your pants. It looks like, I mean, I don't even know what it looks like."
"I wouldn't say it's epically bad. Maybe just really bad."
He laughed at his own joke, but I couldn't bring myself to join him.
"I'll pay for the dry cleaning, or whatever. Or I can buy you a new pair of pants."
He put a hand on my shoulder and laughed again. I couldn't believe he was being so nice about it. If the roles had been reversed, I don't think I would have taken it so well.
"Let's go sit down and have a nice dinner. We can talk about you paying me back later."
Reluctantly, I walked back to the table and sat, noticing a new glass of water by my plate. I edged it away from me and tried to stop my hands from shaking.
"I'm really sorry, Mr. Baxter. I'm so embarrassed. Are you sure you still want to have dinner? I wouldn't blame you if you didn't."
"Don't be sorry. And it's Andrew, remember?"
"Right."
Our food came at that moment and it smelled delicious. I hadn't been to the restaurant in years, but the aroma took me back to the last time. Another disastrous evening, but for a completely different reason. My parents had one of their famous fights here, and I hadn't returned since. Andrew picked up his fork and started eating, but I was still feeling paralyzed. I pushed the food around the plate a bit and wished for a time machine to get me back to this afternoon. Maybe then the kid replacing me could have showed up on time and I would have been gone when Andrew showed up. Then, none of this would have happened. I could feel Andrew's eyes on me, but it was beyond me to meet them. Until he spoke and left me no choice.
"Travis, seriously, it's okay. I'm fine, so please try and enjoy yourself. This is supposed to be fun."
I forced a smile and took a few bites of my Chicken Makhani, trying to forget what had happened. "I'm doing my best, but under the circumstances, you have to understand how mortifying this is. I mean..."
I was at a loss for words, so I stopped and shoved more food in my mouth. Andrew reached across the table and put a hand on top of mine. My first instinct was to pull away, but out of fear of spilling more stuff, I stayed put.
"Travis, look at me."
I forced my gaze to his and held it, feeling the flush rise up my cheeks.
"It was an accident. It's really okay. You get that, right?"
"Yeah, sure."
"So, you're okay?"
"Why wouldn't I be? I mean, this dinner has been a real hoot so far."
He rubbed his thumb over the back of my hand before pulling back. "That's the spirit. Anyway, where were we?"
"I'm sorry?" I was confused.
"Before all this happened, what were we talking about?"
I laughed, feeling for the first time all evening like I could breathe.
"We weren't talking about anything. I was too scared to say anything, so I decided to break the ice by ruining your outfit."
"Mission accomplished, I'd say."
"Seems so."
Andrew picked up his glass and smiled. "To broken ice."
I picked up my own glass and very gently clinked it against his. "To broken ice. And brand new pants."
"It's a shame, too. I was really looking forward to that soup."
I couldn't help but chuckle, but his next words made it stop quickly.
"Maybe I can order it next time we come here. Your treat, of course."
His presumption made my heart leap to my throat for a moment. The prospect of another evening with him both terrified and excited me.
"Are you sure that's a good idea, Andrew? I mean, who knows what piece of your wardrobe I'll ruin next."
"I think I'll take my chances."
"You're brave."
He smiled before he took a sip of water, then said, "It's not brave. I just know one dinner isn't going to be enough."
"Why's that?"
"Because there's so much I want to know about you, Travis. It's going to take time to get to it all."
I sat back in my chair and put down my fork. Feeling emboldened by his interest in me, I said the last thing I ever thought I would.
"Fire away, Mr. Baxter."
He rubbed his hands together and looked devious.
"Fine. I
"I wouldn't say it's epically bad. Maybe just really bad."
He laughed at his own joke, but I couldn't bring myself to join him.
"I'll pay for the dry cleaning, or whatever. Or I can buy you a new pair of pants."
He put a hand on my shoulder and laughed again. I couldn't believe he was being so nice about it. If the roles had been reversed, I don't think I would have taken it so well.
"Let's go sit down and have a nice dinner. We can talk about you paying me back later."
Reluctantly, I walked back to the table and sat, noticing a new glass of water by my plate. I edged it away from me and tried to stop my hands from shaking.
"I'm really sorry, Mr. Baxter. I'm so embarrassed. Are you sure you still want to have dinner? I wouldn't blame you if you didn't."
"Don't be sorry. And it's Andrew, remember?"
"Right."
Our food came at that moment and it smelled delicious. I hadn't been to the restaurant in years, but the aroma took me back to the last time. Another disastrous evening, but for a completely different reason. My parents had one of their famous fights here, and I hadn't returned since. Andrew picked up his fork and started eating, but I was still feeling paralyzed. I pushed the food around the plate a bit and wished for a time machine to get me back to this afternoon. Maybe then the kid replacing me could have showed up on time and I would have been gone when Andrew showed up. Then, none of this would have happened. I could feel Andrew's eyes on me, but it was beyond me to meet them. Until he spoke and left me no choice.
"Travis, seriously, it's okay. I'm fine, so please try and enjoy yourself. This is supposed to be fun."
I forced a smile and took a few bites of my Chicken Makhani, trying to forget what had happened. "I'm doing my best, but under the circumstances, you have to understand how mortifying this is. I mean..."
I was at a loss for words, so I stopped and shoved more food in my mouth. Andrew reached across the table and put a hand on top of mine. My first instinct was to pull away, but out of fear of spilling more stuff, I stayed put.
"Travis, look at me."
I forced my gaze to his and held it, feeling the flush rise up my cheeks.
"It was an accident. It's really okay. You get that, right?"
"Yeah, sure."
"So, you're okay?"
"Why wouldn't I be? I mean, this dinner has been a real hoot so far."
He rubbed his thumb over the back of my hand before pulling back. "That's the spirit. Anyway, where were we?"
"I'm sorry?" I was confused.
"Before all this happened, what were we talking about?"
I laughed, feeling for the first time all evening like I could breathe.
"We weren't talking about anything. I was too scared to say anything, so I decided to break the ice by ruining your outfit."
"Mission accomplished, I'd say."
"Seems so."
Andrew picked up his glass and smiled. "To broken ice."
I picked up my own glass and very gently clinked it against his. "To broken ice. And brand new pants."
"It's a shame, too. I was really looking forward to that soup."
I couldn't help but chuckle, but his next words made it stop quickly.
"Maybe I can order it next time we come here. Your treat, of course."
His presumption made my heart leap to my throat for a moment. The prospect of another evening with him both terrified and excited me.
"Are you sure that's a good idea, Andrew? I mean, who knows what piece of your wardrobe I'll ruin next."
"I think I'll take my chances."
"You're brave."
He smiled before he took a sip of water, then said, "It's not brave. I just know one dinner isn't going to be enough."
"Why's that?"
"Because there's so much I want to know about you, Travis. It's going to take time to get to it all."
I sat back in my chair and put down my fork. Feeling emboldened by his interest in me, I said the last thing I ever thought I would.
"Fire away, Mr. Baxter."
He rubbed his hands together and looked devious.
"Fine. I
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