CHAPTER 7: DINNER DATE
THE GIRL WHO CAN’T DATE
By Eleventh
CHAPTER 7: DINNER DATE
“Skye Doromal is the most annoying creature that ever existed. He’s obnoxious and arrogant. And it annoys me even more that he makes more sense than Maggie! Argh! I hate that twerp!” - Ira P.
2017 JOURNAL
“At which part, Miss Pardilla? Aaah! Let me guess! The part when I said that if your friend likes you, he should have told you a long time ago, isn’t that? Oooh! You must be desperately hoping that he likes you too. Don’t you? Tsk! Keep dreaming then!”
And he left with a snigger on his face. Turning his back on Ira, he slipped his hands on his pockets walking away like a thug who just won from a brawl.
Ira’s face flushed. Not a bit of annoyance in her face was painted but she surely felt mocked. However, she finds it undeserving to retaliate because sadly, Skye was right about what he said. Her desperate hope for reciprocated feelings is unfortunately hopeless.
Maggie noticed Ira’s silence and blankness. “You okay?”
“Yeah! Don’t worry ‘bout me. His words are nothing. Tee-hee!” Ira beamed. “Anyway, you go ahead to the faculty room. I’ll grab something to drink at Café Piazza. Bye! See you later!”
She tried hard to look fine for the sake of her pride, but when she’s out of Maggie’s sight, she looked so disheartened. She checked her watch. Her next class would still be in an hour after the lunch break, so she thought of killing the time at a café nearby Grayson Academy. A cup of ice-cold vanilla coffee with caramel drizzle will take away her gloom.
AT CAFÉ PIAZZA
“What can I get for my most favorite customer? The usual?” A fat, bubbly, curly-haired waitress in a pink apron, beamed a smile at Ira as she takes her order. She’s always delighted whenever Ira visits the café.
“Favorite? Really, Miss Laura?" Ira sniggered. "Well, I'm not in the mood for Choco Peppermint today. I’ll get a vanilla iced coffee with caramel drizzle instead.”
Laura’s eyebrow raised as she looked at Ira with a curious face. She wet her pointing finger, then flip the page of her notebook to write Ira’s order.
“Everything okay, girl?” Laura asked. She can be a bit nosy sometimes but she’s not annoying at all. She has this homey, motherly vibe which Ira finds very comfortable.
“Yeah! I am... why?”
“Girl! I’m no stranger to you. You've been coming here for 5 years. I can tell when you're fine and when you're not. Anyway, I’m gonna leave you alone. Your drink’s gonna be ready in 5 minutes.”
Ira pursed her lips and looked at Laura meaningfully. “Thank you, Miss Laura! I appreciate you!”
Laura winked in response and went to the kitchen to send her order to the baristas. Just when she thought she would be left alone, another guest intruded her solitary moment and joined her at the table sitting on the couch across her.
“Mind if I join you?” the guest asked.
Taken by surprise, Ira gasped. “J-Joey! What…? Why…? How…? Look at you! You’re still in your pajamas!”
Joey laughed at how Ira stuttered and how she was staggered to see him in his sleepwear. “Did I surprise you?”
“Who wouldn’t? You suddenly appeared like a wild pokemon.” Joey laughed again. “Why are you here? Is your place somewhere around here in Uptown?”
“Yeah! I’m staying at Kingston Lodge Hotel. I actually came here to eat lunch because I don’t like the food served in hotels. Then I saw you and approached you and here we are talking!”
As Ira watched Joey talk with all bubbliness and with a smiling face, she just couldn’t help but embrace the warmth around him and feel like she’s at home with this person.
Looking at him, her mind screams, “How do I unlove you?”
Laura suddenly came carrying Ira’s drink. Seeing how she’s no longer alone at the table, she looked at Ira with peering eyes then looked at the guy across him, scrutinizing from head to toe. She was quite astounded by his outfit and seconds later, she realized he was a customer.
“You guys know each other?”
“He’s a family friend,” Ira explained.
