TWENTY-ONE
The street outside was alive and bright, some people went about their business while others basked in the glow of the colorful lanterns which were hung around the patio of the small but luxurious restaurant. Yalda and Jaxon sat at their table even after they were done eating, they conversed freely and Yalda found herself completely unbothered about anything at all; she found herself relaxed.
Jaxon was easy to talk to, he was fun and he seemed to be enjoying her company just as much as she was enjoying his. She hated comparing people, but she couldn’t help but notice that he talked more about his past than Alexander ever did; one conversation always lead to another and he was reminded of one event or another which he gladly told her about, and he did it in a way that didn’t seem like he was oversharing.
She realized he was an adventurous person from all he had told her; he was a person who lived in the moment the best he could.
“Heavens, you have me saying so much about myself”. He said as she shook his head. “Tell me something about you, anything at all”.
And there was that question that always made her uncomfortable, always made her awkward. She never had anything to say when she was faced with the question because she was absolutely nothing outside her work; she had no life to talk about.
She shook her head.
“There’s actually nothing to tell”. She told him.
He leaned back into his seat and crossed one leg over the other elegantly.
“Yalda, there’s always something to tell”. He said. “Tell me about college or anything at all. You seem like a girl who’s had a lot of experiences”.
Her smile wavered ever so slightly. Yes, she had a lot of experiences, just not in the way he thought. She cleared her throat quietly as her gaze flickered to her fingers which were tapping on the edge on the table; something she I when she was unsettled.
“My college days aren’t much to talk about”. She told him. “I don’t usually talk about them”.
Perhaps he had noticed the slight change in her mood, or perhaps he simply took her word for it, but he let the matter be and that was all that mattered.
“Alright alright. Tell me what interests you; art, music, anything”. He said.
Her gaze flickered back to his and she was awed by how his deep blue eyes absorbed the light around, she was awed by how captivating they were. She smiled.
“I do like art”. She told him. “Music, fashion, and I like watching people cook”.
His lips curved in a smirk.
“You like watching people cook but you don’t cook?”. He asked her.
She nodded while chuckling. Even she knew it was crazy.
“I know, it’s silly”. She said as she brushed a lock of hair from her face with a perfectly manicured finger.
He shook his head.
“Not at all, it’s funny though”. He said amusedly. “What else do you like?”.
She thought it through for a moment before shrugging.
“That’s about it”. She replied honestly.
She wasn’t a person who was interested in a lot of things. Yes, from time to time, she felt like she was limiting her potential by not even trying to explore new things, but the life she had now was stable unlike how she had lived before, and she was scared to do anything to shake that stability, she was terrified of going back to her old life.
“You don’t like travelling? Skiing, hiking?”. He asked humorously.
She chuckled once more.
“I enjoy travelling”. She replied. She was always with Alexander when he travelled around for business purposes, she enjoyed the one or two-day break she always had to relax. “I don’t know about hiking and skiing since I haven’t tried them before”.
He shook his head.
“Of course, I should have known, proper ladies don’t do that, do they, My lady?”. He asked.
She laughed. He was truly something else, he was like a shot of serotonin.
“But if you’re not, I would be glad to engage you in either or those activities”. He said suggestively.
“You want to take me hiking and skiing?”. She asked him openly.
He nodded.
“I thought you weren’t staying long”. She said.
“I’m not. But who says I can’t come back?”. He asked her.
For some reason, her cheeks heated up ever so slightly as did her heart. It was probably due to how easily he had said he’d come back just to take her skiing and hiking. She once again cleared her throat quietly.
He was suddenly making her feel thing she was unfamiliar with, things which unsettled her.
“Would you like that, Yalda?”. He asked her.
She most definitely would. But she couldn’t just say that now, she couldn’t just accept it just because she was happy, just because she had had a good evening. She needed to go home, she needed to return to reality, and she needed to decide when she was thinking straight.
“I don’t know”. She replied.
He nodded simply.
“Well, at least it wasn’t a no. I’ll do well to let you know whenever I’m going hiking or skiing”. He said. “Sounds good?”.
She nodded while smiling. She couldn’t help but wonder if he was actually so nice or if he was just being this way to her because he wanted to get into her underwear. Yes, she had trust issues, justifiably so since she had been through all kind of shit.
“All good then”. He said.
He glanced at his watch and his eyes widened slightly.
“It’s almost twelve”. He told her. “I’ve kept you out so late, fuck”.
She hadn’t even noticed that it was getting late and that the streets were getting empty, and what perplexed her was the fact that even after learning that it was late, she wasn’t bothered that she was out here with him.
“Come, it’s time to take you home”. He said as he pushed his seat back and stood up. “I am truly sorry for keeping you out late, Yalda, especially on a weekday”.
She shook her head.
“Don’t worry about it”. She said.
But he was having none of it. He walked around the table and gently pulled her seat out for her.
“Thanks”. She said as she rose to her feet. She smoothened down the nonexistent creases on her clothe; a habit she had picked up from Alexander over the years.
Somehow, a part of her was disappointed that the evening had come to an end so soon.
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