13. Mae
THIRTEEN
Mae
I shouldn’t be so giddy. But I am. We left the deep space exhibit—which was incredible—and now we’re heading to an alien-themed restaurant. Because it’s New York, and New York has everything. I fiddle with the necklace Seth bought me at the gift shop. It has the Capricorn constellation, my astrological sign.
Ever since I revealed my alien obsession to Seth, I can’t seem to stop talking about it. But rather than get bored or annoyed, he listens with genuine interest. Maybe he just enjoys listening to me talk, but I don’t care. He’s the first person who I’ve really shared this all with.
The car stops, and Seth pulls out the wheelchair, which I still think is ridiculous, but it’s either that or crutches, and I don’t want to hobble everywhere. We come around the corner, and there’s a disc spaceship on a pole in the middle of a courtyard.
I glance up at him. “I doubt this is going to be very authentic.”
“I didn’t think any alien-themed restaurant would be, but I figured it’d be fun anyway. And what were you expecting? Zero gravity and MREs?”
We step inside and immediately feel like we’ve entered another world. The walls are covered in neon colors and futuristic designs. He pushes me into the entryway, and we are greeted by a woman in a Star Trek-type uniform who ushers us into a spaceship.
“Looks like we’re going to Mars,” Seth says with a chuckle. I hope he doesn’t make fun of this. It’s very cheesy, but I love it anyway. The spaceship “lands,” and Seth pushes me out into the very orange room.
“We’re on Mars,” I squeal.
We’re led to a table by an alien, and Seth sits across from me. “I’m glad this makes you happy.”
Servers dressed as aliens walk around with trays of food that look like they could be from another planet. I can’t stop grinning as I take in everything around me. Even the menu is filled with dishes inspired by different alien cultures.
“What do you want to order?” Seth asks.
“Everything,” I say, only half-jokingly. I opt for a dish called “Galactic Gnocchi” while Seth goes for “Plutonian Pizza.”
I tell him more about my obsession—watching hours of documentaries and reading every book I could find on aliens. But it’s not until I mention how I spend time with actual scientists working on extraterrestrial research that Seth gets a glimmer in his eye.
“When we get back to Whisper Springs, do you want to go to the SETI Lab with me?” I ask eagerly.
“Didn’t you say you go in the middle of the night?” He takes another bite of his pizza.
“Yeah.”
“If your dad finds out we’re sneaking around together that late, he’ll think we’re doing something other than searching for E.T.,” Seth says.
“Well then, I guess we’ll have to be extra careful not to get caught.” I give him a mischievous grin.
Seth leans in closer. For a brief moment, I forget about all the reasons why we have to be careful and just enjoy the feeling of being close to him. But then reality sets in, and I remember that we still have boundaries. We can’t do anything more than what we’re doing right now.
I reach across the table and put my hand over his. “Thank you for this. I know it’s probably not your idea of a good time.”
“How do you know what my idea of a good time is?”
I purse my lips. “Let’s see. You like sailing, hiking, traveling, and reading. And you name-drop brands that I’ve never heard of, so I don’t get everything. You’ve never mentioned anything about quirky alien restaurants. However, I’m guessing there are things I don’t know about you. I’ve told you my secret obsession, and now it’s your turn to share something.”
He squirms in his seat. “You have to promise not to make fun of me.”
“Nope. No promises. You wouldn’t promise me the same.”
He sighs. “But I didn’t make fun of you.”
“That’s true, but I still reserve the right to tease you.”
“Fine.” He looks at me for a few moments longer as if still not sure he wants to admit it. “I love to shop.”
Well, that was a letdown. I was expecting something bigger. “That’s not that unusual.”
“No. I mean, I shop like a woman with a no-limit credit card. Let me loose on Fifth Avenue, and I can drop a hundred grand in a few hours easily. I love clothes, shoes, and everything.”
He always dresses well, but I never pictured the part where he did the shopping. Him wandering around a mall laden with bags. I can’t help it. I giggle.
He narrows his eyes. “Come on, Mae.”
“I’m sorry. I’m just picturing it. Next time we come to New York, I’m taking you shopping. You’ll have to spend your own money of course, but I want to see it in action.”
“It’s a date. But for real. My brothers are ruining all my suits. It’s annoying and a little hurtful.”
We sit in silence as we people-watch. I can’t help but feel guilty for laughing at Seth’s confession.
“Are you okay?” he asks, breaking the silence between us.
I snap out of my thoughts and meet his concerned gaze. “Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”
“You just seemed lost in thought.”
I give him a small smile. “Just thinking about what you said earlier. About how you’d do anything for me.” I don’t want to admit to him that I’m feeling guilty.
He nods, understanding where my thoughts are coming from. “It’s true, Mae. You mean a lot to me.”
As our gazes lock, I feel myself inching closer to him. His hand reaches out to brush against my cheek, and I close my eyes, anticipating the warmth of his mouth on mine.
But just as our lips are about to meet, a loud crash and shouting comes from the kitchen. Two costumed alien waiters are going after each other. They knock over tables and send dishes flying.
Seth gives me a look of disbelief before we both burst into laughter. Amidst the chaos, Seth starts telling me more about his love for shopping and fashion, but we can barely hear each other over the sounds of the ongoing fight. They’re separated now but are still yelling insults as others attempt to pull them from the room. I don’t even care. I find myself enjoying every minute of it with Seth by my side.
He gives me a grateful smile, and my heart flutters in my chest. This is the side of Seth that I’ve always wanted to see—vulnerable and open with me.
“Thank you for this. For real.”
“Mae, I really hope we can keep doing things like this. Visiting anything and everything alien-related and anything else you love that you haven’t told me about.”
His words hit deep in my soul, and I have no idea what to do with that.