Kieran chose a quirky yet fancy restaurant for their first date. It was run out of a decommissioned railway station and a train car. They served what they called traditional French dishes like ratatouille, confit de canard, and foie gras, but he also saw the poutine and tourtière as Quebecois. A Montreal-based jazz group was playing, which made him more at home as his dad would sometimes bring him to the city to catch shows or performances in the rare moments he had visitation rights after the divorce

"I've lived here my entire life, and I've never tried this place," Naomi said as they pulled up and parked in the busy lot overlooking the red, silver and black train car. Jazz music sashayed to their ears as they opened the truck doors. He met her behind the vehicle, taking her warm hand in his.

"It has outstanding reviews and is close to the movie."

"And It has poutine, so I'm excited."

Kieran held back a laugh. A whole menu of nicer French dinners, and she opted for the pub food. But he loved that about her too. The light breeze made her chestnut wavy hair sway in the wind along with her red dress. It flowed just past her knees, and she wore a camisole under the low-cut front. She still took his breath away even after the twenty-minute drive here to sneak glances at her.

With that smile, he couldn't help but sigh. "Come closer."

She obliged, easing into his embrace until they were a breath's whisper away.

"I've missed you all week," he whispered.

"I missed you too."

Their chests rose and fell in sync, and the surrounding noise faded to a faint buzz.

Remember, you left her in charge. Let her make the move if she's ready.

Naomi's stomach rumbled, and they both laughed, although she blushed. He couldn't look away from her adorable face, which grew more freckled and tanned each time they met.

"That's our cue." He shifted his hands from her back to her hand and his side. "Let's show this place who's the poutine boss."

They walked up the stairs near the train, where the host greeted them and led them through the station part of the restaurant with dark wood door panels, plush red booth and scarlet drapery. They emerged on the patio, closed in by greenery, the brick wall and the passenger car. With the jazz music and hum of conversation, it was impossible to tell there was a street behind the stage. Kieran and Naomi sat at the only empty metal tables in the corner.

Her eyes darted around the busy patio. "This place is cool. Thanks for setting this all up."

"Anytime. Glad to have your company."

The host poured two glasses of ice water and passed them the menus.

"Wine?" Kieran asked as he flipped to the drink section.

Naomi frowned as she glanced at the selection. "That money would be wasted on me. My wine pallet is like 'This tastes like wine' or 'This tastes less like wine'. And don't judge me, but I prefer the latter."

He chuckled and set down the menu. "A caesar then?"

"That'd be fantastic."

"How was your week?"

"Long waiting for today. I missed you at Rusty's training."

She sure knew how to make a guy feel simultaneously guilty and desired. "It seemed weird showing up since we're dating or going on a date. I didn't want to make it awkward for you."

"I did that all on my own." Naomi laughed. "I wanted to be open with Brinny to avoid her thinking I was hiding this or that it was a conflict of interest. She had a lot of questions. It was strange."

"I am so sorry."

"Allo people are illogically fixated on physical attraction. She could not comprehend why we work together, even when it's crystal clear to me."

Naomi's admission made him smile, although that excitement was mildly offset by what Brinny had shared last week. "Brin's been through some nasty relationships where men were demeaning about her physical appearance and weight."

"Sorry to hear that."

"She has this idea that changing herself into someone she considers attractive, like you, would mean men treated her like royalty or something."

"Looking like this has its downsides too. Men get grabby and used to assume if I dressed up, I wanted to hook up. I get more attention than I'm comfortable with, especially being ace. There's no winning."

"If I ever make you feel that way, you'll tell me, right?"

"Of course. It rarely bothers me if it's a look or a comment from someone who cares about me. It's one way I assume you're attracted to me, and that's part of the relationship. As long as it's not something you expect me to act on, it's okay."

That tracked with Austin's explanation. "Definitely not. You are the captain, and I'm along for the ride."

"Except for date planning because this place is cool, and I didn't know there were open-air movies that played in the cathedral ruins."

