Page 34 of Aperture

“Hi, Theo. How are you?”

“I’m good. I was just thinking about you and wondering if you’ve eaten dinner yet?”

“No, not yet.”

“How about I bring Chinese food over?” he asks. He’s so thoughtful, and I love that he’s always trying to feed me. It’s one of my love languages.

“That sounds great.”

“What can I get you?”

“I’m easy,” I joke.

“So you put out for Kung Pao chicken?” he asks.

“No, Silly. Kung Pao is second base. I only put out for sweet and sour pork.”

There’s a slight pause, and then, “I’ll be there in 45 minutes.”

The line goes dead, and I jump up to get ready for my impromptu date with a smile on my face. Since he’s just coming over with dinner, I put on a comfortable sweatshirt and my most flattering black leggings. I run a brush through my hair, put a bit of lip gloss on, and examine myself in the mirror. I look cute and comfortable, but not like I’m trying too hard, which is precisely what I’m going for.

I rush around, clean up a few dog toys, and throw away the trash from this morning when Gwen was here. When everything looks presentable, I turn on my favorite playlist on my speaker. I realize I’m excited to see Theo. He’s incredibly handsome, funny, sweet, and attentive. His energy differs from Wyatt’s, which is more intense, possessive, and mysterious.

“Stop it, Millie,” I chastise myself out loud. “Stop comparing them. Wyatt isn’t an option anyway.”

I haven’t allowed myself to think about him much in the last few days or how he warned me off from Theo. I’m not someone who appreciates being told what to do, especially in my personal life. Just thinking about it is beginning to irritate me again, but thankfully, before I get too far down the rabbit hole, I hear a car pull into the driveway.

Milo is still zonked out and happily snoring on the couch. I get to the door before Theo knocks and find him standing there with a bag full of food. I invite him in and he follows me into the kitchen.

“Wow, you got a lot of food,” I say as I unload the red and white square cartons on the counter.”

“Don’t be too excited,” he says mischievously, “It’s all sweet and sour pork.”

I can’t help the laugh that explodes from my chest as I shake my head.

Despite what Theo said, he got us a variety of items. I load my plate with spicy meats, fried rice, noodles, and egg rolls and sit at the table to start eating, then I watch Theo expertly maneuver chopsticks with an agility I can only imagine.

“How did you learn to do that?” I ask, gesturing to the rice in his chopsticks.

“I have traveled all over the world. I spent several months in Hong Kong after college.”

“That’s amazing. Was it for work or just traveling?”

“Just traveling. I had always wanted to travel, so I figured I would do it before I got tied to a career. Little did I know I would be traveling for that, too,” he shrugs.

“What’s your favorite place?” I follow my question with a crunchy bite of egg roll.

He thinks for a long minute. “That’s a good question. I love Scotland, but if I had to name one place, I would say Thailand. The food, the people, the beaches. It’s magical.”

“I’d love to go there.”

“You would love it, Millie. As a photographer, you would be in heaven,” he smiles.

We eat for a few more minutes before I grab my fortune cookie.

“This is my favorite part,” I admit. Theo grabs his cookie and we both crack open our cookies and remove our fortunes. I read mine and smile at the accuracy.

“What does it say?” Theo asks.