Esbat

“It’s getting late in the day and I have a deadline approaching.” Mila didn’t mean to come off sounding harsh, but the date was going nowhere fast. She would rather be at home finishing up her latest painting than continuing whatever this was. Sure she found him attractive, but there was something about him she could not quite put her finger on that rubbed her the wrong way.

“Wow, things are going that bad, huh?” Roger laughed. “I thought I’d at least get you for another couple of hours. The sun hasn’t even set yet. I don’t know how to say this but I’m great with sunsets. If you want a partner for sunset gazing, I’m your guy. Come on, we’ve got the perfect spot. Let’s not let it go to waste. Please?”

It was true, the spot he had chosen for their first date was a pristine little area overlooking the pond, half covered by a weeping tree. The easygoing way in which he had asked her to stay resonated with her, and Mila found herself reconsidering. It had been such a long time since her last date, and she was indeed very lonely.

“Well, since you asked so nicely,” she replied coyly, feeling her interest in him pique a bit. “I suppose I can put off my painting for another night. I’m almost finished anyway.” She sighed. “This one’s been difficult. I keep getting the glazes wrong.”

“Glazes?” One of Roger’s eyebrows lifted.

“Yes, layers of color.” 

“The fact that you’re an artist fascinates me. I can only draw stick figures!” Roger exclaimed. “I bet you probably hear that a lot though, huh?”

“Actually, yes.” Mila let out a small laugh. “So everyone claims. But you know, if you actually sat down and put in some time and effort, you would be amazed at what you could really do. Art is mostly a learned skill. Artists actually work very hard to hone their craft.” They could both hear the sound of resentment entering her voice, and Mila felt slightly ashamed.

“Sorry hon, I didn’t mean to hit a nerve there.” Roger stated sincerely enough to make Mila feel even more shame. 

“No, no. I’m the one who should be sorry. I just hear that all the time and it gets to me.”

“Totally understand! I’m that way with newts.” The smile on his face was entirely disarming.

“Newts?” A puzzled Mila cocked her head and stared questioningly at Roger.

“No, newts were just the first thing that popped into my head, honestly. I’m just trying to be charming and also change the subject.” They both laughed at this and sat in silence for a few minutes while the weeping tree’s foliage danced slowly in the wind. Roger seemed to sense an opportunity and took it, slipping his arm around Mila’s shoulder. They sat and gazed. 

Why was she allowing him to hold her in this way? She had been ready to go home, but found she was actually now having a good time. Did she just really need to be held by someone that bad? Is that why she was starting to find herself more and more attracted to him as the minutes ticked by? No, there was definitely a charm to the way he held himself, the way he was able to hold silent space with her. Roger was comforting. Mila allowed herself to be comforted.

“So,” Roger chimed. “May I gather that things are going a little better than they were before?”

“Do you have to ask?” Mila smiled.

“No, but I’d like to hear the answer from the mouth of a pretty girl.” 

“Girl?” Mila’s tone once more grew sharp. “I’ll have you know I’m a woman. Are you looking for a girl?”

“Ouch!” Roger gasped. “I’m so sorry–I was trying to be smooth. I thought that one would land. I consider myself a feminist, really. That I would make a mistake like that kills me. Can I take that one back? Pretty please with cherries on top? You gorgeous woman?”

Once again, Mila found herself feeling bad about snapping. She’d been so stressed out lately and it wasn’t fair to take it out on Roger, who seemed to be a really sweet guy after all. She felt her cheeks flushing and then flush harder when she realized he was leaning in for a kiss. The guy had gumption, she had to give him that. She permitted it, not fully understanding why but deciding to throw caution to the wind. After a brief moment, she kissed him back. Locked in embrace for quite some time, the sky grew a darker blue with layers of impeding coral and purple clouds around them. Roger was, apparently, very good at sunsets.