On Thursday, she arrives early and chooses a chair beside the door. It is not a dramatic gesture; she simply likes knowing where the exit is.
He promises nothing and makes no attempt to persuade her to stay. That is why his calm works better than insistence: he gives her room to change her mind, and she uses that room to move closer.
She began with several reservations, both doubts and a table booking. By the end of the evening, only the restaurant meaning remains. Even the inner voice meant to object has begun wondering what happens next.
She knows exactly what she is doing. She just does not know where it will lead.
If this is a mistake, it is the best kind available. She has spent too long knowing how to be careful.