The Essence of Water

NEW VERSION Chapter 21

This isn't a date, he held the door open for me when we entered, but this is not a date.

Oh look, he pulled the chair out for you.

Not. A. Date.

Aiden smiles at me as he takes the chair across from me. "This isn't a date," I tell him firmly.

The smile quickly drops off his face, but his eyes are still bright "OK," he says. He slips off his leather jacket and drops it onto the back of his chair.

A waitress comes over with two menus in her hands and a pair of utensils wrapped in napkins while I slip my own jacket off. "Hello, what can I get you to drink?" she asks and smiles at Aiden. She has long blonde hair that falls past her chest and nails the color of blood. They are long enough to be used as daggers at yet I feel the opposite of threatened when she taps them against the menu she places in front of me. I lean back in my chair and fold my arms across my chest. I watch her hands come to a rest on her hips and she leans forward, letting her features do the talking. Aiden looks down at the menu to see the choices that he has.

"Water." He nods, always water.

"Sure you don't want anything...sweeter?" Her lips pucker and I roll my eyes.

"We'll both have water," I cut in. Her blue eyes focus sharply to mine and I raise my eyebrows slightly. For two seconds our eyes lock and then she flips her hair over the side of her shoulder. "Sure thing babe," she says to me and shoots Aiden a wink. My hand curls around the edge of the table. Aiden is innocently looking at his menu.

"Really?" I ask him with a shake of my head.

"What ?" Aiden pears over his menu, his eyes are still bright. Hopeful, my brain provides.

"Please, are you honestly claiming you didn't notice Ms. Generic Barbie blonde's attempt to seduce you?"

Aiden chuckles, I notice the nervousness though. Like he can hear the ice popping under his feet and knows a bad step could end in a cold wet death. "I'm not blind," he says carefully.

"Oh so you did see." I pick up the menu and stare at the letters, blocking Aiden from my view. "Well, in that case I wish the two of you many fat babies." I'm just loud enough that an old couple in the corner booth looks over at me.

"Adie I'm not-" he starts but he waitress returns before he can finish.

"Here are your waters," she says. I pull the menu closer to my face and stare the pictures. "Do you know what you want?" I can picture her leaning on the table batting her eyelashes while her boobs fall out of her shirt.

I grip the menu tighter.

Chill Adie, don't kill the blonde.

Aiden gives his order smoothly. I can hear the smile in his voice. Maybe he's suggestively raising his eyebrows or placing a hand accidently near hers as she takes his menu. Everything on the menu is blurry.

"And what would you like, sweetie?" There is nothing in her tone that would ever suggest that we are buddies and deserve pet names. It's meant as a jab.

I drop the menu onto the table and look her in the eye. "I would love a cheeseburger, a large basket of fries covered with bacon and cheese, and a very large chocolate milkshake, doll."

She grabs the menu and smiles. "Sure thing, sweetie."

Her hips sway suggestively as she walks away. I look at Aiden and am surprised to discover him silently laughing at me. "What?" I demand.