In the office he was known as the most eccentric, reserved, methodical, almost invisible in hallway conversations. When Lily agreed to go out with him, she expected a quiet dinner, perhaps even an awkward one, but nothing prepared her for the moment he arrived, accompanied by his mother. Amid disconcerted looks, awkward silences, and a presence that seemed too out of place to be casual, Lily began to sense that there was something there, something different, disconcerting, and perhaps unexpectedly genuine.
Hello my friends, I am Linda and this is Linda Love Stories, I hope you enjoy this story. The clock read 3.43pm when I took my fourth coffee of the day. The bitter liquid burned down my throat as I stared at the computer screen, the numbers and graphs of the marketing report dancing before my tired eyes.
Lily, you’re going to float to the ceiling with so much coffee, said Vanessa, my team colleague, as she stretched to reach the stapler on my desk. It’s the only fuel that keeps me awake after that endless presentation, I replied, spinning in the chair to face her. Vanessa leaned on the edge of my desk, shaking her head.
So how was the date last night? I rolled my eyes and let out a dramatic sigh. Like all the others, the guy spent half the time talking about his new car and the other half checking his phone. When I mentioned that my mum was sick last week, he literally looked at his watch.
Wow, what a charmer, Vanessa mocked. I’m officially giving up. My cactus collection is becoming my only reliable company, I joked, pointing to the three small plants on the edge of my desk.
You and your cacti, at least they don’t cancel at the last minute, Vanessa laughed. Exactly. Nor do they ghost me like the guy from Tinder who swore he was different.
Or like that personal trainer who said I was too intense because I asked what his favourite colour was. We both laughed. At twenty-nine, my romantic disasters were my most reliable source of entertainment.
My last relationship had ended three months ago when I discovered that my boyfriend, aside from lying about his important job – he had been unemployed for six months – treated his own mother like a servant. The only time we had dinner at her house he interrupted her several times, rolled his eyes when she told stories and demanded that she remake the dessert because it wasn’t sweet enough. If I ever go on a date again, I declared, raising my coffee mug as if making a solemn toast, I want someone who truly loves their mother.
Seriously, I think I would bring mine just to see if he could handle it, like an ultimate character test. Imagine the scene, Vanessa joined in the fun, hello, nice to meet you, this is my mother, she will evaluate if you deserve a second date. I hadn’t noticed, but on the other side of the counter dividing our workspace, Ethan Miller, the programmer from the IT department, raised his eyes from his monitor.
His thin-framed glasses reflected the light as he watched us with unusual interest. Ethan was peculiar, not in a bad way, just different. Always wearing meticulously pressed plaid shirts with a pen in each pocket.
His desk was the only one in the office organized by color code, including the post-its. He rarely spoke in meetings, but when he did, his ideas were brilliant, even if delivered in an almost inaudible tone. Most people in the office found him odd.
I found him interesting. Two days later, I was finishing up a report when I felt a presence next to my desk. I looked up and found Ethan standing there, staring at me, clutching his badge with both hands as if it were a protective amulet.
Hi, Ethan, do you need something? I asked, trying to sound casual. He took a deep breath. Um, Lily, I was thinking, maybe we could have dinner one of these days? That completely caught me by surprise.
Ethan Miller, the man who once spent an entire meeting rearranging paper clips by size, was asking me out. Of course, I replied before even thinking much about it. Why not? A shy smile appeared on his face.
Tomorrow night? I know a nice place downtown. Perfect, I agreed, returning the smile. As he walked away, Vanessa materialized instantly at my side like a genie from a magic lamp.
You agreed to a date with the weirdest guy at the company, she whispered, her eyes wide open. I bet he’ll bring his laptop to dinner, or worse, he’ll calculate the tip using some complex algorithm. Don’t be mean, I defended.
He’s different, but in a good way. If you say so, Vanessa seemed skeptical. Don’t forget to tell me all the details afterwards.
The restaurant Ethan chose was surprisingly cozy, small and intimate, with low lighting and soft classical music in the background. I arrived a few minutes early, nervous in a way I hadn’t expected to be. The waiter led me to a corner table, and I ordered water while waiting.
Ten minutes later, the restaurant door opened. Ethan entered, wearing a navy blue shirt that highlighted his eyes. But he was not alone.
Beside him walked an elegant lady with grey hair tied in a low bun and wearing a delicate pearl necklace. My heart sank a little. Maybe she was a colleague, a mentor, an aunt? When they reached the table, Ethan smiled proudly.
Lily, this is my mother, Margaret. I hope you don’t mind her joining us. I was paralyzed, my mind processing the information like an old computer trying to run a modern program.
You’re… Mother, I managed to say, my voice sounding strange even to myself. Margaret took a step forward and enveloped me in a warm hug, as if we were old friends. I don’t bite, dear, only if the food is bad, she declared, letting out a contagious laugh.
Not knowing how to react, I laughed too, while Ethan pulled out a chair for his mother to sit. He seemed completely at ease, as if bringing his mother to a first date was the most normal thing in the world. The waiter approached to take our orders.
Margaret opted for grilled salmon, Ethan chose steak with vegetables, and I ordered chicken with orange sauce, more to have something to say than because I was actually hungry. The first few minutes were awkward, I couldn’t stop thinking about how to tell this story to Vanessa the next day. But then something surprising happened.
Margaret started to talk, and she knew how to lead a conversation. Then Lily, Ethan told me that you work in marketing. It must be fascinating to understand people’s behavior.
