Inquire about the man you saw at her house.

You look up at the ceiling and take a deep breath. You wonder if you should bother bringing up the man at her place. You decide to go for it.

“So I think I met your dad,” you say.

She lets out a laugh that sounds like it had popped out of a bottle. “No you didn’t.”

“Well, I went to your house. There was a man there. I was gonna ask who he was, I guess.”

Tina spills her drink. “Oh god, I’m sorry,” she says.

“It’s fine.” You consolidate the napkins on the table to stop the liquid from spreading. It’s no use. The tablecloth is soaked.

A few waiters quickly come up and replace the tablecloth and napkins. You thank them.

You turn to Tina and try to continue with normal conversation.

“So, tell me more about this guy... he seemed a bit old to be a boyfriend.” You wink and smile.

“My dad died when I was 7 years old.”

You pause. Jesus. You hold eye contact with Tina until she breaks it. She wears a smile that you assume she reflexively puts on in these kinds of situations. You slide your hand across the white tablecloth and place it on hers.

“You don’t have to continue. I didn’t know.”

She tilts her head and smiles through the cringe. “I’m fine. It’s been years since he passed. The grieving is over.” You pat her hand and slide yours back. “I have a step-father. That’s who you saw at my place. He married my mom shortly after my dad passed. He has... provided for my mom and I.”

“It takes a good man to raise someone else’s daughter.”

“Yeah”, she says as her head sinks. She props up her forehead on her palms. Something’s wrong.

“What’s up with your step-dad? He seemed a little, I don’t know, short with me?”

“He’s a private guy,” Tina says as her head sags low. “He doesn’t like to talk about our...” She pauses.

“Your what?”

“Uh. Nothing. Just our private life. Our family life.” Tina seems really uncomfortable. She looks like she’s in physical pain.

You decide to change the subject, seeing as how Tina is clearly working through some issues. “What about college? Where are you going? What do you want to study?”

“I am taking a gap year.” She leans back in her seat. “I’ll be... staying home. I’ll volunteer and maybe pic up an internship. I love writing, so I might work on a manuscript or two before I head off to college.”

“That sounds like a great plan!” you say. “I’m going to major in Political Science, but I’ve always enjoyed writing. You sound like you know way more about publishing than I do.”

“Well, maybe you’ll learn a thing or two from me,” Tina says with a wink.

Dinner comes out quickly, and the check comes out quicker. You drive Tina home and drop her off just after sunset. The windows of her house are brightly lit, making you squint a bit. “Stop here” she says as you enter her driveway. A shadow of a man is perched outside the front door. “Thanks for everything” Tina says.

“It was my pleasure, and don’t forget your bag!” you say with a silly grin.

Tina rolls her eyes. “Ugh, I almost forgot.” She takes the bag and gives you a nice, firm hug. “See ya.”

“Bye Tina,” you say as she marches towards her door. She stomps past the ebony figure by the doorway. The shadow follows her in as you back out of the driveway.

It’s the usual when you get home. Some dinner with your boring family, repetitive video games, and bed. Tina’s on your mind. You want to hang out with her again if you can, but you don’t know how to go about it. Her boyfriend could get in the way, and Tina clearly has some family issues going on. You could try to start a relationship with her, or you could stay close friends.