Table For Two 7: Insalata

>Rarity's lips tremble as she presses them against yours

>Her eyes are shut tight and you can see that she's furrowing her brow

>After a few seconds you're able to break away from her

>She looks at you painfully, her eyes darting around your face searching for something...anything

>Nothing

Rarity...

>A look of panic crosses her face and she takes a step back before you reach out and grab her hoof

Talk to me. I know you came here to talk, so talk. You can't run away from this kind of thing forever

>Rarity stops trying to pull away and drops down to the gravel path in front of your house

>”I'm sorry...I don't know what came over me...I just-

-wanted to come and tell me how you feel, but couldn't say it when the time came and did the next best thing you could think of on the spot?

>She paws at the ground and hangs her head

>”I'm sorry, it was impulsive and gauche and-”

And it happens to the best of us

>You put a hand on her head

>She looks up, her eyes carrying a glimmer of hope

But just don't feel that way about you

>Her face falls again and she looks back at the ground

>You sigh heavily. This is not the way you wanted your day to end

You're a great mare, Rarity. Don't ever doubt that. You're going to make some stallion very happy someday

>You know nothing you say can really make her feel better, but you can't just leave things at 'No'

>Rarity looks up at you again and puts on a weak smile to hide her real emotions

>”Alright, Anon. Thank you for being honest with me...”

>She turns and slowly walks away

>”Goodnight, Anonymous”

Goodnight, Rarity

1/x

 

>Rarity walks away from Anon's house slowly

>She's still got a smile on her face, trying desperately to convince herself that she's fine

>When she hears the door close she lets out a sob

>She makes her way home shakily, trying to keep her eyes from overflowing

>As she goes down Mane Street, the warm lights of Sugar Cube Corner catch her eye

>They should have closed hours ago

>Rarity sees a poof of pink mane in the window

>She sniffles, pulls herself together, and walks over to the bakery

Pinkie? Oh, Pinkie, are you there?

>There's a long pause before Pinkie Pie's head pops out the window

>”Oh hey, Rarity! What's up?”

You're still open? I thought you closed at eight?

>There's another pause as Pinkie looks at Rarity and sees the state she's in

>”...Tonight was a special occasion. Want to come in?”

...I thought you'd never ask...

>She hurries inside, eager to have an outlet for her feelings right now

>The smell of pastries fills her head and calms her down somewhat more

>Pinkie walks out from the kitchen with a platter of eclairs

>The pink pony's been working hard, it seems

>”Bad news?”

>Rarity looks down

>She holds back renewed heaves and speaks slowly

It was just so fast...I wanted to...to tell him, but I couldn't...and then he was so close and I couldn't find words...

>She takes an eclair but sets it back on the table

...I kissed him, Pinkie...

>Pinkie looks surprised for a moment before her expression changes to understanding

>So THAT'S what her Pinkie Sense had meant

>”I guess it didn't go well from there?”

Dreadfully...I mean, he was a perfect gentleman about it, of course, but I still feel awful about what happened...

>”I know the feeling...”

2/x

 

>Pinkie sighs

I know the feeling...

>She sits down next to her friend

>”I can't help it...I had such high hopes...And it felt like he was hiding something, too...like there was some detail he was leaving out”

>Pinkie's got a feeling she knows what it is Anon was hiding

>Should she tell Rarity?

>Would that be right?

>She opens her mouth to speak, but closes it again in silence, deciding not to bring any more on the white mare

>”Now I don't know what's going to happen with us...I'm supposed to be his friend, Pinkie...”

I'm sorry it didn't work out the way you wanted, Rar

>Pinkie gets up and walks to the window, looking out at the night sky

It might be for the best, though...maybe now you can pursue other ponies?

>Rarity looks up from the table, a look of hurt on her face

...A-after you get over this, I mean...

>Without another word, Rarity is up and out the door, pained tears starting to well up in her eyes

>Pinkie sinks to the floor, her mane now deflated

>She puts a hoof to her face

Buck...what a stupid thing to say, Pinkie...she's your friend...what in Celestia's name did you say that for?

