Chapter 187 - I Shall Follow Your Arrangements (1/2)

Abby was so startled that she ended up rambling. ”I…wow. Give me a second for my brain to start working again. I mean, I like you too but you did just drop a bomb on me so—”

”You do?” Blaise asked, uncharacteristically cutting her off out of eagerness.

”Uh, yeah. That's why I gave you my ribbon. I wanted you to have a reason to come back and panicked at the last second.”

His smile grew so big that her heart stopped. It was a critical attack. He was too handsome when he smiled like that! Give her poor heart a chance to recover first. Abby was still trying to process that this was actually happening.

Dating here was a lot different than back home. On earth people dated because they liked each other and wanted to test if they were compatible. In this world courtship was a precursor to marriage, simply allowing time for setting up a wedding and building a house for the new couple to live.

Would Abby really be able to make that kind of a commitment to someone she wasn't sure she could love forever? He knew her life back home was different from here. If she told him she wanted to date first without any promises of a future would he be upset?

”Breathe, Miss Abby,” Blaise reminded her with a slight laugh.

He had noticed she was freaking out, which was just like him. He was always concerned about her well-being. But if this was going to work she would have to explain how dating worked in her world and that he needed to stop being so formal with her.

”Please, please drop the 'Miss',” Abby begged. ”I'm a casual person from a casual culture and I can't date somebody who addresses me like that. Dating is what I'm used to and it's different from the courtship you would think of…all I'm saying is please don't be so formal and be willing to take it slow with me. I can't marry anybody without being sure things will work out later on.”

”I already figured as much. I have no intention to rush you…Abby,” Blaise said a bit awkwardly. This would probably take some time for him to get used to. ”But can you tell me a bit more what your 'dating' is like? For reference.”

He was taking this a lot better than she had thought he would. Well, he was as cool as a cuc.u.mber. People like him did not rattle easily. But hearing about what constituted dating might because of how formal and chivalrous he was.

”You might not be comfortable with it,” Abby hedged. ”But dating involves things like hanging out together and holding hands, hugging, and kissing. We already hang out so you don't need to worry about that but as for the other things…”

”I understand. Like your sister and her husband, correct?”

”Yes! Exactly like them.” Abby was surprised that he didn't seem to be bothered by this at all. Maybe because he had already seen the sort of thing she had come to expect out of a relationship.

Blaise said ”I will be fine” in a confident tone and held his hand out to her. ”But if I am not your betrothed, what am I?”

This was a discussion she never would have imagined herself having because everyone back home knew what dating was supposed to entail. She never thought she would have to tell her boyfriend that he was her boyfriend.

”My boyfriend. And I'm your girlfriend,” she said awkwardly. ”Is that okay?”