He had her to thank for that and her wistful stare at those ruins all lit up after he'd dropped her off at her car. She'd leaned into his shoulder and played with their entwined hands with her free one, tracing his knuckles with her soft fingertips. The moment had danced in his memory, and he'd wanted to capture that excitement again.

From the looks of her leaning toward him and brushing her sandal against his leg, he had.

"Of course, I will plan them if they make you happy."

"It's you more than the place, although it is a sweet bonus."

This woman was giving his heart a workout.

Their server stepped up to the table to introduce himself in both languages, his French accent peeking through. "Can I start you off with drinks?"

"Une verre de Morgon, Antoine Sunier, s'il vous plaît." Kieran chose a French red since he rarely went out for dinner, and today was worth celebrating.

"Et pour vous?" The server turned to Naomi.

She looked from Kieran to the server with wide eyes.

"Un cocktail César pour elle, si vous l'avez."

"Certainement, monsieur."

Naomi leaned back in the metal patio chairs and studied him. "Aren't you full of surprises? How many other languages do you secretly speak?"

Kieran chuckled. "Just French. My dad and his family are fluent, and I learned it in school."

"So did I, but none of it stuck."

"Mine's rusty."

"It sounded good to me."

Most didn't humour his second language but replied in English, although people responded to him more in French here. He regretted he wasn't as fluent as his family. His dad was a Quebecer from Trois-Rivieres whose family had been in Canada longer than it'd been a country. He'd fallen for an English woman, and as a result, Kieran and Jake were the first generation of anglophones. Kieran could speak French, but he hadn't much since their last visit years ago.

"How was your week?" she asked.

"Good. Jake sat me down every evening to discuss boundaries and asexuality, so that's been fun."

Naomi laughed and straightened out her cloth napkin bundle. "It's funny that people are treating our relationship like it's theirs before we even get the chance to go out."

"I broke rule number one the second I laid eyes on you."

"Oh yeah?"

"Don't touch her unless she touches you first."

"If it's an embrace, a shoulder hug, or something non-sexual, I don't mind. I always enjoyed being engulfed by spontaneous bear hugs and being rocked in someone's arms."

That moment in his room last Friday came to mind. Her coconut and lemon scent, her warmth, and her talent to make heavy memories float away like helium balloons. They'd done nothing but hold each other and talk, but he'd loved every minute of it.  

"I'll remember that. Jake's heart is in the right place, but sometimes he forgets it's a spectrum."

Naomi grinned and sipped her caesar. "His lessons are paying off."

"That's more Austin's knowledge than Jake, but we won't tell my brother."

She looked around the patio. Retired couples and a few their age sat at the square metal tables. One lucky group got the plush beige couch. He wished it had been them, so he could wrap an arm around Naomi's shoulders and pull her close, but their casual footsie was fun too. The upbeat jazz music transitioned into a slower song, and the singer's sultry voice carried a low note.

"Is it normal I'm really relaxed?" Naomi asked.

"As long as it's happy-relaxed, it's good." Now that she mentioned it, he was far more at ease than he'd been en route to pick her up.

"It's just fun. You're so easy to talk to and sweet, and you already know what makes me uncomfortable, and you're super cool about it."

"And you're funny and adorable, and one of the nicest people I've met."

She blushed and squeezed his hand from across the table then danced her fingertips atop his like they were piano keys and she was following the jazz trio's melody.

Soon the drinks arrived, and they placed their food order, with Naomi grinning at the prospect of cheesy fries. He loved how excited she got about food because he enjoyed a hearty meal too and not hearing passive-aggressive comments about it as he ate. He'd ordered them an appetizer as sharing food was intimate with her without being too intense.

The server arrived with a basket of bread and a bowl of a balsamic vinegar and olive oil mix alongside their brie faux fondue with toast. As he and Naomi reached for the bread, he intentionally brushed her hand, looking up at her with an innocent yet guilty smile she shyly returned as her touch lingered. She broke away first and dunked her bread, grimacing as she tasted it, but her face softened.

"Like it?" he asked.

