Sam stood in front of the mirror debating on whether or not she was dressed too fancy for the evening. Danny didn't tell her what restaurant they were going to, but she assumed a dress would be nice enough no matter where they went. It was a simple black dress, flowy and comfortable. It went down to her mid-shins and a slit up to her mid-thigh on her right side. The v-neck gave just enough cleavage to make her breasts look larger than they were but was still modest enough she felt comfortable. It cinched in at the waist with long and sheer sleeves buttoning at the wrist with golden buttons. She decided to match her jewelry to them. A dainty golden moon necklace hung down the lowest with a tiny star above it and another simple gold chain above that as a choker. To stick with the celestial theme, she added a pair of mismatched gold earrings. One was a planet that looked like Saturn and the other was a crescent moon. The chain and outlining were gold and the planet and moon were filled with fake black gems. They had to be the best two dollars she ever spent as they were her absolute favorite pair of earrings.
Over the years, her makeup style had changed drastically. Where she once drew thick winged liner and sported colorful lipstick, she now kept her look much more simple. She sat down at her vanity to apply her ten-minute routine: tiny winged liner, some concealer under her eyes and blemishes, a touch of blush, bronzer, and highlight, a nude lipstick, and some mascara. Just as she finished, she heard the doorbell.
Well, at least he went to the front door, she thought. She grabbed her Mary Jane platforms and some little foot socks and made her way downstairs.
Sam rarely saw her roommate so when she noticed that she had answered the door, she was petrified. There was going to be a slew of questions later. "Beth? I didn't know you were home," she said as she slid on her socks and shoes.
"Oh, yeah, I forgot to tell you. Jesse is out with the guys tonight and the other girls are either out of town or going out of town and packing. I somehow managed to get a weekend to myself for once!" Beth was one of those college kids that always had something to do. With mom and dad's money lining her pockets, she had no work obligations and spent nearly all of her free time living that college lifestyle.
It didn't bother Sam; it meant she got almost the whole house for half the rent. (Her parents cut back on her allowances when she left home so a job was necessary to stay on top of things.) She just wished she had known before that she wouldn't be alone this weekend. "Lucky you," she smiled. She finished buckling her shoes then pulled the door open wider, looking at Danny for the first time. It wasn't anything too fancy, but he had on a nice button down, a sports coat, and dress pants. It appeared he had attempted to do something with his hair as it wasn't as messy as it normally was. She could smell a hint of cologne on him, something different than what he normally wore.
"Well, we'll be back later. I don't know when, so you've got all the free time you want tonight," she smiled as she walked out the door. "See ya!"
As she closed the door, she looked up at Danny. "Hi," she said softly, "you look nice."
He smiled back at her, eyeing her outfit from head to toe. "You look...stunning." It was the only thing he could think to say. The nerves were only escalating. He had never seen Sam try so hard yet look so effortless. Everything she wore fit her style to a T.
"Thanks, I tried a little," she said. "Ready?"
"Why, yes of course, my lady," he said in an awful accent. He offered his arm to her which she locked with her own. "Your chariot awaits."
Once in the car, Sam asked, "So, what did you manage to figure out in less than twenty-four hours?"
"Well, I hate to break it to you, but there's no open mic night tonight. Their sound guy is sick and I guess the owner doesn't have anybody else who knows how to do it."
"Boo! Strike one, Fenton," she teased. "Two more and you're out."
He chuckled as he pulled out of the driveway. "You haven't let me finish yet." He passed her his phone to put on some music. "I did snag a reservation at that one vegan restaurant you've been dying to try." Ever since they opened, the wait time was nearly two hours or required a reservation that often had a waiting list of two months.
"How'd you swing that?" she asked excitedly, putting on some Fleetwood Mac.
"It's not me you have to thank. It's Phantom." He turned the volume down a touch so they didn't have to shout over the music. "The owner had some hauntings going on in his basement and had heard about the ghost that fought ghosts. I didn't know what restaurant he owned at the time, but he said he would make a special arrangement if I ever needed one. So Phantom called him up, said his friend was going on a date with a vegan chick and she was dying to try it after all the good reviews, and he agreed!"
