Magic Touch

Chapter 21 - Date Nerves

Only when she returned to her apartment after work Kate truly realized what she had agreed to.

She slumped onto the couch in her darkened apartment and placed her hands over her face with a groan. What in the world had she been thinking? Dating Rose was going to be way riskier than simple chitchat. Even so, her cheeks heated up at the mere thought of spending an evening with the woman.

Conflicting thoughts were racing through her head. Did she even stand a chance at keeping the truth away from Rose in the face of such close interaction? How could she make their date a good one? Which of her patients were sickest and should be re-scheduled first? What about makeup? How many high-risk cases could she afford to take back for the time being? Would she be better off wearing an evening dress or something more casual? Was now the time she was supposed to make a panic call and cancel the whole arrangement?

In the end, she instead opted for a panic call to her parents. Since she had advanced to the point of planing a date she felt that she could talk to them about her love troubles without bringing up the magic part. Any anxiety she showed could handily be excused as date nerves.

She waved for her phone which floated out of her pocked and gently landed in the palm of her hand, only realizing she had magicked it there after the fact. That was one reason she never invited people over - in her own space she used magic so often that she frequently did it out of habit rather than any conscious thought. She called Bean because his number was the first on her list.

While she waited for him to pick up the questions in her head only multiplied. Could you date someone without ever letting them into your apartment? Kate knew of some couples who lived separately. Was an occasional visit still mandatory? Could it be avoided by making her apartment sound like a nasty place? Would Rose dislike her if she did that? She felt relieved when Bean picked up and the stream of additional questions stopped, temporarily at least.

"Kate! It's rare for you to be calling these days."

"Hey." She smiled at hearing his voice. It was strange that such a simple thing could feel so reassuring. "Actually, I need a bit of advice. Is now a good time?"

"Of course. Your timing is great, I just caught a leaf man in the driveway."

Strange mental images were taking shape in Kate's head until she realized that he had to be talking about his phone game, Monster Find. Bean continued, undeterred by her lack of response.

"I'd absolutely have answered the phone if I were still in the middle of it though! I couldn't leave my little Kate hanging."

That had her frowning, even though she knew Bean wouldn't be able to see it. It wasn't that she hated it, but they did refer to her as little so often that it grated on her if she was stressed. "I'm a grown woman, when are you two going to act the part?"

Bean chuckled in response. "I know, but you're always going to be our little girl regardless of what happens. That's just how being a parent works. Now, what's ailing you?"

She heaved a sigh. "So, I've got a date."

"A date? That's wonderful news. You're not sure what to do about this one though. Or just not confident."

"Essentially, yes." She flopped onto her side on the couch. Stressful talk was easier to manage from a comfy position, she found. "The thing is, I'm not sure if she's going to like me."

"Not like you?" Bean's pitch rose. "Of course she likes you, otherwise you wouldn't be going on a date!"

Kate bit her lower lip in frustration. The sting of pain helped focus her thoughts. That wasn't what she'd meant, but she couldn't blame him for not being a mind reader. "No, not that. What I'm trying to say is," she trailed off, searching for words. "I'm not sure if she's going to like everything about me. Or if I even want her to know everything."

Of course she didn't want her to know everything. Even her parents didn't know everything. Her chest tightened as a sting of negative emotion shot through her. She hated having to lie about it, yet that was the only sensible option she knew.

"Does she have to know everything?" Bean's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "I think we all have less flattering sides we'd rather not show if given the choice. Do you tell us everything about your life? I don't think so."

Kate's breath caught in her throat and nausea spread through her gut. Had they figured it out?

"And that's completely natural," Bean continued, clearly unaware of her reaction. "It's up to you to choose which parts of your life you want to share with others. I'd rather you be comfortable than that we dragged every little fact out of you." He sighed. "Have you seen some of the parents today? What they're doing isn't parenting, it's surveillance."

"Um," Kate mumbled, her dazed mind unable to put together a more eloquent response. Did he know or did he not? At this rate she couldn't be sure about either option. Still, it seemed like a response in her favor. She resolved to push that worry away for the time being and focus on the Rose problem.

She took a moment to compose her thoughts before she spoke. "I'm not sure if I could handle it. I fear I might end up telling her things and regret it later."

"That's an understandable worry. Keep in mind that you don't owe her anything. There's no need to give out your life story on the first date. Focus on the moment, the atmosphere. Ask questions about her. You may find that you don't have to say much at all."

"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks." A smile had returned to her lips. Bean's suggestion sounded like a workable plan.

"Remember, no matter how much you might feel that you like her in that moment, there's no reason to do things you would regret. Just focus on being comfortable."

"Yeah, I think I will." She snuggled into one of the couch pillows. Bean's words were doing wonders for her stress levels. "Thank you for hearing me out. I think I'm going to be okay now."

"That's great to hear. And Kate, one last thing."

"Yes?" Her eyebrows rose as she was unsure what to expect.

"Have a great date."