by Kimmy Love
“Well, that might be a little soon, but we’ll see how tonight goes.” Tessa hadn’t even told her mom they were going on a date and she was probably already planning her wedding. Tessa’s mom was always crazy about seeing her girls get married and have babies. She longed for them to have good relationships.
“So, do you know his full name yet?” Jade’s sister wasn’t as easily supportive.
“Yeah, I told you, it’s Oscar.” Tessa started to feel uncomfortable. She could hear Jade’s voice go from delighted to detective. She always had to pick and be skeptical about something.
“No, I mean his name name. Like who he really is.” Jade didn’t have time for Tessa’s tricks.
“Well, we’ve only been together twice. I’m sure he’ll tell me tonight.” Tessa was already over this conversation.
“So, you’re going out again?” Jade was getting sassy.
“Mhm.” Tessa wasn’t interested in being interrogated.
“Honey you have to be careful! You’re in a foreign country and don’t know that many people. You know, it would be a while before we knew you were missing, being so far away and all.” Tessa’s mom worried too much.
“Don’t you think that’s a little dark?” Even Jade didn’t want to think about what could happen to her sister so far away.
“Mom! It’s fine! We’re still getting to know each other, okay?” Tessa was ready to hang up on them both.
“Well honey, I just worry. What if he’s hiding something from you? How can you really expect to date someone that you don’t know anything about?” Her mom was being a little too protective.
“Listen, I’ve made it this far and I’m still alive. I have to get ready. He’ll be here soon.” Tessa was done with their questions and just wanted to focus on the night that she was about to have.
“OK honey, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you upset.” Tessa hadn’t said anything particularly angry, but her mom could still tell she was a bit sour. “I love you, baby, let me know how it goes.”
“Bye love you! Have fuuuuuuuunnnn!” Jade said sassily.
“Love you guys.” Tessa hung up as quickly as she could. She hated their interrogations, but maybe they were right. A man like Oscar surely had a business card, but instead, he chose to give her his number on a random piece of paper? What was he hiding from her? She started to feel a little uneasy, so she poured herself a large glass of wine. It had been a while since she went on a legitimate date, so Tessa knew that there was some serious grooming to be done.
She went into her room and started running the shower. She looked in the mirror and wondered what Oscar liked about her. She didn’t particularly care about looks, but she wanted to make sure she looked nice for him. Most of the time, Tessa would throw on some jeans, a T-shirt, and sneakers, and head to the local dive bar for a date. She knew that Oscar was going to be a different kind of company that night, and she knew she had to get to Maria’s closet to find the perfect outfit. Luckily, Maria wasn’t home.
*****
Tessa stood in the middle of the National Garden of Athens. Though it was closing soon, Tessa thought this would be the perfect place to meet. She thought more about what her sister and mother had said during their phone conversation and decided that maybe she should be a little more careful. Meeting in public was always a good option so he didn’t know where she lived just yet. She knew she could protect herself and certainly hold her own, but if he was going to keep being mysterious, couldn’t she too?
The garden was certainly her favorite place to go in the entire city. Not only was the scenery and landscaping breathtakingly beautiful, but they also had seasonal and monthly installations to explore as well. For their meeting, Tessa decided that they should meet up in front of a fountain. She adjusted her dress. She had borrowed a green velvet long-sleeved scoop neck dress from Maria. The color perfectly complimented her rich brown skin and laid nicely over all her curves.
She certainly filled up the dress as well, as Maria had a smaller chest and usually wore sweaters with the dress. Tessa wasn’t afraid to show off her natural assets. She did worry, however, that it might be a little too sexy for their date night. She didn’t want him to get the wrong impression. She figured that since they already spent the night together, he knew her well enough to not make any assumptions.
She turned around and saw Oscar walking towards her. They both instantly started smiling. She figured she probably wouldn’t stop the rest of the night. Although Tessa couldn’t stop thinking about him since their first night, she was still amazed every time she saw him in person. It was like staring at your favorite celebrity all day and being blown away when you see them in person for the first time. He was always so much more handsome than she remembered.
