Chapter 50: The Dinner Test

The next day, after returning from work, Aldric took a shower, changed his clothes, and checked the time. He had a little over an hour before dinner.

He checked the metro route before putting on his jacket.

When he arrived at Emma's apartment, he waited outside her door until the time displayed on his phone matched the time they had agreed on, then rang the bell.

Emma opened the door wearing dark pants and a loose, light-colored sweater. Her hair was tied back, with a few strands falling around her face.

Aldric thought she looked particularly beautiful.

"Hi."

"Good evening."

Emma's smile widened.

"Come in. It's getting cold."

"Thank you."

Emma stepped aside to let him in and closed the door behind him while he took off his jacket and shoes. The smell of grilled meat, spices, and warm bread drifted in from the living room, accompanied by music.

"It smells good."

"I hope so. I didn't cook anything. I left that responsibility to professionals."

She led him into the living room, where two plates, several still-warm containers, and two glasses were arranged on the coffee table.

"I ordered before you got here. That way, you won't have to analyze the menu for twenty minutes."

"I have never analyzed a menu for twenty minutes..."

"Eighteen?"

Aldric searched his memory for an example that would allow him to dispute her estimate.

He found none.

"Probably less."

"I knew I was close."

They sat across from each other around the table. Emma opened the containers and divided up the chicken skewers, spiced potatoes, and various side dishes. Aldric examined the hummus before dipping a piece of bread into it.

"You can take more, you know."

"I'll taste it first."

Emma watched him chew.

"Well?"

"The initial assessment was positive."

"I'm going to take that as a compliment."

He tried the potatoes next.

"They're spicy."

"Too spicy?"

"Just enough."

"You really have a very particular way of showing that you like something."

"What would be the usual way?"

"Saying it's good."

The method had the advantage of being more direct. Aldric took a piece of chicken.

"It's good."

"Thank you. Although I'd like to remind you that I didn't cook any of it."

"In that case, your choice was good."

"I'll take it anyway."

Emma ate a few bites before telling him about her last viewing of the day.

"The owner advertised two bedrooms. When we got there, there was only one."

"Where was the second?"

"In the living room. She'd hung a curtain to separate off one corner and put a bed behind it. She explained that 'privacy is a subjective concept.'"

"Walls are considerably less subjective."

Emma laughed.

"Wait, I have to show you the picture."

She picked up her phone and moved over to sit beside him so she could show him the photo.

"Look."

The photograph confirmed her explanation. A curtain had been hung across one corner of the living room, with a bed placed behind it. The partition therefore served its purpose, provided one was willing to accept a generous definition of the word bedroom.

"That's the second bedroom?"

"According to the owner, yes."

"I stand by what I said about walls."

Emma laughed again before zooming in on the photo and bringing the phone closer to show him a detail. Her shoulder brushed against Aldric's, and his heart rate increased again.

"The gap between the bed and the wall is less than thirty centimeters."

"She told me it created a 'cozy' atmosphere."

"She mostly calls it 'cozy' because you can't move."

Where was this text published? On the author's official page, before it was copied without permission. Reading there supports the writer.

"You should come work with me for a day, just to see how many landlords you manage to offend before noon."

"I wouldn't be trying to offend them."

"I know. That's what would make it even funnier."

Emma returned to her seat, still holding her phone.

"The client stood there for almost a minute without saying anything."

"Did she take it anyway?"

"No."

"Then she made the right decision."

"I think she'd made that decision long before the minute was over."

Emma set down her phone and resumed eating. When only one piece of bread remained, Aldric reached for it at the same moment she did. Their fingers touched.

RESPONSE INTENSITY INCREASEDPhysical Contact Detected

Emma pulled her hand back.

"You can have it."

Aldric looked at the piece of bread.

"There's enough for both of us."

He tore it in half and handed her one piece.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

When he looked up, Emma was watching him with a smile.

"You just made that face again."

"What face?"

"The one where you look like you've found an error in an equation."

"It's not an equation."

"Good. I've had enough problems to solve today already."

"At the agency?"

"Yes. Léa spent part of the afternoon chasing a landlord for some missing documents. He'd sent them to the wrong address and had been insisting ever since that we must have lost them."

It reminded Aldric of Baron de Rochefort, who had sent two hundred men to defend the wrong bridge before accusing his scouts of moving the river on their maps. Even after discovering his mistake, he had spent three days insisting that his decision had been correct and that the real problem was the geography. Aldric had thought this strategy was limited to stubborn commanders. He was discovering that it survived remarkably well in the age of email.

"Did he realize his mistake?"

"On the third call."

"Did he apologize?"

"You're very optimistic. He sent us the documents again as if nothing had happened. Then I had another one who sent me seventeen pictures of his kitchen. Three of the sink, four of the cabinets, two of the oven, and even one of the door handle."

"Why the handle?"

"I would really like to know. But not a single picture of the refrigerator."

