By the time noon rolls around, I am satisfied with how my cherry blossoms are turning out. I will finish tomorrow.
“Do you still want me to come by tonight?” I ask before I lose the courage.
“Yes. I have a dating lesson in exchange for the painting lesson.” Jae looks up from the bar, knife in hand and it looks moresexy chefthanmurder weapon.
“What makes you the authority on dating?” It’s my turn to tease.
“Didn’t you hear I’m a player? I’ve dated my fair share of girls. And guys, and folks in between.” Jae defends his honor as someone who can give dating advice. “And I’ve never spilt a drink on someone before.”
“I can’t argue with that.”
“Come dressed in something nice tonight. We’re really doing this.” Jae sets his knife down and it clatters on the counter. “No coveralls. Or overalls. No kind of ’alls.”
“What? Why do I have to dress up if it’s just practice?” I poke and prod for a reason.
“It’s to set the scene, silly.”
8
When I arrive later that night, the door to The Red Kettle is unlocked and wedged open, and I let myself in. I sit myself in the main dining room, waiting for Jae, who according to his text message is preparing some kind of mystery appetizer.
With the lights dimmed and Japanese city-pop music playing in the background, I’m momentarily glad I’ve scrunched my curls and put on a nicer outfit. I futz with the bell sleeves on my thrifted dress. I’m hoping I come off more as a sophisticated socialite, and less as a freshman going-to-the-prom.
I desperately wished I had something to do other than stare at my half-finished mural. I pray for a text message, an email to answer or even a god-awful dating app notification so I can get out of my head how much this looks like a real date.
It feels like a real date when Jae emerges from the kitchen, perfectly polished. He’s carrying a pearlescent plate of what looks like pork barbecue and steamed eggs. He’s wearing a set of thick-rimmed glasses I’ve never seen him wear before.He looks supernatural.I want to climb into his arms.
His thick hair is slicked to the side instead of falling in his face, and he wears his chef’s whites. When he takes the jacketoff, revealing an olive green turtleneck underneath, anything I wanted to say is silenced in my throat.
Even though I saw him far more vulnerable last night, something about seeing him in this context makes my heart flutter just as much.
“Welcome to Dating 101.” Jae sounds like he’s rehearsed this about a thousand times, and he’s finally showing off in the recital. “First.Alwayshave your first date at a restaurant. It has the perfect set of circumstances to see whether a guy is worth it.”
I stifle a laugh. We’re really getting into this right away. I nod without saying a word. He hands me a set of stainless steel chopsticks.
“It’s the perfect place for a first date.” Jae continues. “Rule one. Your date should put his phone away. His attention should be on you. If he looks at his phone more than you, dump him.”
“Rule one. Got it,” I repeat.
Jae picks up a piece of barbecued pork with his chopsticks and sets it on the plate in front of me. “Rule two. You get the first pick of everything. You decide where to sit. You decide what you want to eat. Don’t let him make choices for you. If he orders for you, dump him.”
“Noted.”
“Rule three. How he treats the waitstaff and how well he tips is pretty much indicative how he’ll take care of you. If he tips less than twenty percent or is a jerk to the waitstaff, dump him.”
“Should I be taking notes?”
Jae smiles as he shovels in a mouthful of barbecue as he tells me, “Go, eat!” muffling the sounds of his chewing by covering his mouth with his hand.
“What does it mean if the guy talks with his mouth full on the first date?” I needle him.
“Means dump him.” Jae smiles after swallowing, coming dangerously close to breaking the “no chewing with your mouth full” rule.
“So, what’s the practice part of this practice date?” I shovel a pile of barbecue into my mouth and—oh my—it’s so good. Heavenly, even.“This isdelicious, by the way.” I enunciate delicious in a way one would sayscrew me.
“Well…we’re just going to act like we’re on a date. And so when you do the real thing with a guy we pick tonight, you know what to do. You’ll have your real date here, after the restaurant opens,” Jae offers me another bite of barbecue and I take it from him eagerly.
“Why are you being so nice to me?” I ask suddenly.
