Pulling out my phone, I dialed Matthew’s number. He picked on the second ring and I informed him of my pickup location. After striding around a few blocks, the park came to my view, I slowly headed towards it, sitting on an empty bench. Several kids were already playing by the swings while the rest chatted in various groups.
Scrolling through my game applications, I opened the last one on the list and busied myself with it. Each time I completed a level, I scouted for Matthew’s car but he was nowhere to be seen. It took him about thirty minutes and twenty levels from my game for him to honk at me. With my lips pressed together in a thin line, I shot up and made my way to his car.
I bent over to his window’s level and peered at him. He seemed as though he’d just woken up abruptly. I couldn’t help but think my phone call may have been the reason. “I hate waiting.”
“I know, I’m sorry. Traffic was terrible. I will make it up to you.”
“Alright,” I managed to say amid my annoyance.
He unlocked the passenger seat, asking me to hop in.
“You look nice,” he said once I shut the door. I was wearing a black hoodie, a long-sleeved blue denim shirt, and black tights paired with flip-flop slippers.
“Thank you.”
We drove through the highway in awkward silence and stopped by an eatery where we were supposed to have breakfast and get to know each other better. Once we got to a table, he pulled a chair for me and I muttered my appreciation before occupying the seat.
“What would you like to order?” He pushed the menu in my direction.
“A cup of coffee and fried eggs will do.” I pushed it back to him as the waiter moved toward our table. He recounted my order to her and asked for toast and tea for himself.
“The weather is terrible. We should get you something warmer,” he finally said after moments of silence.
“I’m okay, but thanks.” I leaned back and stared at him. “Tell me more about you.” I wasn’t a fan of the popular first date question but that’s all I had. The mood between us was distinct from when we met at the party, maybe alcohol had something to do with the chitter-chatter we had.
“I’m just an ordinary guy.” He laughed softly. “I don’t know what else to say unless you ask me something specific.”
“What do you like about me?” I was curious. Who wouldn’t want to know why someone suddenly liked them? Especially when the said person came from a distinguished background from what I was used to.
I wasn’t the least bit intimidated that he was more privileged than I was while growing up because I looked up to my Dad. He worked so hard to make sure we never lacked anything, took us to the best schools, and gave us everything within his means. He spoiled us whenever he could, from birthday parties to annual vacations and random outings. We weren’t as prosperous but we were so damn happy, the kind of happiness money couldn’t buy.
“You’re beautiful, kind, and friendly.” His stare moved from my eyes to my lips, conveying the vibe we had at the party.
“Oh, thank you.” I averted my gaze.
The waiter emerged with a full tray and began emptying the contents on the table. Once she was done, she turned to Matthew. “Is there anything else?”
“We’re good, Anne,” he beamed.
“Enjoy.” She glanced from him to me, a wide smile on her face.
I waited till she was out of earshot before asking, “Do you know each other?”
“Yeah.” He drew his cup of tea closer and lifted it to his lips. “She’s an old friend.”
“Oh, okay.” I clasped the salt shaker and shook it twice over my plate of eggs before turning back to him. “Tell me about your past relationships.” Taking my fork and knife, I began dissecting the eggs into small pieces.
He shrugged. “I was seeing someone a few weeks back but it was nothing serious. We parted ways.”
“What do you mean by nothing serious and why did you break up?” I queried. I always preferred details over blunt replies.
“We were you know, fucking around and all. I didn’t love her and neither did she love me so when she met someone else, it ended there.”
I softly blew on my cup of coffee, my eyes darting to his face. His wide eyes were a darker shade of blue, matching his blonde hair which was shaved down to a short length. He was handsome but seemed like the kind of guy with commitment issues. I however hoped I was mistaken.
Earlier on, when we strolled into the restaurant side by side, I noted he wasn’t as tall as he’d appeared to be. I was only a few inches shorter than him but I loved much taller guys. He was an average weight, not slim nor plump and from a distance, he looked older than his 24 years of age.
“What about you?” he asked, breaking off my train of thoughts.
I dreaded reflecting on my past love life, it sent me back to eras that got me so low and dreary. When I explained it to Matthew, he assured me he wasn’t an ass, like Nick.
Nick was my first sweetheart and when he left for Germany, I was shattered. I didn’t think twice about waiting for him because I adored him but he broke my trust. He met someone else and had a one-night stand that later led to love. He called me afterward, to let me know I deserved better than him. It was only a matter of time before I got wind of their engagement and have never cried so hard. It still hurt but I had to move on.
I couldn’t put my finger on it, but there was something about Matthew that felt off. He was different from the chats we exchanged the past month. I couldn’t tell if it was because he took serious issues lightly but I needed him to prove me wrong. Nothing between us was going to work if he was what I perceived him to be.
“My parents invited you over for dinner,” I finally spelled out, staring at him to gauge his reaction. He choked on his tea, his eyes rounding to saucers as he coughed repeatedly. I helped him down a glass of water as I rubbed his back till the cough died down.
“They would love to get to know you. My Dad is strict on these kinds of things and would never allow me to date someone he’s never met,” I continued when he did nothing but gape at me.
“Wow!” He swiped a hand over his face and took a deep breath before exhaling heavily. I could already tell he was going to say no.