When I was young, I wanted to be a psychologist, you know. Her voice was soft and genuinely interested. Her eyes, the same shade of blue as Ethan’s, shone with authentic curiosity.
In no time she led us through a flowing conversation about books, movies and travel. Once, I took Ethan to Greece when he was twelve, Margaret recounted, delicately cutting her salmon. He was so fascinated by the ancient ruins that he created software to catalogue every stone we saw.
Mum, please, Ethan murmured, but there was affection in his voice. That’s true, Margaret insisted, turning to me. He has always been brilliant, he just doesn’t like me to say it.
It seems incredible, I commented sincerely, observing how Ethan flushed slightly. Ethan has always been shy, you know. Margaret continued, her eyes softening at the memory.
One day when he was eight years old, he wrote a love letter to the neighbor and signed it, your future husband. Mum, Ethan protested, now truly embarrassed. I couldn’t contain my laughter.
Sounds like someone I know. And just like magic, the ice was completely broken. Margaret shared stories from when Ethan was a child, his fear of tall slides, his collection of preserved insects, the time he tried to build a lie detector to find out who was eating the cookies from the jar.
Surprisingly, Ethan also began to open up, talking about his personal projects, his plants — he grew orchids — and revealing a subtle sense of humor that he rarely showed at work. His eyes sparkled when he talked about programming, not like someone obsessed but like an artist describing his passion. Margaret was witty, kind, and genuine, with stories that made me laugh until I teared up.
When she talked about her career as a literature teacher, and her current volunteer work with children, I realized that I was genuinely charmed by her. For a moment, I completely forgot how strange everything seemed at first. In fact, being there with them started to feel like the most natural thing in the world.
When the dessert arrived, a chocolate mousse for me, apple pie for Margaret, and vanilla ice cream for Ethan, a comfortable silence settled in. Margaret savored her pie, commenting on the cinnamon. Ethan methodically arranged the decorative cherries on the ice cream, then, naturally, Ethan asked, By the way, when does your mother arrive? I stopped with the spoon of mousse in the air, confused.
My… mother? Yes, he answered calmly. Didn’t you say you would bring her? For a moment, I was completely lost, then, like a movie rewinding, I remembered the conversation with Vanessa two days ago. If I ever go on a date again, I want someone who loves their mother.
Seriously, I think I would bring mine just to see if he can handle it. The realization hit me like a wave. Ethan had overheard me, and completely misunderstood.
I tried to stifle my laughter, but it was impossible. I covered my mouth with my hand, my shoulders shaking with the effort not to burst out laughing. Margaret looked from me to Ethan, confused at first, until the penny seemed to drop for her too.
Ethan, darling, she said with an amused sparkle in her eyes. I told you there was some misunderstanding. No one takes their mother on a first date.
She was kidding. Ethan turned immediately as red as the tomato sauce we had tasted for the appetizer. Oh, I… Got it all wrong, then.
At that point, none of us could hold it back any longer. The three of us burst into simultaneous laughter, attracting curious glances from nearby tables. Well… Thank goodness, I managed to say between laughs, because this is the best first date I’ve ever had in my entire life.
It was true. What started as potentially the most awkward date of all time had turned into a delightful evening. Margaret winked at me.
See, Ethan? Sometimes destiny just needs a misunderstanding to start something good. Let me see if I got this right, Vanessa said the next morning, while I stirred my coffee. He brought his mother to the date because he thought you would bring yours too.
Exactly, I confirmed, unable to contain my smile. And you didn’t run away? I couldn’t. The chicken was too delicious.
Vanessa shook her head, incredulous. Lily Parker, you’re the only person I know who could see a date with a guy and his mum as something positive. She’s amazing, Vanessa.
Intelligent, funny, warm. And you should have seen how Ethan treats her, with so much respect and affection. I paused, recalling the contrast with my ex-boyfriend.
Besides, Ethan is… different from what we imagined. He has a collection of rare vinyl records, grows orchids, and has travelled to more countries than I could name. Wow, Vanessa arched her eyebrows.
It seems like the office weirdo has layers. Don’t call him that, I defended, surprising both of us with my protective reaction. He’s just… Ethan.
Oh, my God, Vanessa said, breaking into a wide smile. You really like him. I couldn’t deny it.
There was something about Ethan, his disarming honesty, his attention to detail, the way his eyes lit up when he talked about something he loved, that intrigued me in a new and unexpected way. A few weeks later, we were back in the same restaurant, this time, just the two of us. The maitre d’ recognised us, leading us to the same corner table where it all began.
The conversation was flowing easily now. We discovered that despite our different personalities, I, more extroverted and impulsive, he, more methodical and introspective, we shared similar values and a compatible sense of humour. His quirks, which others considered odd, I found endearing.
How is your mother? I asked, as our fingers naturally intertwined over the table. Ethan smiled, that genuine smile he was now showing more often. She’s great.
She asks about you every day. Your mother is amazing, I commented, recalling how Margaret had invited me for tea the previous week, where we spent hours talking about books and recipes. I know, Ethan agreed, his eyes shining, and she already warned me not to mess it up.
We laughed together, conspiratorial, and I raised my glass in a toast. To the best misunderstanding of my life, I proposed. To fate and its strange ways, he replied, clinking his glass against mine.
As I watched Ethan at that moment, I realised that sometimes life presents us with the unexpected in the most unusual ways. Who would have thought that a casual remark, completely misinterpreted, would lead me to the most sincere meeting I’ve ever had? Sometimes, love begins with a mistake, but the heart, when ready, always understands the right message.
