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Before I could answer, the server approached us, holding a small notepad. Her loose ponytail drapes over one shoulder as she eyes Blake.
“Are you ready to order, or do you need some time?” Her voice is as smooth as honey, but a hint of annoyance crosses her face when she directs her attention to me.
“I’ll take two grilled chickens, a double serving of brown rice, and a double serving of grilled broccoli.” I frowned, thinking he had ordered for me and not liking the feeling, but those inquisitive eyes turned toward me and asked, “What would you like?”
I stare incredulously at him. “All that food is for you?”
He pats his stomach. “I’m a big boy who burned a shit ton of calories tonight.”
“I’ll have the rice bowl, please.”
“Very good.” She jots down the orders. I’m about to say thanks, but Blake beats me to it. I study him for a moment, a bit surprised by his politeness. I figured him to be a jerk with as much confidence as he holds.
Shaking off my thoughts, I lean closer, elbows on the table, chin resting on my hands. “So, what about pet names? You know, something cute like ‘babe’ or ‘baby.’”
“How about ‘sweet cheeks?’” His playful suggestion earns a sharp glare.
“Absolutely not,” I say firmly.
“We could go with Bookworm.”
I don’t even respond to that suggestion.
“What? It’s appropriate.”
“And boring,” I add. “Let’s stick with ‘babe.’”
“Fine by me, babe,” he replies, his grin widening. “Anything else we should know about each other? Favorite sex position, perhaps?”
I give him a skeptical look. I need to steer the conversation away from his flirtatious banter. “What’s your favorite color?”
“Green,” he answers without hesitation. “Yours?”
“Blue like the sky.”
“Good to know,” he says. “What about high school? Did you play any sports?”
“No, but I enjoyed recreational volleyball. There was a team I played on occasionally.” More like every chance I could get when I wasn’t working to help with expenses.
His eyebrows rise in surprise. “Were you any good at it?”
“I could hold my own.”
“Yet, you didn’t go out for the team?”
I shake my head. “Nah, I was too focused on my studies.”
It’s the partial truth. Playing sports in high school would have required paying a small fee and purchasing pads and shoes—all of which we couldn’t afford.
“Fair enough.” He nods, but then his expression turns serious as he stares at me. “So, what made you decide to become a doctor?”
“My mom,” I say softly, rubbing my chest as if I could erase the sadness that arises from mentioning her. “She died when I was fourteen from cancer.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry. That couldn’t have been easy.”
“No. Watching Mom suffer and ultimately lose her battle changed something in me. It fuels my drive to help others and to make a difference.” I leave out the other crucial part of my drive. The part where people cared more about their money than human life. Where if she had a proper healthcare plan, she would’ve gotten treatment and had a chance at beating it. Instead, I witnessed how her employer threatened to fire her if she wouldn’t attend to their every whim. My mother sacrificed so I could attend the better schools and have a fighting chance to do better. She fought for me her entire life.
He nods slowly, looking at me with awe. “I respect that. We need passion and determination to achieve greatness in our lives … although it’s unfortunate that yours stems from such a heartbreaking loss.”
