“You know, I can see auras,” Elizabeth said.

It was our third date. We were just finishing after-dinner coffee at the nice little French cafe down the road from her apartment. We were supposed to go back to her place, pretend to watch Netflix, and have sex. I might even sleep over. It was our third date and I was about to get some.

And now that was starting to look a bit sketchy.

“Auras?” I tried to keep my tone level. Neutral. Curious, not skeptical. Certainly not shading into [i]Oh I see you’re insane[/i] territory.

She nodded. “I don’t usually talk about it until I get to know someone. Like, the first thing you say to someone new shouldn’t be ‘Your aura is so pink today!’ They might think you’re weird. But I just have this feeling about you?”

“Mhm.” Coffee. My mug was already empty, but I pretended to take drink. I needed a moment. Little details suddenly made sense: the zodiac sign in her Tinder profile and the thumb-sized amethyst pendant necklace. “So, you can see my aura?”

“Yup. I have to, like, focus around you.” She leaned away from the table, tilting her head up a bit, as though staring at someone standing behind me. Her face relaxed. “You’re very blue. With some red streaks.”

Patrons at the nearest tables were starting to look in our direction. The usual rules about ignoring nearby conversations fell by the wayside when the crazy talk came out. I tried to ignore their looks.

Elizabeth focused on me again, and for a moment we were both silent. Her mouth tightened. She looked down and picked at her napkin, twisting it in her fingers.

“You don’t believe me.” It was so soft I barely heard it.

“Of course I…” I trailed off at the look she gave me and started over. “I’m sorry, it’s just, that’s kind of unexpected. Would you believe me if I said I had psychic powers?”

“Yes.”

I blinked. “Why?”

“Why not? Wouldn’t it be amazing if you did?”

“Yeah, but… That’s just not possible, right? I mean, you’re a teacher. Would you tell your students you can see their auras?”

“No, that would get me fired,” she said. “I’m not stupid.”

“I didn’t say you were.” I leaned forward over the table. From this close, I could speak quietly enough that our fellow patrons wouldn’t overhear. “You teach science, right? Chemistry?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Is there anything scientific about this? Is there even a name for it?”

“Just aura reading. And no, it’s not scientific. It’s all about feeling.”

“Yeah. So, uh…” I floundered. “So there?”

“Aren’t feelings real?”

“Yes. Well, they’re not physically real. Not things. They’re up here.” I tapped my forehead.

“And is love real?”

“That’s not the same thing. Seeing auras isn’t the same thing as being in love.”

“Really? Have you ever done it?”

“Seen someone’s aura? Of course not—”

“Have you ever been in love?”

I froze. Of course I had. Everyone had. I loved my parents. I loved my sister. I’d dated girls. I opened my mouth to say so.

Nothing came out. I leaned back in my chair and thought of all those past relations. The Tinder one-night-stands, or the casual college hook-ups. The adolescent crushes.

“I…” I stared down at the napkin twined in my fingers.

Elizabeth smiled. It was a small thing. Filled with kindness and no small measure of pity. 

Fuck that. I crossed my arms. “It’s not the same thing. Anyone can feel love.”

“Yeah, and I think anyone can see auras, if they really try.”

“Well. That’s not very fair. How are we supposed to know what people feel or see?”

“You don’t have to believe me. But given the choice, I’d like to live in a world where things like love and auras and even psychic powers are real. Even if they’re only a feeling.”

“That’s not very rational.” It sounded petulant even to my ears.

“It’s not.” She stood, and I stood reflexively. She leaned over and placed a kiss on my cheek, lingering for just a moment. Long enough for me to catch a hint of her vanilla perfume. “I had fun tonight. Again next week?”

“Uh.” I touched her upper arm, then let my hand fall. “That’d be nice.”

“Great. I’ll call you.” She smiled and looked above me for just a moment. "Later!"

"Later." I watched her walk away, and wondered what it must feel like to be in love.