A Different Slice

9.2 By the Candlelight (Naomi)

"If you follow me, dinner will be served."

Naomi joined Greg in the dining room with a hop in her step, although she tried not to spill their drinks. She set them on the tablecloth. Greg came up behind her to pull out her chair, and his fingertips grazed her shoulders as he pushed her in, sending tingles down her arms.

"Thank you."

"Anytime." He settled into his seat with a quivering smile. "I hope the meal is to your liking."

"You have watched me devour 7-11 taquitos and love every second. It doesn't take much to impress me."

"Now you're making me nervous. If you don't like this, my cooking must be..." He stared into the candle's flame.

Naomi reached across the table to hook her fingers in his. "I love food, and it looks and smells amazing. Plus, even if it was bad, who cares? It's still an incredible night together."

"Thanks." He took a drink of his caesar and looked at her with what seemed like a forced smile, but she presumed it reflected his feelings toward himself more than her.

She cut off a piece of chicken and closed her eyes as she savoured the flavour. The meat was tender, and the sauce swirled with creamy, cheesy heartiness with a kick of heat. "So you may have to cook this on every date because it's amazing."

His eyebrows raised, and his cheeks dimpled. "Yeah?"

She took another bite, which delivered more tanginess from the sun-dried tomatoes. "Definitely. Even if it's not a restaurant, I can take some home, right?"

"Phew, good. And yes, if you like it that much." He ate some chicken and pressed his lips together as he chewed. "It's not missing anything?"

"It's missing being in my belly."

He laughed and consumed more. "All points to my mom for this one."

"Nah, this was an 80/20 split in your favour."

"To think this stressed me out all week."

"Why stress? I'm excited about going out with you. The meal's a bonus."

"It's just... never mind." He fixated on his plate instead of her.

"You can tell me." She cut into the asparagus and ate it. "Damn, this is amazing too."

He chuckled before his expression fell again. Only one person caused him this much anxiety lately.

"It's Tara, isn't it?"

The way he made his mouth small enough to disappear told her she was correct. So he was thinking about Tara during their date, a date when Naomi was more comfortable with him. It wasn't what she wanted to hear, but Tara and Greg had broken up less than a month ago. Dating someone else would be weird so soon after. Naomi had a quiet period after relationships, spending time with friends and getting lost in sports and hobbies to find herself for months or a year. She'd joined the softball team after her last long-term relationship ended because she needed to channel her break-up fury.

Greg didn't seem to use the sports method. He flung that anger at himself. Perhaps they could hit up the batting cages later to help him out.

"I wish I could say it wasn't."

Naomi sipped her caesar. "At least you're honest about it. I might be your date tonight, but I'm also your friend. If you need to talk, we'll hit pause on the date and start it up when you're done."

He cut into his chicken. "No, that's not fair to you."

"I'm here for all of you Greg: the adorably sweet man who poured his feelings into this delicious meal, the competitive one who challenges me at softball, and the vulnerable guy who can't snap his fingers and be over a woman he was in love with after a few weeks."