Your Love Will Be Safe With Me

My directions led us to Tokyo Kitchen. The Hibachi grill restaurant I had been talking about earlier. It was a couple towns over and in a tiny shopping center that no one really knew about.

“What is this place?” Nick asked as he took the key out of the ignition.

“This, my friend, is Japanese food at its finest.” I smiled then climbed out of the van and started for the door of the restaurant.

Nick quickly caught up with me and laced his fingers in mine. I looked down and smiled to myself. He held the door open for me and kept our fingers interlocked.

We were seated immediately at an empty table, but would mostly likely be almost filled by the time the cook began making the food.

“You’re about to be amazed, I hope you know.” I said as he looked at the laminated three-fold pink menu.

An Asian woman wearing a kimono walked over and took our drink order. As the lady walked away an older couple in their forties or fifties was seated on the opposite end of the table. I smiled politely at them as they looked over at us. They returned the gesture then I turned my body toward Nick.

“So what’s sounding good?” I asked.

“Well,” He said then looked at me. I had my chin resting in my hand while my elbow rested on the table. “It looks like either steak, chicken, or shrimp.”

I chuckled and nodded, “Yeah,” I said, “there’s not much of a selection here unless you want sushi.”

He smiled lightly then went back to looking at the menu. “What are you getting?” He questioned as the waitress brought our drinks.

“Teriyaki steak with a side of fried rice.” I said then thanked the waitress for my drink. He nodded then continued looking at the menu.

“Are you ready to order?” The waitress asked.

I glanced over at Nick, who seemed perplexed as he stared at the menu then gave the waitress an answer “Not quite.” She nodded then went over to the other couple.

Before the waitress came back with the others’ drinks, Nick closed the menu.

“I know what I’m getting.”

I chuckled, “What?” I asked.

“Chicken and shrimp.” He smiled.

I rolled my eyes and shook my head playfully.

“So how did your family find this place?” He asked as the cook began to make the fried rice at the beginning of the “show.”

“If I remember correctly, my dad just stumbled across this place one day and kept coming back. That was before he met my mom, though. I’ve been coming here my whole life.” I explained.

“That’s crazy.”

I nodded, “Usually we’d come here on birthdays and whatever. It was always a big deal, like ‘oh my God, we’re going to Tokyo Kitchen. This is amazing. Dress nice and don’t eat anything all day so you can eat everything they give you.’ But then we got over it because we’d go just for dinner.”

He laughed, “Wow.”

I smiled, “Yeah.”

We were quiet as we watched the cook toss rice into bowls then pass them out.

“Tell me more about your family.” Nick said then took a bite of rice.

I dumped the side of brown sauce they gave you into my rice then mixed it. “What do you want to know?” I asked as I poured some soy sauce into it as well.

“How did you parents meet?” He asked.

I snorted as I remembered what I was told. “Uhm, well, they lived in the same apartment complex but across the street from each other. From what I was told, Malinda walked across the street one day when he got home from work with a pair of broken glasses and asked him to fix them. My mom, I guess, had thought he was quote unquote cute. So then that started that. He used to play ball with Malinda all the time. She was basically the reason why they got together.” I smiled lightly at the thought of it.

“A couple months later he proposed to her on a table in Cancun, Mexico. They were both drunk of course.”

He laughed, “Wow, that’s great.”

I smiled and nodded, "Yeah it is. There’s actually a picture of it on my mother’s night stand.” I smiled, thinking about the picture of my dad kneeling down on a table in a bar, holding onto my mom’s hand as she laughed. “Three months later they were married then two January’s later I was born.”

He smiled, “That’s cute.”

I smiled back and nodded, “They’ve been married for nearly twenty years now.” I said then took a bite of my rice.

“So wait, he’s not the father of Malinda?”

I shook my head, “Out of the three of us, I’m his only child. We all have different dads.”

He mouthed an “oh” and nodded then took a bite of rice.
---
“Ugh,” Nick groaned as he leaned back in his chair. “I ate way too much.” He pouted.

I laughed, "I take it you liked it, though?”

He nodded, “Very much. Best I ever had.”

I smirked at him, “Told you.” He chuckled.

The waitress walked over and set down a red little tray with the bill on it. I went to grab it to see how much I owed, but Nick basically leaped and grabbed it before I could even get close to it.

“Don’t even think about getting money out; I got this covered.” He said pulling his wallet out of his back pocket.

“Nick,” I began, but he cut me off.

“Just think of it as,” He paused thinking of an excuse. I raised an eyebrow at him. “our first date.” He smirked.

