The Essence of Water

OLD VERSION Chapter 23

Chapter 23

This isn't a date.

He held the door open.

This is not a date.

Oh look, he pulled the chair out for you.

Not. A. Date.

He's smiling at you.

"This isn't a date."

The smile quickly drops off his face, but his eyes are bright.
"OK."

He slips off his leather jacket and drops it onto the back of his chair.

A waitress comes over with two menus while I slip my own jacket off. "Hello, what can I get you to drink?" She smiles at Aiden. She has long blonde hair and blue eyes and nails the color of blood. They are long enough to be used as daggers at yet I feel quite the opposite of threatened. I lean back in my chair and fold my arms and I watch her hands come to a rest on her hips. She leans forward, letting her features talk for her. Aiden looks down at the menu to see the choices.

"Water." He nods as if to say, always water.

"Sure you don't want anything...sweeter?" Her lips pucker slightly and I roll my eyes.

"We'll both have water." Her blue eyes focus sharply to mine and I raise my eyebrows. For two seconds our eyes lock. She flips her hair over the side of her shoulder. "Sure thing babe," She says to me then looks quickly at Aiden with a wink then walks away. My hands grip the edge of the table.

Aiden is innocently looking at his menu. I shake my head.

"Really?" I ask.

"What is it?" Aiden pears over the menu, his eyes are still bright.

"Please you didn't see Ms. Generic dumb blonde's attempts to seduce you?"

Aiden chuckles, I notice there's nervousness behind it though, like he hears the ice popping under his feet and a bad step could be disastrous. "I'm not blind," he says.

"Oh so you did see." I pick up the menu and stare at the letters, blocking Aiden from view. "Well, in that case I wish the two of you many fat babies and long happy years together." I'm just loud enough an old couple in the corner booth look over.

"Adie I'm not-"

"Here are your waters." I pull the menu closer to my face and stare the pictures. "Decide what you wanted?" I can just picture her leaning on the table batting her eyelashes. It takes everything I have not to fill her lungs with water or cause tears to pour out of her eyes.

I grip the menu.

Chill Adie, don't kill the blonde.

Aiden gives his order smoothly. I imagine him smiling back, maybe suggestively raising his eyebrows or placing a hand accidently near hers as she grabs his menu.

"What would you like, babe?" There is nothing in her tone that would ever suggest that we are buddies. It's meant as a jab.

I drop the menu onto the table and look her in the eye. "I would love a cheeseburger, a basket of fries, and a very large chocolate milkshake, doll."

She grabs the menu and smiles. "Sure thing babe."

Her hips sway suggestively as she walks away. I look at Aiden, and am surprised to see him smiling at me. "What?"

"You're very discrete."

"Go to hell."

"I will, as soon as I finish what I was saying before I was interrupted." He clears his throat, "I was going to say that I'm not into that type of girl. There is no challenge, no spark, and no mystery. So don't assume my feelings." My cheeks burn and he leans back in his chair and looks around. "Ah, well I'm going to assume that's the closest thing to hell they have around here. I'll be right back." He stands and walks to the men's bathroom.