Finding My Family **ON HOLD**

Ch 15: A Date with Silas

Silas has just pulled out my chair for me to sit down at our table. We are at an upscale restaurant in Charleston and I'm glad Gabriel dressed me for the date. I would have underdressed for this place if I chose the outfit.

Our waiter quietly hands each of us a menu and leaves us in peace to look it over. As I glance at all the options I notice the meals don't have prices next to them. That could only mean they are expensive. I don't want Silas to spend a lot of money on me and without prices on the menu I can't pick the cheapest option! Salad...yes a salad will be cheap right? They always are on other menus.

I make a mental note of the salad I want as I close the menu and start to look around. The place is very fancy and most of the clientele is older. Silas may look older than his age, but I feel like a child; out of place in this nice restaurant and sophisticated dress. I begin to feel nervous..anxiety is creeping in. Are people looking at us? Do they know I'm just a teenager or are they staring because they know next week I'll be out with a different boy?

The waiter comes back and I quietly give my order, but Silas stops me. Encouraging me to get an additional meal to go with the salad. I try to stand my ground, but Silas decides to order for me and adds a prime rib entree to my dinner salad.

I try to stop the waiter, but he leaves to the kitchen before I can tell him to forget the prime rib or the salad. Anything so that Silas doesn't pay for two meals for me instead of just the one. I sit trying to make myself as tiny as possible in my chair. The waiter taking our order was a small distraction, but now the anxiety is back. I can barely focus on Silas and the conversation when my thoughts start to creep back in.

People are staring at you, Sang. They are laughing and spreading rumors. Sophisticated people like the ones dining here wouldn't go out with different people at the same time...or would they? No...no...Sang stop! I try to snap myself out of my thoughts, but they just keep coming. It's causing my anxiety to build, I don't feel comfortable here.

Silas reaches across the table to grab my hand, "Sang what's wrong? You seem distracted."

I shift a little in my seat and I try to pull my hand away from him. I can feel it getting sweaty from my nerves and I don't want Silas to get grossed out, but he just clutches it tighter. "This is all just very fancy." I tell him.

"I wanted it to be special for you. This is our first date since the plan, you know? I wanted it to be extra special. Is it too much?" He asks as he gently rubs his thumb along the inside of my palm.

"Maybe?" I say it like a question because I'm not sure how to explain it to him without upsetting him.

Just as the word leaves my lips he instantly lets my hand go and scoots his chair out, "Let's get out of here then."

Now I'm in a panic. What is he doing?! "But our food!" I look to my left and see the waiter with our food approaching. We've ordered and now we are just going to leave? We can't do that, we have to stay and finish.

Silas stands just as the waiter is about to set the plates down, "We have an emergency can you wrap it to go?"

He hesitates, the plates along his arms look heavy and he's just holding them, hovering over the table, not setting them down. "Umm we don't normally...." The waiter says as he finally sets the dishes down and give Silas a skeptical look. I guess in a fancy restaurant like this there are no doggie bags. Silas gives them man a hundred dollar bill. "Now can you make it to go?"

My eyes go wide. This date is costing even more!! "Silas it's okay, we can stay."

"No." He takes the bags when they are ready and pays the bill. Instead of walking to his car he heads in the opposite direction. We travel a short distance and end up in a small open courtyard near the Charleston marketplace. "Wait here." He tells me as I sit on a bench with the bags of food.