First Date Fumbles

 Chapter 2 First Date Fumbles

Everest rushes to get changed and shower as soon as he’s home. Even before he’s through the front door he’s already unbuttoning his shirt. Clothes fly off forming a path to the bathroom. In the shower he washes his hair with an intense fervor and does his best to deep clean his body, at least as much as time will allow. Once freshly cleaned up, he tears through his closet to find a suitable outfit. Shirt after shirt gets tossed behind him in what quickly becomes a large reject pile. Before he knows it, he runs out of shirts and after quickly deciding on a pair of pants, he dives into the reject pile to find a matching shirt.

He gets dressed then heads back into the bathroom to brush his hair and teeth. He spends more time than he should fixating on getting his bangs looking just right, before giving himself a spritz of cologne.

“This should be fine, right?”

The cologne was a gift from Zed, something to elevate Everest he said, but in this moment he worries whether a rich girl like Zoey would judge him for wearing an out of season cologne. The winter spices might not mesh with the recent rise in temperature. There’s also the smell of the restaurant’s food to worry about. He stops.

“Wait, would she even be close enough to smell it on me? No way, right? She’d have to be right up against me to smell it!”

He stops, realizes what he just said, and quickly shakes the fantasy out of his mind. He checks his phone to distract himself and takes off out the door after seeing the time.

“I need to go!”

***

Everest arrives at the restaurant 5 minutes before the time they agreed to meet. He walks up to its exterior and stands around outside. It’s an impressive building with a gorgeous facade. Combined with the clothing of its patrons that pass him by, he’s suddenly feeling both out of place and out of funds. He takes out his phone to let Zoey knows he’s here as well as to distract himself from his rising anxiety.

“It’ll be ok. It’ll be ok.”

He recites those words to himself over and over while he waits for her to respond. He’s so fixated that he doesn’t notice her approaching him; a fact she takes full advantage of. She circles around the back of him, taking a full 360 degree view of him. Her antics make some passersby chuckle in amusement, a sound which instantly causes Everest to look around. He jumps when he sees Zoey standing there giggling in front of him.

“When did you get here!?”

“Just a moment ago. You were so absorbed in your phone so I took a moment to admire your outfit. It suits you really well!”

“I-I was waiting for you to text me back! Wait, do you really like it?”

“I do! The colors look great on you. Plus it looks nice and comfortable.”

Comfortable, huh? He wonders if that’s really a compliment on not.

“Shall we go inside?”

He gulps and nods as his anxieties about the date return to him. They go inside where Zoey confirms her reservation with a waitress in a snazzy uniform who promptly takes them to their booth. They take a seat and Everest immediately feels his blood pressure rise when he opens the menu and none of the items have prices next to their names.

“Hey, so uh, this place might be a little, sort of, really outside my price range.”

“Oh don’t worry about it! I invited you here so I’ve got it covered.”

He leans back in his chair feeling a mix of emotions swirling around inside him.

“Oh, ok.”

He lifts the menu up and begins looking for an acceptable meal, now worrying about making Zoey overpay. He barely gets to the entrees before Zoey reaches a finger over the top of his menu, tugging it down, forcing herself into his view.

“I’m sure you’re hungry, but if you hold it up like that I can’t see your face, silly.”

She gives him a warm smile and he realizes how he’s acting. He sits up and sets the menu on the table. He looks at her and for the first time tonight he notices how she looks. Her hair is done up quite nicely, her bangs are in a braid going round the side of her head and the rest is tied up in the back. He briefly wonders how long such a task takes, until moving on to her face: she looks like she’s wearing minimal makeup, although Everest doubts that is really the case when he notices the minor details he didn’t recall seeing on her face the other day. Tiny highlight dots on key parts of her face as well as a certain shine on her lips show the care and attention to detail she’s put into tonight. He can’t fully see her outfit since she’s sitting down, but what he can see looks expensive. Meanwhile, he’s over here in old clothes and with his hair barely looking better than usual.

He’s wishing that he put more effort in for tonight, even if he had to tell her to push off the reservation until later. Anything for him to help carry more of the weight of the date, especially since she’s paying too. He wonders all about the things he could’ve done until:

“You ok, Everest? You’ve been staring a while.”

Her cheeks are a light shade of pink as she coyly says those words, lacing them with sweetness.

“Yes! I mean, um, what do you recommend?”

He points back to the menu, trying to pull attention away from himself.

“Oh, personally I love the steak! But, if you’re not a fan of red meat then I suggest the tortellini Alfredo.”

“Pasta does sound nice.”

