Sincere Reveal, Sincere Date, Sincere Understanding

"I like you. Please go out with me."

Alex froze. At first, she thought she might have heard him wrong. There was no way he would be implying that he liked her in that way. It was too soon! This wasn't how it was supposed to go! He had to be the slow burn type who took a hundred chapters in a story to warm up to before even considering it. Some hands brushing here, a pining glance there, that sort of thing. This had to be a misunderstanding. She was sure of it.

"Um... go where?" Alex asked, playing dumb.

"On a date," Mr. Hironori replied firmly. "A restaurant possibly, if you like."

He actually meant it!!!

Alex's thoughts were swirling in her head as she tried to process all of this, and her head was practically blowing steam from nearly overheating. This was it! The moment she'd been waiting for! But she wasn't ready for this! Several things had to be addressed first, and rather than think about them logically, they all leaked out of her panicking, flustered mind and straight into her mouth.

"Why me?!" was Alex's first question, coming off a bit stronger than she intended. "I-It's not like I'm a model or anything! I only started a few months ago too! So we barely know each other! Aren't there better people at your job that you like more?"

Mr. Hironori was taken back a little by her outburst, yet he was quick to remain calm. "That's why I want to go on a date with you. I wish to learn more about you as well."

Instead of easing her worries, they kept on growing as Alex's hands flailed in front of her face in a panic. "T-T-That's great and all! But what if it doesn't work out? What if we're completely incompatible?"

"Then we stop and resume our current positions."

How he could say it so nonchalantly was beyond her.

Seeing there was no way around it, Alex lowered her hands and took a long, deep breath. "Fine. But you need to know something important first."

"What is it?"

Alex swallowed nervously as she tried to ignore her heart racing like its life depended on it. "I... uh..." She averted her gaze, struggling to bring the words up to the surface. This was a dangerous line she was about to cross, and one wrong move could mean the end of everything. That's assuming it could end positively in any way.

Eventually, she squeezed her eyes shut and shouted, "MY BOOBS ARE FAKE!"

Mr. Hironori blinked, confused, then simply replied, "That's fine."

Her eyes shot back open and she stared back at him. "Really? I'm not talking about surgery, you know. My bra's padded so it looks like I have boobs."

He nodded. "Yes, it's fine. I like femininity, but breasts don't necessarily have to be a part of that."

Alex's shoulders relaxed as she sighed with relief. However, she snapped back up when she realized she had skirted around the issue. "Wait, hold on! That's not the only thing I have to tell you!"

"Is that so?" he asked with a curious head tilt.

Alex found herself flustered, back in the same position again, yet somehow feeling more confident this time. "Well... the truth is... I wasn't always the woman I am today. I grew up as a farmboy at my family's ranch. Even though everyone kept telling me to 'be a big boy' or 'man up' or whatever, it never felt right to me. I didn't feel like I was like the other boys, and over time I realized it was because I really wasn't. I would read my mama's magazines and fall in love with each new issue. My parents thought I just liked the pretty women, but that wasn't it at all. I imagined myself being like those women, walking around in those stylish clothes as pretty as can be."

She let out a sad laugh as she reminisced about those days. "Then a lot of stuff happened and... now I'm here. Happier than I've ever been, expressing myself the way I've wanted to since I was a kid." Her hands clutched together and hovered over her chest. "I haven't had surgery or taken any medications, so under all this makeup and clothes is still the farmboy body I was born with. To be honest, I'm not sure if I want to get rid of that part of myself. It's a decision I can't afford to consider at the moment, what with paying off student loans and all..."

Finally able to reveal herself for who she was, she looked directly into his eyes with a newfound resolve. "So if you want to date me, you have to be okay with that!"

 "I'm okay with that."

His immediate response almost knocked Alex unconscious from the shock.

Baffled, Alex asked, "Are you sure?!"

He nodded again, his expression stern as usual. "Yes."

"Do you just like both or something? Is that it?"

"No, I like women." He took his hands off of her after all this time, leaving her feeling cold. "Or rather the concept of women. Therefore, since you have established yourself as a woman, you still meet my criteria regardless of your upbringing."

Alex had no idea what that meant, but it was good enough for her! Her attitude shifted to being bright and peppy as she clapped her hands together and smiled. "Great! Then let's try that date! How's Friday night then?"

"6 PM?"

"Of course!"

"Then that should be no issue," he said. "Do you like Italian?"

"Why yes, I do!"

"Perfect. I'll set up a reservation."

The entire exchange had at last come to an end, and with that a whole new beginning.

---

Friday night came sooner than expected, and Alex checked herself in the mirror for the hundredth time to make sure her outfit was perfect. Assuming the restaurant was formal, she wanted her appearance to be as nice as possible. In the end, she had settled on a brown, belted dress with a black headband. Simple, yet elegant. Her makeup was adjusted as well, giving her cheeks a warm and subtle orange glow. The summer flower had changed her petals for autumn, ready to bloom once more.

Of course, she couldn't check herself out forever, as her phone reminded her by going off, causing her to jump a bit. It was a text from Mr. Hironori letting her know he was here to pick her up.

Stepping out of the bedroom, Val gave her an encouraging whistle from the couch.

"Lookin' good there," Val said, knowing the situation after Alex gushed about it for countless hours, then raised a thumbs up. "Go get'em, girl."

Alex grinned and gave her a thumbs up back. "Thanks, I will!"

All that was left was to grab her ruby red purse and matching jacket, and she was out the door to meet with the man waiting for her outside. He had changed into a deep blue suit for the occasion, and his hair was no longer slicked back, his black locks falling naturally over his forehead. For a minute there, Alex thought she was staring at a J-Pop artist and not her boss.

