They go to dinner

The drive out to Miller’s didn’t take long. It took about fifteen minutes of winding through quiet streets lined with old oaks and small shops before the view opened up to the water. The restaurant sat near the edge of the lake, its weathered wood siding and string lights giving it a relaxed, tucked-away charm. The air smelled faintly of grilled food and pine.

Natalie parked and killed the engine, both of them sitting for a moment before stepping out into the cool evening air. The sky had gone pink and gold, the reflection stretching across the surface of the lake as laughter and the chatter of scattered conversations drifted from the patio.

“Not bad,” she admitted, glancing around.

Aiden grinned. “Told you I had good taste.”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” she teased, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear as they headed toward the door.

They started up the short boardwalk toward the entrance, causing the gravel to crunch beneath their shoes. The air coming off the lake was cool, and Aiden walked close enough that his shoulder brushed hers once, then again, until his arm came to wrap around her waist.

Natalie didn’t slow, but her eyes went down to where his hand rested on her side. She looked back up at him with one raised brow, her expression saying she knew exactly what he was doing.

He caught it instantly, grinning like he’d been caught red-handed. “What? It’s chilly.”

“Uh-huh,” she said, but she didn’t move his hand.

Inside, the conversation mixed with the clatter of dishes and faint music. The hostess looked up with a practiced smile. “Hi there! Just two?”

“Yeah,” Aiden said. “Any chance we can sit out on the patio?”

“Of course.” She grabbed two menus and motioned for them to follow. “Right this way.”

The patio lights twinkled overhead from small bulbs strung between posts, and a few tables were already filled with couples and small groups. She led them to a spot near the railing where the view of the lake stretched wide and unobstructed. “Your server will be right with you,” she said, leaving the menus and heading back inside.

Natalie waited until she’d stepped away before clearing her throat. “Okay,” she started, taking on a bit more serious of a tone. “We need to talk about a few ground rules.”

Aiden straightened, as his grin faltered and nerves set in. “Oh… Okay. Sorry if the arm thing was-”

“The arm was fine,” she interrupted, holding up a hand. “You didn’t overstep. That’s not what I mean.”

He relaxed a little, but his brow furrowed as he leaned forward. “Then what do you mean?”

She hesitated, glancing toward the water before answering. “We need to figure out what this is. You and me. What we’re doing.”

He nodded slowly, keeping his eyes on her. “Okay.”

“I like you, clearly,” she admitted, the words quiet but direct. “And last night… it happened. It was good, but it certainly complicates things, and now we need to decide if that was just a moment, if it’s something we’re going to keep pretending isn’t happening, or if it’s something much bigger.”

Aiden’s fingers drummed lightly on the table before stilling. “You’re saying we either stop or we…?”

“Or we at least understand what we’re doing,” she finished for him. “Because I don’t want to mess up your life, and I can’t have mine turning into a secret mess either. And considering my relationship with Lisa…,” Natalie trailed off, letting the implication hang.

He studied her for a long moment, his mouth twitching like he wanted to smile but knew better. “So… ground rules.” His mind was racing at the prospect of defining what this is, and what it meant at home.

“Exactly.” She folded her hands on the table, leaning forward slightly. “Let’s start there.”

He nodded once, serious now. “Alright. You go first.”

Natalie took a breath, now resting her elbows on the table. “Alright,” she said, bobbing her head from side to side as she picked her words. “First things first. We are not a couple.”

Aiden blinked, then gave a slow, wry nod with pursed lips. “Okay. Clear start.”

“I’m serious, Aiden.” She met his eyes, making sure the point landed. “Jealousy, expectations, any of that stuff- it’ll ruin everything. What happened last night was… what it was. But if we’re going to keep doing anything, it has to stay simple. No emotional strings.”

He leaned back in his chair, the hint of a grin creeping back. “You say that like you think I’m going to get attached.”

