“Don’t laugh at me!” she said playfully.
“I’m. Not. Laughing. At. You,” I said in between giggles.
“What are you drinking then—water?” She gave me a teasing grin.
“I might have a slight zero-sugar soda addiction.” I looked over to my kitchen, where four twelve-packs were stacked next to the fridge.
“Wait, seriously?” she asked with surprise.
“It’s my one vice since I don’t splurge on food very often and I don’t drink or smoke, so I had to find something.”
“I also don’t drink or smoke. What’s your favorite?”
“Even though I laughed about your apple juice, you’re not allowed to laugh when I tell you.”
She rolled her eyes. “No promises.”
“Mountain Dew…”
Her mouth gaped open. “That’s the worst one.”
“I know, I know, it’s so bad for me, but it’s just too good to give up. There’s an unspoken rule when working in tech—you’re either addicted to coffee, energy drinks, orMountain Dew.I may even have aMountain Dewfridge in my office…” I trailed off. She slowly brought the apple juice jug to her mouth, which instantly distracted me.
“What is it that you do in tech—in layman's terms, please?”
I laughed. “Simply, I work in government technology.”
Her eyes went wide. She took a bite of her pizza before replying. “That sounds super important but maybe also stressful,” she said in a questioning tone.
“It has its moments. But sometimes I get to travel to cool places or meet important people, so the stress levels even out. What about you? How’s work, school, and possible future business ventures coming along?”
She beamed. “The owner of the bookstore has taken me under her wing, and listening to ideas I have about opportunities at the store. My classes are also going well. I am learning a lot about the accounting and managing side of being a business owner.”
I could hear the passion in her voice. “That’s awesome, Serenity. You’re too passionate to fail, so remember that when there are tough times.”
“That means so much to me. Thank you for saying that, Grant.” I saw her cheeks flush.
“I mean it, too.” I paused, preparing to ask my next question
“You look like you have something on your mind.” She tilted her head to the side.
“Do you think this counts as date two?” I finally asked.
She turned her eyes up in thought. “I mean, we did share our emotional support drink addiction. I wouldn’t just share that information with anyone, so I think it’s safe to say this could be considered our second date. Unless you don’t?” she questioned.
“I only ask because our second date was supposed to be our trauma dumping date. Seems relevant since we’re both going through it. Do you want to talk about how therapy went? No pressure if not. I want to know all of you, Serenity.”
Her cheeks flushed pink again, and she looked down, deep in thought.
When she spoke, she did so quietly. “I think I’d like to talk about it. At least some small details.”
“That’s fair. Do you want to start? Or I can if you need a minute to gather your thoughts about what details you are comfortable sharing.”
She gave me a small grin. “Has anyone ever told you how considerate you are?”
“Not nearly enough, honestly,” I said with a playful smile.
“You’re impossible.” She laughed. “Okay, where do I even begin?”
