Next time. There it was. A reference to a second date already, when Nikki had yet to even really get to know the man sitting across from her. Skepticism flooded her thoughts, wondering what the man’s true intentions were – for him to so easily presume that there would be a second date.
She didn’t reveal her skepticism, though, instead deciding to keep an eye out for clues as to whether his confidence was really a skilled cloak for really being a womanizer. She could easily imagine a man as sexy and well-spoken as him being in the game for reasons other than really finding love. So, she played it cool.
“Yeah, I’d love to hear a little about it. Like I said - I’ve just never met a candlemaker before. And then, I’ll answer any questions you have for me.”
Just then, Joey returned with their entrees as the dishes were brought to their table, interrupting their conversational bargaining.
“Are you kidding?” Ryan laughed, joking about the stench emanating from his plate.
“What?” Nikki played innocent, enjoying the joke she’d pulled on him.
“The aroma – it’s horrible!” Ryan waved his hands over the plate. Nikki could tell that he wasn’t really angry about things, just enjoying the laugh which her joke presented on their first date.
“Well, what did you think Hakarl with Shiokara was?”
“I don’t know. But definitely not this!”
The couple continued to laugh.
“Thank you,” Ryan said sarcastically to the waiter before allowing him to leave. He then looked at what Nikki had ordered. “Next time, I’m ordering whatever you’re having.”
That line definitely made Nikki smile. But there it was again – ‘next time.’ She noticed this reference to a second date, but again chose to overlook it while trying to decipher who Ryan really was.
“Okay, so one thing to know about candlemakers is that we’re very sensitive to smell. There,” he smiled, “I told you about what I do. Now, you said you’d answer anything I ask – what is this?”
“So Harkarl is fermented shark. And Shiokara is raw leftovers from other seafood creatures. Oh, and that’s also fermented. Don’t worry, though – they say the smell is even worse than the taste.”
“You mean you’ve never eaten this?”
“No, of course not! I’m an educated chef, you know – not just someone who waitresses at weddings.” Nikki was smirking due to her long-played retort to Ryan’s earlier statement. She then paused for a moment before realizing just how cruel she was unnecessarily being. “Ok, you have to at least try it before I order you something else – something … normal.”
The look of a hunt returned in Ryan’s eyes. He didn’t even say a word as he took a bite while looking playfully straight into Nikki’s eyes instead of looking at the food. He tried hard to hide his natural repulsive response. When his bite went down, he grinned devilishly at Nikki to one-up her: “Better than buffalo tongue.”
Nikki couldn’t hold back her smile at Ryan’s witty remark before she ordered a buffalo burger in jest as Ryan’s real meal.
The rest of their conversation was just as playful and easy as it had begun. And that actually wasn’t too common in Nikki’s experience. Normally, conversation with men would ebb and flow, resulting in peaks of interest by Nikki and valleys of doubt. But this time with Ryan, she would naturally sneak in interview questions here and there; otherwise, she found herself swept up by the current of their conversation and the depth of Ryan’s looks. ‘Intrigued’ was an accurate way to describe Nikki’s emotional interest toward Ryan. ‘Overwhelming’ was the accurate way to describe her physical attraction to Ryan’s sexy, strong physique.
At the end of their meal, Nikki realized she actually didn’t know as much about Ryan as she’d know about the other men after their date was over. And she certainly didn’t know as much about candle-making as she had hoped. Their conversation didn’t really steer toward the facts of their life, instead focusing on making each other laugh. This was definitely unusual for Nikki. But, still, in the back of her mind, she couldn’t get over her suspicion of whether Ryan’s confidence was really a well-rehearsed cover up for being a womanizer. She just couldn’t find it in her innate response to someone as built and good looking as Ryan to trust him fully yet.
They walked outside of Fate’s Kitchen, with Nikki having wrapped her arm around Ryan’s arm so that their arms were locked. She found herself having done this quite naturally, though it was definitely a first for her since she’d began this dating regime in New York City.
As they left the restaurant, Nikki peered across the street. For the first time since living in the city, she was tempted to take a chance for a second date. She tested the waters: “Hey, look at that place called Second Chance Theatre. Think maybe that’s hinting at our next date?” Her suggestion was a play at Ryan’s prior joke about Fate’s Kitchen – despite as many times as she had made that same joke herself. Her reference to their next date was also a way for Nikki to signal it was time to part ways for the evening.
“I thought that next time I’d show you about candle-making,” Ryan said. Just then, he abruptly stopped on the sidewalk and turned so that he was looking right into Nikki’s eyes.
The split-second maneuver caught Nikki by surprise. Not knowing how to react, she just blurted out nervously, “Oh, that’s right – candle-making … next time…”
Just then, Ryan went from staring into her eyes to unexpectedly placing his lips on hers. Nikki stood there, surprised at the fact he’d moved in to kiss her on their short first date – though not in any way rejecting the sudden turn of events.
But when the kiss ended after a moment, what he said next sealed it. And not in a good way.
“Besides,” the dark, handsomely confident man said, “who says things have to end now? Don’t you live nearby?”
His suggestion resurrected Nikki’s prior skepticism about his true motivations. She did not want to fall for a womanizer. She sought a real connection beyond more than just physical. She’d made those mistakes before in her younger years and now sought love. Love was not lust. Love wanted more than an apartment on the first date. Love got a second date; lust did not.
“You know…” Nikki’s playful personality turned emboldened, “I think I was wrong.”
“Wrong about what?” The carpet had been swept out from under Ryan, and the befuddled tone in his voice showed it. “What did I do?”
“It was great to meet you, Ryan. I’m just not sure we’d work out.” Nikki swiftly began to walk away, trying hard to not be tempted by the darkly-handsome but good-natured looks of the man. Another candidate down, and luckily before she got too invested.
But this time, Ryan caught up to her on the sidewalk. Another first for Nikki. “Hey, I’m sorry if I came on too strong. I really like you, Nikki.”
But she just continued to walk, having made up her mind. A couple steps away from Ryan, she finally turned and said sincerely: “I’m sorry.” She then turned back around and faced her future. She didn’t know what her future held, but it wouldn’t hold Ryan. One thing was for sure, though, there was always the next date.