Well, this is the end, folks. Oddly, this chapter also comes at the exact end of my school semester. Go figure. I’m not sure what I think about the ending, but it is what it is right now.

Contest: Whoever has the best idea (subject to whatever I decided best is) by May 31, 2009 will have their idea written up as short story to accompany Nutmeg. You can submit several ideas, but they should pertain to this story.

Dedication: to all you wonderful people who have stuck by me, and especially to Miss E and Fayes Love who were especially supportive, helpful, and encouraging. Thank you for seeing me out to the end. I’ve really enjoyed having you guys around reading. =)

Chapter 38

Alora waited in her living room, impatiently waiting for seven to arrive. She had finished getting ready for her date early and had nothing to do now but wait, and try not to go crazy. First date, she thought, were always the worst because she had to wait and worry her date would never show up. She started to play with her hair for something to do other than sit and pretend to watch the television.

“Stop that!” Renee glowered at Alora. “Your hair took forever to curl, so don’t you dare mess it up!”

“Sorry!” Alora stopped immediately. Her friend had insisted on getting Alora ready. She loved any chance to turn people into her fashion guinea pigs. She had bullied Alora into wearing a calf-length pale violet skirt with green accents paired with a pretty pale green camisole and delicate low-heeled sandals from Renee’s closet. Unused to skirts, Alora felt too dressy, but she had to admit she looked pretty once Renee was done with her.

“Just focus on the television.” Kat suggested.

Alora tried, and jumped when the bell rang. It was one minute after seven. Alora hurried to the door and opened it. “Hi.”

Drake smiled. “You look nice.”

“Thanks, um, so do you.” Her stomach fluttered.

“Are you ready to go?”

“Oh, yeah. I just have to get my purse and shoes.” Alora told him and hurried to get both. The shoes took her a long moment as she sat to secure the ankle straps. Drake shook his head and reminded her about her purse as she headed for the door. “Thanks.” Alora blushed.

“Of course.” Drake led her out the door and to his car, holding the door open for her. Then he slid into the driver’s seat and drove to the restaurant. The drive was quiet. Each made a few attempts at conversation, but every time it fell flat.

By the time they were at the restaurant Alora was beginning to wonder if going on a date with Drake was a horrible idea. She did not know how to act or what to say now that Drake was her date and not her friend. Neither of them had laughed since they left her apartment, and her date was getting quieter by the second.

Drake led her into the restaurant, and asked for a table. The host placed them in a booth in a quiet section of the restaurant. Alora was not sure that a noisier section would not be better. That, at least, would give her something more to talk about.

Alora sat across from Drake and spread the menu open quickly for something to do; Drake followed suite. For a moment, she thought she felt him looking at her, but when she looked up, he was focused on the menu.

Their waiter came then, a short, thin man with a heavy Indian accent. “Can I get you anything else to drink?” He asked as he poured water for them.

“Tea, for both of us.” Drake told him.

Alora nodded in agreement and reached for her water glass. Her grip on the cup was not quite right as she lifted it up. It slid through her fingers and spilled across the table. She covered her mouth in horror as the water spread, and made a beeline for her, too fast for her to avoid.

With a yelp, Alora scooted out of the booth as the ice water hit her lap.

“I will return with a towel.” The waiter murmured as he hurried off.

Tomato red, Alora quickly put her napkin down on the table to stop the water from spilling over the edge any more. Drake added his napkin as well.

A minute later, the waiter had the water wiped away.

“I’m so sorry.” Alora apologized to the waiter. She had had waiter friends, and she knew it was far from an easy job.

The waiter assured her it was fine and left to get their tea.

“I can’t believe I did that!” Alora grimaced before she started laughing. “I sure made a mess, didn’t I?”

Drake chuckled softly. “Yes, you did.”

“At least I didn’t dump all that water on dinner or something worse.”

“Indeed.” Drake glanced a thte menu before looking at Alora. “Butter chicken or chicken tikka masala?”

“Tikka masala. Chicken vindaloo?”

Drake nodded. “That sounds good.” They always had some of each other’s dishes at Indian restaurants, and they usually had a combination of the same four dishes.

“Huh, t hey have about twenty different types of naan bread. Even pistachio.”

“Pistachio?” Drake asked, interested.

Alora could see him debating whether or not naan bread would be good with pistachios. She was pretty sure he loved the nuts. “It might be fun to try. You like pistachios a lot, right?”

“Indeed.” A moment later, the waiter returned and Drake ordered the chicken masala and pistachio naan. Alora ordered as well while the server put out their tea and condiments to go with the papadiem, a crispy, thin lentil bread.

