“Yeah.”
I stepped into the hallway, pulling the door closed and making sure it was secure. Neither of us spoke until we were on the elevator after I’d pressed the button for the main floor.
“Is this your first time in Denver?” I asked.
“Yes, but I guess I won’t get to see much of it.”
“It’s a beautiful city. Maybe you can visit when you’re off the clock.”
“Maybe.”
The elevator stopped, and the doors opened. I let Khiya exit first, then fell in step next to her. When we arrived at the restaurant, we waited to be seated. A few minutes later, the host led us to a small table for two, gave us each a menu, and let us know the server would be with us shortly.
“So, I’m guessing this isn’t the first time you been to Denver,” she said as she looked at the menu.
“Nah. I’ve been here more times than I can count for work, and a few times for leisure. I’d be happy to come back with you and show you around.”
“Slow down, buddy. We don’t know each other well enough to make those kinds of plans.”
“Maybe we can change that.”
I kept my eyes on her to observe her reaction to my forwardness. Although she blushed, she didn’t look away.
“We’ll see.”
The server arrived and took our drink orders. She ordered a Marble Espresso Martini, and I ordered a High West Smoked Old Fashion. We also ordered crab cakes and twice cooked chicken wings for appetizers. When the server left, we looked at the menu for a few more minutes to choose our main course.
“I usually don’t eat after six, so I don’t want anything too heavy,” she said.
“Their salads are pretty good.”
“Yeah, I think I’ll get the grilled salmon salad. What about you?”
“I’m not as disciplined as you, and my schedule is usually kinda crazy, so I tend to eat whatever, whenever. I was thinking about getting the braised short rib, but you’re making me think twice.”
She raised her hands in surrender.
“Hey, don’t let me stop you from doing you. Get what you want, and I promise not to judge. Besides, in my experience, men don’t hold onto weight the way women do. One trip to the bathroom, and it’ll be like you never ate it.”
I laughed because she wasn’t wrong. In my younger days, I worried less about what I ate because my metabolism was high. As I approached forty, I notice it had slowed down a bit, and I had to work a little harder to maintain my fit physique.
“That only applies to men thirty-five and under. I’ll be thirty-eight in a few months, so I do have to be mindful. How old are you, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“Thirty-three. When I hit thirty, it felt like my body had been switched out with an alien’s. I can’t imagine what’ll happen when I hit forty.”
“I wish I could tell you nothing will change, but I’ve witnessed my mother’s aging, and although she’s aged gracefully, she’s definitely experienced some changes.”
“Same. I’m not looking forward to perimenopause or menopause, that’s for sure.”
“Hopefully, you have a while before all that. Are you sure you can’t sing? I can’t get over your beautiful voice.”
“I’m positive. I mean, my singing doesn’t sound like someone is scratching a chalkboard, but I don’t sound good enough to be in the studio either.”
I laughed at her honesty, but I wanted to hear her sing for myself and make my own judgment. The server returned with our drinks and appetizers, took our meal orders, and disappeared again. I reached across the table for her hands and asked if she minded if I blessed the food. She responded by taking my hands, so I proceeded with a short blessing before we took a few minutes to enjoy the appetizers.
“Please don’t take this the wrong way, but what made you decide to become a flight attendant at thirty-three?”
“Long story short, I got fired from my job and didn’t know what to do next. I overheard someone talking about being a flight attendant, and after a little research, I went for it.”