Sam's eyes lit up. She could not believe he had managed to get a spot at one of the most popular restaurants in town. Yet, with his charm, she wasn't surprised at all. She was just shocked he actually took advantage of the opportunity; normally with his good-heartedness, he did the hero work with no expectation of repayment and denied any attempts of it. He's actually taking this seriously, she thought. Her heart began to race with excitement for the new experience.
They continued to chat on the ride there. When they arrived, Danny dropped her off at the front. She waited patiently for him to park and meet her inside. He escorted her in and smiled at the hostess. "Hi, I have a reservation for 6:30; should be under Fenton?"
"Okay, one second," the hostess said, tapping on the computer screen. "Table for two? Right this way," she smiled, grabbing two menus and guiding them to their table. She led them towards a more private section in the back that had a small window looking out into the garden of fresh herbs and vegetables. She placed their menus down before saying, "The owner wanted to offer you guys a bottle of wine on the house as well as a dessert after your meals. The menu for that is on the table there" —she pointed to the little book resting against the wall—"and if you have any questions or need recommendations, your server Loretta will be happy to help."
"Thank you," the duo smiled. As she walked away, Danny looked at Sam and said, "Well, that was unexpected."
"Your friend must have left a good impression," she said, looking into the garden. "Did you ask for this spot, too?"
He shook his head. "No, I just asked for a reservation. The rest was all him."
She picked up the wine menu and looked it over. Her eyes began to buldge at the prices. "Dude, the cheapest bottle on here is still fifty bucks!" She shook her head in disbelief and switched over to the food menu. The prices were more than she expected. "I can pay for my half," she offered, not sure if or how Danny would be able two of them.
He shook his head. "No, that's not how this works. I got it, don't worry. Had a little extra from this last paycheck." He didn't have extra from his paycheck, but he had saved money for a rainy day that he was more than happy to dip into for the night. Plus, the prices weren't as much as he was expecting after she freaked over the wine list. Thirty bucks a plate give or take was a lot, but he knew it'd be worth it for Sam. "Just order what you want, I've got it covered. Trust me."
She was hesitant, but continued to look over the menu. The waitress walked over with wine glasses, ice water, bread, and a smile. "Hi, I'm Loretta, I'll be serving you tonight. How are you two this evening?" The couple smiled and whispered good as she placed everything on the table. "Good, good. We have some wonderful specials tonight, including our infamous seitan, which is flavored to taste just like chicken. It's personally my favorite. We serve it up with steamed veggies, tonight those being broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower tossed in our signature sauce. I would highly recommend a Chardonnay wine if that's the path you choose. We also have two soups tonight; our Morroccan lentil is probably our most popular, but if you're feeling more adventurous, we have a roasted butternut squash and apple soup that sounds scarier than what it is. So, with all that, do you have any questions about the menu yet?"
The two looked at each other, both overwhelmed with all the new information. "No," Danny spoke up, "I think we just need a few minutes."
Loretta smiled. "Alright, before I go, can I get you any appetizers?"
Danny looked at Sam whose nose was still in the menu. She peeked up and shook her head. He answered, "Not yet, I'll let you know, though. Thank you."
"My pleasure. I'll be back in a few."
Danny picked up his menu again. "So, what's catching your eye?"
Sam snorted. "Everything. I'm really eyeing that applewood smoked mushroom or eggplant parmesan, but the special sounded really good, too."
"Okay, but what is seitan? I've never heard of it before. Is it like tofu?" he asked curiously, continuing to look over other options.
"If seasoned right, it's really good. It's basically flour and water with the starch rinsed out, leaving just the gluten protein."
"So...chicken-flavored bread?" he joked.
"Not exactly. There's no starch so there's none of that bready goodness," she explained as she picked up a roll to eat. "It can have the texture of chicken, too, if they fold it together right," she explained, taking a bite out of her roll.
He nodded. He was debating on taking the risk, but the ravioli was also catching his eye. "Is vegan cheese good?" he asked.
