The Alpha Twins and their Runaway Witch

18

Ariel was filled with fluttery anxious excitement. Not quite hitting fear yet. At first she had just gotten into the car because she didn't know what to do with herself and was scared about the late hour. Trusting her bird was actually even more intelligent as she had always heard corvids were. That he was sentient, and helping her and his little bobs were a confirmation that she should have gotten into the car. She had trusted her safety to a bird.

Binh smiled as she sat down. The leather of the upholstery was supple and buttery smooth. The old fashioned dashboard was stylishly simple. Same as at his diner, the moment he was close, it was like weight was lifted from Ariel. As though Binh could take away her troubled thoughts.

She was quiet for the short drive. Binh easily manoeuvred his car into a parallel parking space. Just in front of the restaurant. Now she found herself, sat across from a man who seemed otherworldly good looking with his strange eyes and elegant long braid of inky coloured hair. A man who wasn't making her shrink back to nothing.

Except when they were sat at their table, looking over a menu that had names of foods she had never heard of before, she felt like she was drowning and in over her head. People her age were supposed to have been out to restaurants before. She was supposed to know current events, and about books or movies or music. Have family or friends to talk about. She was supposed to be able to talk to someone who looked to be only a couple years older than herself without making a fool of herself.

How was she supposed to pretend that she was normal, while eating a meal alone with Binh, her boss? She had sat in on more than her share of first day HR instructions through the temp job. Boss and employee was not HR approved. 

She had no idea how to pretend enough to be Jenny outside the role of waitress. Her mind had boggled when she saw the date the first time on the receipt she printed for her first table as a server this morning. Five years, it had been just over five years since she had been tricked by Galen. 

Ariel was interrupted from her approaching panic as Binh asked, "Do you know what you would like to order, Jenny?" The way he said Jenny made Ariel feel like he knew that it was a fake name, but he wasn't going to call her out on it. 

Ariel felt her face flush crimson. "I don't know what a lot of this is?" She admitted, as though she understood any of it. It was common for people to not know about any one particular foreign food. She hoped at least. Trying to juggle so many thoughts. Keep her face looking relaxed. Be ready to run. Follow the conversation. Don't say anything real. 

Binh smiled, a kind reassuring smile. "There is a spiced without being hot spicy beef and lamb kebab that many enjoy, or a slow cooked chicken leg that is very popular if you would like a suggestion?" Offered so gently, no hint that he was annoyed she didn't know the food, or that he found her strange or stupid.

Ariel didn't want the lamb. "Chicken sounds good?" She said hesitantly. Binh did not make her body react with fear. Her mind had been conditioned to fear almost all interactions with men. With anyone. 

She relaxed just a little when he smiled back at her. "The chicken it is-" At that moment the waitress reappeared, Binh placed an order with her, using all the foreign words for the dishes that Ariel didn't know. The waitress smiled, and said something in the foreign language back. Binh responded in kind, sounding like he could speak her native language. The waitress smiled, and went to place their order with the kitchen. "I added an appetizer to share." Binh told her.

She nodded dumbly. Sipping at the glass of water, with ice cubes that had been brought by the server when she took their order. Ariel wasn't sure when she had last enjoyed a drink with ice cubes. The super cold, filtered water, in a clean glass tasted so good to her. She had to stop herself from guzzling down the entire glass.