<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ffff00">"Wow, Chicken Fried Steak. So good, and yet so bad," </span>Tolek said, adding a playful smirk, gazing into the other male's mysterious pools of blue-greens. Though, truth be told, the last time Tolek's tongue touched such a meal was a little bit before his parents' deaths. American foods were eaten sparingly in the Zajac family. Tolek remembered eating a rotation of Pierogi* Szaszłyki z Kurczaka,* Borscht,* and Kielbasa* sandwiches. Since his parents' passing, he struggled and battled depression, often indulging himself in America's glorious, glutenous foods. They gave him temporary comfort and the unwanted extra pounds during his long rough patch. All those homemade Polish dishes brought painful jabs to his heart. He missed his mother's cooking, and for that reason, Tolek refused to make or buy anything that evoked of such things. Even Janah couldn't convince her little brother out of it. The past hurt like a bitch.<br/><br/>Upon their initial contact, Tolek was like one nervous, anxious ball of energy, which might have explained the jolt Trevan experienced, but if anything, he was looking forward to sitting down with the renowned, local psychic. Of course from the paranormal community, Trevan Bennett was a mini-celebrity; however, his noticeable Southern drawl begged to differ. It was appealing and hypnotic enough to wash away the Polish Texan's worries as if he could talk to him without much restraint.<br/><br/>When their server, Maggie, casually and cordially eased in to inform them about the specials, Tolek cupped his stubbled chin with his index finger and thumb until he found an entree worth salivating.<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ffff00">"I think I found a winner." </span>He pointed to the Barbecue Brisket menu item while Maggie prompted herself to look down and get a closer look.<b><i>Too</i></b>close, he thought. Before he could try to maneuver and scoot away, Trevan immediately noticed the discomfort in his acquaintance and from Tolek's lens, the psychic's eyes, for a second, flashed brightly. His pupils appeared to go into dilation as if he tapped into another dimension. That was when he quickly grabbed hold of their server's wrist to warn her of his prediction.<br/><br/>Tolek was absolutely mesmerized. Trevan was the real deal. There was no way he was making this shit up. He was intricate and mentioned the exact street and iconic frog when cautioning her. Of course, Maggie freaked out and was gone in a flash. A majority of people, like Maggie, refused to open their minds. This example reiterated why Tolek chose to shut out a lot of people; he couldn't afford to let others in, for fear he would hurt them. Perhaps it was for the best...<br/><br/>Trevan's voice then chimed in with enthusiasm about the other male joining the team; however, Tolek did not expect the compliment that followed.<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ffff00">"Gifted? Me-ee?"</span>His baritone voice cracked in slight disbelief, raising his light brown brows.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ffff00">"You mean cursed, right?" </span>No one had ever called him 'gifted' before. Tolek placed his palms on his knees as he took a moment to process the question in his mind. His heart rate cranked up a few notches. He was edgy--it was his introverted dilemma of having to open up to people. If it wasn't for Trevan's cherubic face and exciting personality, Tolek wouldn't have taken up on the offer to meet him. He had to take a brave step forward, trust his gut, and give the guy a shot.<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ffff00">"Since twelve-years-old, I've...had the ability to sense spirits. Two spirits, in particular, have grown attached to me over the years. Right now, I can't sense their presence, but don't be surprised if they happen to visit sometime within the next few days."</span><br/><br/>Tolek tried to make casual chit-chat, but there was a sense of uncertainty that loomed over him. Unfortunately, that wasn't the entirety of the disclosed news. He chose to reserve more of his personal information and anecdotes for later. They just met, yet he didn't want to blow off this opportunity with a respectable and inspirational figure within the esoteric community.<br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ffff00">"I'm sorry, it's not easy for me to just come out and say such things. I have to work on my anxiety. But anyway, if your offer still stands, I am fine with spending some time before we get started on the investigation. And, I appreciate you taking my tab as well. If we decide to go drinking sometime, I'll buy a few drinks to even it out." </span>Tolek pressed his palms into his dark denim jeans, releasing the tight, tingling sensations, wishfully thinking that Trevan would accept his proposal.<br/><br/>After some time, they were welcomed by the amazing aromas of heavenly goodness.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ffff00">"Doskonały!*"</span>He exclaimed and slipped into his Polish tongue. His pale blue eyes honed in on their scrumptious dishes when their new server brought them out. His eyes trailed up to take in the ash blond's attractive complexion as he felt his cheeks warming up with his own excitement.<br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ffff00"><br/>
"I know we won't go hungry tonight. Let's dig in." </span><br/><br/><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#bfbfbf">
<div class="bbCodeSpoiler">
<button class="bbCodeSpoiler-button button--longText button" data-xf-click="toggle" data-xf-init="tooltip" title="Click to reveal or hide spoiler" type="button"><span class="button-text">
<span>Spoiler: <span class="bbCodeSpoiler-button-title">Polish Translations</span></span>
</span></button>
<div class="bbCodeSpoiler-content">
<div class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--spoiler">
<div class="bbCodeBlock-content">Pierogi = filled dumplings <br/>
Szaszłyki z Kurczaka= chicken skewers<br/>
Borscht = beet soup <br/>
Kielbasa sandwiches = Polish sausage<br/>
Doskonały= excellent</div>
</div>
</div>
</div></span>