A First Date

Believe it or not, I wasn’t sure if I was doing this whole relationship thing right.

Despite my best efforts, my usual confidence, clear tone, and capable intellect seemed to be entirely inconsistent around my new girlfriend.

Ria, on the other hand, seemed to be shining more than ever.

It felt like she was holding my hand through this whole process, from asking me out, to arranging our first date, to making my day with even the smallest of interactions.

And, as those concerns filled my head once more, I found myself being brought back to the present by Ria, saying my name and tilting her head to lock eyes with me.

We were presently sitting across from each other in a casual restaurant, which was apparently a favorite of Ria’s teammates that she’d been planning on trying.

The weird mix of yellow, blue, green, and orange covered the walls around us in an odd collection of patterns that didn’t work out very well.

However, despite the abnormal appearance, the food was more than enough to make up for it. Given its affordable prices, my main course could probably have cost twice as much and still been a good deal.

Shaking my head a little and focusing in on Ria’s concerned gaze I tried my best not to show my disappointment in having been sidetracked during our time together.

“What’s wrong?” She asked, her voice having just a sliver of worry.

As inept with these kinds of situations as I was, I did know enough that saying ‘nothing’ or anything along those lines was a bad idea, and would only make her worry more, so I decided to be straightforward.

I quickly summarized my concerns of my lack of experience potentially causing issues, like putting extra burden on her, before taking a nervous sip of water.

In the week since we’d agreed to start dating I’d had a little time to ask for advice from Marcus, and one of the main things he impressed upon me was the importance of communication.

My normal reaction here would have undoubtedly been to hold onto my own troubles internally and try to find a solution by myself, but I decided to trust Marcus’ words instead.

Ria smiled with amusement, grabbing my hand that I’d set down after drinking.

She held my hand for a moment, maybe thinking about what to say, or maybe just wanting to.

Either way, I didn’t have any complaints.

“I don’t want you worrying about any of that.” She said finally.

“Not that I don’t want you to do your part for us, but because I don’t want you trying to find a right or wrong answer. Just learn while doing what comes to you.”

With it came a promise of patience and support in her hand grasping mine. It was a promise to be there for my shortcomings and an expectation for me to do the same.

“It’s not like I know much more than you do anyways.” She said, laughing.

I couldn’t help but laugh with her as I felt some of my concerns fade to the background.

Even as lost as I’d felt at times, this last week has been one of the best of my life, and I found myself looking forward to every day more than the last.

I tried awkwardly eating with my other hand, not wanting to let go, but struggled more than I expected, which only made us both laugh even more.

I eventually gave up with that and let go of Ria’s hand, which I realized had become a near constant as of late.

Ever since we walked across the field holding hands, it had become a regular aspect of any interactions that we had. Not only was it just something I think both of us liked, but it felt like a big step in our growing closer.

“Tea wants to meet with you by the way.” Ria said nonchalantly in between bites.

I wasn’t sure why at first, but it gave me the distinct worry that I imagined I’d have before meeting her parents.

But, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that Tea was practically her family based on everything she’d told me about her life.

“It feels like introducing you to my family.” RIa joked, somehow reading my mind as I nodded aggressively in agreement.

I soon agreed to the meeting and found myself enjoying the meal together, even well after we’d finished eating.

Not long after a brief but sweet hug goodbye, and the nervousness for the meeting with Tea was starting to settle in on the drive back to my apartment.

I’d met Tea before, of course, and seen her around more than a few times, but we hadn’t exactly gotten to know each other, and she was the closest friend to Ria for practically her whole life, so I didn’t want to make a bad impression.