I ultimately decided on a restaurant in Windenburg and spent an hour drooling over the menu and photography. The sheer grandeur of it made me question whether this gesture was too much. It looked like the type of place a man took his lady to ask an important question I was not ready to ask. But the more I ogled the photos, the more I had to take her and hoped she would say yes. I didn’t think she would decline, but she had a life, and I didn’t want to take advantage of her affection for me by assuming she would be available. But thankfully, she accepted and said she couldn’t wait to see me. I sent her the details so she could prepare, as it had a dress code and everything.
Mama sent me a text saying she sent me some money. She didn’t have to do that, especially after giving me a nice sum when I left home. But I thanked her anyway and bought a new suit. If only she could contain herself, I’d tell her my plans for her generosity. She would be overjoyed to hear about my developments and meet Sophia, but I couldn’t tell her. Not yet.
Naturally, I arrived early to check on our reservation. The restaurant was even more amazing in person, from the high ceilings to the perfectly dimmed lighting to the servers rushing back and forth dressed in suits. I thanked Mama’s money under my breath because I definitely couldn’t afford to eat here on my own. Well, I could, but it wouldn’t be wise. Sophia arrived shortly after I checked in. I loved how we always arrived early on our dates, but it also made me feel some type of way. She’d been showing me what kind of woman she was and how she felt about me the entire time I’d known her, and I wish I would have been brave enough to accept her sooner. At the same time, I was thankful for the experiences I’d had to get me to this place, no matter how painful and confusing they may have been.
She wore a plain blue dress, low heels, and wore her hair in an up-do. Her whole vibe was simple, yet elegant, and I loved it. I didn’t make a habit of comparing my friends to each other, but sometimes they had glaring differences not even I could deny. One such difference was their styles. Yasmine and Chi Chi clearly put a lot of thought into their styles and always dressed to impress. They wanted me to look at them, and I enjoyed doing so. Their faces were always beat and their hair was always in place. From their style to the way they walked…Watcher! They were both sexy as hell and kept me in a constant state of frustration and desire. On the other side of the spectrum, Sophia and Maira dressed more for comfort. They wore little makeup, and I loved how they let their natural beauty shine through. Their beauty seemed enhanced by their lack of makeup, if that was even possible. Perhaps “they” were onto something when they say confidence is attractive. Sophia and Maira were comfortable in their own skin, and I loved that too. My feelings for them were the strongest, so what did that say about me?
Our table was already available, so the host seated us within a few minutes ahead of our reservation. Sophia looked around and commented on how fancy the restaurant was, how expensive it must have been, and how I didn’t need to do “all of this” for her. But I did. Hind sight was always crystal clear, and I refused to keep her limbo. She needed to know how serious I was about building something with her.
