Batari, 40 year old Bhutanese/Filipino mix

She looked to be Anders age, with a clear Asian heritage that she made no attempt to really hide. Her black hair was just in a simple bob cut and she was wearing a tight but modestly cut deep blue dress. She extends her tan hand, "Hi, I´m Batari."

Anders gives it a firm shake with his larger hand, "Anders, nice to meet you."

Then came the awkward silence, neither knowing how to start the conversation. Luckily, one of the waitresses came over, seemingly sensing the silence. "Would you like to see the menu?"

In unison they replied. "Yes please." Both or them grateful for the interruption.

Anders and Batari both ordered pasta dishes and then the silence resumed as they waited. Then Anders broke the silence. "So, ehm. How did you come to know Sandra?" It seemed like a safe question.

"I met her a few years ago at the opening of that all latex clothing store. Obviously she was there and practically throwing herself at the clothes." They chuckled, that did sound like typical Sandra. "And you, how did you come to know her?"

Anders shrugged. "Well, I met her through her husband who´s an old friend of mine."

After that they moved to small talk, but nothing substantial was said. But eventually, as they finished their pasta, neither could avoid the lingering big question. Batari asked it first. "So Anders, how come your single?" Anders finished his bite, took a sip of red wine and took a deep breath. "Well, I divorced my wife 6 years ago and I didn't feel comfortable with dating until now."

"Was she like Vietnamese or something?" Batari jokes.

"No, she was a pure-blooded Greek. So it was all roleplays. But it didn't feel real to me. I can count on one hand the number of times I felt I was fucking my wife and not someone else she was playing."

Batari goes quiet for a while, but then responds, "Well, I guess now you want me to answer the same question. Here goes."

She takes a large gulp of white wine. "I broke up with my abusive boyfriend 2 years ago. I-I'm, ehm. I was easy for him to **** as I´m Bhutanese/Filipino." The last part came out very quietly, but Anders heard it. He´d heard about this. Women who´s genetics made them easy targets for predators. Sounds like Batari had gotten out while she could, some women like her stuck with the monsters because they were too mentally broken to leave on their own.

"So, Sandra said you weren't at all like Joffrey, and I trust her." She looked at Anders, nervous as all hell.

"Well, she only said that your weren't Greek in the slightest."

Batari gives a sad chuckle, "Oh no, I´m not fake. I'm me, for better or worse."

After that the conversation died down, but resumed over a delicious dessert. Feeling a bit brave thanks to the wine and his newfound 'Ah, fuck it.' mindset, Anders took the plunge, "So, Batari. Could, no. Would you like to continue this back at my place?"

Batari looked shocked, and Anders heart sank, his life flashed before his eyes. You get it, he felt he´d fucked up. But then Batari got a determined look on her face and grabbed his extended hand.

"I get to make the first moves, or we're not fucking at all. Got it?"

"Ok..."

Anders pays for dinner and in short order they're in his apartment with Batari straddling him on his couch as they slowly undress each other, both of them feeling rusty when it comes to sex...