His hands were trembling with nervousness at the table, that Julian believed the piece of furniture was shaking with him. But he should pull himself together. The upcoming event isn't that special after all. At least he tried to convince himself, but it didn't work at all. He didn't want to ruin the date, because a few days ago he didn't even believe that he would get a small chance with such a wonderful guy. This time it had hit him really badly that he now got the feeling that he was suffering from shortness of breath when the other person showed up.
Of course, he still felt guilty and tried to talk Peaches out of her idea of breaking up with him over it. So on a romantic basis. After all, they were still friends. Good ones. But the female mammoth explained to him with a confident smile that sooner or later he would not be able to escape these feelings. She doesn't want him to feel torn either way. Julian knew that she was right, as always and believed a little, that she wasn't just talking about him. But still, he never wanted to hurt her. He still loved her somehow, but his heart was beating faster with someone else. When he first noticed it himself, he also wondered if he had to be crazy. That just couldn't be normal and true. But with every new meeting with him, more and more chaos took place inside him. Probably his looks and his actions were already too obvious because he himself no longer really knew how to react.
Oh no, what if the secretly coveted man noticed it and now despised him even more, he thought and now wished, he hadn't agreed to the idea of the blind date. Well, halfway, because Julian knew who would show up here soon. Hopefully.
"Aha, there is the culprit!" The voice didn't sound pleased and he swallowed as he looked in the direction where it was coming from. Angry, the older mammoth trudged towards him.
"I knew from the beginning that you weren't good for my daughter!" Julian couldn't even breathe properly, because when his counterpart was so in a rage, he was a little scared.
"But even I didn't expect you to be such a lousy guy and to go looking again a few days after the breakup." Finally he saw his chance to say something back. Also to improve this not exactly good start for a date. Or so he hoped. Also, other people in the restaurant noticed them here. He found that a little uncomfortable. Probably he should have waited in front of the building for his company.
"Peaches herself suggested that we should split up." First it blurted out of him, which was really the truth.
"Of course. Probably, she also said that you should appear here today to see some ..." The other mammoth suddenly stopped talking and stared a little amazed at the sun rose that was on the table with him. The sign that they had identified, because none of the other tables here in the restaurant had something like that as a decoration.
"Is that a sick joke that you youngsters like to play on older people today?" He was looked at in a very bad mood and his knees shook. Didn't anyone in Manny's presence mention what this could expect tonight? Certainly not, otherwise he wouldn't be in this dilemma.
"Um Man .. Sir, this is definitely not the case! I .. I really didn't want to embarrass you or hurt anyone, but I really got into you .." Julian stammered to himself, because he didn't know how to deal with the other person in the situation until he was interrupted again and he looked up startled.
"Shut up!" Still angry, the older man sat down at the table, but didn't look at him.
"Damn it, if I had known .." Certainly the other one was already disappointed by the evening because he met him, Julian thought sadly. How stupid he was to believe that Manfred, who has such a beautiful wife, could look for someone like him.
"Then you would not have shown up here." So he finished the sentence, because he could literally feel the mood of the man. This has very likely imagined something better. Maybe a cute lady? Darn it, the younger mammoth didn't even know if the other person was into the male sex. No wonder this thought this was a stupid prank.
"Leave the formalities! We were long past that stuff." He nodded at that, even if it didn't improve his mood. After all, he could still be sent away. For a moment he just stared at the tablecloth, searching for words.
"Do you think I didn't notice the way you looked at me sometimes? You probably thought I was an old and stupid mammoth." When Julian heard these sentences, he felt the shame creep up inside him. Every single moment in which he secretly and not always very cleanly looked at Manny suddenly came to mind. And the other man noticed such moments? If not all of them?
"Maybe we should better break this off." He wanted to get up and avoid any further embarrassment, but suddenly he felt a hand on his.
"Stay seated boy! Damn it, you're not making it easy either! Well, no! No, it's my fault too. I am stubborn and would certainly have rejected you immediately if you had come to me earlier. Now all this conversation with Ellie makes sense too. You have to know, I'm not as good at anything as my wife. That's why she wanted an open relationship right from the start, because I can't offer her that much. I mean I know she loves me. Why? No idea. I still find it just as inexplicable what a young mammoth like you sees in me." Apparently the other still thought this was some kind of joke. He would never joke with things like that.
"You are a really wonderful person." He said openly because he thought he had to build up his company and it was true.
"Manny, you have a very good heart, even if you don't always want to show it. You are experienced and smart. Not to forget your external and internal strength. All in all, you have a very good character, which your friends certainly appreciated about you. Besides, you don't look bad for your age." Julian didn't know how he made it all fall out of his mouth so easily, but he thought it should be heard from him now. And it made the elderly a little embarrassed, even if the latter wanted to hide it. Surely from now on he would have to pay such compliments more often if he got the chance.
"Oh boy! You come across so openly here, with such sentimental stuff that you make a grumpy mammoth blush. Let's leave that first and finally order something. The waitress over there has been thinking about the right time to come to our table for ten minutes." And with that, this uncomfortable mood simply passed them by and it was almost as if they were sitting together like friends. But only almost. Because his heart started pounding faster again when he finally got a quiet minute to properly examine Manfred's appearance. Peaches always said her father had no fashion sense. A mammoth as handsome as this one sitting in front of him didn't need any trends, because this man looked good in everything. Meanwhile, he wondered if he could have dressed himself better. He put on a shirt that he liked and that has often brought him luck and matching jeans and sneakers.