"Hello, Alex," he said, his familiar voice snapping Alex back to reality. She then noticed he seemed nervous, fidgeting with his tie as his eyes darted about. "You look nice."

"Thanks!" Alex chirped in response, giddy as a schoolgirl as she approached. "So do you. You should let your hair down more often."

This made his subtle movements more apparent. "T... Thank you. Shall we go then?"

"Yes!"

Alex kept close to him as they walked towards their destination. She kept glancing in different directions, from her hands to his to the streets ahead. Would it be too forward to ask him for a little public display of affection? No, not yet. This was meant to be more of an introduction. If all went well... then she can start thinking about being risque. She giggled at the thought, ignoring any stares she might receive for it. Her date was unwavering, as expected, but that was all she could read on the surface level. Who knows what was going on inside his head?

The restaurant wasn't in the fancy area she had run into before, but instead on a different street across the way. The welcoming smell of olive oil and spices greeted her nose as soon as they entered, already getting her mouth drooling with anticipation. The interior had a rustic, authentic feel while being clean and well spaced out, the brick fireplace seemed warm and inviting, and the guitar music in the background was low yet soothing. Being the gentleman that he was, Mr. Hironori pulled out Alex's chair for her so she could sit down.

"I hope this is alright," he said after sitting down himself. "I'm not fond of places that are noisy or overwhelming."

"Oh, I totally get it!" Alex said. "I'm the same way, so this is perfect actually."

He gave her the tiniest yet most endearing smile. "I'm glad to hear it."

Once they made their orders, it was down to filling up the space with conversation while picking away at the free bread. Getting to know each other was the objective after all. Alex had no idea where to start though, especially on a first date. Would talking about his family be too personal?

Fortunately, he was the first to break the ice. "So why did you choose your degree?"

An odd question, Alex thought, but she decided to run with it. "My degree in 'Design and Visual Communications', right?"

"Yes, that one. Most people who join us major in something relevant like journalism, so I wanted to know your reasoning."

Alex awkwardly laughed and rubbed the side of her neck. "That sounded like it would involve too much writing, and there wasn't much else. That's really all there is to it. I did pick up a minor in psychology though! Just to get a better read on why people think the way they do."

"Ah, so did I," he said before pausing to sip his water. "It was a subject I had always been interested in."

"Then why did you go with fashion?"

"Same reason as you. I fell in love with the women in my mother's magazines, and I wished to know more about the art of clothing. My parents were correct though in their assumptions."

Alex mentally winced at that, yet she knew better than to take it personally. "And you're not worried about anyone finding out about this?"

"No, I don't see the issue. I'm on a date with a beautiful woman, and there's nothing more to it. Our company doesn't discriminate, and neither do I."

Even when being romantic, it all went back to business. The compliment had her blushing regardless.

The food was far superior to the family restaurant Alex had gone to. It was fresh, juicy, and absolutely delicious to the point of making her hum with joy every time she took a bite. Most importantly, her seafood dish had eight fat shrimp stacked on top, so this dish had her seal of approval! Her date appeared to be enjoying his meal as well, carefully twirling his carbonara on his fork to avoid making a mess when eating it.

Midway through eating, he asked, "Do you have any food allergies?"

"Nope!" Alex answered after swallowing her mouthful of food. "Do you?"

"No. So this is good because I can take you to other places I'm fond of."

Alex perked up hearing that, knowing this was a good sign. "Oh really?"

"Yes. My previous wife had a soy allergy, so I was limited on what foods I could eat. It was a shame because many of my favorite foods were soy based."

"That's terrible!" Alex realized her tone was too strong and backpedaled to not offend him. "I mean... it wasn't her fault obviously, but I don't think I could date someone who's allergic to my favorite foods. I'd be constantly worried about hurting them even if I brushed my teeth afterwards."

"I feared that as well, which is why I stopped eating them unless I was away for the weekend." He looked down at his plate and smirked. "It's funny. The first thing I did when she wanted the divorce was eat everything I had been holding back on all those years. I avoided her afterwards, but I think part of me wanted to get back at her."

Alex frowned. "I don't blame you. I can imagine how much she must've hurt you by doing that."

"She did, especially since she was the one who proposed to me in the first place."

Her fork slipped out of her fingers and clattered onto her empty plate, as she was left in a complete state of shock. "SHE proposed?!"

He nodded to confirm this, and Alex groaned with a hand over her face.

"Wow, I'm sorry you had to go through that," Alex said.

"It's alright," he said while wiping his mouth with his napkin. "In retrospect, it was the best decision. We were never truly compatible."

"I'll say..."

After a round of dessert, Alex eagerly digging into her tiramisu while Mr. Hironori paced himself with his cannoli, it was time for the date to wrap up. He offered to pay for the bill before Alex could even get her wallet out, and she chose not to argue. He was the one who asked her out after all. The two walked out full and satisfied, and they enjoyed a lovely walk in silence together until they reached her apartment. Really, the only thing stopping this date from being perfect was the fact that it had to end so soon.

"So... do I still fit your criteria?" Alex asked, both playful and hopeful.

"You do," he answered bluntly, which was the best result all things considered. "How does next Friday sound? Same time?"

"Yeah, of course!" Alex then politely bowed to him. " Thanks for everything! Good night, Mr. Hironori."

"You can call me by my first name outside of work."

Her eyes sparkled. "I can? Can I call you Ed?"

"You may."

"Alright! Good night then, Ed!"

This time his smile was more sincere, with a little crinkle in the corner of his eyes. "Good night, Alex."

Alex was nearly floating from her heart fluttering with absolute glee, and it carried her all the way into her apartment and into her dreams. May next Friday come soon.