“Ow? I didn’t know you have guy friends.” Laura pried and then left with her tray.
“She’s funny and cute,” Joey remarked showing his dimples. “Anyway, I’d like to talk to you more but I gotta go because I have another video call appointment this afternoon.”
“No worries.”
“Can we go out for a dinner later?”
Ira blushed. “Yeah! Sure!”
How can she say no? Of course, she wouldn’t.
“Greaaaat! Can I get your number so I can call you where we can meet?”
“My class ends at 5 PM.” Ira rushed to get her phone to exchange numbers with Joey.
“Great!” Joey stood from his seat. As Ira stood up to greet him farewell, he suddenly embraced her and kissed her on the cheeks. “I’ll see you later! Bye!”
Ira felt like she’s gonna melt. She didn’t expect that. But it made her day and flushed her glooms away.
AT GRAYSON ACADEMY
“Really? I knew it. He does like you, Ira! Finally, you’re going out on a date with the person you like so much!” Maggie was thrilled when Ira told her how she bumped into Joey at Café Piazza right after when both of their classes were dismissed.
While twirling around her office chair, her phone beeped.
Joey was calling.
Seeing his name ID, she stopped twirling and rushed to answer his phone.
“It’s Joey!” she whispered to Maggie. Maggie was then quick to put her ears on Ira’s phone to listen to their conversation. “Hey! What’s up? Oh, at 6 PM? Okay. Will be there on time. Alright! See you! Bye!”
The girls shrieked the moment Joey dropped the phone call. “Do you think this is a date, Maggie?”
“Yessss! Duh! A man and a woman in a restaurant to eat dinner together? Of course, that’s a date!”
Skye who can’t help overhearing his colleagues took his backpack and glared at Ira. “A dinner invitation is just a dinner. If a man asks you on a date, he will tell you it’s a date. If I were you, I won’t assume anything. Who knows? He might ask you if you’re open-minded!”
Then he left sniggering.
“JOEY IS NOT INTO NETWORKING BUSINESS!” Ira screamed at her colleague who was leaving the room.
“Hey! Just ignore him, okay? You can’t be stressed out. You’re going out on a date.” Maggie examined Ira from head to foot thinking of what dress fits on Ira. “Now! We have to think about what you’re gonna wear!”
“What to wear? Of course, I’ll be wearing the same clothes!”
“No! No! No!” Maggie closed her eyes and pressed her lips. “Nobody goes on a date wearing a dirty hoodie and smelly sweatpants, okay? You have to wear something else. Something that would make you look girly good!”
“But I don’t have any clothes, Maggie!”
“How about a pretty pullover under your hoodie?” Ira shook her head. Maggie checked her watch. It’s quarter after 5. “We still have time. Wait here! I’ll go home and get you a dress.”
“Hey! You don’t have to!”
“Of course, I have to! This is the first date that you are willing to go and I’m all in support of you. Don’t worry! My village is right across from the school. I won’t take long!”
Maggie did rush to her house and grabbed a dress for Ira. She also took some make-up with her that matches Ira’s skin tone. In 15 minutes, she was back at the school and hurried to doll her up.
“Go to the washroom and wear this. After that, come back to me so I can put some make-up on your face.”
“Make-up? That’s too much!”
“It isn’t! You don’t wanna look like a haggard frog, do you?”
Ira sighed. She snatched the dress from Maggie’s hands and dragged herself to the washroom. 5 minutes later, she went back to the faculty room wearing a denim blue Bardot dress paired with white sneakers. She even tied her hair in a messy bun, but she looked very pretty with it.
“Wow! You look human! Oops! I forgot to bring you some sandals.”
“It’s okay! I’m more comfortable with sneakers.”
“Come here! I’ll apply some make-up on your face. Promise, it’ll be light.”
Ira didn’t wrestle. She wouldn’t win anyway. After Maggie dabbed some blush on and applied a brownish lipstick on her, Ira’s good to go!
