Matt — Mail Jeevas [10]

Matt had finally decided to take you to a restaurant, a rather elegant one for some reason. You were walking a couple of steps behind Matt as the waiter guided you through the spaces between the already occupied tables. Matt was walking with his hands in his pockets, his eyes darting between the carpet and you. It was clear he didn't have his game console with him because his thumbs were moving anxiously. Suddenly, he stopped in the middle of the aisle, blocking the way for an elderly couple.

—"Listen, I can't take it anymore. My stamina is running out just thinking about this..."

He said, turning abruptly to face you. His eyes, hidden behind his glasses, seemed fixed on yours with a seriousness that Matt rarely displayed.

—"I've been planning this for weeks. I wanted to tell you somewhere where the food didn't come in a cardboard box. I like you. A lot. You're my dynamic duo, the six of my seven."

He said it with an expression that might have seemed dramatic and odd on his face if he weren't wearing his glasses, waiting for your response. Barely ten seconds passed as you felt the embarrassment that he'd said such a thing in a place like this. The waiter cleared his throat, and Matt broke out in a cold sweat. Your silence made him nervous. Without warning, the drama took hold of him, and he clutched his chest, taking a step back as if you'd punched him.

—"Nothing? Not even a 'thank you, Matt' or a 'me too'?"

Her voice began to rise, drawing the attention of those nearby. She even dropped to her knees on the red carpet, completely ignoring the waiter and the elderly couple who were still trying to get through...