Tripping and falling... in love

16 Getting Flustered

"It wasn't so bad!" Joe hugged Vani as she hid her face.

"I crashed twice in a row! No one else crashed at all!" She whined.

"Who cares? Did you have fun?" He tried to console her.

"Yeah, it was, not something I would put under the special skills on my resume though." She said looking up at him.

They were seated in a corner booth at a local chain restaurant. The lighting and menus were bold and bright, the art on the walls was garish and eclectic. Vani had never been to that location but she knew the one from home and loved their lemonade and garlic bread. It wasn't too busy since they had arrived after the regular dinner rush had been over for a few hours and the loud voices and ambiance were subdued. They had ordered their dinner quickly since they both were familiar with their menu.

"I'm sure you could work it in there somehow..." He looked up thoughtfully. "Enjoys testing the boundaries and limits during recreational pursuits." He grinned at her.

"Testing them for safety." Vani rolled her eyes but sat up a little taller.

"You never did get around to finishing your story you started in the car about the party before Christmas." He said sipping his drink.

"OH! Right! So remember how I told you that I had memory gaps and some really weird shit? Like really, really weird? Well turns out they were serving pot-laced brownies, which I had two of... and potshots? I didn't even know that was a thing! I honestly knew about none of that. In high school, my entire drug education was like 'don't do drugs.' not a whole lot about encountering different kinds of things. I hate parties normally anyway, and after that one, I can't see any more voluntary attendance from me." Vani filled him in. "I have never done that and I never want to again. I have no idea how people can WANT to get high! It was so awful." She shook her head at the foggy memories.

"I think it is different when you know you are getting high and you get to control it yourself. I doubt anyone would like a surprisingly high." He said thoughtfully.

"Do you...?" She gestured asking him. She wasn't a prude but any sort of drugs or drinking wasn't her thing. She liked adventure... in a safe way, and even though she was clumsy and a little overweight she liked to explore new places and have new experiences. Unfortunately, she also had confidence issues which made exploration difficult.

"No, I mean in all honestly I have in the past like once or twice, but it's not my thing either. My one buddy was high from like fourteen to nineteen. His dad finally gave him an ultimatum and dropped him off at basic training. I think it will be good for him if he actually sticks it out." He shared.

"Burger? Pasta?" The waitress came over in her brightly coloured uniform and smiled at the couple. Vani was comfortable and smiled at the middle-aged woman who looked genuinely pleasant and not fake like a lot of servers.

"Thank you," Vani said eyeing the giant platter of pasta set in front of her.

"Refills on those drinks?" the waitress asked and they both nodded. "Perfect be right back." She twirled away quickly and Vani eyed her plate as her mouth watered.

"I did not realize how hungry I was until just now." She said digging in.

"I haven't been here in a really long time, I forgot about these massive burgers!" Joe eyed his meal with appreciation as he admired the heft of the meal on his plate.

They ate quietly for a few minutes. The conversation flowed easily between them once they weren't starving. They talked about school and work and Chris and movies and books and music. Vani walked out of the restaurant happy. She drove Joe back to his house that he shared with Alex. They had rented out the upstairs to a family and lived in the basement to help pay the bills. Vani was impressed with how well he handled having no family around. She was floundering and finding herself being away from her family for the first time.