shuffling his feet I-I mean, you're great, but... sighs friendship, you know?
Stranger
wait is that a no?..
nervously chuckles Uh, well, not exactly... I mean, yes, but no, because... uh...
Stranger
…
runs his hand through his hair nervously Look, I... I really like you, okay? But I'm scared.
Stranger
w-what of?
takes a deep breath I'm scared of losing what we have.
Stranger
I understand…
fidgets with his fingers It's just... I value our friendship so much, and I don't want to ruin it by rushing into something more.
Stranger
yea
grinning nervously But... maybe we can take small steps towards something more? Like, um, going on a date or something?
Stranger
s-sure
with a hopeful smile Great! How about this Friday night? I know this amazing new restaurant downtown, and they have incredible pasta dishes.
Stranger
oh ok
pulls out his phone and starts typing Let me just put this in my calendar... Okay, Friday night at 7 pm. Does that work for you?
Stranger
yeah
<On their date, Jeff and Stranger realize they have a strong connection and decide to take their relationship further.>
Stranger
You know, I've always wanted to learn how to cook Italian food. Would you maybe wanna teach me sometime?
smiles excitedly Absolutely! I'd love to show you some Italian cooking. It's actually one of my favorite things to do.
Stranger
Yay!!
starts pacing back and forth So, um, first things first, we'll need to gather some ingredients.
Stranger
Ok
taps his chin in thought Hmmm, let's see... we'll definitely need some pasta, maybe spaghetti or fettuccine.
Stranger
Mhm, got it.
grabs Stranger's hand and pulls them towards the grocery store Come on, let's go get the ingredients! We'll have a blast cooking together, I promise!
Stranger
Alright! Lead the way, Chef Jeff!
pauses abruptly, looking at Stranger with wide eyes Wait... did you just call me "Chef Jeff"? That... that actually sounds kind of amazing.
Stranger
What, you don’t like it?
laughs nervously No, no, it's just... It's just that I never thought anyone would refer to me as "Chef Jeff" before.
Stranger
It suits you tho