it's a wooden table that i rest my elbow on, my chin slightly smashed by the hand that is cradling it. someone is across from me, talking with brown eyes and moving lips. he's describing some book he just finished called everything is illuminated. something hot of the ny times best seller's list and something i've never heard of. my chair is wobbly and i start rocking back and forth...enough to break his concentration, causing him to ask if i'm all right. i nod, sort of. i start tracing patterns in the wood with my finger and notice that this week i've managed to knaw off most of what would be a nail. he moves his hand and covers mine. it is warm and larger than mine. i notice his nails are nice. in the corner of my eye i can see him watching me, blinking at intervals, but still watching me. i glance up to meet his eyes and he moves my hair out of the way and places it behind my ear with his free hand. he tells me i'm pretty and runs the side of his fingers down my cheek. they're soft and i nuzzle in to them for a few fleeting seconds. the music overhead changes from the velvet underground to something that i can't recognize straight off the bat. he motions to the waiter with raised eyebrows followed by the lift of his chin. i like his chin. i can tell he hasn't shaved for a couple days. he takes his hand away from mine as the waiter places our check onto the table. fifteen dollars and fifty-seven cents. i sip water from a clear plastic glass as he takes a worn leather wallet from the back pocket of his khaki colored courderoys and places a ten, a five and three ones underneath the receipt. when he stands up he offers his hand and i take it. we start walking towards the door and just as it shuts behind us, he pauses and turns to kiss me on the forehead. he wraps his arms around me and i can hear his heartbeat. we're like this for a minute or so before he releases, takes my hand again and leads me to the car.