A Dozen Dates

Michael picked up one of the marinated oysters from the bed of sea salt and dug the meat out with the small fork, holding it out for Gemma to eat, before picking up a second for himself and simply slurping the treat from its jagged shell.

“Mmm, yum! I haven’t tried oysters like this before,” Gemma shared.

“Really..? They are good aren’t they? And you know what they say about oysters...”

“No, what do they say?” Gemma inquired. Michael stopped eating and stared at the oblivious expression on her face, contemplating whether or not to enlighten her; but, after considering her recent jumpy reactions to some of his flirtations, he thought it best to keep that information just to himself for the present.

“Just... that they are good for your... health,” Michael added, carefully guarding the small smirk which was threatening to expose his untruth.

“Oh, well they are seafood...” she said as Michael held out another for her, this time still in the shell, “Thank you.”

“Just suck it straight from the shell.”

Gemma copied what she had seen Michael do earlier, and a look of ecstasy came over her face, “Mmm, they are even yummier like that.”

Michael cleared his throat and thought to himself, “Yes you are...” He couldn’t work her out... She didn’t seem to be stupid – quite the opposite; but some of the things she said and did... She seemed to have no clue as to the stir she caused – her naivety seeming strangely out of proportion to the rest of her, and it was more than a little intriguing... and most delightful.