rest moved away as a group, leaving Elisabeth to talk to me.
"Yes, Zoe?"
"Maybe I got this wrong," I said. "I couldn't help but notice you. And I thought perhaps you were noticing me as well."
"Noticing, is it?" she asked. She smiled.
I nodded. "I was wondering if you'd let me take you to dinner tonight. There's a little vegan cafe near my apartment."
She smiled. "I don't think so."
"Oh. Um. I'm sorry."
"Don't be," she said. "Perhaps you would let me take you to dinner. But I'm pretty much the opposite of a vegan. I don't know if there is room in your life for compromise."
"Oh," I said. I looked her up and down. "No, I suppose you're not vegan at all. I imagine you're an amazing bodyguard."
"I do my best," she said. "Is your desire in spending time tied to my willingness to eat tofu?"
"Oh," I said again. "Um. No. I can compromise, but I hope that doesn't mean you're going to eat a steak in front of me. Have you ever seen an animal butchered?"
She smiled again. "Yes. So you're a staunch vegan?"
"Yes ," I replied.
"So you're opposed to, for instance, honey? Milk from a family farm? Eggs from chickens gently raised in a chicken coop?"
I looked away. "I do not choose to eat them," I finally replied. "I wouldn't lecture you if you do."
"How about fish caught from the lake? What is your proposal for dealing with the way deer would overpopulate and starve if humans didn't hunt them? If termites get into your house, would you let them destroy your home? When a mosquito bites you, do you slap it?"
She said everything gently, but her questions were uncomfortable.
"I may have killed a mosquito or two on my latest camping trip," I admitted.
"I am a carnivore, Zoe," she said. "I will not pretend to be otherwise." She paused. "The Green Room serves only organically grown foods, and they have a number of vegetarian dishes. I cannot say whether they can satisfy vegan requirements."
I was familiar with The Green Room. I was also familiar with their prices. It was a distinct step up from Carly's, the vegan restaurant I had intended. I couldn't afford The Green Room.
"My treat, Zoe," Elisabeth added, sensing my hesitation.
"I invited you," I said.
"And I declined but made a counter proposal." She smiled, and that made my decision for me.
"I would love to go to dinner with you, Elisabeth," I said. "Of course. Should I meet you there?"
"If you prefer," she replied, "but I would rather pick you up. Is 6:30 too early? The rally here is over at 4:00."
Again I hesitated.
"You can imagine that I am very protective," she explained. "I really would prefer seeing you safely to and from your home, but if that makes you uncomfortable, of course we could meet at the restaurant."
"6:30 is perfect," I said. I pulled out one of my business cards, flipped it over, and wrote down my cell number and address. "It's not much."
"I do not judge a person by the size of her home, but instead by the manner of her integrity and the size of her heart," Elisabeth replied.
She stared into my eyes for a moment. It was an intense gaze, and my heart jumped a beat or three looking up at her.
"6:30," she said. "I'll see you then, Zoe."
Dinner
It was 6:29 when there was a knock at my apartment door. I was just making last minute adjustments to my appearance, and the loud knock caused me to nearly jump out of my skin.
"Already?" I asked. I checked my appearance one more time.
I didn't have much in the way of fancy clothing. I owned exactly one business suit, which I wore for the rare presentation in front of a corporate audience or the unfortunate but thankfully also rare court appearance. I owned my share of rugged clothing. But I was short on choices for dating.
So I was wearing one of my two skirts with a baby blue blouse. I was barefoot but would grab a pair of flats on the way out the door.
I glanced at the clock on the way to the door. "She's prompt."
Still, I checked the peephole before opening the door.
"Hey," I said. "Come in." I
"Yes, Zoe?"
"Maybe I got this wrong," I said. "I couldn't help but notice you. And I thought perhaps you were noticing me as well."
"Noticing, is it?" she asked. She smiled.
I nodded. "I was wondering if you'd let me take you to dinner tonight. There's a little vegan cafe near my apartment."
She smiled. "I don't think so."
"Oh. Um. I'm sorry."
"Don't be," she said. "Perhaps you would let me take you to dinner. But I'm pretty much the opposite of a vegan. I don't know if there is room in your life for compromise."
"Oh," I said. I looked her up and down. "No, I suppose you're not vegan at all. I imagine you're an amazing bodyguard."
"I do my best," she said. "Is your desire in spending time tied to my willingness to eat tofu?"
"Oh," I said again. "Um. No. I can compromise, but I hope that doesn't mean you're going to eat a steak in front of me. Have you ever seen an animal butchered?"
She smiled again. "Yes. So you're a staunch vegan?"
"Yes ," I replied.
"So you're opposed to, for instance, honey? Milk from a family farm? Eggs from chickens gently raised in a chicken coop?"
I looked away. "I do not choose to eat them," I finally replied. "I wouldn't lecture you if you do."
"How about fish caught from the lake? What is your proposal for dealing with the way deer would overpopulate and starve if humans didn't hunt them? If termites get into your house, would you let them destroy your home? When a mosquito bites you, do you slap it?"
She said everything gently, but her questions were uncomfortable.
"I may have killed a mosquito or two on my latest camping trip," I admitted.
"I am a carnivore, Zoe," she said. "I will not pretend to be otherwise." She paused. "The Green Room serves only organically grown foods, and they have a number of vegetarian dishes. I cannot say whether they can satisfy vegan requirements."
I was familiar with The Green Room. I was also familiar with their prices. It was a distinct step up from Carly's, the vegan restaurant I had intended. I couldn't afford The Green Room.
"My treat, Zoe," Elisabeth added, sensing my hesitation.
"I invited you," I said.
"And I declined but made a counter proposal." She smiled, and that made my decision for me.
"I would love to go to dinner with you, Elisabeth," I said. "Of course. Should I meet you there?"
"If you prefer," she replied, "but I would rather pick you up. Is 6:30 too early? The rally here is over at 4:00."
Again I hesitated.
"You can imagine that I am very protective," she explained. "I really would prefer seeing you safely to and from your home, but if that makes you uncomfortable, of course we could meet at the restaurant."
"6:30 is perfect," I said. I pulled out one of my business cards, flipped it over, and wrote down my cell number and address. "It's not much."
"I do not judge a person by the size of her home, but instead by the manner of her integrity and the size of her heart," Elisabeth replied.
She stared into my eyes for a moment. It was an intense gaze, and my heart jumped a beat or three looking up at her.
"6:30," she said. "I'll see you then, Zoe."
Dinner
It was 6:29 when there was a knock at my apartment door. I was just making last minute adjustments to my appearance, and the loud knock caused me to nearly jump out of my skin.
"Already?" I asked. I checked my appearance one more time.
I didn't have much in the way of fancy clothing. I owned exactly one business suit, which I wore for the rare presentation in front of a corporate audience or the unfortunate but thankfully also rare court appearance. I owned my share of rugged clothing. But I was short on choices for dating.
So I was wearing one of my two skirts with a baby blue blouse. I was barefoot but would grab a pair of flats on the way out the door.
I glanced at the clock on the way to the door. "She's prompt."
Still, I checked the peephole before opening the door.
"Hey," I said. "Come in." I
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