She couldn’t believe that the gorgeous man walking towards her was actually her date. He had already been with her one night as well and still wanted to get together again. Tessa thought for sure that something must be wrong with him to want to go out with her again! If only she knew that Oscar thought the same thing about her. He always had such a great sense of style when she saw him, as well. Style wasn’t something she normally noticed in men, but Oscar really knew how to throw a great outfit together.
“Sorry I didn’t bring flowers. I figured since we were meeting here you wouldn’t want to carry them around.” Oscar was wearing a tight maroon button up shirt and sleek black pants. He looked so good and clean that he could have been an art exhibit himself. Tessa had never seen anyone who looked like they had been carved from stone until she laid eyes on him.
“Don’t worry about it! You never have to worry about bringing flowers.” Tessa was charmed by this amazing man.
“My car’s waiting on the street. I got us reservations at Calisto. Does that sound okay?” Tessa was shocked he had been able to pull that off. Calisto was the nicest restaurant in Athens and Tessa never thought she’d be eating there. A lot of the more affluent people who came into the gallery had talked about going there, and even if Tessa had the money to buy a plate at the restaurant, she’s not sure she could manage to get a reservation for the next three years. Clearly, Oscar had some connections to get a table so fast.
“That sounds incredible.” She grabbed onto his arm and they made their way back to the car.
Once they got to the restaurant, Tessa started to feel uneasy. They walked through a crowded waiting area, and the music was so loud she could barely think. Luckily, the server led them to a quiet corner where they were able to hear each other. Tessa felt like everyone in the restaurant was staring at her. Did they all know that she had less than a thousand dollars in her bank account? Could they tell that her dress was probably purchased on the clearance rack of a young adult clothing store?
When she looked at the menu, she started to feel extremely overwhelmed. She wasn’t the best at speaking Greek, but Tessa was incredibly passionate about eating. The first words she learned of every language she needed to speak were the terms needed to order food. She could barely ask for directions in Greek when lost on the street, but she could order the best item off any menu. This wasn’t the case for Calisto’s menu. She could barely understand anything and she had trouble reading even the parts that were listed in English. They clearly had a unique menu, unlike some of the restaurants where she was used to eating.
“What are you thinking about getting?” Oscar seemed to not care about anything that was going on and only focused on Tessa. This made her feel a little better, but she was still feeling anxious about the place.
“I can’t decide. It all looks so good.” Tessa started to panic, wondering what on Earth she was going to order when the server came back. “What are you getting?”
“They have the absolute best Moussaka I’ve ever had.” Oscar didn’t seem like a Moussaka guy, but Tessa was pleasantly surprised with his choice.
“Oh, I didn’t see that on the menu. I think I’ll have to try that too!” Tessa felt a little better.
The server
came, and Oscar ordered for both of them. He took the menu, and now it meant the date was really starting. Tessa hadn’t felt this nervous in a while. She liked Oscar so much and felt something spiritual when he found his way back into that gallery. What were the chances she would meet such a great guy, hit it off, and then see him again when she thought she might never? She had to make this night so perfect that he would realize how amazing she was and never want to leave.
“So, what have you been doing to keep you busy?” he asked.
“Oh, you know, just working,” she responded, while sipping some water. She had actually been to several galleries and worked on her own paintings as well. She didn’t want to share this information with him just yet. What if he asked her what her favorite installation was, and she couldn’t remember the name?
What if he wanted to see one of her paintings? She was a little too afraid to open up. She realized several minutes had passed before he said anything else.
“So how do you like Athens compared to New York?” he asked.
“Well, they’re really different. But I like them both. A lot.”