I sighed, “You’re way too stubborn, Nick Santino.”

“That I am, Dear.”

I smiled to myself. I’m probably crazy for feeling this way already. It’s too good to be true; he doesn’t date. I sighed as I realized this. He was just messing with my heart. My previous good mood changed into one of irritation and sadness.

Nick was catching onto my bad mood quickly. I gave him directions to the freeway then proceeded to brood as I looked out the window. I didn’t exactly want to bring up why I was suddenly so quiet, but Nick had other plans.

“What’s wrong?” He asked as we approached some traffic on the 10 freeway.

“Nothing.” I responded quickly glancing over at him then back out the window.

“Is it about me paying for dinner? If it is I’m not sorry. I was serious about the first date thing and I don’t let girls pay on dates.” I rolled my eyes as I continued to look out the window, head leaning on my open palm. “Sawyer, I know something is bothering you. Please tell me what’s going on.” He pleaded.

Finally, I turned and faced him. “You’re messing with my head and playing with my heart.” I said angrily.

His prow furrowed, “What are you talking about?” He seemed genuinely confused.

“You told me you don’t date and then you go and kiss me and tell me all that bullshit. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like a player or a liar.” I glared then turned to look back out the window.

He sighed exasperatedly, “You are out of your mind, Sawyer.”

My head snapped towards him, “I’m out of my mind? Then please tell me that you didn’t tell me that you don’t date because it’s quote unquote not fair for the girl.” I all but screamed.

“Yeah I did say that, but just because I said I don’t date doesn’t mean I won’t make an exception for someone I really like. Someone I feel comfortable around. Someone that makes me laugh. Someone that makes me happy. Someone I want to be around.” I still frowned at him. “Sawyer, I feel comfortable around you. You make me laugh. You make me happy just by being around you. I want to be around you every chance I get.” He would look at me every now and again as the traffic began to clear up.

My head was spinning. I’d known him for all of three days and already he was saying all of this about me. “Nick, it’s been three days.” I said just above a whisper. All this yelling and whispering would be terrible on my vocal chords.

“I know and that’s why I’m so confused!” He exclaimed. “I’ve never felt this intensely for anyone before and quite frankly it scares me.” He said as a matter-of-factly.

“Nick,” I began massaging my forehead with my pointer and middle fingers. “that’s really flattering, but you don’t even know me.”

He looked over at me then back at the road. “I know enough about you to know you’re a great person.” He said. “And I know that I want to spend more time with you to get to know more about you.”

I was beginning to get teary eyed because no one had ever been as nice as he was being to me in the passed three days. “Why are you being so amazing to me?” I asked as I wiped at my eyes.

“Because you deserve it.” He said softly.

“But you don’t know that!” I said loudly.

“Then let me know if it’s true or not!” He said in the same tone of voice.

“I would, Nick, trust me, I would.” I said sadly. “But I’m not used to all of this attention you’re giving me. I’ve never had this much attention, let alone from a guy.” I said.

“How have you not gotten attention from guys before, Sawyer? You’re a gorgeous girl that I know guys would die for.”

I sighed, "I keep to myself. I’ve worked hard to look like this. When I was going to a normal school, I didn’t get chatted up by guys. I’ve not always looked like this. It’s only recently happened: me being this quote unquote gorgeous.” I said bitterly. “It’s a story I don’t want to get into.”

He nodded, “All right.” He said. “So what’s the deal? So what if I’m giving you this attention?”

“You’re giving me attention now, but what about next week when you leave for your own apartment and start getting busy with the record? You’ll forget about me. It’s just an infatuation.”

Denial.

“No I won’t, Sawyer.” He looked at me then back at the freeway.

I sighed again, “What about when you’re done with the album? You’ll leave and then you’ll forget.”

He rolled his eyes, “Why won’t you believe me? I won’t forget you. It’s only been three days, but you’re branded on my brain, Sawyer.” He said. “Why do you think I’m such a bad guy that I’ll just forget about you? I’m not like that.”

I turned and looked at the blurred lights that we passed.

“Sawyer, tell me the truth.” He said softly as he pulled off the freeway and stopped at the red light.

“I’m just scared.” I said quietly.

He sighed, "Don’t be scared. I’m a nice guy, Sawyer.”

I turned and looked at him, “I know that. I’m scared because I’ve never experienced these feelings I’m feeling for you.”

He smiled at me, “Looks like we’re in the same boat.” He said then leaned over the center console and captured his lips with mine quickly since he was supposed to be driving. As he pulled away I felt giddy inside. I smiled to myself as he drove straight for a bit then turned right.