She tilted her head, unimpressed. “I’m saying it because I’ve been back in the adult dating pool long enough to know how quickly a lack of communication causes things to fall apart. We’re roommates. I’d even say friends at this point. And whatever else happens between us stays between us. That means no explanations, no guilt, no trying to define it beyond what it is.”

Aiden nodded again, still watching her carefully. “So… friends who occasionally break a few rules?”

“Something like that,” she said, with a small smile despite herself. “And just so you know, I’m still seeing Matt, and I’m ninety-nine percent sure he’s seeing other people too. So I don’t want this to get confused.”

That one hit him for a second, enough to show, before he caught himself and shrugged. “Then I’m free to see whoever I want too?”

“Yes,” she said immediately. “You’re twenty. You should be. I don’t expect you to sit around waiting for me to text you. It’s gonna be complicated enough trying to figure out how this works while living together.”

He grinned now, leaning forward, elbows on the table, matching her. “You realize how funny it sounds hearing you lay out ground rules for hooking up, right? Like I just got drafted into some male fantasy.”

Natalie laughed quietly, shaking her head. “I just like things clear. It helps to keep people from getting hurt.”

“Sure,” he said, still teasing. “So, to make sure I’ve got this straight – no dating, no jealousy, no talking about it, no catching feelings, and I can still have fun elsewhere?”

“Mostly, right,” she said, matching his tone. “We can talk about it- hell, we need to talk about it, but amongst ourselves. We need to keep communication open, and if there’s a problem, or feelings creeping in, then we both need to know it’s okay to voice those. But I don’t want to hear about you going around and telling your buddies that you’re fucking your mom’s friend, that you’re living with,” she finished, taking a firm tone.

He nodded thoughtfully, pretending to take notes. “And you, meanwhile, get to set all the rules, see Matt, and still call me when you need… what would you call it, stress relief?”

“Careful,” she warned, smirking. “You’re already testing the boundaries by making this a joke.”

“I’m just making sure I understand the terms of this very serious arrangement.” He leaned closer, his voice dropping low enough that it didn’t sound like a joke anymore. “Because I don’t mind playing by your rules. I just think you’re underestimating how much you’re going to want to keep me around.”

Her smile thinned. “Is that so?”

He held her eyes, confidence laced with that same simple charm that made her pulse kick up. “Guess you’ll find out, won’t you?”

Natalie leaned back, staring at him with a blank expression for several seconds until he started to feel a little nervous. “We’ll see if you can actually keep things simple,” she said at last. “And these aren’t just my rules. If you have anything you want to put on the table, that you need to make this work, now’s the time.”

Then the waiter appeared at their table, saving Aiden from having to answer right away.

“Hey, folks. What can I get you to drink to start?”

Natalie glanced up with a polite smile. “A glass of sauvignon blanc, please. And a water.”

“Sure thing.” The waiter turned toward Aiden.

“I’ll take a Coke,” he said.

The man jotted it down and stepped back with a grin. “Coming right up,” he answered, and then paused, recognizing Aiden. “Haven’t seen you in a while, man.”

“Yeah,” Aiden replied, trying not to sound caught off guard.

The waiter’s eyes flicked to Natalie. From where he stood, she couldn’t see his face, only the way Aiden’s expression changed. Whatever look the guy gave him made Aiden cover a quick, helpless grin.

“Good to see you,” the waiter said, pointing toward Natalie with a conspiratorial smirk before flashing Aiden a thumbs up and nodding like a proud older brother. “Nice,” he mouthed.

Aiden shook his head, laughing silently as the guy disappeared toward the bar.

“What was that?” Natalie asked, narrowing her eyes.

“Nothing,” he said quickly, still grinning.

“Oh, it wasn’t nothing.” She leaned forward, eyes sharp but amused. “What’d I miss?”

“Just- uh… said hi.”

Her brow rose. “Aiden.”

He tried to compose himself, failed, and laughed again. “Fine. He gave me a thumbs up.”

“A thumbs up?”

“And a ‘nice,’” he admitted, trying and failing to keep a straight face.

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