Tomas had forgotten about that. It could be an issue, squeezing into a tight booth, for a big guy like Riley. He was the tallest person Tomas had ever met, not to mention big and muscular all over.
Tomas led him towards his usual spot, and they regarded the booth doubtfully. Tomas liked it because it was a dark corner, hidden away and quiet, but it wasn't the roomiest of spots. He should have thought of that.
"How about over here?" Auden offered, gesturing expansively to the many, many tables cluttering the floor space nearby, almost all of them empty. "Pick a spot. I'll bring you water and coffee, if you want." He was trying to make this easier, even after they'd scared him.
"That sounds great," Riley said, giving him a smile. Riley had a great smile, as gentle and soft as he was under that big, tough exterior. "Thank you."
Auden returned the smile and walked away, sleekly professional. Tomas studied his backside wistfully. He'd looked much better in his less conventional clothing. They'd clipped his wings to fit him into the uniformity of a dress code, but he still looked good.
It was funny, because he'd never noticed Auden's looks one way or another until he got to know and care about him. Now he found him really very appealing physically as well as in other ways.
Riley gave Tomas an apologetic grimace after Auden was gone. "I hate scaring people."
"I should have texted him. It didn't occur to me. I'm sorry. It wasn't your fault."
"I'll be extra nice. And leave a big tip." Riley leaned forward, his expression suddenly worried. The chair creaked ominously under him. "That's not bad, is it? Leaving a big tip, I mean, when you're seeing each other?"
"Better you than me, I think." Tomas laughed uncomfortably. Unfortunately, they were at the stage of a relationship where leaving big tips might seem weird and vaguely coercive. But he already cared about, worried about, and wanted to look after Auden, and had no way to do so. Auden was clearly not wealthy, well-off, or possibly even food-secure. It hurt to know that and not know what to do about it. He couldn't just say, "Quit your shitty job and move in with me. I'll look after you." People didn't do that. Not this quickly, they didn't. Not to mention, he could ruin a good thing before it even got started.
Auden returned swiftly with coffee, water, and the menus. "Soup of the day is chicken noodle." But he gave Tomas a warning look. Since Tomas usually had coffee, soup, and crackers for lunch, he knew very well the soup must be awful, or Auden wouldn't be hinting to avoid it. Soup was usually one thing this place couldn't mess up.
Tomas folded up the menu again immediately; he'd only been pretending to look. "What would you recommend?"
"The French fries are fresh," said Auden. "The chili is good, if you don't mind it a little on the spicy side."
"Let's have that," Riley said, sounding eager and hungry. "I can also smell some burgers in the back. Are they worth eating? I could really eat a burger right now."
Auden pursed his lips, looking torn. Very slightly, he nodded. But he looked worried.
"Don't worry, I have a strong stomach," said Riley. He patted his middle and smiled disarmingly. "I'll take three burgers, please. All the toppings."
Auden made a note with his pad and pencil. "Two orders of fries, two chilis, three burgers. Coming right up. Anything else?"
"Is there cheesecake?" asked Riley. "I could do with some cheesecake." Auden nodded, making another note. "And if you guys do milkshakes, Tomas would like either strawberry or mango." Riley nodded pointedly towards Tomas.
"Hey," Tomas protested mildly. "I'm eating chili. That's enough, isn't it?"
Auden looked at Tomas, pencil poised. "No milkshake?"
Grumbling internally, he gave in. "I'll take a small. Chocolate, please." Anything mango-flavored here was bound to be weird and artificial, probably with a gross aftertaste. There was no way this place kept fresh mangos on hand.
Auden flashed his sweet smile and hurried away to fulfill their order.
Riley stretched out a little, leaning back in his chair, which creaked like it was suffering. A smile twitched at Riley's face, and his eyes danced. "I like him. He's cute."
Tomas rolled his eyes, embarrassed and awkward. "Of course he's cute. But other than that."
"Oh, yes, other than that, too. I really do like him, Tommy. I hope it works out."
From anyone else, this sudden pronouncement would have been jumping the gun. But from Riley, with his sense of smell, his intuition, and his general skittishness about meeting new people, this was a big deal. He wouldn't have said it if he didn't mean it. That meant that within minutes of meeting Auden, in an awkward and poorly timed situation, he'd already settled it completely within himself that Auden was a likeable person with good vibes and had the strong possibility of being a good match for Tomas.
Tomas longed to pick his brain for more details, but it wouldn't be a good idea to do it here. Instead, he contented himself with wadding up his napkin and trying not to fidget.
Usually, he'd be absorbed in reading a book on his phone, but today he felt viscerally, painfully present. There was no drifting away to another world, no escaping the intensity he felt here. His having met Auden mattered; this meal going well meant something. By some miracle, they hadn't fucked things up already, but they'd come close. He had to pay attention and handle things properly now.
His fingers itched to text Auden, but he already knew Auden couldn't check his phone while he was working. So, his apology would have to wait. Hopefully, Auden could see how sorry he was, that he hadn't meant any harm. At any rate, Auden had handled it well once the initial shock had passed.
Now, if we just don't fuck anything else up.
