246 - bottoms

is hand went for the sleeve containing the check. Rachel reflexively threw her hand out in a half-hearted gesture to claim possession of the bill. She had been on enough first dates lately to know that there was no chance he would actually let her pay. This little scene was a formality. A motion that had to be gone through, so that she could appear as an advocate for egalitarianism. Then, he would have a chance to be chivalrous, and ultimately she would fall into submissiveness.

This was simply the order of things, Rachel accepted, as he slipped his credit card into the little book. She wondered, honestly, what she would think of any date who actually let her pay. She had made the attempt in earnest back when dating had been a novel thing. It's not as if she lacked the means to pay for a meal. But, she conceded, she had gotten used to these little outings not costing her anything monetarily. At the least, she got a free meal.

Rachel smiled as he talked about his job. In this case there was no need to be so negative. Many of these first dates had been so disastrous that even the promise of a free meal had been little consolation. She all too often found herself praying for any reason to conclude the date early.

He had suggested that they take a walk along the high street after their meal, and Rachel felt some great relief that she wasn't conjuring up an excuse to decline. She actually wanted to spend a little more time with him, and that fact alone awakened a long-absent spark of excitement within her.

They chitchatted as he signed upon the receipt. Rachel felt more aware of herself, of how she might be coming off towards him. This whole business of actually caring was exhilarating and a bit frightening. Finally, after the requisite amount of post-meal time spent sitting at the table, he suggested that they perhaps begin their little evening stroll.

Rachel pushed her chair back from the table and stood up first. Chivalry had its place, but she was certainly capable of placing a coat upon her own shoulders. She occupied herself with this for a few moments as her date likewise stood up, following her lead.

Having momentarily turned her back to the table as she donned her coat, Rachel now returned her gaze to him. She gasped the world's shortest gasp, a natural reflex before her brain fully processed the situation and stifled her reaction. Still, there was no doubt that he had seen and heard her, a suspicion immediately confirmed by the slight sting that washed across his face. Rachel tried to play the whole situation off as if it hadn't happened, but the slight blush blooming in her cheeks betrayed the truth.

Rachel couldn't help it. He was short! She felt horrible to have such a visceral reaction, not wanting to think of herself as a person concerned about something so unimportant. She hadn't given it any consideration before, but mentally scrolling through her past dates, all of them had been at least half a foot taller than her. Tonight, he was merely around her height. She found this disappointing, despite her best efforts to suppress such thoughts.

She wondered if this was why he had arrived early. He was already seated by the time she had gotten to the restaurant, and he hadn't stood up once until this point.

Rachel stretched her facial muscles into their well-worn shape of a fake smile, wondering how long the evening would drag on.