Simple Thoughts

The restaurant wasn't big but it had the family atmosphere which I enjoyed. The staff was a small group of people who were all very friendly. I was a sort of regular there. Although the prices were a little high, I didn't really mind. It would all be worth it. When I parked the car, I ran around to the passenger side and opened the door, offering my hand out to Kristy. She didn't take my hand, but she said a quick "Thank you."

Inside, there was only six tables. Grape vines hung along the wall. There was a small carry out counter and a wall separating the kitchen from the dining room. The wafting aroma of marinara and alfredo sauce flooded my nostrils as we took a seat at the table in the corner.

Not long after settling in, a small girl that couldn't have been older than eighteen came over to our table. "I see you brought some company today, Luke," she stated with a smile.

I glanced at Kristy who looked kind of awkward with being put on the spot. "Who? Her? She was hitchhiking along the road. I did my good deed for the day."

Kristy's expression turned from awkward to a simple smirk. "Yeah, you know, his kind heart stopped me from walking in these damn heels," she added, smiling at Luke.

"Well, I can't help but to assist a damsel in distress," he said, laughing.

Our waitress giggled. "What can I getcha to drink tonight, ma'am?" She set two pairs of silverware and two menus in front of us.

"Water with lemon." The waitress nodded her head and left us alone for a minute. "I can't believe you told her that. Aren't you supposed to be trying to impress me?" Kristy said, astonished.

I had to admit, I liked that I could get under her skin so easily. It was interesting seeing her feisty like that. The waitress came back then and set down our drinks with two straws. She looked at us, expecting a food order, but I didn't think Kristy had even began looking at the menu. "Just give us a few more minutes." I waited a minutes after she left, then turned my attention to Kristy. "What do you think you're going to get?"

"Chicken parmesan. Hands down. It's good here, right?"

Before I could answer, the waitress was back. She must have overheard the last bit of Kristy's question because she interjected, "Everything's good here. And I don't just say that because they are paying me."

"Okay, chicken parmesan then. And Italian dressing with the salad."

"Luke, you want your usual?"

I nodded and she left once more, scribbling away on her notepad. I ran my hand across my head and rubbed the back of my neck nervously. It had been a while since I had taken a girl on a date and actually had to try and make her like me. I wasn't sure what to say.

Kristy leaned back in her chair, eyeing me cautiously. "Well, this is awkward." She added a little laugh on the end to make it kind of playful.

"It wouldn't be awkward if you didn't make it that way," I stated, completely confident that I wasn't the one being awkward. Well, at least I sounded like that. I smirked at the fire that lit up in her eyes. I had gotten under her skin once again.

"I'm not making it awkward. You're the one that asked me to come to dinner with you. Did you expect that I would become infatuated with you because you flashed me one of those dazzling smiles?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Dazzling smile, huh?" I grinned widely. She blushed faintly at her slip of the tongue.

"Yeah, that's what all the girls say about it. Oh, and Carson," she lied, covering up her mistake.