The Date

Anita stood in front of Tormino's waiting for Norman. She was a few minutes early, but that was because Leigha wanted a good seat in the restaurant to watch. Anita had spent most of the afternoon having Leigha help her with her outfit, hair and makeup. She kept thinking about what Shasta said, even though Leigha told her not to pay any mind. But how could she not? She insisted she would wait for her soulmate only to agree to a date with someone who may or may not be her soulmate.

Anita turned to her friend, Leigha, plastered against the window. With her distracted, Miles took away the beer she had ordered. Leigha then pulled him down, pushing his head to the window to watch. Anita turned to see Norman walking towards her, wearing a loose button-down shirt and his work slacks.

"Hey, Anita!" He waved with Anita returning the gesture before looking back at her friends. Their eyes followed Norman until he approached Anita. He looked up to see Leigha pull a menu to hide behind while Miles left with the beer, only for Leigha to grab back the beer. Norman chuckled to himself before looking at Anita.

"I hope you weren't waiting too long."

"Not at all."

Something hit the restaurant window, causing them both to turn. Sierra joined Leigha in the booth while Miles started arguing with Leigha. Ramona tried to give Leigha the second beer she ordered, but Miles stopped her.

Norman laughed. "It's always so much fun in there. You have good friends."

"Yeah, I do." Anita smiled in agreement.

"Well then, off we go." Norman offered her his arm with hand clenched, so she was unable to see the mark.

"Sure." She looped her arm in his as he escorted her away from the curious eyes at Tormino's. She would prove Norman was her soulmate tonight and everything would be alright.

---

Anita could recall passing the restaurant before when she and her mother had gone to dinner. But never to the small hole in the wall curry place where Norman took her.

"I hope this is alright. I found it while visiting another Tormino's in the area." Norman led Anita to a vacant seat, pulling out her chair before sitting in his own across from her.

Anita nodded, taking in the atmosphere. There were a few people in the restaurant. A boy about Miles' age walked over.

"Hi, can I get you both something to drink?" The boy handed over two menus. Norman and Anita each took one.

"I'll have oolong tea, please," requested Norman.

"Same," echoed Anita.

Their server nodded before heading back to the cooks, who were most likely his parents.

Anita made her selection, keeping her menu up while Norman was reading over his. She glanced at his hand, but he was holding the menu so she could not see his mark.

"You ready to order?" he asked as he looked up from the menu. Anita snapped her menu back down to the table.

"Yes, you?"

"I think so," he answered, as their waiter came back with the tea.

"We are ready to order," informed Norman as the boy set down their drinks and then pulled out a notepad. Norman gestured to Anita.

"I'll have the Gyudon Curry, hot."

"And I'll have the Beef Curry mild."

The server nodded as he took their menus. Anita tried to get a look at Norman's hand, but he grabbed his cup and took a sip.

"I'm surprised you agreed. To dinner."

"Why?"

Anita grabbed her cup to take a small sip, as Norman moved his hand to fiddle with the edge of the napkin. Maybe Shasta had been right to worry about the origami.

"Well, we only talk during your work and haven't spent time out of work."

"Aren't dates about getting to know the other person?"

Norman beamed a small soft smile as if encouraged by her words. "Yeah, I guess they are."

He moved his hand from the napkin to the drink, taking another sip. He paused, noticing Anita's eyes tracking his hand. He shifted the hand down, following her gaze, then moved it to the side to see her eyes again focused on it.

"Something wrong with the cup? Or my hand?"

She immediately turned bright red at the statement, stammering out an unintelligible excuse.

"No, um, your cup. The tea? It's fine. Tea's great." She drank the rest of her tea in one gulp before refilling the cup with the small teapot their server had left.

"So my hand, then?"

Anita tried to hide her face behind her cup, nodding yes. Confused, Norman looked at his hand, nothing unusual from average.

"May I see your hand?" she whispered, for once feeling uncomfortable asking. After two months of knowing Norman, she was nervous about the results. Norman extended his hand, palm side up, for Anita to see the blank space.

"You're not," she whispered, tears already forming at the corner of her eyes. Oh, how she hoped Norman would have been the one.

"I'm not what?" he asked, worried how this date was turning out if she was already crying.

Anita pulled out her right hand, holding the palm side up alongside his hand.

"We don't have matching soulmate marks."

Norman fell back in his chair, breathing a huge sigh. "Is that all?"

"What do you mean is that all?" Anita snapped.

"I'm sorry, bad choice of words. I mean, is that the only thing wrong?"

Anita pulled back her hand, clutching it to her chest.

"Yes, but a soulmate is very important to me. I've been looking for my soulmate for years. And I hoped it was you since I never got a good look at your hand."

"I see." Norman crossed his arms, frowning at the turn of events.

"Do you want to call off the date?"

"NO! I mean no this is a lovely place, and I would like to get to know you more. But as friends from now on."

Norman nodded, not responding as the server brought their food. Even when the waiter had left, neither moved to start eating.

"Do you know what you'll do when you find your soulmate?"

"I don't know. Maybe something like this. If my soulmate isn't already dating someone or doesn’t believe in soulmates."

"I think your soulmate would be the kind to believe."

"You think so?"

"Absolutely."

They smiled at each other before picking up their utensils to eat. But each only succeeded in stirring their rice, meat and curry into one mess on the plate.

"I know this might sound a little selfish of me…" started Norman. "But if you do meet your soulmate and he doesn't want a relationship, could I ask you out on another date."

Anita stopped her stirring to look up at Norman, whose cheeks were turning pink.

"Maybe we aren't soulmates, but since New Year's, I think we have connected in some way. I like you and would like more dates with you. But I will wait for that chance again if need be."

"What if I don't find my soulmate until I'm forty, or even sixty? What if I never find him?"

Norman reached across the table, grabbing her marked hand with his blank one.

"Then I'll prove to you that soulmate marks aren't the only bond two people can have."

Anita felt her heart flutter at the statement. But she wouldn't let someone other than her soulmate win her so easily.

"I look forward to it," she teased, taking a bite of her food, happily watching Norman turn red before eating his meal.