"Your food will get cold if you stare even further." That was suddenly said, when his glances were probably noticed. Manny didn't even look up from his own food at that sentence. Surely he found the stare uncomfortable. So Julian tried to pull it together a little. They ate, drank and chatted together, as they did when they met at Peache's parents' house. But only the older one drank alcohol because he didn't want to embarrass the situation again. He knew how he acted when he was drinking. He didn't really need to bring out this unfunny mammoth today.
They paid the bill separately without dessert, because Manfred didn't like sweets that much and he didn't want to snack on them alone. There was silence after they stepped outside the restaurant. Well, except for normal city life, there was no sound from either of them. The older mammoth even avoided his eyes, which made him wonder. Didn't they have a nice evening until just a moment ago? Hardly any time had passed in the restaurant. The night still seemed young, but Manny was certainly not a man to hang out with until dawn. Not that he would blame him for that. But would he be angry if Julian asked for more? So a walk through the nearest park or something. Not other things that unfortunately also came into his head and are completely inappropriate. After all, they officially met for a first date, so he shouldn't think about such dirty facts. If his companion notices this, he will certainly consider him a pervert and immediately leave him here. Actually, he was at an age where someone could behave normally and yet, he was already wondering if a little kiss was possible. But then the stern look of his date got in the way and immediately he stood up sincerely. Apparently it was talked to him beforehand, but he didn't notice because he was lost in his thoughts. Manfred sighed and went on. He hastily tried to fix the moment.
"I'm sorry if I wasn't listening. I was .."
"In your own world. Already clear. Why are you thinking over this here so hard? I mean, otherwise you actually seem like someone who never gives a lot of thought and accepts everything as it comes." He had heard things like this before, but somehow he forgot who said that to him. It definitely wasn't Peaches.
"It's ..." Immediately he wanted to explain his point of view, while he simply followed Manny. As long as he can spend longer on his date, he was actually satisfied.
"Respect older people a little and wait until they are finished!" It was thrown to him louder to the head and he was a little startled.
"Got it." It came out of him as if on command and he stopped. The older one rolled his eyes at it, looking a little annoyed.
"You are allowed to move, soldier. Boy, I'm just teasing you and now come on! I don't want to linger here forever." He was asked to continue to walk in a stern tone and he nodded in confirmation
"Where was I? Oh yes! Maybe I never noticed it so directly before. Or I just didn't care that you still have a serious side to you. Hmm, probably just wanted to see the stupid thing about you and that you are not good enough for Peaches. It .. I owe you an apology for it." This time he said nothing to it and waited for the explanation to end.
"What? I said I owe it to you. Not that you get it right away. Spoiled kid." Julian grinned a little at this sentence, because it didn't seem to be meant as strictly as previously assumed. Could it be that his companion was also struggling with nervousness? He couldn't really imagine that.
"Oh man, me and my big mouth. I'm screwing up the mood." Manfred told suddenly and turned away from him.
"No, that .. I can hear the rush of water." Actually, the younger one wanted to say something different, but when his ears heard the splashing, he was a bit surprised. After all, they were just in the middle of town. The river rushed through it some places, but the restaurant was a short distance away. Admittedly, he didn't really pay attention to the way behind Manny because they were both walking along. He also didn't really know his way around this corner. All he knew was that his date preferred eating at this restaurant.
"That happens when you go near the water." That sounded a little teasing in his ears, but he didn't respond. Probably because he was used to it. Besides, he was just a little more interested in the prospect.
"The place here is a little darker, but the air is kind of better and you can see the stars. That is a beautiful spot." He said what he was thinking, because after they were walking through a small underpass, it occurred to him that they were now standing under the bridge that crossed the river at a wide point. Otherwise nobody seemed to be here and so they had a little peace. Not that it bothered him when people saw them, but he didn't know how his companion judged it. To this day he didn't even really know what Manny thought of the male sex.
"Do you really think so?" The other asked in a strange way, that the thought came up again with the nervousness.
"Hm." Julian nodded and dared to get closer to his date. The distance seemed so big to him and he didn't want to speak louder unnecessarily.
"This old mammoth also has a few tricks up its sleeve." He heard the answer and now turned his head to the other mammoth, who was still looking at the water.
"You're not old." He replied honestly, because you can look worse for that age. The man didn't smoked and didn't overdo it, with the alcohol like his own father. But he shouldn't think of his old man in such a moment, because this would never understand his life or anything like that.
"And you don't have to smear honey around my mouth. Better enjoy the nice view and not me." He must have changed his gaze to match the thoughts, because suddenly a hand was put on his shoulder and the other's voice sounded warmer.
"But this view is also quite nice." He tried to keep eye contact, but his heart pounded too wildly and his face got warmer too.
"You bigmouth." Manny said to him and it almost sounded really nice to him. The hand fell from his shoulder. But that didn't bother him at all, because now they were so close together that he could feel the other's body heat. At first, that was enough for Julian, because he knew that the chosen mammoth would never come with excessive romance, but he thought this was a good start for now.