Page 39 of Trick or Treat Nurse at My Feet
"And yet you never said anything."
"I didn't know how to start that conversation." Tyler absentmindedly traces patterns on the tablecloth. "'Saying 'Hey, I saw you put a Band-Aid on someone once and haven't stopped thinking about you seemed creepy."
Blinking at his honesty. "Huh. Most guys I date have allergic reactions to straightforward communication. Like, anaphylactic-level aversion."
Rosalie returns with our drinks and takes our dinner orders, promising "the best soup you've ever had in your life" and shooting Tyler another wink before departing.
We keep talking, and I loosen up in a way I didn't thinkwould happen. Tyler asks thoughtful questions about my nursing rotations and listens intently as I describe the challenges of my pediatric clinical. He doesn't glaze over when I talk about complicated procedures, unlike Ryan, who always did.
I came here expecting awkward small talk and a polite let-down, possibly with a side of "it was fun, but let's just be friends." Instead, I've spent forty-five minutes discussing the circulatory system with a guy who not only hasn't run screaming, but looks interested.
Who knew that describing IV insertion techniques could be date material? If Sylas could see me now, enthusiastically explaining phlebotomy to a hot guy over soup, he'd never let me hear the end of it.
"What about you?" I ask as our food arrives. "Why environmental engineering? Why water specifically?"
Tyler considers this as he tastes his soup, which is the best I've ever had. "My dad's construction company worked on a project near a community that had contaminated water. I was maybe fourteen, tagging along on job sites like I always did in summer. I remember this woman coming up to the fence with a jar of brown water, asking my dad if his new building was going to fix their tap water, too."
"What happened?"
"Nothing from us, unfortunately. It wasn't part of our contract. But I couldn't stop thinking about it." Tyler's expression grows serious. "Clean water shouldn't be a luxury, you know? And the solutions exist, we just don't implement them equally."
Studying him across the table, I like what I'm seeing tonight. This fraternity guy with his perfect jawline and unexpectedly deep convictions. "That's... admirable."
Tyler shrugs, seemingly embarrassed by my praise. "It's just something I care about. Like you with nursing."
As dinner progresses, our conversation veers into more personal territory.
"Can I ask you something?" Tyler says, pushing his empty plate aside. "About Ryan?"
Tensing slightly, I nod.
"How long were you together? Really together, not just... whatever he claimed it was."
"Eight months or so.” Huh. Has it really been that long? It already feels like a lifetime ago. “Though he'd probably say we were just 'hanging out' for most of that time.”
Tyler shakes his head. "I don't get it. How could anyone want to keep you a secret?"
The simple sincerity in his voice makes something twist in my chest. "Some people aren't ready to be who they are."
"And what about you?" Tyler asks softly. "Are you ready to be who you are?"
"I've been out since high school,"
"That's not what I meant." His eyes hold mine. "I meant, are you ready to be with someone who isn't ashamed? Who wants to be seen with you? Who thinks you're the best part of their day?"
My throat works against sudden dryness. 'I'd like to find out.' "I'd like to find out."
Tyler's smile could power the entire restaurant. "Good."
As we share a slice of homemade apple pie, served with two forks and a knowing smile from Rosalie, Tyler's foot finds mine under the table, just a light pressure, casual but deliberate. I don't pull away.
"So," Tyler says as we finally prepare to leave. "My brother's band is playing downtown next weekend. Wouldyou want to go? Fair warning, they're terrible in the most entertaining way possible."
"I'd like that," Realizing I mean it.
After Tyler insists on paying, "Next time it can be on you," we step into the cool evening air. The campus is about a fifteen-minute walk, and neither of us suggests getting an Uber.
"Would it be okay if we swing by the house?" Tyler asks as we walk. "I have some notes I need to grab for tomorrow's study group."
