”

#this may or may not have been based off of an actual first date i had #except he still suggested we split the bill🙃💀 #and then i dated him for 5 months #oops #dolan twins #grayson dolan #blurb #g blurb