Dinner and a Show

“ Just keep eating. Don’t look up. We don’t want to give him any ideas.”

Taking a deep breath she lifted the carrot to her lips. The tantalizing smell of buttered carrot did not, as it should, give her an appetite for food. Still, she nibbled it until the whole thing was small enough to swallow.

The lump in her throat made it hard to get down. Grabbing the glass of water, she gulped it down and laid it back on the table. She smiled too large a grin to be real at her partner. He just kept sitting there, stuffing his mouth with his food.

“He’s still not saying anything. Why isn’t he talking. Maybe its- no...no he’s just silent tonight. Nothing's wrong.”

She looked down at her plate. She had barely touched anything on it. Her potatoes were getting cold and the salad had become soggy from all the dressing.

“Just keep eating. Maybe he’s..not feeling well. If he wants to talk, he’ll talk. Just don’t watch him, it'll just makes him nervous.”

She just sat there though she couldn't do for long. It would make her seem ungrateful for the meal. Which she wasn’t, she was quite thankful Big mac had offered to pay for such a meal. It was more than she could afford on her school salary.

She just wasn’t hungry and it wasn’t the food that was the problem.

It was her companion.

“ He’s quiet, but never this quiet. Especially around me. I’ll wait a minute to let him speak. If he doesn’t, I’ll say something. I’m sure it is no-”

“Ahem.”

The waiter's voice snapped Cheerilee out of her trance like state. She turned to him, staring sheepishly.

“Um...yes?”

“Would you like a refill, madam?” He asked politely.

She turned to her half full glass of water. She didn’t want any more, but she couldn’t tell him that.

She just sweetly said "Thank you." He nodded, grabbing her glass with his magic and trotted off to fill it.

She sat there a moment, idly watching the other ponies in the cafe.

Taking a deep breath, she looked across the table at Big Mac.

“Well...that was...nice of..him. Don’t you think?” She held her breath, hoping she had said the right thing.

He simply nodded and kept eating.

“ He seems to be a very fancy waiter for such a... simple cafe as this. Don’t you think?”

He just nodded again.

“ An-and even though it is simple, it is quite...nice. Isn’t it?”

She hoped to hear his usual response, but all she received was a nod.

“ Stupid! Stop asking him “yes” and “no” questions. Oh..this isn’t good. He won’t even say “Eeyup”. He always says that, sometimes even a little more for me. Think...what could I ask him that needs an actual response and doesn’t sound random or stupid.….Oh! got it.”

She cleared her throat and said “ Big Mac, I see you are enjoying your meal. How is it?”

He shrugged.

“He shrugged! He shrugged at me! Fine, it wasn’t that good. I need a better one.”

She looked around the room. Nothing around her caught her eye and the table offered no conversation options either. Her eyes strayed to Big Mac.

“That’s it!”

“Um..Big Mac?”

He looked up at her.

“What color is your Pony Tone outfit? Is it teal or robin egg color?”

“I believe it is a tiffany blue color madam.”

She jerked her head around and saw the waiter was back with her water. She was tempted to yell at him. After all, it wasn’t him she was asking. However, she restrained herself and reached for the glass. She took a sip and made a small smile.

“Thank you mister….”

“ Savoir Fare mam.”

“Yes, thank you Mister Fare.”

“My pleasure madam. Enjoy your meal,” he said and walked off.

Cheerilee turned back to her silent friend. He looked up, his expression blank. She smiled back, hoping to get a grin from him, but he just went back to eating.

She was starting to get frustrated.

“He's purposefully avoiding any conversation, but why? it doesn’t make any sense...then again, stallions never did make any sense to me. Still. Somethings wrong and I’m gonna find o-”

“ehm.”

She looked up. Big Mac’s plate was empty and so was his glass. Pulling back his chair, he stood up. He glanced at her plate and She blushed.

“I-I...had a big lunch,” she answered his unspoken question.

He nodded and pulled back her chair and as she stood up he paid for the bill. She threw in an extra three bit tip.

