Derek slid the money across the counter towards them. “I just want to let you guys know I appreciate you taking care of me, that’s all.”
“…uh, okay… if you’re sure…”
“I’m absolutely positive.”
“Thanks, dude!”
“Don’t mention it. We’ll take two of the gyro combos and a couple of Cokes,” Derek said. Then he grabbed me by the hand and led me into the other room.
“Cool, man, be right out,” Zeke called after us.
“That wasn’t ostentatious at
all,
” I said as we sat down in a deserted section of tables.
He grinned. “Well, I won’t be spending my money on drugs and alcohol anymore, so I’ve got to spend it on something.”
“I’d be happy to pay for the food this time, but I can’t cover
that
little outlay of cash,” I said.
He looked at me questioningly.
“You don’t remember?” I huffed in mock frustration. “You paid, and I – ”
He laughed. “And you got all bent out of shape because you thought that was too much like a date.”
“Yeah.”
“Is this too much like a date?”
Yes, it is,
a little voice whispered.
“Seeing as you closed down the whole restaurant, no, it’s a little too
weird
to be like a date,” I said.
He grinned. “Well, things have changed.”
“That’s for sure.”
“Besides, your boyfriend knows you’re here with me this time, so you should be in the clear.”
There was something off in the way he said ‘boyfriend.’ Like a trace of bitterness, but just a hint.
I knew better than to ask him why.
“He doesn’t know I’m here
exactly,
” I pointed out.
“Close enough.”
“Why
are
we here?”
“This was one of our dates.”
“I know that, but we only came here once. Why here?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know… probably because I feel like a big change happened here.”
“What do you mean?”
“You started acting differently towards me here.”
“Yeah, I got up and walked out on you.”
He laughed. “That’s right – I’d forgotten about that.”
“Did your ego get in the way of your memory?” I joked.
He smiled. “Maybe.”
I immediately felt bad. “I didn’t mean – ”
“I know, you were just being funny. But… maybe.” He stopped to think, then shook his head. “No, actually, I have a really good memory of this place. This was the turning point for me… where I think I convinced you to give me a real chance.”
“I think the turning point, if there
was
one, was out there on the street where you got me to agree to go to rehearsal at Ryan’s house.”
“Yeah, well, it’s a lot easier to close down a restaurant than all of Main Street.”
“True.”
“Why’d you walk out on me? I don’t remember.”
I shifted uncomfortably. “You got way too sexual. You made some comment after I’d warned you a couple of times.”
“Yeah… that sounds about right,” he mused. “Well, no worries, it’s not going to happen again tonight.”
There was a part of me that felt let down as soon as he said it.
“What else did we talk about?” he continued. “I remember we’d just seen a movie…”
“
Eastern Promises,
” I said. “At the student center.”
“That’s right,” he realized. “That’s how I got you to go in the first place: Viggo Mortenson’s ass.”
“That’s not why I went at all!” I shrieked as he roared with laughter.
“Well, it was either you went because of Viggo Mortenson’s ass, or you went to be with me. So which was it?”
I blushed. “…to be with you.”
He nodded in satisfaction. “I knew it. I just didn’t know if
you
knew it at the time.”
I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. “I think I didn’t want to admit it at the time.”
“Yeah… I know all about that,” he said philosophically. “Not wanting to admit things to ourselves.”
We sat in silence for a few seconds. When it became uncomfortable, I said, “So what, are we going back to all the places we went on dates? The student center?”