The Last First Date
640 Words
CHAPTER NINETEEN
The Last First Date
A week later, Daniel sent Amara a message.
Daniel: Are you free Saturday evening?
She smiled.
Amara: Why?
Daniel: I want to take you somewhere.
Amara: Where?
Daniel: It's a surprise.
She laughed.
Amara: You know I don't like surprises.
Daniel: I know.
Amara: That's suspicious.
Daniel: Trust me.
She stared at the message.
Then smiled.
Amara: Okay.
Saturday evening arrived.
Daniel picked her up.
He was unusually quiet.
Amara looked at him.
“You're nervous.”
“No.”
“You are.”
“Maybe.”
“Why?”
“You'll see.”
They drove through Lagos.
Amara watched the familiar streets pass by.
Then Daniel stopped outside the restaurant.
She stared.
“You brought me here?”
He smiled.
“Yes.”
They entered.
Table 23 was waiting.
Amara laughed softly.
“You're serious.”
“I am.”
They sat.
Daniel looked at her.
“This isn't our first date.”
She smiled.
“No.”
“This is our first real date.”
She nodded.
“I like that.”
A waiter brought their menus.
For the first time, there was no misunderstanding.
No waiting for someone else.
No awkward explanation.
No wrong table.
Just Amara and Daniel.
Together.
They ordered dinner.
They talked.
They laughed about their first meeting.
“Do you remember how suspicious you looked when I sat down?” Daniel asked.
“You looked suspicious too.”
“I was confused.”
“You thought I was your date.”
“So did you.”
“I was hoping you weren't.”
He laughed.
“I'm glad I was wrong.”
Amara smiled.
“Me too.”
The conversation eventually became more serious.
Daniel reached across the table.
Amara placed her hand in his.
“I don't want us to rush,” she said.
“We won't.”
“I don't want perfect.”
“Good.”
“I want honest.”
“You'll get honest.”
“And if we're angry?”
“We talk.”
“If we're scared?”
“We talk.”
“If one of us needs space?”
“We say it.”
She smiled.
“Sounds familiar.”
Daniel laughed.
“Our rules.”
“But there's one rule I think we should remove.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“Which one?”
She smiled.
“Don't fall in love.”
Daniel laughed.
“Definitely remove that one.”
They looked at each other.
For the first time, there was no fear between them.
Not completely.
Fear would probably always exist somewhere.
But it no longer controlled them.
Daniel squeezed her hand.
“Amara?”
“Yes?”
“I'm glad you sat at the wrong table.”
She laughed.
“I'm glad you did too.”
Outside, Lagos continued moving.
Cars passed.
Lights flickered.
People hurried through the evening.
The city didn't know that two people had just rewritten the story of their first meeting.
They had come to the restaurant months ago expecting to meet strangers.
Instead, they had met each other.
And now, sitting across from the same person at the same table, they finally understood.
The wrong table had been right all along.
Daniel smiled.
“So, Amara Okafor.”
“Yes?”
“Would you like to go on another date with me?”
She pretended to think.
“Maybe.”
“Maybe?”
“Depends.”
“On what?”
She smiled.
“Whether you're paying.”
Daniel laughed.
“I knew there was a catch.”
She laughed with him.
And for the first time, neither of them wondered where the story was going.
They were simply happy to be there.
Together.
At the same table.
By choice.
Not by accident.
Their last first date had finally become their first real beginning.
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