>So much for averting disaster

Stupid Pinkie Sense...

>Pinkie had gone to Rose the night before to talk

>The florist was a great listener, but her advice left Pinkie with more uncertainty than she'd gone in with

>”Figure out what YOU want”

>She holds her legs tight and close to her chest and hangs her head

>The look on Rarity's face made a hole in the pit of her stomach that still aches

>The clock reads 11:55

>She's going to have a long day ahead of her tomorrow

3/x

 

>You look up at the clock on the mantle

>11:55

>This has not been the best night

>It was going so well, too

>Service was fantastic, you were in a good mood, everything was going your way

>And then this happened

>This shitty situation cropped up and now you've got an enamored young mare who's feelings you've just gotten through tossing back in her face to deal with

>If you hadn't started seeing Em-

>No. No, you'd still not be able to reciprocate Rarity's feelings

>She's too young. Too immature. You really only see her as a little sister

>But Em...

>Em's a whole different story

>Your thoughts linger on the tan mare and you find yourself wondering what she's doing right now

>A smile crawls across your face

>The clock strikes 12:00

Guess she's probably sleeping

>You picture her lying in bed peacefully, wrapped up in her green sheets, a warm, sleepy smile on her face...

>Your chest feels lighter thinking about it

>You head to the kitchen to fix a drink

>In all the activity that morning, you haven't made plans to get together with Em again

>You'll have to change that

>The night is calm. You sip your drink in the kitchen, staring out the window and daydreaming for a half hour

>Even with the unfortunate events of tonight, you feel good knowing that you've got Em in your life now

>Granted it was only one night, but still

>You can see many more in the future with that mare-

>Now let's not get ahead of ourselves here. You had ONE date...sort of...

>Maybe give it a few more get-togethers before getting attached?

>It's not good to take these kinds of things too quickly

>With a yawn you start up the stairs to bed

4/x

 

>You walk to Em's house before work on Saturday, making sure nop0ny sees you coming or going

>Personally, you don't like having to sneak around, but you deal with it because it's worth the hassle

>Em answers the door  wrapped in a towel, her mane dripping wet from the shower

>”Alright, alright, I'm coming! The nerve of some ponies, knocking on my door a-”

>She turns beet red when she sees you standing on her doorstep

Bad time?

>”Uh...no, no, I just wasn't expecting company at...”

>She looks at the clock

>”...9 in the morning”

>The towel makes a soft sound as she shifts it around to better cover herself

You're not embarrassed, are you?

>You eye the tan mare with a grin

>She glares daggers back

>”So what did you come here for, Anon?”

Hey, no need for that official tone, Em

>You get up and sit right next to her, close enough that you can feel her shift, agitated beside you

I wanted to see how you were doing

>”It's only been a day”

Oh? Should I come back another time?

>You get up to go but are stopped when you feel her tug on your hand

>She's blushing again with that sheepish look on her face

>A wide smile comes over you as you turn back

>”Just to check up on me?”

>Again you sit beside her

>This time though, she leans over and rests herself on you

Well...more to make dinner plans. I'm free next Sunday

>”I think I can fit it into my schedule. But that means a week of waiting, Anon”

Did you have something in mind?

>”What are you doing Wednesday around noon?”

I've got a lunch meeting with The Mayor

>”Oh, I'm sure she'll understand”

>This mare...

5/x

 

>”So what were you thinking for dinner, Chef?”

>Em has on her face the most devilish look you've ever seen

>”Because I'll have work in the morning. I can't be out too late”

I'll try not to keep you too long, I promise

>”Why don't you just come over here Sunday night?”

Again? Might get repetitive

>”I didn't hear you complaining last time”

>She's got her head on your shoulder and looks up at you playfully

>A wet patch grows on your shirt where her mane drips on it, but you can't find it in you to mind

Touche. Wednesday it is, then Sunday. I'll come by around noon and we'll find a cafe

>”Sounds lovely”

>She snuggles up to you

>That's too damned cute to let slide...

>You look at the clock

>9:30

You know, I've got a few hours until I've got to go to work...

