We sat there chatting and enjoying our snowballs. Thankfully the humidity was a little lower than normal for the middle of summer, making it bearable to stay outside for an extended time. However, not long after we finished our snowballs I embarrassed myself again.
Grumble. Grumble.
My stomach let out a quiet grumble causing me to blush. I hoped Kishan did not hear it.
"Hungry?" he asked.
"Hehe..." I laughed awkwardly. "I don't have a habit of eating while I work, so I usually only eat after I get off."
Kishan raised an eyebrow slightly. "Then do you at least eat a large breakfast?"
I shook my head slightly but said nothing. I knew my eating habits were not the best. However, I would feel sick if I ate first thing in the morning and I had yet to let go of my habit of not eating during work.
Working in a restaurant through mostly dinner shifts I did not have a lot of time to eat. The place I worked had good food, but it was not all that healthy. Not to mention it is easy to get tired of the same taste after so long.
It was probably psychological but I never felt hungry when working even after changing jobs. Both my mom and Ariel's mom would constantly scold me to eat more. But I could not help it. If I ate when I did not feel hungry I would only feel sick after.
"So you haven't eaten anything today?" Kishan asked with a frown. I gently shook my head again. "Then is there anything you want to eat around here?"
I thought for a moment. "There is a local hand made pizza place just over there. Do you like pizza?"
We then walked over to the pizza place that was located on the second floor of the building and sat outside on the balcony that overlooked the lake.
After we ate Kishan insisted on going to the grocery store. During our meal I had explained why I did not eat until after work but he did not approve. He said I should at least get in the habit of eating something light in the morning.
Kishan himself bought me some mini oranges, bananas, and vanilla Greek yogurt. It was only then we drove back to the bookstore for me to get my car.
_______
6 pm. My Apartment.
I sat on my couch watching a Korean variety show while waiting for my mom to tell me she was back home. At the time my dad had taken a 6 month contract job up north in Wisconsin, so they were living up there temporarily. While my dad was at work my mom would explore the city with the new friends she had made.
While they were gone a friend of mine, who was renting out a room in their house while she went to college, was house sitting for them. Mom was happy that she was able to go with my dad, however it also meant I was supposed to call her regularly to keep her updated. Something I have never been good at.
Ding. Finally the text came.
-Home now.
I paused the tv and called.
"Hey," I said as soon as she picked up.
"How come you didn't tell me about your date? I heard about it from Lucille the night you scheduled it." My mom and Ariel's mom are good friends and message each other every day. "Even Kishan called to introduce himself the next day. I kept waiting for you to tell me but you never did."
I could hear the mild hurt in her voice. "I'm sorry," I said. "I didn't mean not to. That night after Kishan and Miss Lucille left, Ariel kept me at her apartment till late. She wanted to know what happened to get him to ask me on a date while they were gone.
"Then Miss Lucille said we had to go shopping and meet up at 9. We spent almost the whole day shopping. Then Ester and Ariel both stayed over at my place till I actually left for the date. You know how bad I am at long distance communication. Everyone was making such a fuss about it I was distracted and forgot to tell you. Still, I really am sorry."
My mom sighed. "I know. I just wish I could have been there to make a fuss too! Why are you going on a date for the first time as an adult while I'm not there?" she complained.
I internally rolled my eyes.
"Well it's not like I planned it to happen while you were gone. I didn't plan on it at all! Anyways, what did Kishan talk to you about? I was surprised when he told me he called you. But Ariel said last night that in Indian culture it does not matter how old a girl is, the guy still needs to get permission from the parents to be considered a decent man."
"He simply explained how he had been there for a blind date with Ariel, but then you showed up unexpectedly having made plans with Ariel too. Then how you two ended up talking for awhile while Lucille went to pick up Ariel because her car broke down.
"He said that during the conversation he had become interested in you so he had asked you out on a date. Then he apologized for not talking to us first. Said that if we did not approve of his intentions and family circumstances he would call the date off."
I heard her take a deep breath before she continued. "Afterwards he explained how he was looking for an arranged marriage to find a step-mother for his children after his wife had passed." She paused after she said this.
"Are you crying?" I asked knowing my mom all to well.
"Oh hush," was all she said. That meant I was right.
"So obviously you did not openly object to the idea seeing as we still went on the date," I prompted her.
"Well no. We didn't want to shut something down before it even began. Besides Rishi and Lucille approved of him. Still, tell me everything!" Her voice became excited. "What's he like? Do you like him? What'd you talk about for so long to get him interested in you instead of Ariel?"
And so began another interrogation. I started at the beginning. How Ariel had set me up to try to get me to go on the date with her. I even complained about how she should have made up some excuse to have me dress up a little nicer.
However, mom pointed out that if she had I would have been suspicious, and probably not come at all. I could not argue with that. I told her how we talked about books while we were waiting and I had no idea I was peaking Kishan's interest.
Then I told her in detail about the date, the car ride home, and his proposal of dating for 30 days.
"So what do you think?" I asked.