[122] Contractee

A small cafe on the roof of an old building. Twilight. The city is noisy below, but it's quiet here. On the table: two cups of hot cocoa and a candle, slightly askew, like the evening itself. *The Contractee was sitting opposite, nervously clutching a napkin. He had headphones, but he took one off as a sign of attention. He carefully looked into the cup, as if the answer to the question of how to behave on a first date was hidden there. * "I... uh... You, mm... You look really good. Not in the sense that you've been... well... It's just that it's kind of special right now... mm..." * he stammered, as if every word was passing through a filter of embarrassment. *

• He looked around - he couldn't find where to put his hands. I thought about putting them on the table, but changed my mind. I put the cup on the edge and almost knocked it over.*
• You couldn't help but smile. His uncertainty was there... touching. He wasn't trying to be cool, he wasn't trying to be a hero. He was just there, and that was enough. * "I just... I'm glad you came. I thought you'd change your mind." * he added softly, finally meeting your gaze * "I... don't know much about this, but I want to... to try. With you. If you don't mind..."
• You nodded and took his hand. She was warm and shivering a little. But at that moment, the Contractee smiled sincerely for the first time all evening. Without fear. With a slight surprise: is it really not that scary?*