>”Look at that? It's MY day off...”

>...

>An excruciatingly long pause

>...

Race you upstairs?

>”Buck that”

>She nearly flings herself onto your lap, sending drops of water cascading around the room as her  mane whips around following her body

I guess we're not worried about getting the couch d- mmph!

>She breaks her mouth away from yours after a few seconds to reply

>”Do I look like I care about that right now?”

Not even close

>You lean in and plant a kiss on her neck

>She shivers and tilts her head to expose it more

>A pair of hooves press against your chest as you roll on top of her, tracing lines along her flank

>”What happened to 'taking it slow?'”

What happened to “it's only been a day?”

>She smiles and bites her lip before she pounces up and pulls you into a deep kiss

6/x

 

>You push Em's damp mane out of her face as you finally pull up to catch your breath

>She shudders heavily when you trail your fingers down her back, raising her upright

>Her face is flushed and her breath is starting to get ragged

>She keeps her hooves against your chest and stares straight into your eyes hungrily

>You think back to last night and laugh a little. “Take it slow,” what a joke

>Almost instinctively you go for her neck again, planting a strong kiss on it and relishing the shivers it elicits in the mare

>She seems to become more aggressive at that

>You feel something brush past the side of your head

>Then a tickling sensation as she nuzzles your ear before opening her mouth and-

>Wow, that's really nice, actually

>You run you hands along her flank, up to her cutie mark

>Her back arches

What have we here?

>You look at her as she pulls back, gasps quietly, looks at you again, and pushes you down onto the couch

>”Let's not get ahead of ourselves”

Didn't sound like you quite minded

>Her blush deepens

>You raise yourself up on your elbows, but she pushes you back down, leaning over you

>”We want to take our time, right?”

>That look in her eye...

>You like it

>She lets out a short cry of surprise when your arms shoot up and pull her down to your level

>It feels different from Thursday. Thursday was a release of pent-up frustration

>But this?

>This is something more deliberate

>There's no background of doubt holding you back

>You could get used to this

>Coherent thought gets hazy when you feel Em's lips start trailing down onto your neck and chest

7/x

 

>Hours later

>You go out the back door of Em's house

>It's nearly noon and the streets are more busy than they were in the morning

>You hop the fence in her backyard after saying your goodbyes

>Landing in the next yard over you look up to see a pair of huge eyes looking at you

>”Hi, Mr. Stranger! What are you doing jumping over fences? Are you playing Hide-and-Seek? What's you name? Mine's...”

>Boy, this foal can talk

>You hear a door open to the yard

>”Is somep0ny out there with you, junior?”

>You nearly panic, looking wildly left and right for an escape route

>The foal is looking at you funny, but he seems more curious than anything else

>Can't really blame him though, you're a big two-legged ape who just hopped the fence to his yard out of nowhere

>There are some bushes separating you from being seen from the back door

>You contemplate jumping into them to hide, but decide that would be a terrible mistake

>The sound of clopping becomes clear

>Somep0ny's coming to see who's in their back yard

>You've got to think fast

>Another fast look around reveals some trash cans near the fence

Really?

>The sound of hoof falls comes louder

>No time left

>Gotta act

>You leap at the cans...

>...And use them to boost yourself over the fence

>You land in an alley and walk quickly to the street

>Behind you you can hear the confused conversation that follows

>”Was somep0ny out here, junior?”

>”No, just the Slenderpony”

>”What?”

>”He was big and tall and skinny, just like the stories at sleep-away camp!”

>”Uh-huh...”

>You wipe some sweat from your brow in relief

>That was a close call, but you're still in the clear

8/x

 

>As you walk down the street you think about Em

>Your hands move up and you make a swinging motion as if you're holding an invisible bat

Home run...

>”What's a Home Run?”

>A bubbly voice beside you makes you start

Pinkie? How long have you been there?

>”Not long! But what's a Home Run and why did you swing your arms like that? It looked like FUN!”

