Once Quinn's honey glazed lamb chops are placed on the table. I regret my choice of meal.
"The weather is nice..." Quinn catches me off gaurd.
I tear my gaze away from the tantalizing meal and find his stare trained on me. My cheeks heat up in embarrassment.
I don't respond immediately. So Quinn perceives it otherwise. "I really suck in this, small talk isn't my strongest skill." He waves his phone. "I had to google icebreakers."
Miriam returns with my fries, she places them in front of me. Her eyes glinting with mischief and never leaving mine.
"Where is the Ketchup?" Quinn asks. "She doesn't take her fries without ketchup." He demands.
Am shocked he noticed.
I expect Miriam to be offended by his tone. But instead she smiles at me knowingly. "Ya' got him where ya' need him to be." She whispers to me and turns to Quinn. "I will bring it shortly." She marches away.
"Why did you bring me here?" I ask.
"You wanted to know me, so tonight i will take you to the two places i love the most." He answers.
"And where is the second place?"
"You will find out."
I watch him sanitize his hands, i do the same and pick a piece of my fry.
"Why do you love the place?"
"The secrecy and most importantly the seclusion."
"With Miriam i doubt there's any secrecy." I point at the counter where Miriam is watching us with keen interest.
"I wasn't wrong. You two were gossiping."
"She did most of the talking."
Miriam is back again with the ketchup and a plate of chicken wings. "On the house." She mouths, pats her hair twice and leaves.
I soak my fries with ketchup till they look like a messy gruesome murder scene.
"Why do you love your fries like that, it is just gross?" Quinn asks.
"I picked the habit from my mother." My voice shakes at the as i say. "My turn to ask."
He shrugs his shoulder giving me a go ahead.
"Why are you the way you are?"
"How? I am just my own person."
"I mean cold, plainly rude and unexcited?"
"Am a man of few sediments."
"My turn." "Why is it you can afford to attend the campus yet your brother is on scholarship?"
I want to answer and say, because we couldn't access our trust fund, especially when everyone thinks you are dead.
"My father taught me about the securities market at a tender age, so i have been able to invest from a young age though not enough for the two of us." I answer truthfully.
"I wasn't wrong. I suspected from the start you aren't who you pretend to be."
My heart pace picks. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, when i met you. You were a virgin. Never been kissed or fucked. And yet you wanted to demean yourself to become a booty call and didn't want anything in return. That did strike me as strange."
I gasp to his unfiltered words.
I first swallow a fry before answering, " Let's just say you ruined me for other men."
He chuckles not amused, "Don't patronise me. You know i hate unfounded compliments that are driven by lies." He says dead serious. He then adds, "The truth is you are a pretender and sadly as this is our last interaction, i will never know why."
Oh !you will know why.
I exhaled and speak, "I am not, having no parents doesn't make me a pretender." I try to redirected the conversation into another line.
"How did they die?" He asks with concern..
I clasp my hands together under the table, "Murdered."
"Am deeply sorry."
"The perpetrators will not go unpunished." I ball my hands into balls of fist until my nails dig into my palms.
"I have been on that road of revenge it never ends well or give you the satisfaction you want. Losing someone you love is a hard thing, trying to avenge makes it more harder."
"Is this about the girl on the photo, Misha?"
"Yeah. Please don't say her name again." He can't hold a stare.
"You must have loved her." I comment.
His eyes hold an empty look momentarily, one can miss it if not observant. He shakes his head and wipes the edges of his mouth with a serviette.
"I was young back then, but now i know better." His voice is flat,bare of any emotions as he says.
I search his face to see if, it can show some feeling. It remains stoic, and unreadable.
"You shouldn't give up on love." I say briefly.
He looks down at his phone and looks up at me.
"You can't give up on something you don't have." His voice is flat as he speaks. "Are you done? we still have a final stop for the night."
The night is turning out to be great. As much as Quinn is reluctant to say much. Anyway it is a significant improvement. Am more curious to know where our next stop will be, he is unpredictable.
I smile with satisfaction. He signals for Miriam to come with the bill. As he reaches for his wallet i do the same for my purse.
"You kids are done already?" Miriam asks disappointed.
"Sadly we are. Can i have the check please." Quinn says.
She hands it to Quinn and moves to wait on another table where a group of some roudy teenage sits.
I place some money on the table.
"You better take it back where it came from." Quinn warns and places some money between the pad.
"This isn't a date, i can pay my own bill." I stay firm.
"For your own good stop being stubborn." His stare is in slits with a dare. I give up but still tip Miriam.
Miriam return few minutes later in a sour mood.
"Where has this generation sold their manners to." She says to no one in particular.
I turn to look where the group is seated. They are heckling like street hooligans as one tries to swallow a whole hotdog.
"When will i see you again?" Miriam asks.
"As usual." Quinn says unsure.
"And you better bring....i didn't get your name." She turns to me.
"Cara..." I say.
"Beautiful... bring Cara with you." She warns Quinn.
I blush when Quinn cast me a quick glance.
"We will be on our way, Miriam." Quinn says.
Quinn stands and i do the same. "It was nice meeting you." I wave at Miriam who picks the check and walks back to the counter.
Quinn places his hand round my waist and we head towards the exit.
"Ready for round two?" He asks.
I smile and nod.