I Kept My Promise - #ModernLoveContest

Chapter 4

As a general rule of thumb, I typically take all of men's measurements and subtract 2 inches. This includes the weatherman. He was definitely my height. I didn't care but what I feared was that he would look at my spongy post-quarantine body and decide I wasn't delicate enough. I was bundled up in a blue plushy winter jacket because I knew we'd have to sit outside to eat. It was technically spring but that day had some overcast weather. Maybe the winter wear would trick him long enough that he'd stick around to talk for at least a bit.

But then after the mask comes off he can see how disportionately big my forehead is and that my nose is off center and my teeth are the slightest bit crooked since I've never had braces...

"You have very expressive eyes," he told me not too long after we sat down for brunch. And then later that day, I told him that my sister and I looked alike, but she's more petite, sharp and heart-faced. She's undeniably much prettier than me. I'm softer looking.

"You have a round face?"

"Yeah. Don't I?"

"Well... I don't know, you have a very defined jaw-line. I mean you don't have a blockhead like me," he joked. "But..." He got a little self conscious. "You have a very defined bone structure."

And then he was sure to let me know after I told him that my arms were too long and my shoulders were too wide, "No, you seem... well-proportioned."

He was fascinated with unusual things anyway. I showed him how I could bend my fingers so far back they looked like they could break.

"Cool."

"At least you're not grossed out."

"No. It's different. I like it."

He shoveled his way through a burger at brunch, which included 2 mimosas and eggs benedict for me. He paid for it, which confirmed it was an actual date. Before he had been so casual about everything I wasn't sure if he was just looking for an Ace buddy.

After we walked on the Esplanade near the Charles River. He was enamored with the geese and their new goslings. "They're funny looking guys."

"They don't fear god," I corrected him. "If I'm riding my bike they'll wait for me to hit them." Their fuzzy yellow babies were pretty cute though.

We read all the statues and signs at both the Esplanade and the Common. We checked because I originally declared the giant George Washington bronze statue was Paul Revere. I smelled some tulips and bluebells that were still in bloom. Then we got some drinks and a giant pretzel at a bar called Rock Bottom. We took the back barstool table. It was mostly empty so we actually didn't need a reservation like the open beer garden we had looked into on the Esplanade.

We were both clearly doing that middle school thing where both of our hands were on the table and neither of us were quite sure who would move first.

"Did you want to look at the menu?" I flipped my phone towards him. All restaurants had online menus so everything was contactless for covid.

"I already decided."

"You're just waiting for me?"

"Uh huh."

After a Moscow Mule and me admitting I knew a little bit about palm reading, I finally touched him. "Whenever I get palm readings they're never good," I told him.

"Why? What do they say?"

"None of my lines are strong, I'm unhealthy, I'm closed off."

"Neither of those things seem true to me."