Plus, it’s easier for him to eat than a whole steak. He looks at the pasta options for a while, debating the various options. Feeling confident about what he’s going to get, he turns his attention back up to Zoey.

“What are you thinking of getting?”

His eyes meet hers, her face bashfully hidden behind the book she promised to give him.

“Before that, I wanted to give you this. Also, if it would be alright, would you hear some of my thoughts on it? All spoiler free of course!”

He’s taken aback for a moment before quickly recovering and acquiescing.

“Sure, that’s fine. What did you thi—”

“Zoey! What are you doing here?”

A tall older man in a suit suddenly calls out to her and approaches the booth. He’s got gray in his hair and his beard is a distinguished salt and pepper. His eyes narrow when he turns and sees Everest.

“Who is this?”

Sensing the need for formalities Everest leaps to his feet, extending forth a hand.

“I-I’m Everest! And you are?”

“I’m her father.”

He takes Everest’s hand in a crushing grip. Everest winces, surprised by the strength of this man who doesn’t appear to be that formidable at first glance. He releases Everest’s hand and turns back to look at Zoey.

“Is this what you’re into now? I can’t say I’m impressed.”

“Oh daddy, don’t say that! You just met him.”

Sorry, what did he say? What she’s into now​​? What was her type before me?

“Zoey, dear, he’s missing teeth.”

“Claire has missing teeth too. Don’t judge a book by its cover!”

He sighs, his forehead creasing.

“Claire is a special girl yes, however, looking at this boy he doesn’t seem to share the same issues she does. For a man to be missing more teeth than her, without so much as a retainer with fake, plastic teeth, does not say good things about him or the life he leads.”

The words, which deeply cut Everest to the core, cause him to shrink away from the man, wishing to be anywhere but here now. Zoey’s father sighs again, this time rubbing the bridge of his nose.

“Sweetie, why must you pick men you know will only aggravate me? It’s about time you let me pick out a nice man for you again.”

This time, it’s Zoey who isn’t a fan of her father’s words. She purses her lips and speaks slowly, her face having turned to stone.

“The men you introduce me to aren’t all that great either.”

He sucks in air, her glare telling him to choose his words carefully.

“I know the last one was as bad as several of your choices looked, but I’ve learned from that. I’ll be more selective next time.”

“Even if they aren’t as bad, most men in your circles won’t take too kindly to me out earning them. Most men I encounter get scared off by that little detail alone.”

“And you think he won’t be?”

She smiles warmly in Everest’s direction.

“He hasn’t run yet.”

I sure want to, he thinks.

“Where did you even meet him?”

“At the bookstore.”

Everest’s mumbled response surprises Zoey’s father.

“A bookstore huh? Well that’s better than expected.”

“Yes, our hands almost met when we reached for the same book. He reached it first, sadly, but let me have it after talking to me. We’ve been talking ever since!”

Her dad tugs at his collar and looks off in the distance.

“I don’t need to know the details dear.”

His seemingly cold words attempt to hide the truth that his tone and body language give away: he’s embarrassed to hear about his daughter’s dating life. Even such innocent details.

“Anyways, so be it. If you’re talking to him now, you’re talking to him. I’ll be off, enjoy your dinner.”

He nods politely to Everest before stepping around him and going out the door. Everest plops down back in his seat, utterly defeated and feeling like he might turn to dust any second. If only.

“Hey, don’t let my dad get to you. He’s just very protective of me.”

She extends a hand across the table towards him, speaking in a quiet reassuring voice.

“What are the odds we’d run into him? Why was he even here?”

She falters.

“Um, he’s an accountant and this restaurant’s owner is one of his clients. I guess it was just unfortunate timing I guess.”

Unfortunate timing, huh? Unlikely.

“Wait, did you know he’d be here?”

“I didn’t know…but I did know there was a chance.”

Her sheepish response only ignites the discomfort in his stomach even more.

“Did you pick this restaurant hoping to run into him? Was what he said true? You only expressed interest in me because you knew the mere sight of me would piss your dad off?”

Everest’s blood feels like it’s about to boil inside of him.

“No!” She vehemently denies the accusation, yet crumbles a minute later. “While that is why I talked to you at the bookstore, it’s not why I’m still talking to you.”

Everest has heard enough. Fueled by the fire burning in his stomach he rises to his feet, no longer interested in dinner.

“You can keep the damn book. Please just leave me alone.”

“Everest wait!”

Zoey reaches out a hand to stop him, but can’t reach in time. She is forced to watch as he marches out the restaurant in a hurry and possibly out of her life as well.