Page 88 of Time Loops & Meet Cutes
Neither am I, and I do well enough.
I’ve had many first dates over the years. I shouldn’t be nervous, yet I am, even if I don’t look it.
I enter the izakaya, and the employees shout their welcome. I smile back before giving my name to the hostess. She leads me toward a table, where someone is already seated, even though I’m five minutes early.
At first, I think it’s a mistake. I can see the back of the person’s head, and they have short hair, but once I get closer, it’s clear there was no seating mix-up.
“Hey.” I sit across from Noelle. “You got your hair cut. It looks good.” If she’d come into the taproom with a different haircut, I wouldn’t have said anything, but now, we’re on adate. I grin.
Instinctively, she reaches up to pat her hair. “Oh. Yes. Thank you.”
Her sweater looks very cozy. It’s another cold day, though not quite as bad as Thursday. She’s also wearing earrings that glint in the overhead lights.
I gesture to the menu. “Have you eaten here before?”
She looks momentarily bewildered by the question, then says, “Yes, but it’s been a while. When I was last here, I was able to sit on the patio.”
“Well, it’s certainly not patio weather today.”
She laughs in the way that people do when they’re a little anxious. I want to put her at ease.
When the waitress comes to take our drink orders, Noelle selects something with plum wine, and I get a cocktail with yuzu and sake. For some reason, my choice makes her smile.
After that, we debate what to order from the food menu, eventually settling on roasted shishito peppers, tuna tataki, agedashi tofu, wasabi octopus, and tempura.
Then there’s an awkward moment of silence. I’m acutely aware of the laughter at the table next to us, which seems louder than it should be. The acoustics in this place aren’t the greatest. That’s something I was concerned about when we were building the taproom: I wanted it to be a place where people could easily have conversations.
For a second, I kick myself for not choosing anotherrestaurant, even if the food looks good, but I can make this work. I lean a little closer but don’t get all up in her personal space. It’s only a first date.
“What do you do for work?” I ask her.
“I’m a mechanical engineer.”
“Do you like it?”
“It’s… okay.” She chuckles. “When I was deciding which engineering discipline to study, I chose mechanical in part because it’s so broad. I struggled to find a decent job, though, and I ended up at a consulting firm, doing a lot of HVAC design. The work isn’t too bad, but I’m not thrilled with this particular job right now. I’m looking for something new.”
“What don’t you like? Your coworkers?”
“Some of them, yeah. And I’m underpaid.” She pauses. “I can do better.” It sounds like she’s trying to convince herself more than she’s trying to convince me. “I feel like I’m not appreciated. They just heap more on me and expect me to get it done without a fuss because, well, that’s what I always did before.”
Yeah, I suspect that making a fuss would be out of character for her.
I regard her in the rather dim light. Noelle is Asian of some sort, but I’m not sure what. Her skin is a touch darker than mine. There’s just something about her that makes you want to take a second look… and a third… though I restrained myself from doing that in the taproom.
Now, however, she’s right in front of me. I feel like we’re on the precipice of something—and also likeshe’son the precipice of something.
I would appreciate you, I want to say.
I don’t always come across as a serious guy, but I’m serious about this. I suspect I’d do a lot for her, even if I don’t know her well yet.
“I hope you find something soon,” I say.
We talk a bit more about our work, and then our food starts arriving, beginning with the shishito peppers and tuna tataki. As I reach for a thin slice of tuna with my chopsticks, I have the feeling that I’ve eaten this before, with her.
It doesn’t make any sense, but I try not to think much of it.
Conversation shifts to movies, and from there, we somehow end up talking about our families. I tell her that I grew up in Toronto and have a younger brother.