The silvery moon was beautiful and the air was crisp with a slight breeze, but for all it’s beauty Cheerilee couldn’t enjoy it.

It was supposed to be a romantic walk. Instead, an awkward silence had overcome the couple and Cheerilee was starting to sweat nervously.

“We’re almost there and he STILL hasn’t said anything. What could it be? He seems fine. It doesn’t look like he’s sick and he certainly still has his appetite. He sang just fine at the show, so its not his voice. Maybe he had a rough day? No, that still wouldn’t explain the reason for avoiding all conversation.”

She glanced at him. His golden bangs covered his calm, green eyes. The Pony tone suit he was wearing didn’t clash with his deep,red fur.

He was one of the quiet types, Cheerilee knew that. It was one of the things she loved about him.  A quiet yet wise mind. Whenever he did say more than a yes or no, it was always kind. He had never said a mean word.

She knew he was honest, just like his sister. He would never lie and never could lie. If he didn’t want to say something, he just kept quiet about it. He’d leave that subject and talk about something else, but he would at least talk.

“No, something is very wrong, but what could it be? When I don’t talk for a while its for two reasons: I’m not feeling well or I’m too embarrassed to speak! Maybe...he’s embarrassed by something?

Or...somepony!

“No...no. I won’t make such accusations. It can’t be that...it couldn’t be...could it?”

She searched his eyes for any sign of what might be going on in his bright mind. He was looking at the moon, but feeling her gaze on him, he returned the look. Something was there in his eyes and even though it disappeared in a flash, she saw it.

He was sorry.

“Why? Sorry for what?” She asked with her eyes earnestly.

He said nothing, but turned his head away blushing.

“Was...was he sorry for...no. No, he couldn’t be, but...it would make sense.”

She looked back to the ground.

“ We were in a public place. Together. Alone...and we haven’t announced our relationship yet. So..it would look like we were secretly dating in public. But we were planning on announcing it tomorrow, which is why we had the date, to celebrate us being a couple. Why would he be quiet on such a special occasion...if he was embarrassed that we were having it! “

Shefelt a tear escape her eyes.

“Is...is he embarrassed about being with me? Does he not want to be with me?”

She wiped her face, hoping Big mac wouldn’t see it, but unfortunately he did. He walked up a little farther and stopped right in front of her, blocking her path.

“Mac...please let me pass.”

He stood there, a stern look on his face. She knew he wouldn’t let her move unless she told him what it was.

She didn’t know what to do.

What could she say? She wasn’t a good liar either and she still couldn’t bear to see if what she thought was true.

She hung her head, more tears escaping her tightly closed eyes. All the things she could say, but where to start?

“Well, I could start at the beginning, tell him my worries and feelings. I should tell him; he deserved to know.”

Inhaling, she looked up at him. His expression had softened and he was ready to listen.

She sighed and walked around Big mac. He didn’t stop her and followed behind.

“I...Its just that...after the performance, you...became a little quiet,” she said weakly.

“You...didn’t say a thing at the dinner and I was worried. I tried...to start a conversation, but you wouldn’t...you know,talk.”

She saw out of the corner of her eye that he was looking down at the ground. His ears hung by his head and his eyes were troubled.

“That seems to confirm my suspicions.”

Cheerilee continued nervously. “Well, I know you’re a quiet guy, so...on the way to the cafe I didn’t think much of it. When you wouldn’t even speak to the waiter, that made me worry a bit. My worry kept me from eating . I tried talking to you, but you seemed to avoid every question asked.”

She waited for him to say something, but his lips stayed silent so she went on.

“ During our walk, you still hadn't said something and I began to think of possible reasons.”

He looked at her, but said nothing.

“ I...I thought of when I won’t talk, what reasons I have. I have two.”

“One is I’m sick. That wouldn’t work for you; you just sang loud and clear for the Pony Tones.”

Big mac looked away and hung his head

“ That must mean that the first one was out of the question and that he knows what might be the second and is ashamed of it!”

