𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐊𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒

𝟑𝟓 || 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐘

His eyebrows furrowed, and he looked at me as if I had just asked the most insane thing. "Of course it is."

My pulse fluttered in my neck. "Then this is our first date."

_______

Well little did I know that we would have absolutely no problem with the idea of being caught or seen on our dinner date, because there was no one in the fucking restaurant. Either it wasn't very well known, or Dominic had reserved the whole goddamn space— but I didn't ask.

The restaurant, bathed in warm, subdued lighting, was of a medium size. It's tall ceilings and careful choices of artwork added to the quiet and calm atmosphere, with plush chairs and tasteful decor.

Our table, strategically placed to overlook the serene expanse of the lake just beyond the city's hustle, provided a breathtaking view. As the sun began its descent, hues of tangerine and coral painted the sky, casting a warm glow over the rippling waters.

"It's beautiful," I mentioned as I stared off out the window. This was one of the many things that the city rarely allowed you to see; sunrises, sunsets, stars. There were so many buildings, and too much light to see the sky properly. But now? Here?

Dominic's response was slow, and I could see him from out of the corner of my eye examining me. "It is," he said, not even glancing out the window to take a look at what I was looking at.

I ignored his own ignorance, and turned my focus back to him, clasping my hands as we awaited our menus. "So... you've really never done this before? Not even in high school?" I asked him, referring to our date.

"I never had the time, and I've never cared—" he hesitated, his voice catching before he cleared his throat suddenly, correcting himself. "I didn't care to back then."

I tilted my head, sensing the unspoken layers beneath his words. "But you do now?"

"With you."

My heart might explode.

I tried to hide my smile by taking a sip from out of my water, but I still failed. "What did you do that was so time-consuming in high school?" I inquired, setting down the glass. I found the image of him even being in high school hard to picture. He didn't seem... I don't know. Social? Academic? I mean, I knew he was smart, but I just really couldn't see him in a school atmosphere.

He pursed his lips, and a wistful smile played on his lips. "Not dating." He avoided the question without a problem, and his ability to do it so easily always pissed me off. I wish I could do that.

"You're so annoying," I joked, and a chuckle escaped him, the sound carrying a hint of amusement. "And yet you begged me to call this a date." He only challenged my irritation further, and I shook my head, still watching him closely.

Dominic tugged at his tie, tightening it just a little further up his collar, and when he set his hands back down, I caught him playing with his ring, spinning it around his finger, just as I did. It was something of a reminder that he was just as nervous as I was.

_______

Over the course of the past several minutes of waiting to order our food, I had been in the process of filling in Dominic of the usual 'date' conversation. Though since we already knew each other unusually well, I had just been asking him a series of silly little questions, and I'd laugh to myself when he actually thought hard about them.