✅ The Last New Start [NaNoWriMo2021]

67. Careful Choice

This chapter is dedicated to Kilian, with thanks for all your support. Thank you!

"Hey, do you think..." Tess started, and then hesitated. The question was still on her mind, but she knew that Spike didn't have an answer. And perhaps more importantly, she didn't want to know. She thought back to the last few minutes, to one of her best friends bailing on going to see a movie with them. She was sure that it had taken longer for Kim to explain what Evan had told her, than for Evan to actually say it. Were their friends trying to set her up with Spike, leaving them alone in the hope that something was more likely to happen then? The whole evening felt like a perfect choreographed dance, and for just a moment Tess had got the impression that someone else's fingers were pulling the strings.

"Think what?" he asked.

Tess didn't want to answer. She couldn't ask if Kim and Evan thought this was a date without considering the question of whether it was, as well as whether she wanted it to be, Whatever it turned out to be.

"Nothing, just my mind wandering."

"Ohh, did it bring back some souvenirs?"

"Maybe. But food first, then presents."

Pasta Buffet was a decent place to get dinner, and a popular choice with anyone who was out of the house and wanted to get something to eat in a hurry. It wasn't what you might call classy or pretentious; a handful of friends could squeeze around a table to get a bowl of pasta or a seriously underrated sharing platter, and bringing someone here for dinner didn't automatically mean you were extra serious about them. But at the same time it wasn't tacky; even the complimentary doughballs were pretty nice.

They found a booth in the back, out of sight of most of the customers. A member of staff glanced over in their direction; some people still preferred full table service if they were celebrating a special occasion. But Tess already had her phone out, and a menu on the screen. As soon as she scanned the weird barcode thing on the corner of the table, the serving staff lost all interest. Presumably the screens at the counter were able to display some indicator when people at a table were currently ordering, and they knew who wouldn't want to be disturbed by a personal touch.

Two people poking at options on one tiny phone screen couldn't help bumping shoulders a little, moving just a little closer together. The app probably wasn't supposed to help make a gathering feel intimate, but it certainly closed the distance between them. In the end they went for a moderately fancy pizza with the new three-cheese braided stuffed crust, a big sharing bowl of crispy chips, and a full selection of 6 dips. The dips were first to arrive, accompanied by the usual bowl of garlic and onion doughballs. That bowl would be topped up at regular intervals until their food was ready, a compensation if anything was taking too long.

"Hold on," Spike said, thinking back for a second. "Don't you normally have to pay for your food? Like, don't they ask for money anymore?"

"Already did. My card's saved in the app, so it's automatic when you press the order button."

"But you can't be paying for mine. We're supposed to–"

"Spike, you know I have the greatest respect for your sense of chivalry, but there's no horses present. The person who has most money available can pay. And I've got the same allowance as ever from my parents, but it goes straight into my bank account now, so I'm not tempted to buy stupid junk every time I have cash in my hands. Not to mention, it's harder to go out when you're on the far side of town from almost everyone. So... my turn."

He opened his mouth, and Tess surprised him into silence by placing a single finger across his lips. It felt good, after the last few weeks, to have a moment where she wasn't the one blushing like a pressure gauge about to explode.

"No arguing. My treat, okay? And speaking of treats... I got you a little something. For your birthday, and for Christmas. Here."

She reached into her bag, and produced a little red fabric pouch, with a pattern that might have been holly leaves. It wasn't neatly wrapped, but there was some tissue paper crumpled up inside to give it some shape.

"You shouldn't have."

"Oh, come on. It's not that bad, is it?"

"I mean..." Spike tried to find the right words, fishing for a second before he saw that Tess was struggling not to laugh. When he couldn't contain his giggles, she joined him pretty quickly. Neither of them was really sure what was so funny, but once they started they couldn't stop. For Tess, that exchange would be on her mind for a few days, memories popping up to torment her when she least expected it. She just couldn't forget how good it felt to say something unexpected, to keep him off-balance. As much as she liked Spike and wanted him to be happy, there was something about his vulnerable face that just made her want to tease him more.

He smiled, and carefully opened the bag. Then he reached inside and fished out the bracelet. He turned it over twice, and turned it around, until he could read the slogan properly. Tess waited, wondering if she had made the right choice, and if he would like it. She'd never been so nervous for any exam, or even when awaiting punishment for some childhood mischief. More than anything now, she wanted to have got this one thing right.

"What Would Daddy Do?" he read, and the smile spread to cover his face like the sun breaking through the clouds. "It's perfect. It's like, supposed to be a joke, but it fits me so well. I think you noticed by now, I always ask myself that. What can I do to be more like Dad, the way I remember him. Thank you, I love it."