Chapter Text
The inside air of the restaurant / bar was making the windows white. Asa tried to come closer to the window, in hope of seeing if Anthony was indeed inside, trying to avoid the potential embarrassment of coming and walking out alone. But the air was too condensed and he gave up. He definitely had to go inside to check for himself.
It had been a while since he had been on the date. Recently life had been busy. Especially with starting his new job at Derek’s bookshop. He had not even had the time to go out and try those cute little cafés and restaurants he passed by everyday.
As Asa entered, he was welcomed by a nice ambient sound of the kitchen, people chattering, happy and celebrating the end of the week. He took a breath in and hummed positively at the smell. Well, if Anthony was not here, he would still have picked a nice place to get stood out or he could eventually transform it into a nice culinary experience. Nothing like eating your feelings. That was at least it.
He walked, his hands clenched together in this unsure manner of walking of his, looking at people sitting comfortably. Still no sight of him. Asa was nervously starting to feel his bowtie around his neck and sweat dripping in his back, his outside coat still on.
“Oi!”, he heard. Following naturally the voice with his head, he saw Anthony get up and smile at him across the short distance. Asa was not immune to the sight: he had taken care of picking the nicest table by the windows, with a view on the growing plants. Some end of day light was getting inside and laid on Anthony’s hair, reviving its ginger past glory.
When Asa finally walked to him by their table, he was out of breath, without knowing really why.
“You came!”
Asa opened his mouth, he had stolen his line.
“Well, I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”, he replied, smiling softly without realizing the weight of his words. “I mean-”, he started, wanting to correct himself, “Well, you know what, I meant what I said”.
Anthony eyebrows got even higher on his face, but definitely in a not displeased manner.
“Right. As I.”
Asa opened his menu, trying to conduct the discussion elsewhere or he would be definitely too out of breath to even speak. And for the love of God, he would need to speak, especially if Anthony kept making him nervous. He tended to get chatty when he was nervous.
“Have you picked something to eat?” he asked, genuinely wondering. After all, Anthony had been waiting as he had said, he couldn’t have been doing much more than read the menu. That is what he thought before his eyes finally drifted on the table and noticed, pushed on the side, the book he had found for him in the bookshop. Asa could feel his cheeks blush. According to the bookmark, he had read one third of the book already.
Thankfully, Anthony was distractedly trying to read the menu, squirting before realizing he had put his glasses at the top of his head and not on his nose. Maybe he was as absentminded as him, which would make a terribly cute but dysfunctional pair of them. Then, Anthony continued reading, tapping a rhythm with his finger, humming something. Asa took the occasion to look at him in detail. He was quite attractive, at least to his standards. And he seemed…kind. Which was better than anything else, really.
“I don’t know yet”, he said with space in between his words, “but as for the drink, could I tempt you with some Chateauneuf-du-Pape? Sounds pretty French to me.”
“Jolly good!”
Now it was Anthony’s turn to take over the advantage of his date looking at his menu to smile fondly, perhaps too fondly for a second meeting. But who else used those words nowadays? Apparently Asa did, and of course he would. He moved in such a passionate manner, using his hands, intonation and many facial expressions. His whole body was moving as he was saying something Anthony was not quite grasping. Maybe that is why he was a bookseller, he thought. He was talking like he was telling a fascinating story, while he was just speaking about wine with a terrible French accent for their names. Gosh, was he already smitten? Was it too late for him? Maybe it had since he walked into the bookshop. Bugger.
As Asa was finishing his monologue, Anthony saved his empty glass from falling as he hit it with a grand arm gesture without noticing. And all Anthony could do was feel something warm buzzing in his chest. Asa had been, all his life, reprimanded for being clumsy with his space awareness. Particularly when he felt nervous, his whole body seemed to move in unexpected ways, without his knowing. But Anthony couldn't seem to mind it.
“Have you chosen gentlemen?” asked a waitress, cutting Asa short. Anthony hadn’t even had the time to read the first page yet.
“I’ll have whatever he has”, was Anthony's solution. He then closed and gave his menu to the waitress. She made a curious “O” expression and nodded.
“And I’ll have the egg galette, thank you.”
The waitress went away and another one came before both could open the conversation again. She lit a candle on the table.
“For your date.”
Both men stayed quiet and smiled, blushing a bit. So that was really it, that was really what was happening. An actual date.
“I see you’ve started the book!”
“Yes! Yes I have, it’s captivating.”
“I’m am delighted then. Sorry again about your book.”
“‘S alright, really.”
“I don’t know why it has been there for so long, I’ve given it a quick look earlier today, you’re really passionate about the subject, it’s quite…drawning, to keep reading I mean.”
And he was not lying when Asa had said ‘a quick look’. He had spent most of his time with the book reading the biography part and the small picture it had of Anthony on it. A bit younger. He wondered if they would have still talked to each other if they had met 10 years ago.
And little did Anthony know that this morning, when Derek came in, he surprised Asa twenty minutes before the opening of the shop relocating shelves, sweating through his shirt, bringing the astrology section nearer the showcase with three tabs on the shop’s computer opened, searching how to order more books of A. J. Crowley and other astronomical related subjects. Derek sighed but kept quiet. Everyone had had their folly while in love. Even though Asa did not seem to notice how that was unusual to do for someone you met (only) once.
“My- that’s the most kind review I’ve had from my book. Usually I get a ‘dull but clever’ kind of comment.”
“Well, it’s because they don’t know you.”
“Is that so?” asked jokingly Anthony.