“Yeah, they’re certainly different. Although New York is bigger, Athens feels like it’s more significant. There’s just such a great sense of community here, you know? I love the fast-paced city that NYC has, don’t get me wrong, but I can’t help but feel a bit lonely when I’m there for too long, you know what I mean?”
“Yeah. Totally,” Tessa answered. Looking across the restaurant, she had made eye contact with an older woman wearing fur. Had she been staring at Tessa long? Was she judging what she was wearing? Tessa got lost from her and Oscar’s conversation and started to look at all the people around her. They were all so fancy, adorned with diamonds and draped in gold. Then, there was Tessa, wearing underwear that had a hole in them and a dress that she didn’t even own. She just wanted to be back at home in her bed, where she wouldn’t be a disappointing date for Oscar.
Dinner came, and Tessa was finding herself disappointed in the night. She let her anxiety get the best of her and only wanted to go home and go to bed. She and Oscar hadn’t talked much that night. Any talking that was done was mostly Oscar trying to make an attempt at having a nice conversation. Tessa would just freeze up, paranoid that she would say the wrong thing.
She pushed her food around and wondered where things went wrong. It wasn’t the best Moussaka she’d ever had. It was an incredibly small portion and the eggplant was overcooked. The best she ever had was made in Duka’s, the restaurant owned by Maria’s grandparents. They finished up their plates, shared some small talk about the restaurant, got the check, and headed out. Once outside the restaurant, Tessa felt immediate guilt about not being the greatest dinner guest.
“Is something wrong? You were a lot quieter tonight.” Oscar seemed more concerned about what was wrong with Tessa than the fact that she’d been quiet that night.
Tessa thought long and hard about what was wrong. She just felt uncomfortable at such a swanky place. She knew their bill together was a few hundred dollars, and they didn’t even eat or drink that much. “Just tired, I guess.”
“I was thinking we could head across the street for drinks. There’s this really nice place—”
“I might just have to call it a night.” Tessa couldn’t picture herself in another fancy restaurant, surrounded by people that made more money by breathing than she did working a 40-hour week.
“Hey, what’s going on? I was really looking forward to tonight.” Oscar grabbed her shoulders and centered Tessa in front of him. Something about the way his hands were on her body and the way he investigated her eyes made Tessa want to curl up inside his arms. She knew that it wasn’t Oscar’s fault the night went south. She just felt out of place. She knew she owed it to him to be honest.
“To be honest, this just isn’t my kind of place. None of it. I’m not into the lifestyle of most of the people that are here. I’m sorry.” Tessa felt like she was insulting him, but she didn’t want to pretend to be someone she’s not.
“That’s ok! It’s not really my scene either. I just don’t know a lot of places. This is usually where my colleagues take me, and I figured I couldn’t go wrong with a nice place.” Tessa felt awful. She ruined their night with her bad attitude and Oscar pretty much felt the same way. She knew she had to make it up to him now.
“I think I might know a way to turn the night around.” Tessa knew that it was her responsibility to show Oscar a good time and felt Duka’s was the place to do so.
Duka’s was a small restaurant that not everyone immediately noticed. It sat tucked away in a smaller alley off a main street, so most people don’t even realize it’s there when they pass by. This has allowed the restaurant to stay small, quiet, and always feeling like home to anyone who enters. The music is quiet, there’s no wait, and every table is a VIP table. The walls were filled with photographs taken inside the restaurant as well as art from local Greek artists. Maria had a few of her own pieces hanging throughout the dining room.
Tessa walked in with Oscar and immediately felt better. All the anxieties she experienced throughout dinner were now silent, and she was ready to focus on her dinner. Although they ate, Tessa still couldn’t help but feel hungry since her portion was smaller than her fist. She wasn’t sure if Oscar was ready to eat, so she planned to just order some wine at first.
“Okay, this place is amazing.” Oscar was impressed, and Tessa could tell he wasn’t just being nice.