>She's awfully energetic today

>Come to think of it, though, you're not actually sure what 'home run' means

>Another half-remembered hold-over from your old life, you suppose

Don't worry about it, Pinkie. It's just a...human thing...

>She looks at you strangely for a second before the giddiness comes back to her face

>”So how are you today, Anon? You look like you're in a good mood! I'd even go so far as to say you're...glowing”

>Her tone drops on that last word...

>Why did she say it like that?

>Why does she have that look in her eye?

>Is she on to you?

>How could she possibly suspect?

Uh...sure? I guess I'm in a good mood lately. Lots of good stuff happening at work

>”I'll bet”

Okay, well, I've got to get to work soon. Nice seeing you, Pinkie

>”Samesies! Take care, Anon!”

>She bounces off happily

>You let out a sigh of relief and continue on the way home so you can shower and get ready for work

>If you can avoid any more paranoia-inducing ponies this might just be a great day

>The rest of the walk home is a chance to cool down and bask in your good mood again

9/x

 

>A week and a day later

>Sunday

>The alarm clock rings you awake at 8:00

>You get out of bed quickly, eager to start the day

>The sun shines brightly into your room and you stand in the brilliant shaft under the window for a minute, taking in the morning light

>You put a pot of coffee on to start brewing and open the morning paper

>Sitting there in your kitchen, you feel a sense of vague nervousness as you start thinking about tonight

>You're a little excited. You get to cook with Em tonight, maybe show off a little to the mare, get to know her better...

>The last part sticks in your mind

>You've gotten together with Em four times now, socially or otherwise, but aside from snippets and half-stories, you don't feel like you know her that well

>You'd like to change that

>Hopefully she does too...

>The clock on the mantle chimes to herald the half-hour

>There's a small knot of anxiety in your stomach now

>What if what you've got now is all she wants?

>It hadn't occurred to you earlier, but what if she doesn't want something more...personal?

>You shake it from your mind. Not worth getting worked up about right now

>Not when you've got work this morning

>Besides, you're both adults. You can work these things out...

>...At least you hope you can

>You take the coffee pot and pour out a mug

>On the kitchen counter sit two bags full of the dry ingredients for tonight

Deja vu

>You chuckle before remembering something you haven't gotten yet

>Quick look at the clock tells you the time

>9:40

Okay, that's enough time

>You bolt out the door in a hurry to get to Rose's shop

10/x

 

>Rose takes her sweet time coming to the counter when you arrive

>When she finally appears she saunters up and leans over the counter, a sly smile on her face

>”Need something?”

>You sigh and pinch the bridge of your nose

What do you know, Rose?

>”Oh, lots, Anon. What would you like to know I know?”

>Celestia damn it...

>”Lighten up, Chef. Em told me all about your little mid-morning rendezvous last week”

She uh, she told you about that?

>”Well, not EVERYTHING, but she was certainly glowing when I ran into her that afternoon”

>You can't help but smirk

>She gives a knowing look and lets out a giggle

>”You two are something else, you know that? Now what can I get you?”

A dozen roses would be great

>”Going with a classic? I can respect that, but it's a little samey, Anon. Sure you don't want to bring he something different?”

What do you have in mind?

>”Give me a minute and I'll show you”

>She disappears into the back and emerges a minute later with a paper-wrapped bunch of lilies

>You take the bunch and examine the flowers

>”My sister grows these. They're some of Em's favorite flowers. Something to keep in mind”

Thanks, Rose. How much do I owe you for the dozen?

>”Complimentary. You should know by now how much I like to watch things like this unfold”

I'll let that go on account of the flowers

>”Oh, thank you”

>There's that playful sarcasm again

>She's hard to place, Rose. You're not sure if she's messing with you or not

>But you've got your flowers and you've got time to bring them home before work starts, so you're not about to start complaining

11/x

 

>Work goes as smoothly as it ever could

>It's almost like the restaurant knows when you're in high spirits

>Not a single problem crops up and you can't believe your luck

>The produce orders go out without a hitch, prep gets done on time, and service is fast, efficient, and perfectly orchestrated

