Imagining Us

Ch. 45- The Repentance Tour Part II

They entered through the sliding doors.

"Where to first on this food tour?" Porte turned to her and asked.

Esi pointed directly ahead of them.

There was the pretzel cart in all its glory.

She grinned and tugged him along to join the line. "Come on."

Esi could feel him staring at her. When she looked up, he wore the most amused look on his face.
"What is it?" she asked.

"You're so...adorable," he said.

She made a face at his words.

"I've never seen anyone so excited over pretzels."

"That's because you've never had them," she insisted.

"I've had strudels. I'm sure it's basically the same thing," Porte said matter of factly.

"It's not," Esi deadpanned. "Do you know what you want to try or should I order?"

"You order."

Worse thing that he could've said.

~~~~
"I may have overdone it," Esi groaned as she slouched on one of the seats in the middle of the mall.

"May?" Porte scoffed.

She'd order different types of pretzels, different types of pretzel bites, and frozen lemonade for both of them.

"Oh hush, it was for a good cause," she said. "I saw your face when you took your first bite."

"I'll be the first to admit that it was good," Porte started, then frowned. "A bit messy though."

Esi watched as he desperately tried to rid the sugar crystals from his hand.

"The mess is a part of the fun!"

Porte looked at her incredulously. Then his eyes tracked to her mouth. "You have a bit of–"
He pointed to her mouth, and she used a napkin to try to wipe at it without disturbing her lip colour.

"Did I get it?" she asked, even as she was about to turn on the camera on her phone to make sure.

"Not quite," he murmured.

"Where–

Porte reached towards her and gently brushed his thumb along the corner of her mouth.

They locked eyes, and his movements were painstakingly slower than what was warranted.

"Thank you," Esi said softly and glanced away.

They sat side by side for a few seconds watching as people walked by. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence–just unsure.

The only movement from either of them was Porte constantly spinning the ring on the little finger of his right hand.

He cleared his throat. "What's the next stop on your list?"

"Well, it should've been more food, but you made me buy so many pretzels that I can barely move!" she joked.

"I made you? Is that what we're going with?" he asked. "I should be the one complaining since I ate most of them."

"Good point...How is it not bothering you?"

"You've seen Delphine's cooking...the quantities. Luke and I absorb food."

She did remember the layout at dinner that night. Esi had thought that the ten seater table would've been completely occupied with the amount of food that Delly had cooked.