Julian and Natalie Go to the Aquarium
This was their fourth time rescheduling the date. The word ‘date’ gave Julian pause, but it was his idea to use it. The word ‘date’ made Natalie smile, and she spent her morning sending pictures of her outfit options to her mom and sister to get their opinions. Julian didn’t even brush his teeth. Insurance so he wouldn’t let himself even consider kissing her. Julian already knew he just wanted to be friends for now. It made him feel broken. Later on the date, he told Natalie he felt like a machine with a part missing – and he didn’t know if he even wanted to find it. He journaled obsessively to determine whether his spark of interest was social conditioning or a calling from within. He pondered the difference between logic and intuition, between fear and peace. After he recovered from the date, Julian made it to his serving shift three minutes late. Another romantic tune droned from the playlist. While he carefully laid out the emerald green napkins and topped them with couples of silv...
