Focus on what you have in your life now. Today will bring fortunate chances to bolster important relationships. Save making new bonds for another day. Take plenty of time to organize yourself, and don’t expect fast results in your work. Slow and steady wins the race.

~Daily Zodiac App Wednesday, July 22, 2020

“That has to be the worst date I’ve ever heard of.” Julia sipped on her coffee while I continued the story, ignoring my chicken sandwich. “So did you leave money on the table or not?”

“I couldn’t bring myself to run away. The psycho was already having a bad enough day. I didn’t want to be the one to make it worse. 

“So rather than let the restaurant staff be murdered, you risked being followed and murdered. How noble of you.”

“I was terrified. Good thing I was able to talk that drunk into a cab rather than a walk through a dimly lit park. I’m pretty sure that romantic setting I had planned would have turned into my final resting place.”

“You should avoid bread shops for a while.”

“When we were chatting yesterday at lunch, I noticed the estimated distance between us was about four kilometers. I should be safe eating around here.”

We both had a good laugh and I finally took a bite of my food. I got about halfway through my sandwich before the question hit.

“So strange for a grown woman to drink that much. What’s wrong with her?” 

I mean, it wasn’t good behavior for a guy either, but I certainly wasn’t going to point that out and drop any hints. It was hard enough finding words like “the drunk” and “the psycho” all the time to avoid pronouns. I chewed a little slower to buy myself precious time to think up a neutral answer. 

“I guess there are all kinds on the internet.” Things have been a lot better since same-sex marriage passed, but it was still too risky. The more people that knew—whether it bothered them or not—the higher the chance that someone slipped on social media. My parents wouldn’t care if the whole country were happy for me. If they ever found out, I’d never see them again.

“True. So are you talking with anyone else on that app?”

“No, my horoscope said to worry about important relationships today, and what’s more important than my new family?”

“Pretty good advice, I wish I could take a day off from dating. My parents try to set me up with someone every day. Yesterday they were telling me about a nice family they met at a beef noodle shop whose son is working on a dissertation about snails.”

“Thankfully my parents live in Hualien. They’d need to take a train to meet other desperate parents at a noodle shop. I’m free from constant setups.” And I’m free from questions about where I was and whom I was with. 

Julia let out a loud sigh. “Well, I’d better get back to the counter, so Ryan can have his lunch break.” I stood to leave with Julia but she motioned for me to sit and handed me a bag from the cafe we ordered from. “Stay and make sure Ryan eats all his food. He has a habit of just eating a little and rushing back to work.”

I took out my phone and started reading through some web comics. My favorite artist posted a new episode an hour earlier. It was a black and white gay romance comic about a rich kid whose father ran a modeling agency, and one of the male models that worked there. I was neither rich nor a model, so that fantasy wasn’t coming true anytime soon. 

I didn’t really need a model or a rich guy. A mildly attractive guy that wasn’t going to just leave me to go have fun in another country would do. Though after the last date, I added “shows up on time” and “doesn’t show up already drunk” to the list of requirements. But what are the chances of that happening again? I just needed a little patience and a positive attitude. I would find someone soon.

“What are you reading?” Ryan asked, starting to peer over my shoulder.

My screen went black as my thumb smashed the power button faster than I finished jumping out of my skin. “Nothing special really,” I said, calmly handing him his lunch and hoping he would sit down.

“With that kind of reaction, it must be something.”

“It’s a little nerdy, but I read web comics. I usually save them for the metro ride, but one of my favorites updated today.”

“Which one? I’ve been reading one about organized crime.”

“That sounds cool. Is the main character a cop, or one of the mobsters? When does it update?” 

“Nope, it’s your turn. Changing the subject won’t save you today.” He took his food and sat down, but his stare didn’t let me off the hook. 

“It’s about this guy and girl that end up in a fantasy world to find her dad. Along the way they pick up a demon and the ghost of a vegetable.” It wasn’t a total lie. I subscribed to a comic about all those things. And I would have been reading it when he came in if I hadn’t spaced out.

Satisfied with my answer, he told me more about the one he was reading. It sounded interesting, but I didn’t dare pull out my phone to add it. He’d want to see my subscription list. I was sure at least half of the thumbnails would have two guys snuggling with the letters “BL” in bold font. 

He pulled his mask off and started shoving food into his face. It was actually my first time seeing him without a mask. Too bad we had to wear them. Even with chipmunk cheeks full of sandwich, he wasn’t bad on the eyes.

“Something on my face?”

“Mustard. Everywhere.” Saved by messy condiments and an even messier eater. “Do you always inhale your food?”

“Julia yells at me if I don’t eat my whole lunch. She says it will make her look bad as a future manager if her juniors don’t have time to eat.”

“Well, you can slow down. I’m under orders to keep you here the rest of the break.” Technically she only said to make sure he finished his food, but I’m sure the spirit of her command was to let him rest a while and breathe some fresh air—without a mask on.