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“Tasha and Alex got married. Then we celebrated, and my brother and I had a drinking contest, of which I won. And then my dad challenged me, and he won.” She drank her water.
“Did they not remember you were seventeen?”
“It was a wedding. You drink at weddings.”
“Always?” He looked into her eyes, shocked.
“Always.” She looked back into his blue eyes, smiling.
“How old were you when you first drank at a wedding?”
“Ten. Ilya got married, and Tasha and I got wasted. But she is a lightweight, hence the drunk texts.” She laughed.
“Prove it,” he challenged.
Just then, the food arrived, breaking their eye contact. Looking at her meal, she wondered if she had actually ordered what was in front of her. Math had already started eating and was watching her. She hated eating in front of people. Over the years, she had actually been able to avoid it almost completely, but here she was, and Mathias was already watching her. Judging her.
As she picked up the knife and fork, she realized she had already eaten in front of him three times. What was one more? He hadn’t made fun of her the last time, just gave her more food. She just smiled back and took a bite of chicken, hoping he would stop watching her.
It did not work. He was just going to watch her eat. “Stop watching me.”
“I can’t. You ordered a chicken burger, and you’re cutting it up. Just like the hotdog.”
She set her silverware down. “Please do not make fun of the way I eat.”
“I’m not making fun of you, Tess. I am stating a fact. If you don’t want to draw attention to yourself, don’t order the burger. Maybe just order the chicken?” He shrugged and took another bite from his dinner.
“Because if you do not order the burger, you do not get lettuce and tomato. I happen to like that part.” Folding her arms, she knew he wouldn’t understand.
“Okay, how about this? Next time you order what you want, and I will give you my lettuce and tomato from my burger. Then you can have it the way you like,” he said.
“I like the bread too.” She couldn’t believe he had not only said next time but also that he would give her something she liked just because she wanted it.
“And you like the chicken.” He smiled at her.
“No, I do not really like chicken, but it’s healthy. I try to eat healthy,” she admitted and laughed with him.
“You want my burger, don’t you?” he asked in feigned fear, holding it close to his body.
“No, Mathias, you can keep your burger. It is very unhealthy.” But it was what she should have ordered, what she wanted to order.
“The unhealthiness is what makes it good,” he answered as she picked up her silverware again.
“If you can take a bite without cutting it up, I will let you try it.”
Looking up at him, she saw he was holding the juicy-looking burger toward her. Reluctantly, she took it from him and took a big bite, bigger than she should have, which was why she used the fork and knife. Handing it back, she noticed him watching her again, waiting for her reaction.
Wiping her face with the napkin, she laughed. “Thank you, Mathias. It is good.”
He smiled happily. “And I got to see you eat with your hands.”
To her surprise, he took his burger and put it on her plate and took her chicken sandwich and put it on his. Then he removed the lettuce and tomato and put them on her plate also.
“Mathias, no. You eat your burger; you ordered it.” She looked at the burger and the extra vegetables on her plate. The burger made everything look more appetizing.
“I don’t remember what I ordered. Must be what is on my plate. And you can eat it any way you want to,” he said, taking a bite of the dry chicken sandwich and winking at her.
“Now I owe you something.” She picked up her knife and fork again.