“And the second….one...is…” she faltered.

She stopped, causing the stallion to as well. Feeling him staring at her didn’t make things easier. She didn’t want to say it, but if she was to ever know, now was the time.

“The second reason is….”

“YOU'RE EMBARRASSED OF ME!” She screamed, breaking down into tears.

Her yelling had startled Big mac, but when she began to cry he came over and laid a hoof on her shoulder. She pushed it gently away and looked at him, her eyes blurry with tears.

“Is it true!? Is it true that you wouldn’t talk-hic*- because of me? Because I was with you?” Her voice shook with emotion.

“Are you embarrassed by the fact that we were dating in public?” She continued sobbing, “ Were you embarrassed of what others would think? Was I humiliating you in front of everypony? "

"Do I embarrass you enough to where you won’t talk in front of me? Would it be better if I wasn’t your special somepony?"

“Do you even want me to be your special somepony?”

“Do..do you even love me?”

He nodded.

Her sobbing slowed a bit as she asked “So...you do love me?!”

He nodded again with a smile.

She stopped crying, her eyes wide with confusion.

“ You- you want me to be your special somepony?”

He just kept smiling, but his eyes said yes.

“Then...you’re not embarrassed about dating with me in public before our announcement?”

He nodded “no”.

She dried her tears and wiped her face. Composing herself, she asked calmly and a bit confused, “well, if you still love me, want me to be your mare, and are not ashamed to be with me in public…”

“THEN WHY IN THE WIDE WORLD OF EQUESTRIA WOULD YOU NOT TALK TO ME!?!?!?!” She suddenly screamed angrily in his face.

He not only looked surprised at her sudden outburst but also a bit scared. Drops of sweat dripped down his face as he tried to think of something to say.  He backed up and turned around, hanging his head.

“I-t- i-s  m-y  v-o-i-c-e,” he tried to say in a cracked tone.

Cheerilee was stunned.

“ Bu..but Mac..you sang just fine at the concert!?!”

He turned around with his tattle tale eyes. He dropped his ears when he saw she had realized what had happened.

“Mac,” she said, walking over to his side, “ that wasn’t you singing was it?”

“E-e-n-o-p-e.“

“Did you lose your voice today and had to lip sing in order to have the concert?”

“E-e-y-u-p”

“And you couldn’t talk because it would give away your secret?”

He nodded.

“And you were afraid to tell me?”

He looked straight into her eyes and nodded.

“So I was freaking out all night over nothing?”

“E-e-y-u-p”

Cheerilee couldn’t help it, she had been so foolishly worrying all night and realizing it was all for nothing. She couldn’t help but laugh. It must have been contagious because Big mac soon joined in the laughter.

The two kept walking in the moonlight until they reached their destination. Tall, green vines climbed up the gazebo walls, the morning glory blooms emanating a sweet smell enchanting the round building. The moon shone directly overhead through pale clouds, along with some twinkling constellations.

The two sat beneath it, facing each other dreamily.

“Remember, this is where it all started. Three ambitious little fillies and a crazy potion evolved into something as special as this,” she said, barely above a whisper.

He gently nodded his head.

Laying his hoof on her cheek, he stroked her gently. She nuzzled it back, enjoying the warm touch. It felt..magical there, under Luna’s gorgeous night. Everything about it, the light, the dark, the breeze, smells, the wonderful stallion in front of her. It was perfect.

Her dreamy smile turned into a troubled expression as she said” Macintosh. I’m sorry I that I rushed so quickly to doubt your love for me.”

“ Y-o-u-’r-e  f-o-r-g-i-v-e-n,  m-y   p-i-n-k  s-m-i-l-e,” he said, calling her by her pet name.

She smiled again warmly, lost in his kind eyes. She slowly leaned in and kissed him sweetly on the cheek. When she pulled away, his whole face seemed to have melt with glee

Giggling she said “ If we ever get married, you must remember to tell me such things so we don’t go through this again. Okay?”

He chuckled.

“E-e-y-u-p”