anwhile, in the backseat of the car, Penny sat quietly on one side while Zoren occupied the other. Ever since they got in, there had been nothing but pure silence. She could hear their own breaths echoing in the confined space.
"Have you ever been on a date before?" he suddenly asked, breaking the silence.
"No," she replied quickly.
"You’ve never had a boyfriend?"
"No."
"I see."
Silence descended once more, prompting Penny to secretly pinch the bridge of her nose. She had acted differently when she parted from Zoren yesterday, but now her strong side was taking charge, whether she wanted it to or not.
’This isn’t a business deal,’ she chided herself silently. ’He’s clearly trying to start a conversation. Don’t try to kill the conversation before it even starts!’
But why did he have to start with that line of questioning? She felt a little defensive because of it.
"I’m glad to hear that," Zoren said, catching her peeking at him.
Deep lines ford on her forehead as she noticed the slight curl of his lips. He was looking straight ahead, yet she couldn’t shake the feeling that he could see her.
"My first date is with a blind man," she blurted out, not regretting her comnt. "Have you been on a date before?"
"Many tis," he replied. Her expression twisted with his answer. "I was on a date the day you followed . Do you rember?"
"And it ended so quickly," she remarked. "I pity her."
"I pity her too."
"Then why end the date so abruptly if you pity her?"
"Because prolonging it when I know she’s not the one I’m looking for would be cruel," he answered calmly. "Ti is precious, don’t you think? If you’re not interested, why waste their ti?"
"If you care about their ti so much, you shouldn’t have asked them on a date in the first place."
"Then, I wouldn’t know if I’m interested or not," he argued back calmly. "I hope you do not hate for it."
"Why would I hate you for it?" Penny chuckled, shaking her head. "How long do you think this date will last?" she quipped.
"Until I ss up and you end up splashing with a glass of water?" Zoren shrugged, making her bite her lip to stifle a laugh. "But one thing’s for sure, it’ll set a record."
"A record?"
He nodded. "The longest date I’ll ever have."
"If that’s a complint, I’m flattered," she returned with a smirk. "Don’t ss it up, Mr. Pierson."
He chuckled softly. "I’ll try."
’Goodness,’ Penny thought, pressing her lips together and clearing her throat, feeling more relaxed in his presence now. ’I don’t know if he’s funny or I just laugh because I like him.’
The earlier awkwardness between them had dissipated, replaced by a sense of peace. Even in silence, they both felt at ease.
"Where are you taking ?" she asked, casting a sidelong glance at him.
"Would you be mad if I said it’s a surprise?"
"Try ."
"You’ll find out when we get there."
Penny chuckled briefly. "Fine. But you should know, I don’t like surprises."
"Neither do I, usually. But there are exceptions, I believe," Zoren replied, his eyes now focused on the passing scenery outside, a subtle smile still on his lips. "We’ll get there, eventually."
"Mhm." Penny casually gazed out her window, watching the roadside scenery pass by. She blinked slowly, then a question slipped out before she could stop it. "Why was your date plus-sized that day?"
His eyebrows lifted as he glanced at her, finding her still staring out the window on her side. "I was searching for soone, and I thought if I dated all the plus-sized won in the world, I might eventually find her."
’Fool,’ she thought to herself. "May I ask who she is?"
"A past lover."
This ti, Penny looked back at him incredulously. By the ti she did, he was already looking at her.
"Kidding," he chuckled gently. "Did that make you jealous?"
Penny scrunched her nose in dismay. ’Why would I be jealous of myself?’
"I have a friend who ans the world to ," Zoren shared, turning his gaze back to the window, a soft, warm smile on his face. "When I was a child, trapped in a dark tunnel with no way out, she appeared out of nowhere in that darkness. Even without a light to see her way, she took my hand and guided out."
"She’s a bit plump and eats a lot. So, I thought of looking for her in that plus-sized group first." His voice softened as he thought of Penny in his mories. "I made a promise to her, and I intended to keep it. But, even I grow tired and impatient waiting for her. So, I thought I’d be a little proactive. Maybe, if I put in so extra effort, we’d eventually et."
Penny fell silent as she stared at his profile, an indescribable emotion welling up inside her. She didn’t know how to feel in that mont — touched, sad, angry? Would she cry and tell him the wait was over?
’I shouldn’t have lost so much weight,’ she reminded herself, recalling why she had been reluctant to lose too much weight. After all, he had asked her not to lose any weight before.
"She sounds very important to you," she finally said, forcing a smile and watching him nod.
"She ans everything to ."
"Now I feel jealous," she joked lightly, trying to lighten the mood, hearing his soft chuckle in response. "So, I guess you didn’t find her since you asked out?"
This ti, Zoren didn’t respond imdiately. Instead, he took a mont to gaze out the window, as if lost in thought. When his smile grew wide, he turned to face her squarely.
His thick lashes fluttered softly. Zoren stared into her eyes deeply, as if he could see right through her. His gaze carried such intensity, that one might wonder if he truly had vision problems.
"I did," he whispered, his voice low and cool, his dark eyes shining. "I... found her."
Reviews
All reviews (0)