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“Do you come here often?” he asked.
“Uh, you could say that. I’ve been coming here with my mom for a while, whenever we don’t feel like making dinner at home. Sometimes we just come and order some food to go. Everything they make is pretty good.”
“I’ll take your word for it.”
They chatted lightly about inconsequential things, like their tastes in food that moved to drinks, then art. They were both engrossed by the time the food made it to the table. They just continued to chat, and focused on eating when there was a lull in the conversation.
It was…nice. Camila couldn’t remember the last time she just sat down with a guy and talked. It was surprisingly low-key, but it was sweet, and she felt so much more comfortable at the familiar family restaurant instead of somewhere fancier. Samuel didn’t seem any more awkward, either. Not to mention, Samuel seemed to relax once he was away from his brother.
They were getting to know each other, little by little, and she thought it was a bit sad that it felt like such a new experience.
“Camila?” Samuel said, during one of the lulls.
She looked up, expectant, because she’d heard the hesitance in his voice. “Hmm?”
“About…my brother. I talked to him and told him not to bother you from now on. So you no longer need to worry about him. I still feel like I should be apologizing to you.”
“It doesn’t matter,” she said with a shrug, though her lips tightened a bit. “You’re not the one that needs to apologize, and I would feel guilty if you did. He’s probably caused you a lot of trouble, right?”
Samuel sighed. “You have no idea. I don’t even know how to deal with it anymore. And it’s not just the family, he’s brought a lot of pain to us and to his lovers, and most of them tend to take it out on me, but when I think of how he must have treated them, I couldn’t say anything and just took it. It’s a bit too late to try and change him now.”
“That isn’t your job, though,” she pointed out. “He is also an adult, isn’t he? And…” she hesitated, but in the end admitted it. “To be honest with you, the only reason I started dating him, was because he seemed to like me and you didn’t. I mean, I was pretty happy when you asked me out for coffee, and the whole time you were being short with your brother and not much better with me…”
“Ah,” he grimaced as if he too was remembering that day. “I’m sorry for how I behaved that night. I never got to say it. I’ve been told I can be a bit…emotionally guarded, but it’s become a habit for me around my brother. And I didn’t want him to take interest in you, either. Of course, that backfired. But Camila,” he said, his expression serious as he watched her intently. “I am very much interested in you, and starting something with you. I wouldn’t have asked you out for coffee if I didn’t want to get to know you better.”
“Even after…I went out with your brother?” she asked tentatively.
She was happy knowing he liked her, of course, but this was her main worry.
“I can't say that I don’t mind,” he said, and her expression dropped. But then he quickly added, “But that won’t stop me from pursuing you, if you want it too. Would you like to give dating another try? With me?”
Camila felt a bit choked up. She hadn't expected him to ask so directly, but she supposed it matched with his personality. Holding his gaze, she nodded, because she didn’t think she could get a word past her throat.
Samuel rewarded her with that same tiny smile, and she gave him a smile back.
“Good,” he murmured.