“The mango chutney is good.”

“Which one is it?” Alora could never keep track of which sauce and chutney was which. She was not even really sure what the difference between a sauce and a chutney was.

Drake shook his head a bit and dipped a piece of the papadiem into the chutney. “This one.” He offered her the piece.

She took it, eating it immediately. “It is good. I hope everything else is as good.” Alora tried another sauce. “I like the coconut too. Oh! I didn’t tell you about Ben and Ryan’s new great idea.”

“What did they do now?” While their adventures amused Drake, they also worried him sometimes because they were adventures about his employees. Alora was glad she had not gotten them in trouble when she first told Drake about them.

“Well, they haven’t. Yet. They want themed work days since they’re in the back and don’t have to wear suits. Like Hawaiian day. Ben and Ryan want to wear coconut tops and want to hula for us. There’s also pajama day.”

Drake raised his eyebrows. “You make me worry about them.”

“At least they never go through with the crazy at work and get stuff done on time?” Alora tried.

“I’m not sure how.”

“Technically, they’re more productive than most.” Alora had had to file in annual reports for Marie, her boss.

“I know. I read all of the reports. You make me worry about the visual department sometimes.” Drake admitted.

“Well, everything gets done—even the last minute extra stuff from everyone else. So…” Alora stuck her tongue out at Drake. She was fond of her department. “That reminds me… I fired that little bowl you made. Now you’re going to have to glaze it!”

“How do I do that?”

“Well, I’ll have to take you down to the Potter’s Guild and show you all of the glazes I have there. It’s pretty fun. There’s a lot of different stuff you can do. I’m gonna see if I can take a raku seminar they have coming up soon.

“Raku?”

Alora told him about the raku process, and how most potters just used special insulation, a trash can, and an open flame. She was always surprised by how interested Drake seemed in her work, and how she did it. After a bit, Alora decided it was Drake’s turn to talk, and asked him if he had any new hobbies or the like. Unless she asked him directly, he had a tendency not to mention anything new.

“Not exactly.” Alora raised an eyebrow and motioned for him to continue. “I’ve been thinking about learn to fly.”

“Really? What makes you want to?”

“A childhood dream. Now I have the time to learn, if I decide to.”

“It sounds like fun. It’s a lot different from regular airplanes, isn’t it?”

Nodding, he told her more about it. It sounded like he had been researching the idea for awhile. Alora was pretty sure he did not like surprises. By the time dinner arrived forty minutes later—Indian food was always a lengthy dinner—Alora was surprised by how much she had gotten Drake to talk. It was different from dinner with her friend, but it was not like a new date either.

Since the glass had spilled, Alora had enjoyed herself, and when a lock of hair had fallen in her face when she leaned forward, laughing, Drake had brushed it back, making Alora blush. She caught Drake’s smile at that, and suddenly thought that there would be a second date. It made her smile, which made Drake smile, so they both sat there a moment, smiling at nothing. The Alora stole a piece of Drake’s chicken. He shook his head and gave her some more, and she gave another spoonful of chicken vindaloo, making sure he got plenty of potatoes. Otherwise, he would probably steal them from her plate.

Eventually, they had finished dessert and their tea, dragging out dinner for nearly two hours, as seemed typical at the restaurant. It was time to end the night. Drake led her out, hand lightly on her back, and opened her door for her.

Once they had both settled into the Porsche, Alora turned to face the suit. “I had a really good time, Drake. Well, after I spilled the water and stopped being so nervous. Thanks.”

“I was nervous too.” Drake admitted. “I had a good night as well. How do you feel about a second date?”

“I think I’d like that.” Alora told him honestly. She had always enjoyed Drake’s company, but tonight, she had ended up liking him even more.

“Good. I’ll call you later than to arrange it?”

“Okay, sounds good.” Alora agreed and stayed comfortably quiet for awhile, thinking about the night.

Soon, Drake parked and walked her to her apartment door. Alora turned and looked up at him. “Thanks again. I’m glad we did this.”

“So am I.” Drake hugged her.

Alora hugged back, and surprised them both by kissing Drake lightly. But Drake kissed her back, just as softly, and Alora stood smiling for a moment, a blush dusting her cheeks. Drake smiled and bent to kiss her lightly once more. “I’ll call you later.”

“Okay, I’ll look forward to it.” She smiled up at him before heading into her apartment, grinning after she shut the door.

Well, uh, what’d you think? Contest ideas? Eek. Ending a story always scares the crap out of me.