Both of them maintained eye contact, even though Asa was threatening to break it, he wanted to look away so badly, he felt the tension build up and his mind was still on the flight mode. As the waitress poured them the wine, Anthony finally was the one to look away. He thanked the waitress and took his glass in hand.
“To what do we toast?”
“To the world then, for bringing us closer” replied Anthony. Again with his soft smile. Asa felt his shoulders loosen up and a smile so big that he could almost see his cheeks with his own eyes.
“To the world, to us” he said, clinking their glass together.
“You look quite smart, with your bowtie, I’m afraid I’m underdressed.” commented Anthony after taking a first sip. He smelled the wine and looked for a pleased expression from Asa as he finished tasting it too.
Anthony remembered earlier that day, how he ran to his bike after his last lecture to go home and proceeded to switch with three different fits, considering each one before going back to the first one. It had been a while since he had felt as foolish as now. It was a welcoming feeling but at the same time, was he not too old to feel so self-conscious about his appearance? That is how he survived the last look in his hallway mirror before exiting his place.
“Oh thank you, I was debating if the bowtie was a bit much or whether it wasn't.”
“I like it. ' Suits you”
Asa almost drowned in his own drink. That was flirty. He feared now he was not ready for it. And their plates had not even arrived yet. How was he supposed to survive the whole evening? At the same time, a thrill went down his spine. It was going pretty well as for now, at least he thought so.
“What about you, what are you reading now? At least it's my guess that you are.”
“Oh, well I went back to a comfort reading of mine. I’m rereading the Iliad.”
Anthony snorted and Asa gave him a worried look.
“Sorry, it’s not everyone that says that the Iliad is a comfort reading. Quite bloody if I remember correctly”
“You’ve read it?!” asked Asa excitedly.
“A long time ago, I don’t remember much really. Now it’s more astronomic papers and researches that take all my reading time.”
“I see. I hope you like it enough.”
“Yes, yes I do.”
“For my part, I like the Iliad because it's a bit like a founding father’s book of occidental writing. It simply has everything: war, love, physical and moral conflicts, and it’s beautifully written too. I did a bachelor in history before majoring in English literature. It just puts everything I enjoy together.”
“Oh, so you were also a history major, what made you change?”
As Asa talked, Anthony listened carefully, refilling their glasses when needed to. When their plate arrives, they ate their delicious food, unsure if it was the food itself that tasted as scrumptious or if it was the company. But most of all, the conversation was going smoothly back and forth while both of them sank comfortably in their seats. People were coming and going in the restaurant, but they were still there, after God knew how long.
When a waiter came eventually for the bill, they both grew quiet, looking at the small paper. This moment was over and they had no more excuses to extend their time together. And they were not ready to go yet. Not after such a wonderful time.
“Can I pay for you?”
“No, it’ll be too much!”
“How about I pay the bill and you pay for the wine.”
Anthony was glued to his chair. If this was not a coincidence, he did not know what it was. Asa unconscientiously quoted one of his favorite Queen’s songs to him, without even knowing. Not to get it wrong, he was a strong believer of Free Will and a Godless universe, but sometimes, signs could not be overlooked like that. Even for him.
“And, uh, you could pay next time.” added Asa, breaking eye contact three times in the same span of seconds. Anthony was making him feel bold. He was not disliking that.
Anthony blushed, looked at the table and recoiled in his seat, leaving the place to Asa who got the sign and searched for his wallet.
When they got up and walked out of the restaurant, Asa held the door for Anthony. They were now walking towards Anthony's parking place for his car. Sadly, it was not far away.
“This is your car?” inquired Asa, more surprised than anything else.
“Yep.”
“You’re quite the vintage man yourself then, I see.”
“It’s like we were made for each other”, added Anthony, giving his date a wink he was not ready to forget.
But despite his burning heart, a small chill still made Asa shiver. The sun was now set and the streets grew colder as night came in.
“Well, this is it now.”
“Yes it is.”
They stood in front of each other, not wanting to move, but Asa's involuntary rubbing of hands sounded like a bell indicating that their time today was over.
“Though I do hope you’ll let me get your phone number this time, before disappearing.” Joining his words, Asa took his cellphone from his inside pocket. It was warm in between Anthony’s hands.
“There you go.” His hand accidentally (or so Anthony would say in his defense) brushed Asa’s hands as he gave him back his cellphone. “Your hands are cold! I could drive you, if you’d like.”
Asa was left speechless for a while. As an English major and bookseller, he was not immune to the involuntary reference. He had watched the Pride and Prejudice movie adaptation (2005) a dozens of times (the book of course was superior to all of its adaptation, but he still liked them, they were fun) and Anthony, the most fun, beautiful and clever astronomy teacher (which was quite fancy on top of it all) he had ever had the chance to get to know, just quoted involuntarily a line from this adaptation to him. He was what one could call starstruck.
Once he got out of this rêverie, he remembered he still had to answer.
“That’s very kind of you, but that’ll do for tonight, thank you.”
“Right. Then it’s goodnight.”
“I guess it is.”
Without knowing how it happened, it happened. Quite awkwardly, they both went towards each other. Was it supposed to be a hug, a kiss or a handshake? None of them knew but it resulted in some kind of kiss on the cheek. Anyway, they were way too much on a fluffy cloud to notice the embarrassment of the situation.
“I’ll text you.”
“You better,” replied Anthony, laughing quite uncontrollably at the situation.
“Bye!”
And Anthony watched him go, as the streetlights turned on for the night.