Book Lovers

"You should know," Brenda said, "that when you called I almost turned you down. I really wanted to just stay home and finish the book I was in the middle of,"

His eyebrows shot up and his smile faded. She couldn't quite read his expression. Was he hurt? Angry? Confused? He sat across the table from her at the new sushi place in town, looking at her expectantly. Yes that was it. He wasn't upset he was just waiting for an explanation.

Brenda didn't mean to just blurt it out like that but she was finding it difficult to keep playing along, pretending to enjoy their date. So once they placed their orders she decided to tell him before friendly chit-chat turned into serious conversation and Mark got any ideas about a second date.

"Nothing against you personally," she went on, hoping to soften the sting of her announcement a little.

"None taken," Mark said. "But you're here. So, why'd you come?"

"You offered to feed me sushi, for one thing," Brenda said.

That brought a smile back to his face.

"But mostly to avoid another argument with my mom. This morning I started a new book and she asked me if I was going to spend all of Christmas break reading. I said maybe and she told me I really should get out more. I told her I didn't want to spend Christmas break hanging out with people I barely know and that I didn't see what was so bad about spending Saturday with a good book. She said she reading's fine but not all the time and that I really need to get out. So I left for an hour. I guess that wasn't long enough because after I got home I heard on the phone with your mom."

"I'll have to thank your mom later for this date then," Mark said with a look of amusement in his eyes.

Brenda pursed her lips.

"It's not funny. I know my mom called your mom just to ask her to ask you to ask me out."

"Well, she didn't bribe me if that's what you're upset about."

"Oh, I know. I'm not mad at you."

"Good. So, since we're here, let's forget about your mom for a while and enjoy ourselves. And look at that, here comes our food."

The waiter placed two trays of delicious looking sushi before them. "Can I get you anything else?" He asked.

"No, I think we're good. Thanks," said Mark.

"OK, enjoy your meal," and with that he was gone.

"How do you eat this stuff?" Mark asked. "Am I supposed to stuff a whole piece in my mouth at once? That's kind of a big bite."

"I don't know. I'm going to cut mine," said Brenda.

Mark took a bite and his eyes lit up. "Mmm," he said with his mouth full. Brenda, also with her mouth full, smiled and nodded. Maybe Mark was right, she thought. It would be good to forget about her mom and just try to enjoy the evening.

"That was good!" Mark said after eating the last bite.

"Mine too."

"so, may I ask who my rival is?"

"Rival?"

"Yeah, ya know, your book. You wanted to spend the evening with it instead of me."

"Oh! Haha. It's called Seventh Son. It's the first . . ."

"The Alvin Maker series," Mark interrupted, "by Orson Scott Card."

"You've heard of it?"

"Heard of it? I read it!"

"Really?"

"Yes! I just finished it."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes!" Mark said emphatically. "And I really liked it."

"Oh my gosh!" Said Brenda in surprise. "What are the odds!"

"Right?!"

Brenda looked across the table at Mark in wonder, as if seeing him for the first time. "So do you read a lot?"

"More than some, less than others."

"And here I was afraid we wouldn't have anything in common."

Just then their waiter stopped at their table. "How was everything?" He asked.

"Good," said Mark.

"Yes! Very good." Brenda agreed.

"Let me get those outa your way," he said picking up the sushi trays. "Can I interest you in anything else?"

"More lemonade please," Brenda said.

"And for you sir? More tea?"

"No. I better not. I don't want to be up all night. Just water please."

"Alright, back in a minute."

"You know something," Brenda said with a giggle. "I'm going to have to thank my mom for this date."

When the waiter returned with their drinks he found them both laughing. "I'm going to leave this with you," he said laying the check on the table. "I'll be your cashier, whenever your ready, but no rush."

They didn't rush. They talked about their favorite books for a couple hours. By the time the restaurant closed they had discovered that many of their interests were similar.

"I guess I better get you home." Mark said.

"Why?" Asked Brenda. "It's only nine o'clock."

"I know but you have a book to read."

"The book can wait."

Mark smiled. "Okay, we should go to someplace where we can sit and talk. How about Barnes and Noble. We could sit in the café."

"Ooh! Don't tempt me!"

When Barnes and Noble closed Brenda agreed that it really was time to go home. It had been a good first date. The first of many and that was just Christmas break. Her final semester was a blur but somehow she passed all her classes. Mark came down for graduation and at dinner that night he got down on one knee right in front of the whole family. Her mom complained that she had only meant for Brenda to get out and socialize not marry the man, but even she had to admit that they were right for each other.

Then a year to the day from their first date they got married.