Alicia could only think of what to make for herself and Jason the following day. This wasn't a tactical exercise; this was uncharted territory. She was the CEO of a global company and a highly-trained soldier, yet she couldn't decide on a menu.
She didn't know what to cook, as she had never dated a guy before. Even her friends always went ahead of her before she could think of anything to do with them. They were used to her emotional distance, stepping in to manage her social life.
Why did she want to risk it for a guy?
She knew she should have allowed him to take the initiative and plan the date, but her impatient military discipline hated being kept waiting.
And yeah, she hated surprises. Her insistence on "My place, my treat" was a need for control, which was now manifesting in this domestic dilemma.
Going to sleep, she thought of countless ways to maybe cancel the date at home. Or she should call Jay and disagree, so that he would think of a better alternative. The anxiety was a physical weight.
Alicia woke up very early. Of course, she was an early riser, but today, she couldn't sleep. She checked the time only to find out that it was now three in the morning.
What a waste of head. Her mind was preoccupied with a civilian male.
As far as she couldn't go back to sleep, she had to begin her daily activities. After cleaning the house, she went to her private gym facility. It was now four-thirty. After raising some bars, she went to make herself breakfast.
She didn't quite enjoy it. She tossed the pancakes into the bin. All that was left was the apple juice she had made. She stared at it, deciding on what to do. She took the glass of juice and gulped it down her throat.
Finally, it was six. Alicia quickly gave her friends a conference call.
"I'm so fucked up," She told them while pacing up and down her room.
"Alicia, could you not have waited a while? You disrupted my beauty sleep!" Kristen shouted over the line, clearly still half-asleep.
"It's six a.m. and you're still sleeping? You're supposed to be celebrating for me!" Alicia shouted back, her annoyance masking her panic.
"What is it?" Lucy asked, her voice calm and professional. Although her sleep was disrupted as well, Lucy knew that if she retaliated, it would sound awful, and Alicia would surely hang up the call.
"I don't know what to do. I shouldn't have dated him." She complained. Alicia never complained. She exclaimed. This was a five-star alarm for her friends.
"What? You asked instead of him asking!" Now Kristen was wide awake, her voice incredulous.
"Alicia, you're nuts!" Lucy burst out laughing.
"I know. That's why I'm calling. Could you tell me what to do? I don't even know what to cook," Alicia admitted, the despair clear in her voice.
"At your place? Alicia, do you want to show off in front of him?" Lucy asked, liking the way the conversation was going. She listened with rapt attention, knowing how a mummy like Kristen could be.
"No. It's just that I wasn't thinking when I said that. I made a mistake. Could you help me fix it?"
"Wait. Alicia just admitted she made a mistake. God help me." Both Kristen and Lucy laughed heartily.
"Alicia, you made my morning a fine one," Kristen said in between laughs.
"Guys, I'm in a dilemma. Help me please." Both friends turned serious at once.
"Since you already did the asking, no need to turn your back," Lucy stated.
"Alicia, listen raptly: Just prepare something nice."
"That's the problem. What is 'nice'?"
"Alicia, you're very smart. You run a global enterprise! I believe in you," Kristen encouraged her best friend.
"You can do this!" Both said at the same time and hung up on her.
"But...." Alicia was left hanging. It seemed they had already planned it—they pushed her back toward the daunting task.
Alicia spent the rest of the morning stressing, finally settling on a dish she hadn't prepared in years, a comfort meal from her childhood.
Alicia called Jay to announce the time and confirm the address in Aethel City. She didn't even wait for him to respond and hung up.
She was too nervous to start a conversation with him. She tried to take a nap as she didn't want to speak to those two friends either.
It was now twelve and Jay would be arriving at two. It was barely one-thirty when she woke up. Getting ready as quickly as ever, she began to set the table. The house smelled savoury and clean.
Right when she got the drinks, she heard the ringing of her doorbell. She quickly got to it in order not to keep her powerful guest waiting.
"Hello," he said smiling from corner to corner while handing her a huge bouquet of perfect red roses.
A disgusted look appeared on her face as she received it. She quickly brushed it off.
The gesture was too flowery, too traditionally "civilian" for a warrior like her.
"Thanks," she murmured.
"Come in," she said, moving aside to let him in.
"Wow! Jason gazed at the place. He walked to the sitting room. The minimalist design and the commanding view of Aethel City were impressive.
"I like your taste in colours," he said, turning to her with a genuine smile.
Alicia stared at his back in disbelief. All he was interested in was colour! She had expected a comment on her security setup or the strategic location of the penthouse. Well, he didn't know how she had suffered only to make this date look real, not like a forced tactical meeting.
"Jay, before we begin, there's something you must know," Alicia announced the reason for her discomfort.
Jason turned to look at her, sensing the gravity. "Okay,".
"This is the first time I've ever dated somebody and yeah, most especially a guy." She revealed the massive secret that explained her coldness.
Jason stared at her with widened eyes, surprised by her stark honesty.
"I just wanna say that, I didn't know what to prepare, so I prepared whatever came into my mind." She laughed at her own statement, the sound nervous but freeing.
"Shall we proceed then?" she asked, gesturing toward the dining area.
"What?" Jason asked, utterly charmed.
"I wanna see what you've prepared and I would be that judge of that," he said, deciding to play along with her request for honesty.
Alicia smiled and led him to the table. He pulled the chair out for her when they reached there.
Alicia opened the dish she prepared.
"By the looks of it, it's going to be yummy. Alicia, can you believe this? This is one of my favourite dishes!" Jason exclaimed, his eyes lighting up.
"What?" Alicia was shocked.
All Alicia did was to prepare one of her simple favourites: Grilled Salmon with Asparagus, served with a fresh fruit salad and a jar of homemade lemonade.
"Really?" she muttered, relieved.
"Yeah," Jason confirmed.
Alicia served him, allowing him to take the initiative with the food. She heard Jason humming with pleasure as he ate.
"Like it?" she asked, her tension finally easing.
He shook his head. "I don't like it. I love it."
Alicia felt completely relieved.
She served her plate and they began to dig in. The two sat down in the living room after the hot meal.
"You're quite a good cook," Jason complimented her.
"Thanks, I'm happy that you liked what I prepared."
They shared a drink together and talked about nothing but his security firm and her time in the army—openly acknowledging their high-level careers and the draw of their professions.
The conversation had to end when Jason had to return to his place.
"I loved today's date. Thanks for making it lively," Alicia said when they got to his car.
"But, tomorrow is on me." He placed his hand on his chest, confirming the seven-day timer was still running.
He wished he could hug her. He really enjoyed her company. They stood there speechless not knowing what to do next.
"I guess I will see you tomorrow," Jason broke the silence.
"Yeah," Alicia whispered.
Jason stretched out his hand to shake hers. She took it firmly, resisting the urge to break any bones, her military training warring with her soft feelings.
In a swift, surprising move, Jason closed the gap and pulled her into a brief hug. It wasn't sexual, just warm and appreciative.
*****
Alicia dropped onto her bed right after getting inside. She couldn't believe she hugged him. And he hugged her back. The barrier had finally been breached.