I’d told them this countless times, but I said it again anyway. Dad waved his hand dismissively. Arish rolled his eyes. My sisters and Hema sighed and shook their heads. My brothers-in-law clicked their tongues at me. The only one whosaid nothing and gave no indication she was on their side was Mom. She remained neutral.
After listening to them try to persuade me for ten minutes, I called it quits. I went to spend time with the kids in the playroom before I called it a night. Forty-five minutes later, as the children were told it was time to get ready for bed or head home, I said my goodnights, gave hugs and kisses, and then escaped to my car. The drive back to my place passed as I wondered if Sam might be what I’d been waiting for. It was hard to tell after only one meeting, but I was willing to see him again and see what would happen.
?
I sat across from Sam. This was our second meeting since last Friday’s dinner. On Tuesday, he called and asked if I wanted to meet him for coffee. I had an opening from ten to eleven that day. Since my schedule was tighter than his, he asked what I wanted to drink. I gave him my order, and he brought it to my office.
We sat outside at one of the tables set up for people to enjoy their breaks or meals when the weather was nice. It was a communal space shared with the offices surrounding mine. It was the end of April, so the weather was warmer more days than not. A light jacket was more than enough to keep warm with the sun out.
Today was Friday. I had a bigger break, and Sam had finished in court early, so we'd agreed to grab a late lunch. If I hadn’t had two appointments rescheduled unexpectedly, it wouldn’t have been possible. With more time, we met at a nearby café. We sat indoors at a table next to one of the large windows. It was a burger place. I was pleasantly surprised he chose this restaurant.
Whenever I went out with men from my dad’s cultural background, they always assumed I wanted to go to an Indian restaurant. While I loved the food I grew up with, I also adored eating other ethnic foods, too. Anytime I’d mentioned that to a date, I’d gotten a slightly surprised, disapproving expression. I knew not everyone was that way, just the ones my family pushed at me.
“I’m so glad you agreed to meet me here. I’ll be honest, I’m dying for a greasy burger,” Sam said.
“Lord, me too. Thank you for calling and suggesting it. I haven’t tried this place out. Have you?” I asked.
“I have a confession to make. I come here at least once a week. Only willpower keeps me away daily,” he admitted.
I laughed. “I love your honesty. I’m the same way with ice cream. If I didn't have to remain healthy and watch my weight, I’d eat it every day,” I confessed.
“Same here on the health front. And not to make anything awkward, but you have nothing to worry about on the weight side. You’re beautiful, Anastasia.”
His joking demeanor changed to a serious one. I felt my cheeks flush.
“I, well, thank you. I confess that working out isn’t one of my preferred things to do to stay fit.”
I diverted to the gym because compliments flustered me.
“I enjoy working out. It helps me de-stress,” Sam said.
I waited to respond until the waitress, who came to the table with our drinks, had offloaded them and taken our food orders, then left. As soon as she was gone, I replied.
“Yoga is more my thing. It’s a good de-stressor. And Sam, the gym keeps your body looking amazing.”
He appeared to like the compliment. He dipped his head to me in recognition. We went on to discuss our workouts,favorite foods, and what we liked to do in our spare time. It was a continuation of our coffee date earlier in the week.
Our food arrived quickly, and the first bite told me I’d be back. I told Sam this, which made him smirk. We chatted between bites. In no time, it was time for me to get back to the office. I had more patients to see. When the check came, he grabbed it before I did.
“Tell me my total,” I said, opening my purse.
“No way. I asked you to lunch. I pay. And you can argue with me all you want, but I won’t change my mind.”
I knew that he wasn’t doing it to show dominance. He was sticking to his manners. I eventually gave in, but only after he promised that next time it would be on me. Sam walked me to my car and even opened the door. Before I shut my door, he bent over to peer in at me.
“Anastasia, I had another great time. Will you go out with me again?”
Without hesitation, I answered him. “I enjoyed it so much, Sam. Yes, if you want to go out or even hang out again, I’ll do it.”
“Thank you. Drive safely. Text me when you get back to the office so I know you made it.”
“You drive safely, too. And I’ll text. Thank you, Sam.”
With that resolved, he shut my door, then stepped back and stayed where he was until I reached the parking lot entrance. Then, he walked off to find his vehicle. I knew this due to watching him in my rearview mirror.
As I drove back to work, I was trying not to get ahead of myself. Two successful meet-ups alone didn’t mean he and I were compatible. But I looked forward to finding out.
When I arrived back at work, I headed up to the desk to tell Morgana I was back. There was no one in the waiting area. I still had fifteen minutes until my next appointment.
