Silence. Awkward silence. Drinks had been ordered and had arrived. Food had been ordered. Simon was having the chicken. His date, Laura, was having a Caesar salad, which he took to be a bad sign. Nobody liked salad, let alone ordered it when they went out for dinner. She'd wanted something quick to prepare and quick to eat. She didn't feel comfortable enough with him to order something inelegant.
Simon ran his hands over his head, smoothing his dark hair back. His hands were sweating. He wondered if they were making his hair look greasy. He was nervous. These things always made him nervous and it didn't help that now he was picturing his date eating dog food, as he always did whenever someone ordered a Caeser salad. It was spelt differently, but he couldn't help it.
Talking. Conversation. A question. Yes, a question! Simon thought hard, trying to remember the conversation-starting questions he'd found on the website. His favourite one leaped to the forefront of his mind.
"What's your favourite colour?" he asked Laura, who sipped her water before answering.
"Uh, red, I guess."
"Oh. That's...that's nice," Simon said, smiling at her. He'd been hoping for a little more than that.
"You?" she asked.
"Japanese Maze. It's a fresh, bright, almost minty colour. It's so revitalising, and I love the name. Japanese Maze. I can just picture the delicate white blossom on the trees, hear the tinkling fountain in the middle."
She was looking at him like he was crazy. This had happened before, and now he knew how the night would end. Not that there had been any doubt about that before that point - she'd brought her own car. Always a bad sign.
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