Don't You Go and Carry On With Your Life

Jack

Today I was going on my first date since Alex and my divorce. I wasn't ready to seriously date anyone yet, Austin was just my chance to stick my toes in the water. I honestly just wanted someone to get me out of the house and take my mind off of Alex. Austin seemed to be the perfect guy to do that. We've been texting all week and he's done nothing but make me laugh and feel good about myself. I hope he is really like this and not just faking to get into my pants. What if he was married and cheating on his wife or husband with me. I was staring to become paranoid and it was all Alex's fault. Maybe Austin will be different.

Austin was coming to get me at seven which was only an hour away. I was already dressed, now I was fixing my hair. I didn't know where he was taking me. Every time I asked, Austin would just say it was a surprise.

I looked down at my phone to check the time and saw I had a text message from Austin.

Austin Carlile

Don't forget to text me your address!

Read 6:02pm

Jack Barakat

I totally forgot lol it's 3508 Cinderblock Garden Dr.

Delivered 6:03pm

Austin Carlile

Thanks and just out of curiosity...what're your favorite flowers?

Read 6:05pm

Jack Barakat

Hahaha that's not obvious at all. My favorite are red tulips but I’ll also take the white ones.

Delivered 6:07pm

Austin Carlile

lol I was just checking. I'll see you in a few :*

Read 6:08pm

Jack Barakat

Okay :)

Delivered 6:09pm

I smiled to myself as I continued fixing my hair. Getting hit on by Austin did help me feel better about myself. After being cheated on by Alex, I thought there was something wrong with me. I began feeling as though I wasn't attractive anymore, but then Austin asked me on a date and I kinda stopped doubting myself.

Ten minutes later I heard the doorbell ring. I looked down at my phone to see it was only six-twenty. Austin was here really early. I walked to the door and opened it for him.

"Hey!" I exclaimed when I opened the door. My face quickly fell and my attitude dropped when I noticed it wasn't Austin at the door. It was Alex for some reason. "What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Hi Jack, I was wondering if we could talk?" He asked hopefully. It almost gave me satisfaction to be able to turn him down.

"No we can't." I tried to close the door on him but he stopped it with his hand.

"Jack please! It's important." He begged.

"Is it about our kids?" I asked and he looked down.

"No but-."

"-Then it's not important so leave." I was worried Austin would show up while Alex was here and I did not feel like going through that whole ordeal.

"Can I at least talk to you for a few minutes?" He asked and I scoffed. The fact that he thought I would give him time to explain himself was baffling.

"No. What you can "at least" get is a choice between who I should call to get rid of you. My brother or the cops?" I threatened and he gulped.

"Neither neither! I'll go." He said as he backed away from the front door. I smirked and closed the door so I wouldn't have to look at him anymore. All Alex did was bring back bad memories.

I looked out of the window to make sure he was really leaving. He walked to his car and got in. Then he hit his steering wheel angrily. He started his car and reversed out of the driveway. I sighed in relief and went back to finish getting ready.

Thirty minutes later I heard my door bell ring again. I looked myself over in the mirror one last time and went to go answer it. This time it was Austin standing there and he was holding a banquet of red and white tulips.

"They had both so I figure I'd get you both." He said as he handed me the flowers.

"Thank you!" I told him. "Come in really quick so I can put these in a vase."

"Okay. You look great by the way." He said as he followed me into the kitchen.

"Thanks you look good too."

I grabbed a vase from one of my cabinets and filled it with water. Austin looked around the kitchen curiously while he waited.

"What did you say you did again?" He asked and I chuckled. This house was too big for my small job to pay for alone so I get why he was confused. I didn't tell him about Alex or Kellin and Kylie yet. I wanted to wait until I knew for sure we were going out tonight.

"I do data entry for an insurance company." I answered just to mess with him.

"And you sell drugs on the side right?" He joked and I jokingly hit his arm.

"No, I um used to married to a lawyer." I told him. "We're divorced now."

"What happened? Wait- sorry you don't have to answer that if you don't want."

"No it's okay. He um cheated on me with his secretary." I told him.

