Honestly, I want the lasagna but being out on a date I feel under pressure to order something more sophisticated. Jacob is wearing a suit, a nice one too. I just feel he expects more from me than pasta. My eyes skim past that, my mouth clamping shut to keep the drool in.
I paste on a fake ass smile as I find something else on the menu that I can stomach. “The mixed grain & roasted vegetable salad with salmon sounds nice.”
I try my best not to gag at the sound of it. While I am a chef and I do like my food and trying new things, I also like sticking to the basics. I love burgers and fries and steak, and all those yummy things. I don’t eat fancy shit just because I know how to make it.
“That does sound delicious. I think I might go with the barbecue glazed rump steak, gotta get in my protein.” Is it just me or does that seem like an odd thing to say? Of course, I just ignore it and smile.
“Shall we order?” He asks as I slide my menu closed.
I agree and wave down the waitress. We place our orders but once the waitress leaves the date really begins.
“So, Tasha, what do you do?”
I inwardly cringed at the butchering of my nickname. It was Tash or Natasha, nothing else. But I let it slip. Despite finding Jacob attractive, I wasn’t feeling any major soulmate vibes.
“I’m a chef. What about you?”
“I’m an insurance salesman.” He said proudly. Oh, yeah. My mind flickers back to his business card.
“Oh, cool.” That’s definitely not what I was expecting. “So, you must really like kids, then? Or sports. Or both.” I laugh at my own awkward little ramble.
“Yeah, I’ve always been interested in teaching. I love my job so it makes it that much easier going into work.” I smile at the way his face lights up.
“That’s great though, I love my job as well and I know what you mean. I really couldn’t imagine doing anything else.” Cooking is all I’ve ever really been good at, so I ran with it. I’m really lucky that it’s gotten me this far.
We continue to chat about our jobs, Jacob tells me about where he went to university and it flows nicely. I can even start to see us having a second date. Maybe.
A few minutes later Jacob excuses himself to wash up before our meals arrive. I down the rest of my wine before stopping the waitress and asking for a diet coke. I’m enjoying myself and the wine has definitely helped relax me but one’s enough. Until later, when I get back home and finish off the bottle I’ve got waiting for me in the refrigerator.
Since Jacob has gone to the bathroom, I suppose I may as well seize the opportunity and go myself, I’ve been holding in that pee all throughout our conversation and at least a half hour beforehand.
I follow the sign to the toilets but what I find is far from what I expect. I pause in my footing and hide around the corner. At the end of the short corridor past the doors to the toilets, Jacob is pacing as he holds the phone to his ear.
Shit. I’ve really gotta take a whiz but I don’t want him to think I was following him. Or worse, eavesdropping on his conversation.
I finally decide that I have to head back to the table and hold it until he returns. I promise I was about to leave but then I overhear the word ‘babe’ come from out of his mouth. What? It piques my interest, so I stay in place, hiding behind a fake plant and listen.
The more I hear the more furious I become. He’s on the phone to another woman. His fuck buddy or his girlfriend, I have no idea. There’s a pause. He tells the person that he’s got to get back to his business partner, tells them he ‘loves them too’ and that he can’t wait to get back and punish her for being a filthy girl.
Wow. What a pig. I knew my first instincts about this guy were right. It’s gone silent again. Oh, shit, I better move.
I run like hell back to the table and grab my purse before dashing out the door. I only slow down my run when I see my car in sight. I jump in and start the engine, I want to get as far away from here as possible. I want to go home, curl up in bed and completely forget that the dirt bag even exists.
I unlock the front door and push it open. Straight away I hear the T.V. playing and I know that someone, Luke, is home. Despite our run in earlier, I love that feeling. I love it even more knowing it’s Luke that I’m coming home to. Except when I enter the living room he’s not there, it’s just Whiskey napping in her armchair.
“Luke?” I call out, turning the sound down on the T.V. No sound follows. The apartment is dead. He must still be out. I guess that’s for the best, I still don’t know what to do or say when I see him next. Do I bring up the whole flash dance? Will I be able to look him in the eye? Holy shit, will he be able to look me in the eye? That definitely had to be the worst-case scenario, right?
Maybe I should pull a F.R.I.E.N.D.S episode and try to catch him out. But we’ve already got sexual tension, would it really be wise to add an everlasting naked image of Luke to the mix. Probably not.
7
Hayden
“Luke, my man.” One of my oldest friends, Jake, drunkenly shouts out from across the bar. It draws a few stares but thankfully, the bar is still pretty quiet. “Where have you been lately? We’ve missed you around these parts of town.”
I laugh at Jake’s dramatic antics as he stumbles away from the pack. “I was here just a few weeks ago, you moron.”
“Lukey, my man.” Wow, okay, he’s had more to drink than usual. The match isn’t even at half time, how long have they been here. My guess is the majority of the day.
