Written for Muse On Monday. David has
asked us to write a story about a first date
in a war zone … whatever our definition of
a war zone is. Here’s where the prompt took me.
The candle on the table had been flickering for twenty minutes, though there was no draft.
Luca had ordered the mushroom risotto. Tamara had ordered the salmon. They had been talking about their jobs …. he was in R&D, she was in dental hygiene …. when the first police car went by, siren wailing, close enough to rattle the water in their glasses. They both watched their water glasses. The water settled. They looked back at each other.
“The risotto is actually very good,” Luca said.
“I heard this place gets their salmon fresh,” Tamara said. “You can tell.”
The waiter materialized, impeccable, to refill their wine. He did not appear to notice the shouting outside, or the second siren, or the fact that the couple at the window table had quietly moved to the one nearest the kitchen without mentioning it to anyone. He described the dessert options with the gravity of a man reading a will.
They ordered the crème brûlée to share.
Outside, something that sounded like a car backfiring was definitely not a car backfiring. A few people on the sidewalk moved briskly in the way that city people had learned to move …. not running, just purposeful and adjusted. Diners at another table paid their check and left. The candle kept flickering.
“The wine was an excellent choice,” Tamara said, turning her glass.
“It’s a good pairing,” Luca agreed. “With the risotto.”
“With the salmon too, actually.”
When the crème brûlée arrived they each took a spoon without discussing it. The custard was perfect. The sugar crust cracked cleanly. Outside the window the night was doing what nights do while inside the restaurant the candle was still glowing. Luca asked if she might want to do this again sometime and Tamara said she thought she might and they split the check evenly, down to the tip.
The waiter wished them a pleasant evening.
They stepped outside together into whatever the evening held.
NAR©2026
This is “Welcome To The Jungle” by Guns N’ Roses
Everything on The Elephant’s Trunk was created by me, unless otherwise indicated. Thanks for your consideration. NAR©2017-present.
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