Given that it was a relatively late Thursday evening, we didn’t have to compete for any space for a small table that was largely cut off from the rest of the bar. Michael told me to wait at my table, went up to the counter, and ordered two drinks. I watched as he and the bartender seemed to converse easily, and I was reminded of the first time he had come to me. He had such a natural charisma about him that was easy on the ears and eyes, and he wasn’t the hardass that the rest of the club seemed to be.
Granted, I was sure he had that hard edge. He couldn’t have been in the military and then in a group like the Black Reapers without having some sort of edge. He just did a good job of keeping it enough under wraps that it didn’t raise up into any ugly forms in a public setting like this.
So long as I’m not on the receiving end of that edge. So long as I don’t make the same fatal mistake as Kristina…
Michael came back with what looked like two Manhattan drinks.
“Whiskey guy, huh?” I said as I took mine.
“Like I said, I’m more cultured than you’d think,” he said, holding up his glass for cheers. “My Dad, actually, he loved whiskey. He got me into it. We traveled a lot when I was a kid.”
“So, your Dad gave you alcohol as a kid?” I teased. “No wonder you wound up in the Black Reapers.”
“No, silly,” he said. “But my Dad did let me have my first drink when I was thirteen. I said it was the nastiest thing I’d ever tasted in my life. He said that was because I didn’t know any better, and he was right. Now?”
He took a nice sip of his drink and let out a gentle “ahh.”
“Now, I know it was me who was nasty and who needed to learn.”
He took another sip, paused, let his smile drop for just a second, and then brought it right back up.
“But enough about me. Let’s learn more about you. What’s the last nice vacation you’ve been on?”
I had several questions, like why Michael mentioned his father and not his mother, why had his smile flickered away for a momentary beat, why was he switching subjects to me so abruptly... but the vibe was good, and the mood was pleasant. I didn’t have an urge to question him right now.
“Well, if you’re talking nice location, I’d say Hawaii,” I said.
“Ha-wa-ii!” Michael said, annunciating each syllable. “That sounds like lots of fun. Was it?”
Well, it was the family gathering for us to remember Kristina and try and celebrate her life. So...
“The circumstances that brought us together weren’t, but the trip itself was.”
Michael opened his mouth as if about to ask me for further details, but perhaps rather wisely, he refrained from saying anything. The better so he didn’t have any temptation, I took the opportunity to show him a few photos of the trip. Most of them came from sunsets or hikes, and it was the exact kind of thing I needed to prevent tonight from getting to anything serious.
It wasn’t that I was opposed to telling Michael about what had happened. It just felt like the timing wasn’t right. I, especially, was taking enormous leaps forward in my comfort level, but I only had the strength for so many leaps before I had to recover.
This was a date to be happy and better understand each other, not to reveal our darkest secrets. After all, who revealed that their sister had died because of their date’s profession on a first date? Maybe some of the blunter friends I had, but I wasn’t one of them.
I showed photos of my trip, and he showed photos of his to Yosemite for the next half hour. I asked Michael if we were going to do a second round of drinks, but Michael shook his head.
“No, tonight is a date for locale hopping.”
He just wants me on his bike as much as possible. So be it. But it’s not going anywhere past that.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“What would be the fun if I told you now?” he said, placing his hand on my shoulder and giving me a gentle shake. “Trust me when I say it’ll be fun. It’s not a bar or a club, I’ll tell you that.”
“Good, because if you took me to a club on our first date, I’d have to question your intentions.”
“And what do you think those are?”
I arched an eyebrow. He knew full well what I meant. I knew full well he wasn’t the type of guy to hit and run, I just liked teasing him a bit.And maybe it means that I want it a little more than I’m willing to admit.
Just nothing tonight. Stay true to that.
“I guess you’ll find out,” he finally said. “Come on, let’s go.”
