Humans logo

A Taste of Something New

“We can’t undo the past. But we can certainly learn from it."

By Sarah BrucePublished 3 years ago 7 min read
3

Ari arrived at my door with a backpack full of wine and the jitters. My heart had been broken all but three weeks prior, giving me a devil-may-care attitude that suited my newly dyed hair. It was fuchsia, and I think he liked this wild side of me.

For the first time heading into a date, I didn’t have any expectations. I just wanted to have fun. We’d always had fun in the break room at work, so why not branch out a little?

I’d asked him out on a whim. A gut instinct that said, “this feels right.” Seeing him standing on my lawn, feet unable to keep still, confirmed the feeling. He’d shaved his beard and my stomach did a somersault. Who was this freckled man with boyish charm? His smile seemed even brighter now in the fading light of summer.

We commenced our trek to the lake. The city’s concrete façade echoed shimmering heat waves but the setting sun promised relief. The breeze felt as soft and light as my heart when Ari snuck a glance at me.

“Are you nervous?” I asked.

“Yes!” he said with a laugh.

I placed a hand on his arm and said, “Don’t be!” As though two words should be enough to assuage his butterflies. I couldn’t believe the confidence flying out of my own mouth.

“All those guys were staring at you back there!” he said, looking back.

“Oh, I’m sure it’s just my hair. They all have delusions of manic pixie dream girls.”

“You do seem… different.”

“Do I?”

“What made you ask me out?”

We stopped at a crosswalk and I shaded my eyes, squinting at him earnestly.

“I realized that you make me laugh.” Ari was clearly unsure of what to say. “Oh, and I guess you’re pretty cute.” He breathed out a laugh as we crossed the street, steadily making our way to the beach.

“You’re pretty cute, too.”

“Is that why you said yes?” I asked him, half-joking.

“That and things always felt… easy between us? Easy in a nice way! Like I never had to hold my breath around you.”

His honesty gave me a head rush.

“Why, I do believe you’re blushing,” Ari said in a Southern drawl. I giggled and brought my hands to my cheeks. It was my turn to be nervous.

“I don’t know what you mean, it’s simply the summer heat,” I replied with my own overdone drawl.

“Never fear, madam, we’re almost there!”

The sun hovered above the horizon as we laid a blanket down on the sand, claiming the perfect spot. I wiggled my eyebrows at Ari.

“Wait till you see what I’ve brought.” I carefully opened and arranged each plastic container with Michelin Star precision. “At our base: the Artisan Cracker Collection. The rosemary ones look promising.”

Ari’s lips twitched in his attempt not to smile.

“Sir, please. This is very serious. This is the art of charcuterie,” I scolded him. “Next, we have cured-to-perfection Italian salami and the most thinly sliced prosciutto your eyes have ever beheld.”

Ari dared to pick up a slice.

“You mean this one?” He downed it in one bite as my mouth fell open. He quickly stuffed a piece in before I could close it. I sputtered and laughed along with him, delighted at his boldness.

“That would’ve been even better with gouda!” I proclaimed.

“Oh yes, talk cheese to me,” he moaned.

“I have a feeling you’re not kidding.” He gave a devilish smile.

“I never joke about cheese.”

“I’ll allow you to survey the goods.”

Ari leaned closer to sample each kind. I noticed the way his hair curled on the top of his head and bit my lip.

“Is this… Wensleydale?”

“With dried cranberries.”

“I’m so glad I said yes,” he said straight-faced before we both cracked. The air between us was buzzing.

“Your turn.”

Ari glanced around dramatically and procured two plastic wine glasses from his bag. “Would the lady prefer white or red this evening?” he asked.

“Let’s begin with white and see where it goes.”

“I like your style,” he said approvingly. I liked hearing that tone in his voice.

One bottle of Pinot Grigio later, and we had moved onto heavier subjects than cheese boards. I considered if my earlier confidence had been a hesitation to trust him. But he was right in what he’d said: things felt easy between us. I decided to let him in.

“I want to tell you… that I just got out of a relationship,” I said. “It was only a few months but it didn’t end very well.”

“What happened?”

“He said that when he told me he loved me, he didn’t mean it. He just thought I needed to hear it.” The words settled in the space around me. I couldn’t meet Ari’s gaze. When I finally looked up, he took my hand.

“No one deserves to hear something like that. Especially not you. I’m sorry.”

“Thank you.”

A quiet moment passed.

“I never told him I loved him because I was never sure. I wish I’d listened to myself more,” I admitted. Ari’s eyes flashed with the pain of recognition.

“I know exactly what you mean.” He ruffled his hair with a sigh. “I think it’s time for the Merlot.” He snuck out the dark gleaming bottle, struggling with the corkscrew in the twilight. I wanted to laugh but I found it all too endearing. The cork finally gave way with an ever-satisfying “pop!”.

“In my last relationship, I felt my love sort of… fade away. It was an awful feeling. I hate what I put her through. I think if I had listened to myself much earlier, I would’ve known what to do,” he told me.

“I’m so sorry. It isn’t always clear in the moment. Time has a way of showing us what’s right.”

“Maybe we overcomplicate things.”

“Maybe we do.”

He poured the Merlot, looking lost in thought. Our fingers brushed when he offered my glass, and I looked into his kind green eyes. I wondered what he saw when he looked back at me.

“We can’t undo the past. But we can certainly learn from it,” I said.

“Cheers to that.”

As we clinked our glasses together, I knew that something had changed. I may have entered the date free of expectations, but I hadn’t counted on the feeling that was stirring inside of me now. It was the feeling I had been missing in all those months of maybe.

If I was truly honest with myself, it was a feeling I hadn’t known in a long time.

“I have a surprise.” I brought out a bar of hazelnut dark chocolate.

We each took a square and let it melt on our tongues, savoring the small simple perfection of chocolate and red wine. Nothing about our night felt complicated.

Ari set down his glass and closed the distance between us. I knew that look on his face. It was mirrored on my own. I could hear the lapping of the lake; a distant radio; the familiar chatter of friends. His skin smelled of sunscreen and warmth. I didn’t know it then, but it smelled like home. We shared hazelnut kisses under the stars.

“Wow,” he whispered. Our bodies were still tangled together.

“Ari…”

“Yes?”

“I have to pee.”

He laughed with complete abandon and I joined in relief.

“Me too. Shall we?” His head pointed toward the water.

We stripped down to our suits and charged into the lake, fueled by wine and the indescribable hope of new romance.

“Alright, stay over there for a bit!” I yelled, trying to laugh and tread water at the same time. We couldn’t stop giggling. We were two children playing in the moonlight.

Finally, he swam over and wrapped an arm around me.

“You’re fun,” he said sweetly.

“So are you,” I replied.

If this was just the beginning, I couldn’t wait to see what came next.

dating
3

About the Creator

Sarah Bruce

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.