Abbie gets more forward with Darryl

"Of course she exists," said Abbie. "You just have to keep your eyes open."

Darryl nodded. "Sure, keep my eyes open." He paced around, not looking at Abbie. "That's what everyone's been telling me, just to be patient, just to be ready, just to be receptive. But you wait and watch and wonder for so long, and you start to get paranoid that you're doing it wrong or that you missed it or that it's just not out there." He sighed and slowly turned back toward Abbie. "I can't imagine you have this kinds of drama in your life."

"What kind of drama do you mean?"

"Not knowing how to ... you know." Self-doubt was creeping in, and Darryl was losing whatever momentum he may have had.

"If you want something, you make it happen," said Abbie. "The world won't come to you."

"Right, right," mumbled Darryl, looking down. "Right."

Abbie watched him for a minute, maybe waiting for him to speak, maybe just silently connecting with him. "Do you want me to leave you alone?" she asked.

"No, I -- I don't want to keep you. But -- no, I don't, like, actively ... want you to leave."

"Do you want me to stay?" said Abbie, this time more directly. The tone of her voice said therefore, you want me to stay, not as a question, but she still left it open to Darryl to answer.

"I --" he started. "I don't know what I want." He looked around. "Did it get colder all of a sudden?"

Abbie took a step toward him. "Of course you know what you want. You're just afraid you can't have it. Or don't deserve it. And I think that makes you want it more."

Her voice had gotten soft, slow, and deep. It was hypnotic to Darryl. What he really wanted in this moment was to hear Abbie speaking more. And what Abbie wanted was to test boundaries.

"You want a nice girl to talk to."

Darryl nodded. "Sure, who doesn't want that?"

"Of course."

Darryl wasn't making eye contact. He fidgeted with the bottom hem of his sweater.

"You feel lonely, and you just want company."

"Company," he repeated.

Abbie took another step closer. "Why don't you ask for what you want?"

Darryl was silent.

"You're afraid I'll say no."

When Abbie mentioned herself specifically, it caught Darryl's attention. Sharply, he turned his head toward her. "You?"

"I." She locked eyes with him. "You're afraid that I will say no. If you ask me ... to share ... your company."

Darryl looked back, frozen in place, before shaking his head and breaking the gaze. "Confident girls make me nervous."

Abbie chuckled. "Confident and pretty girls?"

Darryl thought about it, his head bobbling. "Yeah. Confident and pretty girls. Both, actually. Confident or pretty." He looked back at Abbie and gestured to her. "Or both."

"Am I making you nervous?"

He nodded. "More now than before. But before, too."

"What about me is making you nervous?"

Darryl swallowed. His mouth had gone dry, and he could feel his heart pumping.

"It felt like you flirting with me just a few minutes ago. Did I misread you?"

He shook his head. "No, I probably was. But --"

"But?"

"But ... I didn't expect you to, um, reciprocate."

Abbie smiled and watched him.

Darryl let out a tight sigh. "I think, I ... Usually, girls, um, women, don't engage with me in that, um, sort of thing."

"But you asked, so boldly, if I thought someone like me would be interested in someone like you."

He nodded. "I did. And I don't know why I did, because it was a dumb question."

Abbie took another step toward him. "Only if you didn't want the answer."

Darryl tensed up as she got closer. "I just don't ... trust it." His shoulders were slightly raised, and his body language was like a cat whose fur is up on end.

"Does it make you nervous when I talk to you?"

With barely a motion, Darryl nodded. Abbie stepped closer.

"Do you feel nervous when I stand closer to you?"

"Yeah."

She took one more step toward him. They were within arms reach of each other. Darryl felt tense, and was starting to question why he was still there. Abbie could sense that he was not at ease, but of course, she didn't know him, and didn't know what (if anything) would make him more comfortable.