Nina Cox Must Date (Girl Power Series)

Chapter 6 - Jett

I've been fretting unnecessarily about what to wear. We are going to Waca Grill after all. Anything fancier than a pair of jeans will look out of place. I follow my instincts and dress as I usually do when I go there. I eat at Waca so often that I know the whole menu by memory. I put a bit of dark red lipstick so at least I look as if I made an effort, and dab a bit of perfume from a tiny vintage bottle.

Lisa will scold me if she sees me. She thinks that I own stuff fit only for grannies. Every Christmas I get some fancy perfume or makeup that ends up in a drawer. Well, whatever I don't use for cosplaying. The doorbell rings and my heart beats fast. Somehow this feels like a blind date, and I'm curious about what I will find behind that door.

I'm not disappointed. Jett is cute and has a boyish face. His black hair is messy, and he has olive green eyes. His face is brightened by a grin.

"Hello Nina," he says.

"Hi," I say, realizing that I stretched that 'i' longer than necessary.

We get in his car and make small talk about the weather. Waca Grill is close to my house so we make it there in no time.

"Is the food good in here?" he asks as we enter the restaurant.

"Oh, so this is your first time. Everything is delicious,"

"Hey, Nina. How are you doing?" the hostess says.

"Hi, Barb! I'm doing great," I say, motioning with my head to Jett. "How is little Neil doing?"

"Getting bigger and wiser," she says and shows me a picture on her phone.

"So adorable!" I coo at the picture.

"He is. I have a great table for you by the window. Come and follow me," Barb says, grabbing the menu cards.

I wave at the servers and the guys in the kitchen. I scan the list even though I know what I want to order. Before leaving with our drinks, Barb whispers 'he is cute, good luck' in my ear.

"Do you know everybody in here?" Jett asks with curiosity.

"I think that they know me more. I come here almost weekly,"

"Wow! You are a real fan,"

"I love cooking, but doing it for one person is challenging at times. Sometimes my siblings or my friend Taylor come by, and at least I have someone to share my food,"

"I have two roommates, but I rarely eat together with them. My mom lives alone, so I go there to have dinner,"

"That is very kind of you," I say, and he gifts me one of his grins.

We start talking about our likes and dislikes and find that we have tons of things in common. I find myself staring at Jett. He has such a lovely face, and I want to pinch those cheeks. Maybe Lisa is right. I behave like a grandma at times.

"I took a look at your website. You sell tons of things!"

"I do. I recently narrowed it down. I sell mostly toys related to TV series or movies. I have some traditional board games and toys around, but they are not my main inventory,"

"You had some seriously good Star Wars stuff at the Fan Con. Are you into it?" he asks.

"Anyone with a bit of common sense knows that Star Trek is better than Star Wars," a voice says behind me.

Jett and I look at each other with surprise. I turn around and see a round guy with a beard. He is staring at me, expecting an answer. Before I could say anything, Jett speaks.

"One name for you, Darth Vader," he says to the guy.

"You must be kidding me. Is that the best you got? Mr. Spock will take your mock Jedi and put him in place with his invulnerable sense of logic and his Vulcan pinch. What is the deal with that guy anyway? He needs to follow some anger management classes,"

"By the time he comes near Vader, he would have been choked to death with the force," Jett says irritated.

"And what about that ball? What is it? A-ha! The Death Star. A little guy throws a fireball and bum! Destroyed! Papier mache is more resistant than that joke of a vessel," the bearded guy says. "The USS Enterprise is one beautiful example of engineering and home to many people," he adds in a dreamy tone.

"Well friend, I have a joke for you: a redshirt and a Stormtrooper get into a fire fight. The Stormtrooper misses every shot. The redshirt dies anyway," Jett says mockingly.

The bearded guy stands up, and Jett does as well. The people around us are staring, and I want to dig a whole in the ground and jump on it.

"What the fuck is your problem?" Jett says.

The guys push him, and I remember the event of a week ago. I get in between them and stretch my arms.

"You two are an embarrassment," I start saying. "I love Star Wars! I have a damn lightsaber that I use as a night lamp. I also own a Star Trek uniform apron. Why? Because I love Star Trek as well. There is never going to be a winner in this constant fight because both are damn good. And guess what? In the end, we are all nerds!"

The bearded guy looks embarrassed, and Jett is staring at the floor.

"One more thing. Eavesdropping is rude and causing a scene in a public place because you don't agree with someone about a fandom is pathetic. You two need to grow up and mind your own business. Thanks, Jett, it was a lovely date,"

I grab my purse and walk towards the entrance. The restaurant employees grin and give me thumbs up as I leave. I head to the bus stop as we took Jett's car. I suddenly feel a hand on my arm and expect to find Jett, coming to apologize. Instead, I find Barb, the restaurant hostess.

"This is for you," she says, handing me an envelope.

"What is this?" I say, looking at the envelope.

"Our boss felt sorry for what happened during your date. He asked both guys to leave the restaurant, and we felt you deserved a bit of comfort,"

I open the envelope and find a few vouchers for free meals. I give her a hug.

"You know what? Waca Grill is my favorite place. I'm not going to let those two ruin my night,"

I walk to the restaurant together with Barb and take a seat at the bar. I order a tall cocktail and have a fun time... with myself.