It got quieter and quieter as they continued their date, but it also got less forced.
He found himself worrying less about the silence as long as she was still eager to hold his hand.
Eventually, they left the mall altogether a couple hours later and headed toward the walking trail around the lake.
At that point, Justin was just trying to see how long he could drag the date on. "So," he asked, "Have you been having a good time?"
"No," she quickly huffed. "Like I would enjoy spending time with a human." She hugged his arm tightly as she said that, sending very mixed signals.
"Hmm. Uh. Well, if there's anything I can do to make next time better—"
She looked at him with so much surprise in her adorable face that he actually stopped talking entirely. "Next time?" she asked, her voice even higher than usual.
"Sure, yeah," he chuckled. "I mean—I hope I'm not being too presumptuous, but at least I can say I'm really having fun. I'd definitely like to see you again."