“Don’t you think so? I’m sorry, I know it’s not as big and fancy as the other place, but it just has really good vibes here.” Tessa handed Oscar a menu. “I know we just ate, but I have to introduce you to the best Moussaka you’ll ever eat for real this time.”
“Sounds perfect.” Oscar handed the menu back, not even opening it. Tessa smiled.
“Tessa! Geia!” Maria’s grandpa walked towards their table, Mr. Duka himself. “What brings my favorite customer in today!”
“Geia, Mr. Duka! This is my friend Oscar!” Seeing Mr. Duka made her miss her own family that much more.
“Oscar! Geia! Thank you for coming in! I hope you two are eating today! Mrs. Duka just made a fresh pan of Moussaka!” She was always making fresh pans.
“We’ll take two plates! And a bottle of your best Roditis.” Tessa couldn’t get enough of Greece’s finest wines. Mr. Duka took the menu and went to the back of the kitchen. He returned with two plates, two glasses, and a chilled bottle of wine.
“Okay, you were right, this is definitely way better Moussaka.” Oscar was inhaling the food on the plate before him.
“I’m glad you like it.” The night was already going much better than Tessa thought it would end up. She felt completely comfortable with Oscar sitting across the table from her in this restaurant. She felt as if she was meant to be there, with him, at that exact moment. They smiled and giggled at each other in between bites of meaty Moussaka. Normally Tessa would drink quickly on dates, in order to relax and feel more comfortable, but when she was with Oscar, she barely took a sip of her wine.
Once they finished, Mrs. Duka had come out to clear their plates and fill their glasses.
“That was incredible. Thanks for bringing me here, and I’m sorry we didn’t come in the first place.” Oscar still looked just as good as he had in the beginning of the night.
“Don’t be sorry. I’m just glad we got to see each other again.” Tessa hadn’t said anything truer all day. Suddenly, Mr. Duka came from the kitchen holding an acoustic guitar. He started singing around the restaurant, some patrons joining in. Within minutes, everyone in the restaurant was singing, dancing and clapping. Even Oscar was moving around, though he clearly knew just as much Greek as Tessa.
Though they didn’t know the words, neither of them cared. Oscar stood up and grabbed Tessa. They started dancing around the restaurant, though no one else was at the time. People were still clapping and singing, all eyes going towards the picture-perfect couple. Tessa had no idea
what the song was about. He could have been singing about a chicken, but she didn’t care.
It was the most intimate and romantic moment that she had shared with someone in a while. Though they were in a crowded room full of loud people, Tessa felt like they were the only two humans alive on Earth. By the way Oscar was looking at her, she could tell he felt the same way.
The song ended, and they started to head back to their seats. Mr. Duka stopped them and motioned for them to keep dancing. He started to play another song, this time a lot slower. Oscar grabbed Tessa once again, this time holding her much closer. They slowly moved around the restaurant, and a few other couples stood and started to dance as well. Oscar leaned in and gave Tessa a long and hard kiss, lingering close to her for seconds after. She rested her head on his chest and they swayed together to the music.
Chapter3
Tessa sat straight up in bed as soon as she opened her eyes. She was not a morning person and had never been one before, but she couldn’t help but beam as soon as she woke up. The night before had been the best date she’d ever had. She laughed and played around the restaurant with him in a childlike bliss that she hadn’t felt in years. Most dates that she went on, she felt uncomfortable the whole time and anxious for them to end. Tessa was a homebody who would always take a night home in her pajamas over a night dancing in a restaurant with a stranger.
This time was different, however. She and Oscar had only been together on two separate occasions, but she still felt like she had known him for years. He wasn’t judgmental when Tessa was talking, even when she let something silly slip or said something totally embarrassing, Oscar would just laugh with her and pull her in closer.
Every time she would say something while they were dancing, Oscar would lean in incredibly close to make sure he got a good listen on what she was saying. She could talk for hours and never feel dumb or weird about what she said the night before. She suddenly realized, that she had been the one doing most of the talking on their date, or at least the second half.
