Dinner with God

Chapter 7 - Part 2 - Stars and kisses

‘What are you going to do?’ Evan broke the silence.

‘What do you mean?’

‘Well, if it does end. What are you going to do then?’

‘I don’t know,’ John said. ‘This is all I know, perhaps it’s even my only talent. I’m going to have to wait and see.’

The two men spent some time talking about their future and beautiful dreams in an attempt to drown out the negative feelings and the fear. John was happy that Evan took it so well, but above all, that the truth was out.

‘By the way, weren’t you going somewhere?’ Evan said out of the blue.

‘Oh no!’ John exclaimed and he jumped off of his chair. ‘I have a date with Mary!’

‘Mary? Package Mary?’

‘Flower-Mary,’ he replied in a hurry, refusing to give her name a negative association. He grabbed his coat and rushed to the door. ‘You can find your way out, right?’ he asked, as he left a smiling Evan behind.

Mary was already waiting in front of the shop, as always in a brightly colored dress, a red one this time.

‘Mary! Sorry, I don’t like being… I was waiting and… And then Evan…’John rambled, while trying to catch his breath.

She comforted him. ‘Relax, you’re fifteen minutes early!’

He felt like an idiot. So much for making that awesome first impression.

Mary walked up to him, and tidied his collar. Then she covered her mouth with her hand, and laughed.

‘What’s wrong?’ John asked insecurely.

‘Your hair!’ she said, still laughing, as she showed him his reflection in the shop window.

John looked at it and saw that a big strand of hair had decided to give the world a standing ovation as he was running.

‘Oh, sorry,’ Mary kept giggling. ‘Come here, I’ll fix it for you.’ With her soft hands, she gently fixed his hair, after which she took his face in her hands. ‘There you go,’ she said, ‘All neat and tidy. Are you coming?’

‘Coming? He repeated after her. How did she know where he wanted to go? He had made reservations at a cozy restaurant, one where they could talk, but he hadn’t told her yet.

She picked up a basket, and started walking. John hesitated for a moment, but then quickly joined her.

‘But…’ he stammered. ‘We have to…Aren’t we …?’

‘We’re going for a picnic,’ she cheerfully informed him.

John was overwhelmed by her spontaneity. When she saw his hesitation, Mary smiled. ‘Just relax McKenzie! Just let it happen. Consider it a test!’

‘Test?’ John had no clue what was happening. As he obediently followed Mary like a puppy dog in love, all kinds of thoughts popped into his head. Did Mary know he was in love with her? Was she in love with him? John had only been thinking about dinner and Mary was talking about a test. It’s not supposed to be like this, right? It completely confused him.

‘Mary, hold on,’ he said. ‘I really don’t understand how this…’

She smiled and shushed him with her index finger. She brought her face close to his, and he smelled either flowers of perfume, he wasn’t able to tell the difference. Gently, she whispered in his ear: ‘Life is short and magical, you have to enjoy it. You asked me out and I said yes. In my book, that means that we like each other. It will all work out, don’t worry.’ Then, she embraced him and kissed him on the cheek, after which she continued walking, with a tread as if she was dancing on air.

Never before had he met anyone like Mary. She was an adventure, one that he was more than willing to be dragged into.

The picnic wasn’t the only surprise Mary had for him. She took him to the park, but instead of putting the basket down in the grass, she headed for the water. And minutes later, they were floating in a wooden boat, in the middle of the lake. As they were enjoying all the treats Mary had packed in the basket, they also consumed each other’s past. Mary explained how her mother’s love for flowers had inspired her to start her own flower business. In turn, John told Mary about his complex relationship with his selfish parents, causing him to be on his own at a very young age. And at the end of a beautiful evening, with Mary constantly at the helm, it was John who took the initiative, amidst the reflection of hundreds of stars on the water.

‘Test passed,’ Mary whispered in his ear.