>You couldn't ask for a better work day

>At 5 you get called into the owner's office for a meeting about the fundraiser

>The event is a week away and you and your cooks have been working hard to get everything ready

>With the menu, headcount, and pricing set, you're going to spend the next week planning your organization of the event's food preparation

>You've got 7 cooks who are going to help make and serve everything that night

>It'll be a daunting task, but you're prepared and up for the challenge

>On top of being great for publicity, it's an opportunity to show off your cooking chops to some Equestria elites and big-wigs in Ponyville

>Plus there's the other incentive:

>It's a definite way to impress Em

>...They say the best motives are ulterior

>You smile as you leave the meeting and take off your Chef coat and hat

>Work is done, the fundraiser is squared for the time being, and you've got dinner plans with The Mayor

>Today is a good day

>You step out into the autumn air

>It's gotten colder in the past week

>Summer is most definitely over

>A chill breeze rises up and blows some leaves across the road

>It's going to be a nice night for a hot meal and good company

>You feel a knot of anticipation form in your gut

>If Em's palette is as good as it is, you can't wait to see her cooking

12/x

 

>Everything is ready to go at 7:00

>You've got your ingredients, your knives, your drinks, and your flowers

>A deep breath to calm your nerves and you're out the door, heading to Em's house

>It's just starting to get dark as you set off down Main Street

>The lights of the town cut window-shaped holes in the silhouettes of buildings as the sky darkens

>Sugar Cube Corner is lit as you pass it. You see the poofy pink mane of Pinkie Pie bouncing around the kitchen as she bakes

>You unconsciously quicken your pace past the bakery

>Something tells you to avoid too much contact with the party pony for the time being

>She makes you paranoid and nervous when she starts asking questions

>You continue on your way and finally make it to Em's house

>No problems, no run-ins with curious ponies, no witnesses you need to worry about

>After a couple knocks on the door, Em appears

>”Good evening, Chef”

Evening, Madam Mayor

>The two of you smirk at the facade you're both putting on as she lets you inside

>”What's on the menu tonight, Anon?”

>You walk into the kitchen and put the bags on the counter before reaching in and taking out the lilies

First things first, Em

>You hand her the bunch of flowers and smile as she looks at them, wide-eyed

>She  reaches a hoof out and takes them slowly, her eyes flitting between them and you

>”Lilies? How did you kn-”

A little bird told me you liked lilies

>”I love them, Anon”

Glad to hear it. Now...

>You clap and turn back to the counter to unload the food

I was thinking we could make some old-fashioned ratatouille and some zucchini blossoms? They're big hits at the restaurant

>”...we?”

13/x

 

>You pause

>That wasn't the response you were expecting

>As you walk over to the refrigerator to put the wine away to chill, you see panic slowly mounting on Em's face

>She starts, about to run over as you open the door and look inside for a place to put the wine

>Staring back at you from the shelves are no less than twelve take-out containers and six neatly folded aluminum foil packages with receipts taped to them

>You stare, confused, into the refrigerator for a few seconds before Em slams the door shut, face red

I didn't know some of those places DID delivery

>”They don't...usually”

Make special exception for The Mayor, do they?

>Her eyes go to the ground. Suddenly she looks upset and a new knot forms looking at her

...You don't cook, do you?

>She looks up quickly, her eyes still pained

Well, that would explain why the only things that look like they've seen any major use are the oven, range, and microwave...

>You turn back to Em and furrow your brow

>She shrinks back like she expects you to be upset

Embarrassed?

>”Why wouldn't I be?”

It's nothing to be ashamed of, Em. So you don't cook. It's not li-

>”No, I CAN'T cook” she blurts out

>You look at her with a raised eyebrow

I find that hard to believe, Em

>You walk back over to the counter and take out the zucchini blossoms

>They'll be stuffed with cheese and herbs and then breaded and fried

You expect me to believe that YOU, who caught the herbs I use in the oil for my risotto, CAN'T cook?

>Looking back at Em, you see that she's serious

>She's hanging her head like she's committed some heinous crime

Come over here, Em

14/x

 

>”But...”

No buts. You. Here. Now.

