As the taxi rolled along the city streets, Kayla found herself fidgeting with the hem of her pastel yellow dress. Her mind was running wild, a mix of excitement and absolute panic swirling around her brain like a storm.
She was going to dinner with Matthew. 'Dinner. Like, an actual dinner where two people ate food together in a restaurant that probably had fancy menus and dim lights.'
'Okay, calm down. It's just dinner. It's not like you're meeting his parents or something.' Kayla silently scolded herself, trying to force her heartbeat to settle down.
But it was impossible. Her brain was too busy buzzing with what-ifs and endless possibilities. What if she embarrassed herself? What if she tripped on her own feet while walking to their table? Or worse, what if she accidentally spit water while trying to speak?
The taxi slowed to a stop, pulling her out of her anxious musings. Matthew paid the fare, and before Kayla could even reach for the door handle, he was already out of the cab and opening the door for her with a charming smile.
"Milady," he said playfully, bowing his head in mock chivalry.
Kayla laughed, her cheeks tingling from both flattery and awkwardness. "You really don't have to do that, you know."
"But I want to," Matthew replied smoothly. "Besides, it's more fun this way."
They entered the restaurant; a cozy, elegant place with soft music playing in the background. The dim lighting cast a warm, amber glow over the wooden decor, making everything feel intimate and inviting.
Kayla's eyes widened slightly as she took in the surroundings.
'Oh, wow. This place is way fancier than I thought. I shouldn't have agreed to this. What if I don't know what to do with all the forks and spoons? What if I drop something? Oh no, what if I can't pronounce something on the menu?'
They were led to a table by a polite waiter, and Kayla awkwardly tried to sit down gracefully. But her knee accidentally knocked against the table leg, making her wince. She hoped Matthew didn't notice, but his amused grin told her otherwise.
"You okay there?" he asked, amusement glimmering in his eyes.
"Yeah! Just, uh… testing the durability of the table. Very sturdy," Kayla said, her voice coming out way too chipper. Great, now he probably thinks I'm some sort of furniture enthusiast.
"Good to know," Matthew chuckled.
Kayla thought Matthew would change the subject, but she didn't anticipate him standing up and walking toward her. To her surprise, he knelt beside her and gently inspected her knee. There was a red bump on it from earlier.
Kayla hurriedly tried to pull her leg away from his touch, but he kept holding her leg gently, his eyes filled with concern.
"That was quite a bump. Are you okay? Do you need to go to a hospital?"
'Hospital? That's too much!' Kayla screamed internally, utterly bewildered by what was happening.
"No, I'm alright. Really, I'm fine," Kayla reassured him, her voice slightly higher than usual.
"Are you sure? Don't force yourself," Matthew said, his gaze shifting from her leg to her face, his concern evident.
"Quite sure." Kayla managed a small, awkward smile that seemed to ease Matthew's worry.
After checking one last time to make sure it wasn't anything serious, Matthew gently lowered Kayla's leg back to the ground, then stood up and returned to his chair.
Just then, the waiter who had guided them to their table returned, carrying two menu books. He handed one to each of them and waited silently for their orders.
Matthew opened his menu with a casual smile. "Now, what do you feel like eating?"
Kayla stared at the menu like it was written in alien code. The dishes all sounded so fancy. She squinted at one particularly unpronounceable item and decided against even trying to say it aloud.
"Um, do you have any recommendations?" she asked, hoping to hide her ignorance behind casual curiosity.
"Well, their steak is really good. But if you're not into that, the salmon's great, too. Or if you want to keep it simple, their pasta is top-notch."
"Oh, pasta sounds nice!" Kayla said with relief. At least she wouldn't have to battle with bones or shells. Just good ol' noodles.
Their orders were placed, and as they waited, Matthew started asking her about her favorite movies, books, and random little things that made her smile. Somehow, his interest felt genuine, and Kayla found herself relaxing bit by bit.
But then their food arrived. And Kayla's relaxation promptly flew out the window.
The pasta looked amazing, but there was also bread, some fancy dipping sauce, and a salad that was arranged so beautifully it felt like a crime to eat it. She picked up her fork, only to realize there were three different forks in front of her.
'Oh no. Which one do I use? Is there like… a dinner fork, a salad fork, and a… who even needs this many forks?!'
She glanced at Matthew's hand. He was effortlessly picking up the right fork and digging into his meal. Kayla mimicked him, grabbing the same fork and twirling her pasta with deliberate concentration.
"Are you okay? You seem a little…tense," Matthew asked, his tone gentle but curious.
"Me? Pfft, no. Just… admiring the food. It's so pretty. Like, I'm almost sad to ruin it."
"Fair enough. But food's meant to be enjoyed. So dig in," he encouraged with a smile.
Kayla did her best to relax and actually eat instead of nervously poking her pasta. To her surprise, it was delicious, and soon her anxiety faded away, replaced by pure enjoyment.
"This is amazing," Kayla said between bites, her eyes lighting up. "Like, way better than anything I could cook."
"Then we should do this more often," Matthew replied with a grin. "Good food, good company. What's not to like?"
Kayla's cheeks flushed. 'Is he flirting with me? Was that flirting? What do I say to that?'
"Yeah… I mean, this is nice. Like, really nice."
She mentally facepalmed.
'Wow, real smooth, Kayla. Just toss some generic compliments around. That'll work.'
They continued to chat and eat, Matthew occasionally making little jokes that kept her giggling between bites. At some point, Kayla knocked her glass of water over, and in her frantic attempt to stop the liquid from spilling, she accidentally elbowed her plate, causing her fork to fall to the ground with a loud clatter.
"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" Kayla squeaked, her face turning bright red.
Matthew laughed, but not in a mocking way. It was a warm, genuine laugh that only seemed to calm her nerves instead of making her feel worse.
"It's okay. Really. I think it's adorable."
'Adorable? He thinks I'm adorable? Is this real life?'
"Thanks. I swear I'm not always this clumsy," Kayla muttered, her voice tiny.
"Hey, I like clumsy." Matthew grinned, and Kayla's heart just about melted into a puddle of pure giddiness.
They were nearly done with their main courses, the conversation flowing just as smoothly as the dishes they'd devoured. Kayla had finally relaxed, her earlier awkwardness fading under Matthew's effortless charm.
"So, you're telling me your professor actually fell asleep during your presentation?" Matthew chuckled, eyes crinkling with amusement.
"Yes! I mean, I thought I was doing so well, but then I heard snoring. It was tragic." Kayla giggled, rolling her eyes at the memory. "Now I have a phobia of putting people to sleep."
"Well, you definitely don't have that effect on me," Matthew replied with a playful grin, causing Kayla's cheeks to flush again.
As the waiter approached to clear their plates, Matthew glanced at her and said, "Still have room for dessert? Because I think you can't leave this place without trying their Leche Flan. It's amazing."
Kayla hesitated. Dessert sounded good, but she didn't want to seem greedy. "Uh, well… I guess I do have a bit of room left."
"Oh! And you also should try their Ice cream. So delicious."
"Okay. I'll eat it!" Kayla smiled sheepishly.
"Perfect. You'll thank me later." Matthew grinned and waved the waiter over again.
Kayla's stomach fluttered—not just from the meal, but from the warmth in Matthew's smile.
Maybe she was terrible at this whole romance thing, but at least she was having fun trying, especially when all of this is entirely possible because of Matthew.