Through the Lens

32

The rest of the week went by much like old times. Madison and Bradley were talking, but she hadn't progressed back to hand-holding. I left it alone, not wanting to influence either of them. They were both my best friends. We even did a movie night at Madison's house. Ethan was there. I'd forewarned him of their rocky relationship at the moment, so we didn't give them any PDAs.

It was the next day that proved to be more interesting. Despite the late hour we left Madison's house, Ethan showed up at my house that next morning a little before ten. I'd gotten up late, yet I still did an abbreviated run. I wasn't sure what to wear. When I looked at him, I gauged his dress and ran back to my room to change into one of the two outfits I had laid out. He wasn't quite dressed up, but he was wearing nice slacks and a button-down shirt. So I opted for what I'd like to call a Sunday dress. Something you could wear to church or an event with family. It was the kind of dress that wasn't shapeless, but being a bit more conservative landed just above the knee. The blue color was just a tad more vibrant than navy.

Coming down the stairs, I saw Ethan's slight smile and wondered if I'd chosen wrong. Then, he took my hand and said, "You look lovely."

His mood didn't improve much, and the long drive made me long for yoga pants. Still, I wasn't sure where we were going. Music played in the background filling the void of lack of conversation, and Ethan looked lost in his thoughts. I found the change from highway to small town life a sign that maybe we were reaching our destination. When he parked, I had my hand on the door when, having moved quicker, he opened it for me. Taking his hand, I let him help me out of the car like a Victorian lady from a romance novel. I stretched, having spent nearly two hours in the confines of a car with no conversation.

Lacing his fingers with mine, we walked down a quiet street with other pedestrians passing us by, but not in a busy street way. Traffic was steady but light. When we walked up the stairs to a red brick building, I almost mistook it for a church. It didn't have a steeple, but it had a church kind of feel. This small town was old yet well maintained. The name etched into the glass of the front doors revealed that we were in fact at a restaurant.

Happy for my dress, we walked in and were greeted immediately by a hostess wearing a genuine smile. Ethan gave her his name, and we were seated. It appeared this was the type of place where you needed a reservation. This was a first for me. The dining room was small, and every table was occupied. The crisp white linen table covers loomed ominously at me. What if I spilled something? Everyone would see.

We were seated at a two-person table next to a wall about halfway into the dining room. Ethan looked better than he had all day. I was hoping this would be the change in the tide. "Don't look so nervous?" he teased.

"You might be nervous if you had no idea what this day had in store," I said before I could check my words.

"You're right. I'm sorry. We still have a bit of a drive ahead of us, and I thought I would take you to lunch, breaking up the long drive. I've never had the chance to take you out. I thought the first time should be something really nice," he confessed.

"I'm sorry. It's okay. I've just never eaten anywhere this fancy before," I said, shyly.

My hand that I'd placed on top of the menu was covered by his. "Thank you for coming with me today," he said. Still he gave no clue what our final destination was.

Our waiter walked up then offering us a choice of distilled or sparkling water. This was when I really knew I was out of my depth. Not certain what distilled water meant, I went with sparkling. My mother would probably chide me with that thought because somewhere in my memory I'm sure she's given me the knowledge.