Because She is Now Here

It was awkward at first, meeting him. He is a quiet one, occasionally smiling but not talking much. Sometimes it seems that having a conversation is quite a big task for him. He would try to smooth out the place mat on the table and arranging the cutlery on the table as if everything is out of place. It wasn’t that he had bad manners but it’s just the way he seems so unsettled and uncomfortable.

“Are you alright?” I finally asked.

 “Umm… yeah... I’m alright. How about you?” he replied, suddenly looking more worried that he has offended me.

 “It’s just that you kept touching the things on the table like you’re so uncomfortable.” I replied frankly.

 “Oh, sorry.” he replied with a sore expression and held his hands on his lap awkwardly. Suddenly his face brightened.

 “Do you want some wine? Are you hungry?” he asked, smiling at me like a puppy wanting its master to throw a stick for it to fetch. It does seem like he really wanted to make a good impression and to please me. Asking me about food seems like the most appropriate thing to do at that moment. Seeing his sudden enthusiasm, I went along with his proposal for a dinner.

 To my surprise, he suddenly knew what to do, gesturing for a waiter to come to take orders, asking for recommendations about the food on the menu and making an order considering my choices and his. He seems to know quite a lot about wine, and proceeded to tell me about the types of wine and asking me about my preference of wine. We talked and chatted about food and there’s nothing weird about his behavior from that point onwards. It felt like a beginning of something.

“I enjoyed this time with you.” I told him when we finished our last bites of our dinner and took our last few sips of wine.

“Me too. Uh oh, I think you have a question to ask. It’s written all over your face.”

“Hmm… It’s nothing.”

"Come on. It’s fine. I think I know what you want to ask.”

“Later.” I told him with a sheepish smile.

“Okay then. Let me get the bill and I can walk you home. Alright with you?”

I gave him a quick nod. He paid the bill and we left. When we were walking, at some point where the streets get really dark, I walked very closely to him and grabbed his hand. He held my hand firmly as if to assure me that I am safe and he wouldn’t allow any harm to come to me. So we walked hand in hand until we reached home.

 “I’m curious, why were you so uncomfortable in the beginning?” I finally asked. He paused for a moment and explained.

“I’ve never been out with a lady before. It’s not like I never had any female friends but I’ve never dated anyone.”

 “Why haven’t you dated anyone?” I asked.

 “I was waiting to find that one very special one that I highly respected.”

 “Then why would you go out with me? Aren’t you waiting anymore?”

 “Because she is now here.”