Perception

XXX

The little restaurant was packed, this evening, and Anna had to brace herself a little as they walked in. Sarah raised her hand at the two boys, who were just sitting down at a table in the corner by the window.
"Hi!" Eli mouthed at them both.
She waved enthusiastically and started towards them.
The littlest bit of electricity coursed through her, and it was the stupidest thing in the world, she knew, but some part of her she hadn't even realised had been tense relaxed now, as she came up to him and hugged him quickly.
His arms softly closed around her and she shut her eyes for just a moment, inhaling his scent, so sweet and yet so manly.

"Hi, how are you doing?" he asked her, his kind eyes on her, and that most normal of questions felt so sincere coming from him that once again she felt that almost irresistible urge to just tell him everything.
No. Not yet, Anna. And most definitely not here.
"I'm good, it's been an... interesting day. How about you?" she smiled, making sure not to lie but also not giving much away.
He nodded, hiding the question marks in his eyes pretty well.
"Cool. I found it quite a long day, to be honest."
Something inside her trilled eagerly at his words.
Had it been a long day because he had been waiting for this dinner?
She narrowed her eyes slightly, sizing him up as she smiled at him again.
"Have you ordered yet?" she asked.
He laughed. "No food, yes wine, although I was pretty sure what you wanted to eat anyway."
His simple statement made her giggle out loud.
"Well... you would be right about that." she said, her tongue between her teeth as she took the seat in the corner by the window.

They all installed themselves at the little faux wooden table and Eli niftily poured the wine in the waiting glasses. The four of them chinked their glasses together and tasted it.
And it was easy again, so easy. Anna sat back in her little corner, sipping her wine and letting the conversation flow around her. She could see Sarah quite liked James now, she could see the way she was responding to him, urging him to tell her more about where he came from and what he did. And she got the feeling James liked her back as well, because he seemed to hang on her every word.
Of course he would like Sarah, what was not to like?

The same waiter they had seen last time they were here brought big plates laden with food to their table not long after, and she watched in amazement as he balanced the four giant plates on both of his muscly arms. She was glad to have Sarah here tonight, with these humongous pizzas; she'd get to share hers with her, and they had ordered a green salad with tuna between them as well. It made her feel a lot better about eating out twice in three days that she'd actually get something healthy in her system too.
Plus, more room for tiramisu, no?
The waiter put the pizza and the salad between their places and came back not a minute later with an empty white plate for each of them. She nodded at him gratefully.
"Grazie mille!" Sarah said, and Anna smiled to herself. Sarah had spent some time in Italy, she knew. The waiter gave her a giant beam.
"De niente, mia bella." he spoke with an exaggerated flourish, and even if she didn't speak Italian, she could guess just fine what his words meant.

"Enjoy, people!" Eli said as he sliced into his pizza.
"Bon appetit!" James commented, but Sarah winked at him.
"That's 'buon appetito' in this place, James. Get your countries straight!"
Everybody laughed.
Anna awkwardly moved a slice of pizza from the big plate to her own plate, trying her hardest not to dump all the molten cheese on the laminated table, and happily bit into it. It was just as good as she remembered it from a couple of nights ago, and judging from the appreciative groaning coming from the chair next to her Sarah was enjoying it just as much as she was.
"Eli, you're a marvel." James remarked as he stuffed his mouth with his own pizza. "How did you find this place, huh? You've been here like two minutes."
Eli smiled. "I must have simply gotten lucky, I guess."

But a wave of electricity like she hadn't felt before coursed violently through her system at his words, and she grabbed the edges of the table as the restaurant vanished and something he said a couple of nights ago flashed before her, as clear as if it were the present moment.

I guess I just usually have an idea of the map in my head.

She blinked and shook her head, the table and her friends coming into view again now, and she tried to catch her breath.
What?
Eli had said that sentence to her on Thursday, as they were walking around Amsterdam. She had taken it as easily as he'd said it then.
But was it that easy?

Now, suddenly, she was not so sure of that at all.