"I don't think I've ever tried it. Usually, I just jump into the butter."

"It gets better as you get used to it." He dunked his piece and savoured the rich and sour combination.

"Do you eat at a lot of these fancy restaurants?"

"Rarely. When Jake and I were younger, my dad would bring us all out to one if he'd messed up with my mom or if she was in one of her moods."

It was one of the few places where the evening never ended in a screaming match, even if it was all for show. For a brief hour, they acted like a normal family who loved each other. If there were leftovers, he would steal them every time and sit in his room trying to relive those fleeting moments of peace, even if it meant he'd be screamed at and punished later.

"Do your folks ever visit?" Naomi asked as if reading his thoughts.

"No, but someday I'd go back to visit them."

"They must miss you."

"I imagine they do."

His mom had gotten unpleasantly involved during the move he'd planned to Halifax with Katy. She'd strongly discouraged him from leaving, even after Katy was gone. Long before that, his dad had moved to Quebec, remarried, and had a twelve or thirteen-year-old daughter, but he was still enthusiastic when Kieran called or visited. They weren't close, but Kieran wished they were and sensed his dad did too.

"Does your family live in the city?" he asked.

"My parents do, and my sister moved to Gimli with her husband and kids."

"That's the town near the big lake with the Viking statue, right?"

"Sure is. We visit for the Icelandic festival in August. I guess that's coming up sooner than I thought. Have you ever been?"

"Once. We had a few beers and wandered, but it was crawling with people." He'd much prefer quieter places where he savoured this fondue and toast, perfect wine, and Naomi's presence.

"If you're free, we should go together. It's more relaxed when you have a house to escape to when the town's too overrun with tourists."

Was the date going so well that she didn't hesitate for him to meet her family? Was that normal or an ace or Naomi thing that she was racing into romantic intimacy?

"Your family won't mind me tagging along?"

"Of course not. Shivanna comes every year too." Something about her downcast look after opening her mouth made him think her ex had joined her too.

Kieran was unsure how to respond. He didn't want their relationship to be a substitute for what she lost, but its own entity. He also didn't want to turn down an opportunity to get closer to her and her family since they seemed important to her.

"Don't worry, it's almost a month away. My sister was bugging me to meet you today, so I blurted it out..."

"Already? We're not even finished our first date."

Naomi chuckled and drummed her fingers on the metal table. "I speak highly of you as the guy who helped me survive my break up and who I fall for more every day."

He stroked the back of her hand. "I feel the same about you."

"It's not my whole family that knows. I'm not that intense. Jodie and I are pretty close."

"I can't judge since I dragged Jake into our friendship far too early."

She laughed and picked up another piece of fondue toast. "It was sweet you brought him to my place even if you had no idea he was ace. It helped to hear his perspective."

"I'll take sweet over weird any day."

Naomi took a bite of her toast and sighed. "I've always loved Cheese Whiz toast, but this is next level."

Kieran chuckled to himself. "Glad you like it. I figured cheese and carbs were a safe choice, given your love of poutine."

"You are very talented at reading people."

He smiled. "I try." Growing up in his house, they were a survival or conflict-minimizing technique, although he much preferred using his skills to make his incredible date happy and comfortable.

She gazed at him then at the servers darting between the tables with wine glasses and plates of steaming food. "Do you come here a lot?"

"No, it's the first time. I drove by it often and looked up their menu too, but every time I considered going, it didn't seem like the right occasion."

"Do you regret waiting? Think of all the fondue toast you missed out on."

"No, I'm glad I experienced it for the first time with someone special."

She smiled and squeezed his hand under the table. "Me too."

***

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed part 1 of their first date. Part 2 will be out on Saturday :D Couldn't resist putting together a little mood board for their date. All photos are my own. 

Cute French love song by Roxane Bruneau - Des p'tits bout de toi (Little pieces of you) to set the mood.

https://youtu.be/jM1e7l5O2-U

Banner image (poutine) by Lauri Patterson from Getty Images Signature accessed through CanvaPro.