The Dinner Date

"Seven o'clock, right on time!" Thomas said, holding out his hand to the girl walking up to him in a royal blue dress.
"Hi Thomas, I'm Darby," she said, shaking the young man's hand. She admired his short wavy brown hair and striking blue eyes. He was dressed very sharply in dark jeans and an olive green dress shirt.
"It's very nice to meet you, Darby. I'm so glad Harris sent me your number, I've loved our text conversations."
"Me too," Darby said with a little smile. She motioned to the restaurant behind them. "Have you been here before?"
"Oh yeah, lots of times. Everything here is really good. Let's go in, it's getting chilly out here," Thomas suggested. He lead Darby across the sidewalk and held the door open for her. They were greeted by a hostess who seated them in the middle of the room at a table for two.
"Your server will be with you in a moment. Enjoy," she said with a smile, and walked away.
 Darby looked around the room. The floor was covered in a dark red carpet while bright detailed pictures of flowers hung on the walls. Gentle music played over the speakers blending with the low hum of conversation. Several other couples sat around her and Thomas talking with each other in between bites of food.
 "This is nice," Thomas said, settling into his chair. "I haven't been out in a while. Work's got me staying late almost every day now."
 "Oh yes, Harris said you work at a law firm. That must be exciting."
 "Not as much as you would think," Thomas chuckled. "It's mostly paperwork and listening to bossy lawyers order me around. But it's good money and pays for a nice apartment."
 "That's great," Darby said.
 "What do you do for a living?"
 "I am sort of in between jobs right now," Darby answered. "I babysat for this family a couple times but then I had to quit."
 "Oh that's too bad. What happened?"
  Before Darby could explain, a young woman with blonde hair in slacks and a white shirt approached their table and set down a menu in front of each of them.
  "Hi, my name is Molly and I will be your waitress this evening. Can I bring you some drinks?"
  "I will start with some ice water," Thomas answered. "And the lady can have whatever she likes. This meal is on me," he said with a wink at Darby. Molly looked at her, pen and paper ready.
 "I have heard of a drink called a Bloody Mary. Can you tell me what's in that?"
 "Of course ma'am. We make ours with tomato juice, vodka and lemon juice."
 Darby nodded and looked at Molly expectantly as if she had left some ingredient out.
 "Would you like me to bring you one?"
Darby sighed.
"No thank you, I will just have what he is having." Molly nodded and walked away to fill their drink order.
"So what do you like to do for fun?" Thomas asked, picking us his menu and scanning the pages. "Have you been to the beach a lot this summer?"
 Darby shook her head.
"I'm more of an indoor person," she said, twirling a lock of hair around her finger. "Though sometimes I like to go on late night walks."
"That's very romantic. Perhaps we can take one after dinner. My apartment is only a couple of blocks away. I can make you a Bloody Mary there if you'd like."
  Darby smiled sweetly.
"That's very nice. I will definitely keep that in mind."
"What are you going to order?" Thomas asked. "I think I will have a steak."
  Darby looked at the list of foods on the menu remembering how much she used to enjoy steak and chicken and hamburgers.
"I'm not too hungry. I think I will just order a salad."
"Are you sure?" Thomas asked. "Like I said, it's all on me. You can get whatever you like."
  Molly came up to the table again just then with two glasses of ice water.
"Have you two decided on an entrée?"

  Darby listened to Thomas discuss the ups and downs of working at a law firm for what seemed like an eternity. Finally Molly arrived back at the table with a tray holding two plates. She set a steak in front of Thomas and a salad on Darby's side of the table.
  "And here is your silverware," she finished, setting down a fork and knife wrapped in a white cloth napkin.
  "Silver?" Darby asked nervously looking wide eyed at the napkin next to her hand.
  Molly giggled.
  "It's not real silver, ma'am. We are not quite that fancy. Let me know if you need anything else," she said, and walked away.
  Darby carefully unfolded the napkin and looked down at her utensils.
 "Are you ok? How is your food?" Darby looked up at Thomas and back down at her plate. It had been years since she had tasted a salad. Cautiously she reached for her fork and held her breath till her hand was safely and painlessly wrapped around it.
 "Man this steak is amazing," Thomas chimed in. Darby looked over at his plate where a large piece of meat sat marinated in spices. Thomas stabbed the top of it with his fork and juices mixed with blood oozed out. Darby licked her lips.
 "I know some people like their meat well done but I prefer my dinner still be bleeding. How about you?"
 "Oh yes," Darby said emphatically. Thomas looked up.
 "How is your salad?"
Darby noticed her hand was still on the fork but she had not taken a bite yet.
 "Oh it's...great," she said, absentmindedly, staring at the blood from Thomas's steak that was mixing in with its seasoning to make a brownish red puddle on his plate.
"So anyway, I'm pretty sure if I keep going at the rate I'm at, I can make partner one day," Thomas told Darby. She rolled her eyes and dug her fork roughly into her salad.

  After they left the restaurant, Darby and Thomas walked hand in hand down the sidewalk.
"Are you sure you didn't want to take the rest of your salad home? It looked really good."
"Yes, I wasn't too hungry. But I enjoyed that restaurant, it was a great choice."
"I am glad you liked it. We can go back any time you'd like, my treat," he said, gently squeezing her hand.
"That would be nice," Darby said, hoping her voice sounded genuine.
"Here's my building right here," Thomas said, pulling her quickly to the right. They walked up five steps to a red brick building and Thomas entered a code in a keypad by the door.
"I'm on the fourth floor. You want to come up?"
  Darby shrugged.
"Why not?"
  She followed Thomas down the hallway to the elevator which opened at the press of a button and carried them swiftly up to the fourth floor. Stepping out of the elevator, Thomas lead her down the hallway to a door marked 416.
  Thomas dug in his pocket and pulled out a key ring.
 "I'm lucky to afford this place. It's a great building, nice neighbors. Though one of the girls on my floor got her keys taken by some crazy kid on a skateboard last week."
 Thomas turned the key in the lock, pushed the door open and walked in. Darby moved to follow him but was stopped in the doorway, pushed back as if by an invisible hand.
"Do you want a drink? I can make a-"Thomas stopped as he turned around and noticed his date was still in the hallway.
"Are you coming?" Darby tried to step forward again but was still pushed back.
She put on a pouty face and folded her arms. "That's not a very welcoming invitation," she huffed. He laughed and leaned against the door frame.
"Darby, would you please come into my apartment? You are most warmly invited."
Darby stepped forward again and this time nothing held her back. Thomas shut the door behind her and motioned to the couch.
"Please have a seat. Would you like a Bloody Mary? I think I have some vodka in the freezer."
"No thank you, Thomas. I would love to just relax with you."
  Thomas smirked and sat down next to his date slowly putting his arm around her.
"I had a really good time tonight," he said looking into Darby's eyes. He moved his face closer to her till his lips rested on her cheek. He planted a soft kiss and worked his way down to her neck.
"I would love to take you out again. Take you shopping and you can get whatever you want. I can afford it."
  Darby rolled her eyes. What was he trying to prove?
"Do you like this?" he asked, leaving a trail of kisses down her neck.
"I loved it," Darby said in a breathy voice. "I would love to...return the favor."
"Oh yeah?" Thomas asked with a spark in his eye. He unbuttoned the top button of his dress shirt and pulled down the collar.
"I'm all yours, beautiful," he said, leaning back against a couch pillow. Darby turned to face him and ran her tongue hungrily over her teeth.
"Alright then. Let me show you what I like to do to necks."