Chapter Four - Nick

I stand in the living room shifting nervously from foot to foot while I wait for Oasis to come down. I hear footsteps on the stairs and quickly look up, hoping that it’s Oasis, but end up seeing her father instead.

“Hello, Sir,” I say, offering him my hand in greeting.

“Hello. Nick, is it?” Mr Summers asks, shaking my hand.

“Yes, Mr Summers,” I answer him, feeling even more nervous than I already am.

“Call me Elliot,” he says and indicates for me to sit down. “Have a seat.”

I quickly take a seat and wait for him to talk first. He just stares at me with a sharp eye, like he is examining me to make sure I am good enough for his daughter. I suddenly feel conscious of what I have chosen to wear on my date. I am dressed in a pair of black slacks with a blue button-up long sleeved shirt and a black blazer.

“So, Nick, where do you plan on taking my daughter on your date?” Elliot asks.

“To dinner at the Red Grapevine and then to see a movie,” I tell him.

Just then I hear another set of footsteps on the stairs and quickly look to see that it isn’t Oasis. I start feeling more nervous the longer she takes.

“Hi, Nick. I’m Minerva, Oasis’ oldest sister. She’ll be down in a minute she is just finishing getting ready,” the girl tells me. “She’s really excited for your date tonight.”

“Hello, Minerva,” I say with a little bow.

Just then I hear another set of footsteps on the stairs and look up to see Oasis’ mother coming down the stairs and I can see straight away where Oasis gets her beautiful looks from.

“Hello, Nick,” she says politely. “I’m Oasis’ mother Olivia. Oasis is coming down now.”

I then hear another set of footsteps on the stairs and I quickly jump up out of my seat to see Oasis coming down the stairs looking gorgeous. I feel stunned by how beautiful she is and start groping around in my head for something to say.

When she looks over at me as she is climbing down the stairs, she suddenly falters in her step before swiftly climbing down the rest of the stairs.

“You look… handsome,” Oasis says after a couple of seconds of silence.

“Well, you look… stunning,” I say, feeling like the word is inadequate to describe her.

“Oasis,” I hear her father say gently in a voice like he is talking to his baby daughter.

“Yes, Daddy,” she says, dragging her eyes away from me to look at him.

“Your curfew is eleven thirty, and have fun tonight,” he says with a smile.

“Thank you Daddy,” she says, going to him and giving him a hug.

“You better get going now and have fun sweetie,” he says, giving her a gentle push towards me.

“Bye,” he says as we head towards the door.

I open the door and usher her out the door. I follow her down the front steps and rush to open the passenger door for her to climb in. Once she is in the car and has her dress in as well, I shut the door and quickly walk around front of the car and climb into the driver’s seat.

“I hope that you’re hungry because I know this great restaurant with the most amazing Chicken Caprese that is to just die for,” I say as I carefully pull out from the curb.

“That sounds really nice,” Oasis says with a smile. “I think my family liked you.”

“Well, that’s good,” I say with a smile. “I have to tell you something before we get to the restaurant.”

“What is it?” She asks, looking at me with a nervous look on her face.

“My parents own the restaurant and they would like to meet you,” I tell her in a slight nervous rush.

“I would love to meet you parents,” she says with a little giggle at how nervous I sound. “But do you think that they’ll like me.”

“Well, I’m sure they’ll love you so you have nothing to be nervous about,” I tell her as I pull up in the parking lot of the restaurant.

I quickly climb out and race to open the door for her. When I open the door for her I give her my hand and help her climb out and hold her hand as I walk next to her to the front door of the restaurant. I feel her take a deep calming breath before I open the door and we go inside.