I promised/I'd never sing of love/If it does not exist

Lydia: I frowned a teensy bit when he paid, and I didn't pay for my part, but the guy WAS supposed to pay on the first date. My old-fashioned mother had taught me that. I blushed lightly at his question. "Yes...why?"

"N-nothing... It's just that you're the first one who has," he said and in that moment, he didn't sound the least bit embarrased.

Lydia: I blinked. "/Really/?" I cocked my head to the side slightly and slowly. "But you're so..." Nice, helpful, smart, friendly...cute. He was a lot of things, but I had kind of trailed off, leaving a fill-in-the-blank type spot.

"Smart. And quiet. An that made me a nerd," he grinned, like all of this was making him more and more happy, but it was just the face that he was comfortable with it.

Lydia: "ActuallyIwasgoingtosayniceandhelpfulandsmartandfriendlyandcute - but what you said works, I guess," I said the first part really fast, and then blushed, sliding down in my seat.

Ollie laughed and blushed. "Well thank you. And I'd have to say that all of those same words could apply to you, as well," he said, adverting his eyes shyly.

Lydia: "Oh, thank you." I bit my lip over my grin. "Except not the helpful part...I still haven't paid you back for helping me!"

Ollie shrugged. "I'm sure you'll be helpful some other time, though," he said quietly as their drinks appeared.

Lydia: I'm sure I /won't/ be, I thought to myself, but just nodded slightly. I idioticially tried to take a sip of my hot chocolate before it was cooled. "Oh, fudge!" I muttered as a drip got on my shirt. I sighed and dabbed at it.

Ollie chuckled but frowned. He wasn't sure how to help that. He could offer one of his shirts, but that wouldn't be proper. He did have two... No. Still not proper. Instead, he pushed the napkins to her.

Lydia: "Thanks." I sighed again. Why was I so clumsy? Oh no, oh no, and I probably seemed like a slob, too. Ugh. Maybe this had been a bad idea. I finished with my shirt, getting as much as I could out of it. I rolled my shoulders back, which to me was a gesture that I was moving on from the incident. "So...you never told me what your major is?" I changed the subject.

"Neuroscience," he said with a small smile. He had wanted to be a doctor ever since he had been a little kid. "What about you?" He asked.

Lydia: "Dental hygiene," I said perkily. "I want to be a dental hygienist! Though I'm taking culinary arts as a minor...but being a doctor? That's...neat."

Ollie chuckled and shook his head. "So what do you really think of doctors?" he asked, cocking his head and flipping a packet of sugar between his fingers.

Lydia: "Like I said, they're neat." I frowned, my brow creasing a little. Did he think I was being sarcastic or something? Oh no oh no, did he think I was trying to insult him?!

Ollie shrugged and smiled. "Oh. Most people actually thing brain scientists are kinda creepy," he said. If she didn't think that, than he was in for a major surprise.

Lydia: So that was what neuro meant. "A little creepy, yes."

Ollie smiled a little. It was still his passion. "So where do you come from?" He asked, dropping his sugar packet and looking at her observantly.

Lydia: "California." I glanced down at my hand, seeing how pale it was - not what was expected from a California girl. Austin was tan, he was a surfer (Austin's her brother) but I didn't get outside as much as him, so... "How about you?"

Ollie smiled a little, thinking back to home. "I lived in Washington most of my life," he said. He had called Olympia his home for over 17 years until moving out of here.

Lydia: I nodded, my eyes showing interest, though Washington didn't really strike any chord for me.

Ollie shifted, looking down. "If you don't mind me asking, what makes you o... Nervous when it comes to germs and bugs?" He asked. "Aside from the obvious 'they're disgusting' answer."

Lydia: "I'm a germaphobe," I said slowly. "Literally, not just exaggerating. And OCD." I bit my lip nervously. Oh no oh no! Was he going to think I was weird now?! OH NOOOO

Oliver nodded, a thoughtful smile on his face. It explained a lot of what he'd been seeing around her. But it didn't matter. He had come on the date because he liked her anyway. "I see. Well everyone has problems," he said, simply.

Lydia: My eyes widened. "It's a problem?! Well yes, I suppose it is...oh no oh no...I have problems...people with problems are unattractive, aren't they?" I locked eyes with him, on the verge of a minor freak out.