Our Way

“Hmm, it is, isn’t it?” I begin to chew. “Nursing… hoping to get into paediatrics. ” I point to him with my fork. “And you?”

He swallows his food and wipes his mouth with a napkin. “Medicine.”

I stare at him as my brain misfires. “You’re… a doctor?”

“Resident at this point, but yes. Why?” He smiles as he sips his drink from the bottle, as if he already knows what I’m going to say.

“You’re too good-looking to be a doctor.” I scoff. “Tell me the truth. Are you a handyman or something?”

He chuckles and holds his hands in the air. “You got me; I actually clean the toilets.”

“You moved all the way from New York to clean the toilets?” I roll my eyes as I act unimpressed.

“You’re very hard to please, Eliza.”

I smile as I cut into my lasagne. “I’m simply saying that I would never have picked you out to be a doctor, that’s all.”

“What would you think I would be?”

He holds out his two hands so I can look at him and my eyes roam over his perfect physique.

Stripper.

I push my wayward thoughts to the side. “Umm… I don’t know. Like a tradesman or something?”

His mischievous eyes hold mine. “Sorry to disappoint you.”

“You should be,” I tease. “Don’t do it again.”

He smiles as he focuses back on his food. “You’re cute, I like you.”

“I’m very likeable.” I bat my eyelashes in an over-exaggerated way.

“So, you really don’t know anybody in town?”

“Nope.” I sigh.

“Me, too. We should hang out.”

I bite my lip to try and act casual. “Yeah, that’d be fun.” I take a bite of my lasagne. “Just don’t fall in love with me or anything,” I say sarcastically.

“No chance of that,” he replies casually as he takes a mouth full of food. “You’re the wrong sex for me.”

What?

I snort in surprise. My Coke goes down the wrong pipe, and I choke in a spectacular fashion. “Are you kidding me?” I cough as I slap my chest. “You’re gay?”

He laughs out loud. “Why is that so shocking to you?”

This man is the epitome of masculinity. “Because…” I pause as I try to articulate myself. “You give off a very different vibe from other gay guys I’ve known.”

He smiles, clearly amused, and he rests his chin on his hand as he watches me.

I end up smiling too because this is just my crappy luck. “I had plans for us, Nathan,” I tease as I rearrange the napkin on my lap.

“I know: lunch, tomorrow.”

“No, actually, that wasn’t it.” I go back to cutting my lasagne. “It was dinner tonight to celebrate our first day together, but you probably have a Grindr date or something and won’t be able to fit me into your schedule.”