Dinner
She watched him observe the building for a moment, his mouth a bit open. Him was observing the people walking in, walking out, or just passing the restaurant. He then made a turn around, but she was faster. She grabbed his elbow and directed him back.
"No, this way." She ignored his roll of eyes and his exaggerated grimace. She half walked, half dragged him forward, waiting for their turn.
"How is it possible that there is a row in here, in there?"
She laughed. He would be interested and surprised by far more things once they were allowed to go inside, wondering about things that were, for lack of a better word, below...well, him.
She watched as the person standing near the entrance turned to them, but he beat to her. "Hello, I don't know what I'm doing here, and I sure don't know this woman hanging by my arm. A table for one, for her, please."
"Ha. Ha." She pinched his arm, but he didn't give a twitch, only stared at her, completely bored now. She rolled her eyes and turned to one the kind, patient woman. "I'm terribly sorry. No, we're family."
She watched as she glanced from the grinning face to the sad, turned down expression of him, before she nodded and let them enter.
She watched his puzzled expression. "Aren't you suppose to call for a table, or wait for a waiter?"
"Things don't work this way here."
"Well, obviously." She watched him as he glanced around. A pretty full place here. He grimaced again.
"I wish you hadn't talked me out of inviting Dembe with me. I miss him. Terribly."
"Don't be overreacting and turning this all around. I wanted to invite him, but you turned it down, remember?" A pointed glance at him, which he ignored by grimacing even more – if that was even possible – the more he glanced around him.
"And no, you are not running away this time." She tightened her hold on him and half dragged him to the first place she saw that was suitable. A place a bit shaded, but not too much. There was a reason for today after all, and some exposure would do him good.
"And you're not allowed to call him either. You've promised me he'll be allowed a few hours of freedom from you."
"Have I?"
He unlinked their arms and made for the seat he had mentally chosen for her. She only chuckled and stopped him. "That's not necessary here."
He appeared genuinely puzzled now. "Truly?"
"Yes, just take your seat, no need for any chivalrous behavior."
"I'm not being gentlemanly. This sort of behavior is expected of any person, regardless who they are."
She only smiled and took a seat, brushing past him. She watched him glancing at the chair, before walking opposite her. He glanced at the furniture, likely not accustomed to it, accustomed to anything of it.
"The chair won't break, if that's what you're afraid of."
"Of course not." He sniffed a bit, before taking a seat, being all confident, at least that was what he tried to project to her.
He didn't take off his jacket, only opening it. She smiled a bit at the shirt she saw. Not at all a tailored, expensive, unique suit, but something she had bought for him. It had taken her quite some time to convince him to try it on, even more to be seen in public in these clothes.
She watched as he glanced around. "No waiters waiting, it's a buffet, after all."
"So it would seem." He seemed defeated and glanced at the tables crawling with customers.
He glanced at their table. "Not even a menu cart?"
"No drinking cart. But I think they have wine here."
"I'm not interested in over-the-counter wine."
"You can always get some water. It's free here." She tried hard not to chuckle at his mocking glare.
"I'm serious here. They give free tap water here. One of the reasons why it's so popular in this area."
"So...How do I continue now?" He appeared truly puzzled.
"You just go there and grab whatever you'll like. Come on." He followed her reluctantly. The roles had reversed now, how she passed the first plate to him, how she walked in front of him...how she took the lead, and he followed. She watched how he mostly ignored most of the buffet, only took a bit of vegetables.
She stopped, prompting him to halt too and glancing up at her. "Is that all you'll get?"
"I think the question should be: why are you taking that much?" She glanced at his plate. Not even enough for a kid.
"This won't do." She dragged him back to the beginning. She scooped large portions of whatever her eyes landed on, a perfect mixture of vegetables and flesh.
She noticed how he seemed to be glancing at people that nudged or stared at him – likely quite rudely for his standards – to walk, or rude people waiting impatiently until he was done.
As they sat down again, she passed the cutlery to him. He watched it with minor dissatisfaction. "It's likely buzzing with bacteria."
"Oh, yeah, I've forgotten about that." She didn't even try to keep the sarcasm out. She took a mouthful of the flesh, looked yummy. All the while he was glancing between the cutlery and her taking large bites. She hadn't really eaten any lunch today. "The cutlery you usualy use is more than enough to pay for the entire meal likely."
"More than thrice, at least."
"Come on, just try it. Maybe you'll like it."
"I doubt it." She watched as he hesitantly took hold of them, inspected them, before taking a very small bite.
He fell down on the couch.
"I'm starting to feel nauseous. And my belly is about to explode, all the walls full with greasy stuff, or whatever immoral things they had put in the food."
"Oh, come on. You've barely tried any of it!" She closed the door behind her. She shrugged off her jacket and unrolled her shawl.
"I feel cheap." He groaned.
"Don't overreact." She nudged his coat to hang better on the coat rack.
"Hard to believe all these people are related."
"Trust me, most of them aren't. People will do a lot to get a discount."
"Hmm." She hanged her own beside his and walked towards him.
"I should had called Dembe. At least for him to drive us home."
"Hey. There wasn't any need for calling a cab if you've allowed me to drive us home." She did her best not to poke him.
She heard him groan and watched him holding his stomach, rubbing circles. "I feel like I'm going to explode any second now of greasy, unhealthy, deadly food. And I have terrible need for a shower. Lizzy, do you mind if I go first?"
"Yes, actually, I do." He opened his eyes and stared at her.
"There isn't anything wrong with the food you've just eaten." She watched as he curled himself up and pulled a pillow half over his head. He groaned deeply. She rolled her eyes more.
"Really, you can overreact too much too you know." She took the place his legs had just vacated.
A silence.
"You know...I've enjoyed it though."
"Well, congratulations, you're the only one." His voice sounded a bit funny, muffled by the pillow.
She felt a bit guilty as she observed him. So unlike his usual self, everything about him now.
"Did you really not enjoy it?"
"Yes." The answer came too soon. It made her stomach churn. It made her feel even more guilty. Their dinner didn't go as planned, nothing how she had planned.
"But..." He groaned a bit and rested the pillow over his whole head. "You've enjoyed it."
There was his observant self. Yes, she had enjoyed it. Tremendously. But she feared at his expense.
"Red..." She stopped as he pulled his legs out and rested them atop her lap. She wanted to chuckle, wanted to tell him her thoughts, wanted to tell him so many things...
But knowing what he had sacrificed for today, all just for her, it made her feel warm and fuzzy.
"Thank you." She hadn't said that once today. And he deserved it.
Only silence met her. He must had fallen asleep. So soon. Today must had been a tiring, puzzling, peculiar day for him.
For her too.
She smiled and closed her eyes.
She was tired too.