The Ten Dates

4. Debts and Installments

Ray:

"My family?"

She nodded leaning towards me, her elbows pressed firmly against the restaurant table.

"I have a mother and five sisters" I replied.

Her expressionless caramel orbs widened "That many?"

"What can I say" I bit back a laugh at her comical expression "My parents were madly and deeply in love"

She nodded understandingly "of course of course"

Ummm.....that was an unusual reaction. People usually chuckle at this point. Is she that dense? This is awkward.

I cleared my throat "What about your family?" I asked.

"I live with my father" She replied curtly making sure there is no space for another question about her family.

I nodded understanding that I had touched a nerve unintentionally. This has been happening all evening. Thankfully the food arrived providing a much needed interruption to my discomfort.

Only if a magic could make me disappear right now, I would have kissed the magician. Why is she so stiff? I can't even see this as a friendly dinner when she behaves that way. I've reached the saturation point. She has zero social skills. She cuts me off whenever she likes and presses on things that interest her. And unlike other women, she can't even mask her selfishness well. She's just blunt.

She did the same thing at the movie. She seemed all interested and happy about the movie but just as I started to really enjoy it she abruptly stood up and declared that we were leaving. I had to walk out with her in the middle of the movie apologizing to each and every person she bumped into on her way out.

Her reason? "They have fake superpowers. I never realized they made such fake movies when I saw the posters on my way to work"

Are you kidding me? You pulled me out halfway through a 'fantasy' movie because you thought you were going to watch a documentary? Now I have to go back another day to listen to that sexy other-worldly accent of Wonder Woman, I was just starting to get the feel of her voice. What a waste.

"Can you tell me more about your family" She requested looking at her plate in disdain. 

'No' I wanted to snap in frustration but staying true to my nature I gave her a smile "All my sisters have families of their own. I'm the youngest. My mother visits me from time to time"

"You don't visit her? She visits you?"

"My mother loves adventures. She keeps hopping from continent to continent, travelling the world. She has her place in the city of course. When I wasn't here, she would visit me for a couple of months each year. That was our schedule. Now that I'm back, I'll visit her when she gets home I guess. I've to bring her to see my new home too. "

"Do you have a nice relationship with her?" she asked, a glint in her eyes.

"Of course" I replied "She's a rockstar, my mother, when she's in the house, there's never a dull moment. She has so much to talk about every new thing she experienced. We sometimes stay up all night, talking"

She smiled softly "She sounds lovely"

My phone, on the table, beeped before I could smile back. It was a spam.

"Who's that?" she asked suddenly.

"Who?" I asked, looking around.

She pointed at my phone's screen. My wallpaper was Dan's bright toothy smile.