Being the typical Nick who hates public places, he ditched the idea of taking me to fancy places for my birthday and fulfilling my dream date by taking me to the common outdoor barbecue spot outside his apartment for a picnic date night.

We unload the cutleries, food, sandwiches with smoked mozzarella, fruit salad with watermelon, nectarines, herbs, and a spicy lemon honey dressing and Millie's giant vegan chocolate chip as my birthday cake from the picnic backpack on to the garden's bench table. Nick released a bottle of 2001 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande and a box of blackcurrant juice from the sides of the backpack to complete the set.

Once everything was set, he played 'Slow Dance' by AJ Mitchell & Ava Max on his Spotify playlist to set the mood for the evening. I was glad that the permissible summer weather with a temperature of 14° Celsius agreed for us to have this dinner.

I browsed through the food selection on the table and admired Nick's simple yet colourful artwork. "Where did you learn how to cook?" I asked him. "Especially that dopiaza (onion meat curry) you taught me last week. That one was amazing."

"Well, if you often helped your mother in the kitchen growing up, you won't be asking such questions," Nick replied nonchalantly.

I glared at him, impaled by his savage remarks. "Do you have to be so brute?"

"Aha! As predicted, that sexy cute frown. There you go," he said and handed me a disposable plate with sandwiches and a bite size piece from the giant cookie. Then, he poured the wine in his glass and blackcurrant juice in mine before making a toast to my health, wealth and our future. "I've got you a birthday gift," he declared.

"Really? Is it a joke gift or real one?" I asked curiously.

He responded with a smirk. "I don't do joke gifts. I'm not like you." He placed an A4 sized package on the picnic table and waited for my reaction. "I hope you like it. Open up."

I carefully unwrapped the gift and noted that he uses office supplies to wrap the gift, especially when the parcel paper has a ShipGoUK logo on it. As I unsealed the package, I looked down at a folded watercolour motif silk scarf with Alexander McQueen label positioned on top of it which made my jaw drop.

"Nick, this is gorgeous," I said quietly, pulling the scarf closer to me, appreciating the variations of blue, purple and indigo shades on its watercolour prints. "Do you think I look beautiful if I wear it hijab style?"

"You look pulchritudinous in anything," he corrected, pulling out a cigarette from his Dunhill packet and wedged it between his lips. "Well, it was meant to put around your neck but I strongly suggest that you use it for your prayers, so you don't have to borrow mine anymore."

"Thank you so much. I'll cherish it as much as I cherish you," I said and spread the scarf to cover it around my head, which I noticed that had put a secret smile on his face. "You know I love blue."

"Well, I know a lot about you," he proclaimed. "Like how you keep your clothes according to colours, when you sleep alone you have pillows all around you like a fort, you have maladaptive daydreaming issues that you even daydream about me in my presence, you often overthinking about uncertain future, when you drive you need to feel the pedal on barefoot, you're addicted to bubble wrap popping that the admin guys had to hide all of it from you, coffee gives you headache, Caffè Nero's Hot Chocolate Milano is your favorite. Would you like me to carry on?"

I gawked at him, flabbergasted by his ability to observe and to learn things about me that I wasn't aware of until he pointed them out. He just made me realise that he doesn't have to say he loves me to prove that he is.

"Can you top that?" Nick cocked his eyebrow.

'Shit!' I cursed, knowing that I'd suck at this because I wasn't as sharp-eyed as he is. But I braved an answer, "I know you love white and Real Madrid."

"Is that it?" Nick chuckled, unleashing his cigarette smoke in between his teeth. "Do you remember the date when we had our firsts?"

'Shit!' I panicked. I don't even remember when my first kiss was, how was I supposed to remember this one? Of course I can remember every single detail of it but I don't remember exactly when. "Somewhere in early March."

"Seriously? 'Somewhere in early March' is your best shot?" Nick's eyes widened, dumbfounded.

"I'm not good with dates. I'm sorry," I confessed, placing my hand on his. "Seriously, Nick, darling. I love you so much and not remembering the dates of our firsts doesn't mean otherwise."

He studied my face for a moment, feeling slightly disappointed but eventually accepted that not everyone could show love the way he did. He exhaled, finishing his cigarette and pulled his hand from mine. "I'll just save that in our calendar so you'll remember," he said as he keyed in the date through his iPhone.

I wasn't sure if he was trying to be cynical but I thanked him anyway. Then we had our dinner quietly, me chomping on my sandwiches while he munching on his fruit salad.