Four Questions

 

The subject of my infatuation laughed in a tone that made me second guess myself. When I ask the questions to inch my way closer to the inside of his heart, his eyes nearly look right through me, almost telling me to end this cross examination. Of course I didn’t. My first question was the following, “Do you consider yourself a romantic?” With a scrunched nose and puzzled look, he turns to me and says, “I do consider myself a romantic…” My eyes flutter in anticipation. “But not in the lovey dovey sense. I see myself as an artist that is romantic and passionate about what they do. I put my heart into it.” My lips curl upwards into a slight smile. His eloquence nearly sent me into cardiac arrest. The awkward tension between us only builds, and searching for words seems a lot harder in the presence of what seems to be a Greek God, who also happens to be my Saturday night date, the object of absolute flawlessness. “What do you like to do in your spare time?” I frowned on the inside as I spit out the only question I could manage to muster up. “Oh you know, listening to music, reading, writing…stuff like that. I like to have time for myself.” He laid back in the chair that cradled him and put his left foot over his right knee, while staring almost impatiently at the ceiling above. Sly grins and sparkling eyes are tossed back and forth in a battle of flirtation. The thoughts come pouring back into my mind; they had almost disappeared, or ran away for a moment without notice. I did not appreciate my brain waves fluctuating at such rapid pace. I couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps he would try a role reversal and interrogate me. I turned to angle myself so I was directly facing him, almost challenging him to make the next move. He didn’t. I could hear the sorrow in my voice as I muttered another stupid sentence he could easily throw back, “Is there…anything you ever lost that you would do anything, and I mean anything, to get back?” I could see every muscle in his face tighten, and I hoped for something good. Or maybe something vague, something moronic to make me feel better about myself. After clearing his throat, he replied with such perfection, “If you love something let it go. It could come back some day if it’s right.” How could he win me over with such ease? I sighed and nodded. “That’s a…good point you have. But might I also add I’ve heard that one a million times.” I snickered and felt a surge of anger melt through my body, and then I felt a look of distaste form on my face. Was I honestly doing this? Was I really sitting there, letting wasted time pass me by? I began to think it was me that should have been pried into. An attempt at getting to know me would be nice, but all I get in return is blank stares and empty motions of disinterest. I could hardly wait for the food to arrive so I could stuff my face and no longer have to endure the pain of silence with no excuses. The gears were grinding persistently in my brain, and I thought of one final thing to say before I made my exit, leaving him with two entrees and a hefty bill. “Do you think you have any regrets in your life, or do you more or less go with the flow?” I felt my pride swell as the words came out so smoothly, and he tousled his hair as he absorbed them into his vacant mind. “I’ve made mistakes, but I wouldn’t change what I’ve done for the world. It’s helped me mature and grow into the person I am today. I’d rather screw up and learn from it then never experience it at all.” It was only a moment of dead air before I stood from my chair and spat the words so violently from my mouth. “Well in case you were wondering, which you probably weren’t, I usually don’t regret things either. But I’m going to have to say I most definitely regret asking you on this stupid date.” His eyes widened in shock, and I beamed as I walked away, feeling his cold stare burning into my back. I thought so highly of someone I never truly knew, and leaving it all behind never felt so good.

Reviews

[Jessica L Auster]

This was excellent. A good example of a bad first...and last date. haha. You have a good vocabulary, and I liked the voices you have to the two characters. You do a great job writing...keep it up!

[Dave Lounsbury]

Nice work. Flowed well and the dialogue was natural.