"Depends. They probably make theirs in-house, so I have no idea. But sometimes it tastes like normal cheese and other times its texture is off and blander than boiled chicken." She opened up her silverware to use the napkin, placing it delicately on her lap. "Tell you what. I'll get the eggplant parm, which I've made for you before and you seemed to enjoy, and if you don't like what you order, we can trade. Deal?"
"No, don't order something because I might not like mine. Order what you want," he insisted.
"It is what I want. It just happens to be something you'll enjoy, too. And worst case scenario, you can have it. But, honestly, I really do think you'll like the seitan."
He contemplated for a moment. He didn't want her to feel like she was settling for something she could make at home, but she made a good point. She'll eat anything off the menu; he was a bit more picky. "Fine," he agreed, "but then you have to pick the appetize and the dessert."
She rolled her eyes. "Fine, then you pick the wine."
"I'll leave that one up to the waitress," he said triumphantly.
They closed their menus and stacked them at the edge. Their waitress seemed to take notice and walked over to take orders. "Did we make some decisions?"
"Yes, we sure did," Sam smiled. "So, we're gonna do an order of the cauliflower bites"—she looked over for approval of the choice to which he nodded—"and I'm going to do the eggplant parmesan."
"Okay…" the waitress muttered as she scribbled on her notepad. "And that comes with grilled broccolini as the side, is that okay?" Sam nodded. "Okay, perfect. And for you, sir?"
"I'm gonna have the special. She tells me it tastes and has the texture of chicken, so I'm trusting her."
Loretta chuckled. "It does. I'm one of the few non-vegans here and it tastes like the real deal," she told him softly. "The side of vegetables is okay?" Danny nodded. "Okay, wonderful. And are we taking advantage of that free wine?"
He nodded again. "Yes, what would you recommend with what we ordered?"
"Chardonnay, for sure. Do you prefer it a bit sweeter or drier?"
He looked to Sam for help. He was no wine-connoisseur, but she had gone on a handful of wine tastings with her parents since she turned twenty-one. "Go on the sweeter side. Actually, do you have Maison Champy?" she asked.
"I may have one more bottle, I'll have to check. If not, are you okay with something else?"
"Yeah, no, just if you have it, please."
"Of course," Loretta smiled, closing up her notepad. "I'll put that order in and get you that wine and cauliflower bites. Anything else before I run off?"
"Nope, I think we're good," she answered with a smile.
And with that, Loretta was gone.
The two looked at each other, both with a hint of a smile on their face. "So, Miss Sam, tell me about yourself. What do you go to school for, you work at all?" Danny asked. He planned on going through at least a handful of cheesy first date questions, even if he knew the answers.
Sam rolled her eyes with her grin growing wider. "Well, right now I'm working in the school library, which is nice because I can work on school while I get paid. What about yourself, Mister Fenton?"
"Oh, you know, college student by day," his voice dropped to a whisper for the next part, "secret superhero by night."
It warranted a giggle and an eye roll from Sam. "Hey, now, you can't be going around telling strangers that," she joked. "Then it's not a secret!"
They continued to chatter until Loretta came back with the appetizer and wine. "Last one, just like I thought," she announced, placing the bottle on the table and twisting in the corkscrew. "It's quite popular and our shipment is running late, so you guys lucked out." She popped the cork and began pouring their glasses.
"Yeah, it's my family's favorite brand for a reason, so I'm not surprised others love it, too," Sam said, grabbing the cork to inspect.
"I hadn't tried it until I started working here, and wow, there is certainly a reason they've been around for as long as they have." Once she finished pouring, she took the cork back from Sam and placed the bottle in the small ice bucket she placed on the edge of the table. "Food should be out shortly, enjoy!"
Danny reached for his wine glass and held it up. "You do the cheers since you seem to know so much about our wine," he teased.
Sam rolled her eyes back again, lifting her glass to the same height as his. "To our first date," she stated matter-of-factly.
Danny shrugged with a grin. "To our first date," he said, much softer in tone.