"Maybe there wasn't one."

"You know, that hadn't even occurred to me."

"You could ask."

"And find out tomorrow that we're renting out a kitchen without a refrigerator? No. Let me enjoy my evening for a few more hours."

Aldric smiled and resumed eating. Emma continued telling him about her day while he tried to keep track of the reactions he was attempting to understand. Proximity seemed to matter, as did physical contact, but certain words or smiles caused variations he still could not predict. Emma had an unfortunate habit of mixing everything together before he could isolate anything.

He realized she had stopped talking when silence settled between them.

"Aldric."

"Yes?"

"Are you listening to me?"

"Of course."

"What did I just say?"

Aldric repeated her last two sentences.

"Okay, fine. You were listening... But you've been distracted all evening."

"I'm thinking."

Emma lowered her eyes to her plate and pushed a piece of potato around with her fork.

"I just feel like you're more interested in thinking than spending the evening with me. You know, if you didn't want to come, you could've just told me."

EMOTIONAL RESPONSEIntensity: HighPrevious Maximum Exceeded

"I wanted to come."

"Aldric, you've been checking the time, your pulse, or whatever else since the beginning of dinner. If you'd rather be somewhere else, that's fine. I'm not going to be upset just because you don't want to spend your evening here."

His heart sped up again, even more than when Emma had moved closer to him or when their fingers had touched.

"I do not wish to be anywhere else. My behavior is related to the experiment, not to my interest in this evening."

"That doesn't help much."

"I meant that the experiment explains my unusual behavior."

"I know what you meant."

"Then why was my answer insufficient?"

"Because you just talked about 'your interest in this evening' like you were evaluating a meeting."

"This evening interests me considerably more than a meeting."

"Thanks, I guess."

"For the past few days, certain circumstances have been causing unusual changes in my heart rate. The observations I have made so far have reduced the probability of a dangerous cause."

"Are you in pain?"

"No."

"Dizzy?"

"No."

"Any trouble breathing?"

"No."

"And you still haven't seen a doctor?"

"I no longer have any serious reason to believe it is an illness."

"Then what are you looking for?"

"What causes the variations."

"And have you found it?"

"I've noticed that they often occur when we're together."

"So I've been part of your experiment this whole time?"

"Since I identified the connection, yes."

She stared at him.

"Aldric, you just told me your heart does weird things when I'm around."

"It also does them when you're not around."

Emma lowered her eyes to her plate as a blush spread across her cheeks. Aldric noticed the reaction without being able to determine whether it improved or complicated the situation.

"And you really thought you could figure all of this out during dinner without telling me?"

"If you knew I was observing you, your behavior might have changed."

"So your plan was to act weird without explaining why, so I wouldn't act weird if you explained why you were acting weird."

"It seemed more logical before you phrased it that way."

Emma laughed. His heart rate increased again and, by reflex, Aldric almost raised his fingers to his wrist. He stopped himself before they reached it.

"You're making progress. We might actually end up having a normal evening."

"It wasn't normal?"

"Eat."

Aldric obeyed.

Emma finished telling him about her day at the agency, then Aldric told her about the depot and Lucas's attempt to convince Patrick that a piece of disassembled furniture counted as several objects because each part had to be carried separately.

"And what did Patrick say?"

"That he could divide Lucas's break into six parts as well, if he preferred."

Emma burst out laughing.

"I like Patrick."

"Lucas liked him considerably less at that moment."

When they finished eating, Emma gathered the containers while Aldric stacked the plates.

"Leave it. I'll take care of it."

"I can help."

"I know. That's exactly why I'm telling you before you decide to clean my entire kitchen."

"It would not take long."

"Aldric."

"Very well..."

Emma carried the plates into the kitchen while Aldric gathered the empty containers. When she returned, they talked for a few more minutes while they finished their drinks. The conversation had regained the easy simplicity it had possessed at the beginning of the evening.

Aldric eventually checked the time.

"I should go home."

"Already?"

"It's getting late."

Emma glanced at the time as well.

"Yeah, I guess it is."

Aldric picked up his jacket, and she walked him to the door. As he put on his shoes, Emma leaned against the wall.

"So, despite your weird experiment, did you have a good evening?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

"I wanted to come, Emma."

She smiled.

"I just wanted to make sure. Good night."

"Good night, Emma."

Aldric left the apartment and waited for the door to close before heading toward the stairs.

Once he was home, he set down his jacket and took out his notebook.

The strongest reaction of the evening had occurred neither when Emma moved closer to him nor when their fingers touched. It had appeared when she thought he did not want to be there.

Physical Proximity: Influence confirmed, but insufficient.

Additional Factor: Unidentified.

ANOMALY ANALYSIS UPDATEDPrimary Physical Variable: InsufficientAdditional Variable DetectedVariable Identification: Failed

Why had Emma thinking that he did not want to be with her caused the strongest reaction?