different diner
She’s beautiful and similar to Bethany’s brief description, she has light pink wavy hair down to her back. She’s wearing a red dress that screams wealth, but it compliments Bethany’s style so I like it. Not to mention her brown eyes, deep beige skin highlighted in the dim lights of the restaurant, perfectly manicured nails, and the way she sits. Straight back, hands folded together as she grazes the menu. She’s also chubby, and I guess Bethany has a type. “Oh my god- She’s gorgeous.” Somehow, we held hands, and then she let go, her soft warm brown hands leaving mine. I was content- watching again. It was peaceful, the way she went up to her, stuttered out her name and compliments that she didn’t mean to. I swore she was about to trip over her feet before she sat down. Beauty. That’s true beauty.
I make my way over to their table even if I feel like an intrusion. “Yeah, I’m not that punctual, sorry- Oh, my roommate, Y/n!” She pauses, looking over to me. She takes in my appearance, but like someone last night, she didn’t dare look at my scars for too long. It’s like I don’t have a red fragile label stamped on my body repeatedly. Instead, I’m normal for once. “It’s nice to meet you, Y/n. I’m Suna Lucy, but please call me Lucy.” I hum, reaching forward to shake her outstretched hand. Tiny callouses, I notice, and just like that last name, she reminds me of him. “It’s nice to meet you too, Lucy. Um… Not to sound anxious or anything, but is the other half of this date here?” She nods, a big smile splitting her lips. “Over by the bar. He gets nervous easily when meeting pretty strangers~” She aimlessly points to the bar, and I can tell she doesn’t want to take her attention away from Bethany for one moment. “He’d love to meet you.” I hum, nodding. “Thanks, Lucy.” “No problem.” She wants to keep talking with Bethany, I note, watching as adoration swirls in her brown eyes. That’s what Bethany deserves, someone who loves just as much as her, loves her the way she’s always wanted; needed. I leave.
The bar is only seconds away, and I can’t help but drink in all the interior. There’s a tiny red carpet being led up the two steps and the jazz is vibrating against the floors here, fewer people talking, instead admiring. Everything is calming, enchanting here. I glance over at the bar, no one sitting there, just a bartender making a random drink. I sigh, thinking about all the dates I didn’t go on. There wasn’t a lot, maybe one with a girl I wanted. But that was it, any more I turned down in fear of the joke. I wasn’t popular in college or high school, and if I looked like this, not always feeling like a woman, it made dating a joke. So I would be the joke. I’m not a joke anymore.
I make it to the bar, sitting down in a set when the bartender looks at me, up and down. Somehow he doesn’t stare at the scars either. Maybe I misjudge people too much. Or they’re fading. Did I even do it? Stop. Please stop thinking for once. “A drink?” I blink, swallowing and nodding. “Mar..tini?” He smiles, quickly getting the drink ready for me. But he doesn’t stop talking to me. “Have you had a perfect martini before?” I shake my head, feeling my body heat from the obviousness. “It’s okay, it’s a bit strong, can you take it?” I think he’s flirting with me, also, I’m me. “Yeah. What, you think I can’t? He shakes his head. He’d hold up his hands if he wasn’t pouring something. “Never said that… However, if you told me your name I could know your tolerance.” I raise a brow, light humor decorating my mind. “Really?” He hums. “It’s a bartender’s secret.” I shrug, giving in. It’s not like my date was coming. “Y/n.” He nods, exaggerated. “Ahh, I see.” I can’t help the smile on my lips, elbows bracing me as I lean forward. “What does that tell you?”
“That you’re the prettiest person on this planet.” My face shows shock. “Wow, smooth.” He snickers, uttering thanks as he hands me my drink. “Do you want to know mine?” I shrug. “Shoot.” “Daniel.” My Daniel. My old Daniel would laugh and mockingly ask me out, preparing me for some dumb circumstances like a grizzly bear attack. This Daniel had pale skin, a wide bone structure, brown eyes, and deep black hair. He’s told me that I’m pretty, and I can’t help but long for my Daniel. My lost Daniel. I lost my Daniel. The one person who stuck by my side was not mine anymore. “Y/n?” I inhale, I could almost see the way he’d avoid me in the halls, but then at lunch, we’d find each other. “Sorry,” I try to smile out, “It’s nice to meet you-” Someone sits next to me as I say the name. “Daniel…”
He’s perfect. A regular black and white shirt somehow fits his tall and muscular body better than anyone ever could. I watch his eyes flicker for a second, to my eyes then my shoulders. Then he watches my eyes. We watch each other and wait for one to look away first.
We both do.
I pick up the martini from the thin glass middle. It reminds me of a wine glass but short and seemingly fragile. It reminds me of what I was. I was easily broken. “Nice to meet you too-” “My drink?” The bartender holds his breath, then nods quickly. “Yes, sir, sorry.” There’s tension, I think, as he and I look at each other before glancing away. “Um…” I’m the first to speak, it’s new. “Thank… thank you for yesterday.” He blinks at me, and I swear he’s bored, I’ve bored him and I barely know him. But then there’s a quirk to the corner of his lips, I know that I’m overthinking. “I liked yesterday, L/n. There’s no need to thank me for enjoying your company.” I wonder who my date is supposed to be because I hope more than life that it’s him.
I tap my martini glass as I set it down. It’s stronger than I was expecting, but I had a high tolerance for alcohol, somehow. “So, what are you doing here?” The bartender set his drink on the counter, moving away quickly. That’s something Daniel wouldn’t do. He’d stay and force himself into the conversation, blatantly ignoring the fact that Suna would want space. Because he loved to annoy people in a family way. He had a good family. “I… am on a double date.” He pauses, inspecting me from the corner of his eye. “Funny, I am too.” I hum, but I don’t want to know if he’s the one I’m supposed to meet. If he is, I fear something in me will mess it up. I don’t want to mess this up. I don’t know what this is though. “Coincidence.” He hums, setting his glass down, a little smile hitting his lips. “Yeah, but I almost didn’t come.” I raised a brow. “I figured. You don’t seem like the type to like these things.” He rolled his eyes. “You don’t seem like the type either.”
I smacked my lips, nodding. “I hate going out to places, especially tiny fancy ones. But I’d do it for my roommate. I’d do it for any friend.” He watches me again. “I thought you’d say that. I’m more doing it for my family.” My brows furrow, throwing a skeptical glance his way. “Isn’t that the same thing? You’re one weird man.” He lets out a chuckle. “No, when I say family, I mean my blood relatives. They’re always on me about getting married and settled down… Don’t know how I feel about it.” I nod. “Yeah, I just think things should flow. As long as someone is faithful, it’s enough for me.” He repeats, “Yeah, I thought you’d say that.” My brows furrow again, watching him gulp down his drink, raising it to the bartender. “What?” He glances my way, Daniel already making another drink. “What?”
He’s hard to read, but there’s something I can see. It’s akin to ease. I think he’s enjoying talking to me. I hope he is. “Don’t what me back, Suna. I want to know what you mean by that. You’re repeating it like you know me.” “But I do.” I shoot him a glance, and then I realize, we have met before- Before I left college, he was there, and we were there together. Maybe one of us was in the background, but we were there together. Dying from our own stupidity.