Clink!
They both took relatively small sips, Sam's maybe a bit larger, before dipping into the bites. They smelled phenomenal, the crispy breading still sizzling from the frier. Danny dipped it in the dressing and ate it in one bite. "Mm," he hummed, "that's good. Really good."
"The food or the dressing?" Sam teased, dipping her own piece in.
"Both. Be careful, though. It's hot," he warned, covering his half full mouth.
She smirked and only ate half of it on her first taste. The crunch and tenderness paired perfectly together. The dressing must be some type of vegan ranch, but she couldn't be sure. She nodded in agreement. "It's good."
The appetizer was gone in a matter of minutes. As they waited for their entrees, they continued to chat about the week. There wasn't a whole lot to catch up on as they saw each other almost every night to begin with, but enough to kill time.
The waitress came back with their meals and water. "Eggplant parm," she said to Sam, "and the special," she said to Danny. "Anything else I can get you right now?" The two shook their heads, and with that, Loretta was gone again.
Danny began to cut into his fake chicken with a bit of hesitance, but it fell apart just like a tender chicken breast. It had a crispy breading on the outside with the inside shredding beautifully as he cut into it. "Looks and smells like chicken," he admitted. He stabbed a rather small piece and popped it into his mouth. His eyes widened, Sam cracking a smile.
"Does it taste like chicken, too?"
He nodded. "How?" he asked after swallowing.
She poked at a piece of eggplant. "Herbs and spices, my guy," she shrugged, trying hers. She nodded in approval. "And this is far better than anything I could make at home."
He gathered a much larger bite this time, hoping to get the full flavors. "This is the best chicken I've ever had and it's not even chicken!"
Sam giggled, taking a bite of broccolini. "Am I going to convert you to the dark side now?"
He shrugged. "Maybe. Only if you can show me how to make this wonderful protein bread."
"I can't promise that it's going to taste the same, but I'll find a few recipes for us to try."
"Is that the plan for our second date?"
"If you want it to be, sure."
They both flashed each other a look that said, "Are you serious or joking right now?" Well, that could be figured out later. For now, they had some delicious food to devour.
After dinner and a quick cup of coffee at the bookstore, Danny walked Sam to her door. "You know, I was being serious about a second date," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck nervously, too afraid to make eye contact.
She smiled. Her heart was racing and the butterflies wouldn't settle. "Yeah?"
"If you don't want to, that's totally fine. I get it. We can leave it here and just have a fun story to tell when we get old and senile."
She giggled softly, shaking her head. "No. I would...love a second date."
He finally looked up, holding their eye contact for a minute. "Really?" She nodded. He didn't know what the next move was. "When?"
She shrugged. "You know my schedule. You're the one who gets called in on a moment's notice."
"Tomorrow. Lunchtime. I'll pick you up after class?"
"Sure, that sounds perfect. We making seitan?"
He grinned, showing off all his teeth. "I've got a better idea brewing." Heart pounding out of his chest, he leaned over and kissed her cheek gently before pulling her into a hug. "I had a really great time tonight, Sam."
Her cheeks were bright red, happy that the dim moonlight was the only thing illuminating the porch. She could hear his heartbeat as she rested against his chest. Neither of them were touchy people, but they had shared a fair amount of embraces over the years. It always felt right, always felt like they meshed together perfectly. She could stay there in his arms forever; she felt safe within them. Over the years, he had built up his muscles between gym workouts and nightly ghost fighting. It had been a while since the last time they hugged, and she could feel the difference, yet it wasn't as firm as she would have expected. If anything, his hold was softer and less tense. It was tight enough to feel protected yet loose enough that she could pull away if she wanted to. "Me too," she whispered. She decided to let go first, afraid of dragging it out too long and forming an awkwardness.
Danny looked at her and pushed a stray piece of hair behind her ear. He wanted to kiss her lips more than anything but decided against it. If he kissed her now, things could never go back to the same. At least the kiss on the cheek was friendly enough to get away with. He sighed softly. "Good night, Sam."
"Good night, Danny."