>She slowly walks over to the counter

Exactly how bad are you?

>”What, do you want to embarrass me some more?”

I want to know where to start

>She looks confused for a moment

>”Start with what-”

>You hand her a knife and a small eggplant

I was planning on having us cook something together, but this might actually be more fun

>You smile

>She looks at the knife, then the onion, then you

Slice it. I'll handle the other vegetables

>”Anon...”

Em, if being a bad cook were a deal-breaker for me, I'd have told you up front. You are way too interesting to me to let go over something that minor

>She looks like she might cry. Better hold off on the onions for now

>You start dicing the tomatoes as Em takes the knife up and begins to work on the eggplant

>Glancing over, you see her struggling to keep the blade even with the cutting board

>It's actually sort of cute seeing her out of her element like this

>You step behind her and take her hooves in your hands

Hold the knife like this and let your other hoof guide where the blade goes. Rock it over the eggplant, nice and easy

>You move with her for a few strokes of the knife before letting go and watching her face light up as her slices come out better and better

>Back to your own cutting

>The tomatoes are done. You set them aside and move on to the zucchini

>Out of the corner of your eye you can see Em's knife start moving erratically as her frustration mounts before it stops, pauses, and starts slowly again

>She's determined

>That's good

15/x

 

>The two of you work slowly, slicing the vegetables, chopping the garlic and onion, and arranging them all in the casserole

>Em looks at your slices and back to her own, sighing in disappointment at the obvious discrepancies

Hey, first time I did this dish it was a disaster

>”Really?”

Nearly burned down the function hall

>”You're pulling my leg”

You got me; it was only half the function hall that got scorched

>She laughs as you slide the casserole into the oven to cook

Want to try your hoof at zucchini blossoms?

>The mare looks at the counter apprehensively before looking back at you

>”Lead on, Chef”

 

>The kitchen soon fills with the aroma of hot oil and melting cheese

>From the oven creeps the warm smell of the roasting vegetables

>Em is back in a good mood as you walk her through the processes

>She really wasn't exaggerating when she said she can't cook

>The first zucchini blossom she tried to fry comes out black and, somehow, still cold inside

>The second is better, only a dark brown

>You step in at the third. You've only got so many you can afford to lose

>She steps back and watches you contentedly

>By the time you finish frying, the ratatouille is done as well

>You pull it out of the oven and let it cool on the counter while you put away the left-over ingredients

>Em sits at the table behind you

See? That wasn't so bad for a first lesson, was it?

>She smiles and looks away

>”Only the first? How ever will I afford lessons from Chef Anonymous?”

>You take a seat next to her and pull her in close with one arm

I think we'll manage. Now let's try the fruits of our labors

16/x

 

>You take two plates and scoop a large helping of ratatouille onto each one, topped with a fried zucchini blossom

>Em takes a bite of the fried flower and smiles as she chews

>You eat a fork-full of the vegetables and savor the crisp flavor that each brings to the dish, brought together by the tomato

>The evening didn't go exactly as you thought it would

>Still, things still worked out pretty well, you think

So where are you from, originally?

>Em swallows a mouthful

>”Baltimare, born and raised”

I've never been to Baltimare. What's it like?

>”It's lovely in spring, awful the rest of the year”

>She laughs

>”All rain and snow except for those three months”

Sounds great

>”Hey, be careful. It's still my hometown”

>You swap stories and share laughs for hours

>It's a totally different dynamic from the other times

>You can't help but feel drawn in by the mare

>Tonight doesn't have that tension of the first

>It doesn't have the deliberate passionate air of the week before

>She seems vulnerable and open tonight

>Her sharp wit is tempered by the evening's activities

>As you clear away the dishes you hear her lean back and sigh to herself

>”So, Anon. What are we now?”

>You continue cleaning up, unfazed by the sudden question

We've had three 'dates,' a 'lunch meeting,' and we have last Saturday. What do you think that makes us?

>”...official?”

>You walk back over to her and pick her up out of the chair

As official as we can be, for it being a secret

>Yeah, today was a good day

End