SHE

10. The Date

"Hi," Katerina hoped that it wasn't very obvious that she was nervous. Adelaide Demas had this Grecian beauty about her. She had a strong, angular jawline, tanned skin, and auburn hair that reminded her of Aphrodite.

The two of them shook hands, and Katerina sat down opposite of her. Katerina watched as Adelaide's hands shook a little before she rested them on her lap.

Perhaps she was nervous, too.

This made Katerina feel a little better.

She took in a deep breath and turned on her charm, hoping that she would be authentic enough for Adelaide to like her. She was the one to break the ice between the two.

"It's so good to meet you, Adelaide," Katerina smiled, "I haven't been so excited to go on a date in my life."

"Oh, really?"

Katerina wondered if she had said something wrong already. "Yeah," She said, "I was just excited to finally meet someone I had so much in common with."

Adelaide smiled a little. "Actually, same."  That was the most intoxicating grin she'd ever seen. "I uh-- haven't really found someone who had the same interests as me to hang around so this is really cool."

"I'm glad I found you," The two of them got the menues.

If Katerina was being honest, she wasn't sure what to order. She always picked her food choices with the man she would be eating with. She couldn't do this right now.

Be yourself, Katerina thought.

But who was she really?

These were all questions she couldn't answer right now. She was floundering.

*

    Adelaide felt like she was getting a little more comfortable as the date went on. She had felt a little bit less tense, knowing that Katerina was a little nervous.

   It made her feel a little more secure in herself, knowing the two of them were in the same boat. The awkwardness of the situation broke up eventually. Adelaide learned that Katerina was a painter. She worked with acrylics and oils, usually in the surrealist genre. She talked about painting with a sparkle in her eye that could make anyone's heart melt.

   Adelaide was instantly fascinated with her.

   Despite the fact that she was clueless about half of the stuff she was talking about. She could listen to her talk about art for hours. She knew that she needed to talk about herself, though.

   She kept it light. Adelaide wasn't a fan of talking about personal information. Even dating was way out of her comfort zone, but she was trying something new.

   She had been told many times that she needed to get more out there.

   Well--here she was, getting more out there. Adelaide told Katerina a little about where she lived, her favorite bookstore, and her book deal. Katerina seemed interested in everything she had to say.

   Overall, it was a productive date.

   She left feeling satisfied.