"How could anyone ever cheat on you? You're too prefect." He said as if the thought was unfathomable.

"Thanks." I lightly chuckled. "I guess he just didn't see me that way."

"Well he's an idiot, whoever he is." He said, making me blush. "How long has it been?" He asked.

"It’s been like two months now."

"You move on quickly." He joked. I playfully rolled my eyes as I sat my vase of tulips on the center of the kitchen table.

"I just reached my breaking point with him." I shrugged. "Have you ever been married?" I changed the subject so I wouldn't have to talk about Alex anymore.

"I was engaged, but he called it off at the last minute." He sighed.

"Aww how come?"

"He was in love with someone else."

"Oh that sucks."

"Yeah, it took a while for me to get over him, but I'm over him now." He assured me.

“That’s good.”

"Mhmm. Do you have kids?" He asked while looking at one of Kylie's drawings on the refrigerator.

"Yeah, I meant to tell you that after I told you I was divorced." I laughed nervously. I didn't know how he would react to this.

"It's okay, I actually like kids." He smiled and I exhaled in relief.

"Well I have a two year old girl and a sixteen year old boy." I told him.

"That's a big age gap." He chuckled.

"Yeah, it is." I agreed. I kind of liked Kellin and Kylie's age gap. I wouldn't be alone at home if Kellin decided to go off for college.

"Oh we should get going before we're late for our reservation." He said while looking down at his watch.

"Okay." I grabbed my keys and followed him out to his truck.

***********

Austin ended up taking me to a steakhouse near downtown. We talked the entire time about work, our families, pretty much everything. I had a lot of fun with him. I'm really happy Brendon, Alan, and Patrick forced me to go on the date with Austin.

Our date ended two hours later. Austin pulled into my driveway and turned his engine off. He stepped out of his truck with me and walked me to my front door.

"I really enjoyed spending time with you, Jack." Austin told me.

"I had fun with you too." I said.

"Do you think we can do this again? Maybe next weekend?" He asked.

"Well my kids stay with me next weekend so I'm most likely going to be spending time with them. I'll be free the weekend after that." I told him and he nodded understandingly.

“Okay the weekend after next we’re going out again."

"Yeah definitely!" I exclaimed.

"Perfect, I'm gonna go so I can get up early for work tomorrow." He told me. Austin was a person trainer which is why his body was so perfect. He wasn't too buff or scrawny.

"Okay. Thanks for dinner again."

"No problem." He brushed it off. He reached over to hug me and my head went straight into his chest. Austin was six foot four so he was six inches taller than me and four inches taller than Alex.
When we pulled apart, he put his hands on my face and leaned down to peck my lips. Butterflies filled my stomach once we stopped.

"Text me before you go to bed tonight." He mumbled against my lips.

"Okay."

"Good night, Jack." He told me.

"Night, Austin." I'm pretty sure my face was pink because I was so flustered.

I opened my door and we told each other goodbye one last time before I went inside. When I closed my door I leaned my back against. I felt almost like I was out of breath. I felt like I did something wrong, almost like I cheated.

Alex was the only guy I've ever kissed, dated, and had sex with. Going in the date and letting Austin kiss me was making me feel guilty. I hated this feeling, I wasn't with Alex so I shouldn't have been feeling this way. Maybe I needed to limit my interactions with Alex and spend more time with Austin to fix this?

*Alex*

"That was quick." Kellin told me as I walked back into my place after visiting Jack.

"He wouldn't let me talk. He threatened to call the cops or call Joe if I didn't leave." I sighed.

"He's such a hypocrite. He gave me a big speech on how I should talk to you because it's the right thing to do, but he won't do the same." He complained.

"It's kind of different, Kellin." I said and he rolled his eyes.

"Yeah yeah I know. He still could try." He pouted.

"Or I can try harder. I need to find a way to get him to actually talk to me."

"I can ask him to." Kellin suggested.

"No I don't want to use you for something like this. I'm gonna have to win Jack's heart back on my own."

Notes

Jack and Alex have different agendas now. I hope you all enjoy this small filler chapter!