Claire couldn’t tell if the date was going well.

She was trying to be open, she really was. But walls built as strongly as hers don’t crumble easily. This has been her 14th first date in three months. None of which had ever led to a second. No matter how hard she tried only one word answers would leave her mouth and anything else was a comment that could come off as rude if you didn’t know her specific sense of humour. She couldn’t pull up the edges of her face into a smile. She sat across Zoey in a booth inside of the arcade. Pretty basic first date spot but a nice atmosphere. Zoey was doing all the talking her box braids swinging back and forth over her shoulders. Her baby blue nails matched her blue tank top and white jeans and her gold bangles complemented her brown skin. Claire had thrown her curly into a bun because she couldn’t be bothered to brush it. Her plain black shirt plus her black jeans and shoes made her look like a void of happiness. Her nails had been bitten down to the nub with anxiety.

“I love this place though it’s so much fun.” Squealed Zoey before taking a sip of her cherry cola.

“Fun if you like snooty kids and over prized foods.” Claire mentally hit herself in the face.

“That’s fair.” Zoey laughed, picking up the menu. “£6.50 for a burger, it better taste like how it costs.”

Not having expected a joke to her reply Claire found herself becoming incredibly awkward, she crossed her arms and looked down at the table. Zoey thinking her joke had fallen flat placed down the menu and started speaking about how her job at the hairdressers had become insanely busy because of COVID. She thought her rant was falling on deaf ears but Claire was hanging on her every word.

At the end of the date they spilt the bill and walked out the car park. They stopped just before Zoeys car and stood there looking at each other very awkwardly.

“I sorry.” Zoey blurted out her eyes scrunched up and arms fisted tight by her sides. “I should have known from the start that you weren’t having fun and I kept on wanting to suggest we go something else but by the time I worked up enough nerve our food had already arrived and I didn’t want to-“

“What makes you think I wasn’t having fun?” Claire caught her off.

Zoey opened her eyes and looked up. “You kept making sarcastic comments… and you didn’t smile.”

“No no no no,” Claire rushed waving her arms about. “That’s just- that’s just me, I’m always kinda rude and stand-offish, I come off as mean. I know that. But, honestly… I really like you… and I would really like to see you again.”

Zoey stood their staring up at her shocked face, eyes blown wide and mouth slightly hanging open. Suddenly a startled laugh came out of Zoeys laugh and she started rapidly nodding her head.

“Yes, yes that would be really cool. You free next Friday?”

“I have a collage lecture that ends at 2 so maybe we could grab a late lunch.” Claire said rubbing the back of her neck.

“That sounds amazing.” Zoey said.

They stared at each other for a few awkward seconds before they said their goodbyes and Zoey drove off in her car. Claire felt the sides of her face pull up into a smile and breathed out what could have been called a laugh. She was really looking forward to that lunch.