SepSceneWriMo 2022 – Day 3 – Avocado’s extra.

Heidi stepped out of her car in front of I’a at 12.35pm. She was never late, but since it was her first one-on-one date with Otto, she drove around a bit before parking so he could wait for her and not the other way around.

A man wearing flip-flops, cargo shorts, and a V-neck T-shirt pushed his sunglasses onto the top of his head and waved to Heidi.

“He’s a real hottie.” Heidi smiled and waved back. Heather – Heidi’s best friend – introduced him to her a couple of nights prior when they went out as a group; a friend of a friend.

“Sorry I’m late!” Heidi rested her hand on Otto’s left shoulder, briefly touched her right cheek to his, and puckered her lips. “Muah!” she said before pulling away. “Shall we go in?”

Otto would have preferred a real kiss to this air-pretend whatever-it-was, but he didn’t say anything. “Let her think she’s in control.” Heidi was a really pretty girl – a petite brunette with desirable curves. Otto licked his lips and bit his lip. Nothing happened last time they met because they were in a group, but this time they would get some food, go to his place, and take it from there.

“After you,” he said as he opened the door to the poke restaurant.

“So you come here often?” Heidi asked, trying to make conversation as they joined the lunch-rush line. Their chat flowed last time, but it was after Heidi had a few drinks, and this time Heather wasn’t there to step in if the silence got to be uncomfortable.

“Yes! Quite so. The fish is top quality, and so are all the other ingredients. A buddy of mine works here. He will hook us up and make sure you have the most unforgettable date.” Otto winked at Heidi and then waved towards the counter to one of the guys behind it.

“‘The most unforgettable date?’ That was a bit cringe,” Heidi thought but shrugged it off – You almost had to expect a bit of cringe from someone named Otto. She chuckled out loud and had to cough to mask it.

“You OK there? You’ve had poke before, right?” he asked.

“Mhm.” Heidi pushed a lock of golden hair away from her face and smiled. She didn’t want to scare him away too quickly.

“Is it OK if I order for you?” Otto asked once they were almost at the top of the line.

Heidi wasn’t the type of person to let a man order for her, but at the same time, she was curious to see what Otto’s taste was and how much he could figure out about her.

“Whoever I bring here – friends, cousins, siblings – they all love what I get. Trust me.” Otto grabbed Heidi’s hand and looked into her eyes as he said it.

“Does he bring ALL his dates here?” Heidi wondered. Normally, she would have ditched any other guy like that by now, but Heather’s voice in her head was nagging her to stay. ‘You’re too picky. You want to be alone forever?‘

Heidi smiled and nodded. Sometimes that was the best response.

“Pete! My man!” Otto exclaimed once they got to the register. The two exchanged a secret handshake that lasted too long for people in their 30s.

“Who’s this beautiful companion of yours, Ot?” Pete asked, flashing a smile at Heidi.

“She’s stunning. Isn’t she?” Otto introduced Heidi to Pete, and the two exchanged courteous nods. “Can I get the usual? For both of us?”

Heidi fixed her eyes on Pete to see what ingredients he’d put together for ‘the usual.’ She figured that while she could overlook some corn on the poke, she would not allow for pineapple or pomegranate to make its way onto the bowl. “Is Otto the type of guy to pay extra for avocado?“

“He’s getting us the primo stuff. Best cuts of fish,” Otto whispered.

“Sorry, man. This is all we have today.” Pete pointed to the ingredient bar. It’s all really fresh. We got a new delivery this morning.”

“Pete, I can get this at every other poke shop in town. But I come here because you’ve got the good stuff.” Otto said in a scolding tone. “Go. Get. The usual,” he added through gritted teeth.

“Silly me! I forgot that we had some otoro come in, too. My bad. Let me go get it.” Pete bowed out and went out back.

At that point, Heidi was quite disgusted with Otto. That was not how she wanted her man to treat others.

Otto must have noticed the look on her face. “I just want everything to be perfect. You deserve all the best.”

Not long after that, Pete came out with two poke bowls and handed them to Otto. “On the house. Sorry for the misunderstanding.”

“It’s alright, man. I’m just trying to impress a lady and show that I can take care of her.” Otto grinned at Heidi.

She didn’t know what he was expecting, but she definitely wasn’t feeling impressed.

The two men exchanged their goodbyes, and the couple left the store.

“Follow me?” Otto asked as he turned towards his car.

“I think I left my keys in there. I’ll be right back!” Heidi couldn’t help but feel that something was off.

“I’ll check for you.” Otto pushed the food into her hands and dashed into I’a.

Heidi’s phone pinged. “Whatever you do, Sis, don’t eat it! I’ll explain at home.” Heidi’s face fell.

“They’re not there,” Otto announced, coming out of the restaurant.

“Silly me! Sor-ry! They were in my purse. Purses. Am I right?” Heidi waved her keys. “I’ll follow you,” she added before getting into her car.

Stay golden,

***

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