AT THE SECRET GARDEN RESTAURANT
Ira arrived at the Secret Garden Restaurant right on time. Joey came 5 minutes earlier and he stood at the wooden gate waiting for Ira. He wore simple gray long-sleeves that fit him just enough to display his broad shoulders and small waist. Ira could imagine his abs and biceps behind his shirt.
Ira walked slowly. Joey noticed her look instantly.
“Wow! You look…” he examined her from head to foot. “… very different!”
“Is it bad? This isn’t actually my style. My colleague forced me to wear this.” Ira said timidly.
“Bad? Not at all! You look good. You’re beautiful. If you haven’t noticed, some guys were looking at you.” Joey teased as they walked into the garden.
It was true. Some guy has been staring at her since he arrived. He was with a pretty, bubbly woman but his eyes were fixed on Ira.
“Don’t say that. It’s making me shy.” Ira remarked while pulling her short dress.
Joey just smiled at Ira’s remarks and turned to the waiter.
“Table for two please.”
“This way sir.”
The waiter led them to the center part of the garden. It was beautifully decorated. Marygold flowers bloom in the bushes. Fairy lights were dangling on the trees. And the grasses were green. The guy who had been looking at Ira followed them to the central part of the garden and even chose a seat next to them.
The waiter handed them the menu. Ira bit her lip while reading the list. She had no idea what to eat. She had never been to a classy restaurant before, not that she can’t afford it but because there was no reason for a single lady like her to dine in.
Joey, of course, noticed and backed her up.
“Mind if I take our orders?”
“Sure! Go ahead!”
“Two of your tonight’s special please and a bottle of champagne.”
“Right away, sir! Food will be ready in 30 minutes.” The waiter grabbed the menus and went away.
Joey has been talking to the waiter and while waiting, Ira looked around. Most of the customers in the Secret Garden were couples, and she can’t help but feel amused by the idea that someone might mistake them as couples too.
“So, Ira! Have you been dating?” Joey asked smilingly.
“Huh? What? NO!” she quickly denied.
“I thought you were because I saw you standing outside the building of the Foundry.” Joey sipped on the glass of champagne that the waiter served a minute ago.
“Aaah!” Ira scratched her nape in embarrassment. “My colleague dragged me there so I had no choice but to, you know…”
“That is actually nice! Actually, Eros told me that you have never been in a relationship. Going out on a date will be good for you.”
She didn’t expect to hear that from Joey.
Why are you supportive of this? You shouldn’t! You should be discouraging me.
At some point, Ira couldn’t help but feel down about Joey’s advice. She grabbed her glass and drowned her blues with champagne.
“I’m not really into dating. I’m not comfortable with it.”
“Oh! Is it so? Mmm… how about admirers? Or suitors? Are there any?” Ira gently shook her head. “Seriously? How come no one’s pursuing you? You’re charming, smart, kind, and brave.”
“But I got a bad temper and anger management issues.”
“Psss. Everybody has a temper, and everybody gets angry. Never ever think that you don't deserve love just because you have issues. Having a bad temper is not a disability, and getting angry is not a sin.”
Ira paused. Joey’s words comforted her without realizing it. All her life, she was told to control, to be patient, to cool down, to keep her hands to herself, to stop being angry. The world made her feel she was sick, or bad, or perhaps, rotten. But Joey’s words assured her as a person, that she was fine being someone with a thorn in the flesh.
A slight curve formed in Ira’s lips and uttered the words, “Thank you!”
“Good evening, ma’am and sir!” A waitress approached the two, carrying a tray of cake. “We have a promo for our specialty cakes for dating couples. You’ll get a 30% discount if you’ll buy two slices of our specialty cake.”
“Wow! That could have been great, Miss! But, uhm… we’re not a couple. We’re not dating either.” Joey looked at Ira and smiled to assure her that it’s okay, thinking that she might have felt embarrassed. “She’s actually my younger sister.”
Younger sister!
Younger sister!
Younger sister!
Ira was flustered.