by E. L. Todd
I wasn’t a big fan of blind dates but I had nothing else to do on Friday night. “Sure. Why not?”
“Great.”
“What’s she like?”
“She’s really smart. She works in the IT department—does a lot of coding.”
“Is she cute?”
“Pretty cute.”
That was all I needed. “Who’s she bringing for you?”
“Not sure. One of her friends.”
“Cool,” I said. “Have you been going out a lot?”
“I met this girl at a Ranger game and she was really cool. But it didn’t work out.”
“Why not?”
He shrugged. “She never called me back.”
Rejection. Ouch. “Maybe you’ll hit it off with this girl.”
“Maybe,” he said. “But she sounds shy, like she doesn’t go out often. I’m not sure what to expect.”
“Everyone is a little nervous on a blind date. I wouldn’t worry about it.”
“True.”
We returned our focus to the game. Stephen Curry just made another three pointer before the fourth quarter ended. If he hadn’t gotten that ball in the air just in time the point wouldn’t have counted.
Will clenched his jaw in irritation.
“He’s awesome,” I said. “There’s no doubt about that.”
First Date
Kyle
Will and I were already at the restaurant. It was an Italian place—fancy. I loved good food but didn’t care for pretentious and expensive restaurants. The plates were always small and they overcharged for everything. “What’s my date’s name?” I probably should have asked that sooner.
“Florence.”
“Cool.” My mom was in Florence at this very moment. Now I would have something to talk about with my date. “What’s yours?”
“Rose.”
“Cool.” I eyed my watch. “When are they going to be here?”
He shrugged. “Aren’t women always late?”
“Beats me.”
Ten minutes later they walked inside. I assumed it was them because they were alone and searching the restaurant.
Will stood up and waved. “Over here.”
I rose to my feet and stared at them as they approached, ready to greet them. I didn’t know who was who, but when my eyes took in one of them everything stopped. Time seemed to halt, the universe coming to a standstill just so I could look at her more closely. Everything became silent. The distant conversations from other tables died away. The light tapping of forks against plates ceased altogether. Now it didn’t feel like we were in a restaurant at all—but somewhere else entirely. I was on a new plane of existence. Every time my heart beat, it echoed in my ears like a war drum.
A distant hue burned around the edges of her silhouette. An invisible sun burned directly behind her, lighting her on fire and giving her the spotlight. She outshined everyone in the room—and everything.
Her brown hair reached past her shoulders and it had a red tint to it. Under the limited light of the restaurant I could see the way it shined. Without touching it I knew it was unnaturally soft. It framed her face in an elegant way, showing her prominent cheekbones.
Her eyes were stunning.
They were hazel, but not just any hazel. They contained specks of various colors like yellow, orange, and even black. They were unusual, even strange. But they were hypnotically beautiful.
She wore a black dress that looked too loose on her. It didn’t hug her waist the way it should, and it bunched around her shoulders because it didn’t fit her skeletal frame correctly. But despite that, she still looked beautiful. This woman could wear a burlap sack and still look painfully gorgeous.
She was slender, barely containing an ounce of fat on her frame. I never cared for skinny girls but I liked her. Her legs were long and toned, and her arms contained the same muscle definition.
She was perfect.
I was never nervous around anyone. It was impossible to intimidate me or shake my confidence. But now my mouth was drier than a desert and I couldn’t remember my name. I was even a little light-headed the closer she came. Anxiety burned in my chest because I didn’t know what to do. What did I say? She put me on edge.
Her eyes locked to mine and she didn’t blink. She stared at me the same way I stared at her. Her thoughts were a mystery and impossible to decipher, but they were intriguing all the same. Her lips were full and kissable. Somehow, I think that was my favorite feature of hers.
I’d do anything to kiss her.
She slowly approached me, her hands gripping the black clutch in front of her waist. That intense stare still burned into my clothes and skin. When she was a foot away from me she stopped. She didn’t speak or move her lips.
I didn’t say anything either.
Words left me in that moment. There were so many things I wanted to say, but I had nothing to say at the exact same time. The background was still a blur. Everyone’s faces were indistinguishable. The conversations died away. All I could see was she.
I’d never felt my body twist and tense like this. My arms burned from the constant contraction, and my lungs ached because they needed more air than I was allowing. My heart was the only thing that stayed calm. It was beating at a much slower pace than before.
I wanted to kiss her right then and there.
“Kyle.” I wanted to say more but my mouth was too dry. I extended my hand to shake hers.
She eyed it for a moment, full of hesitation. Then she looked back into my eyes before she slowly slid her hand into my grasp.
We didn’t grip each other in a formal handshake. Actually, I just held her hand. My fingers wrapped around hers and I felt her distant pulse. Her skin was soft and warm, and I felt my heart rate pick up the longer I touched her. I didn’t let go because I didn’t want to.
She eyed our hands again before she looked up at me. “Rose.”
My heart stopped. Like I lost everything that mattered to me, my stomach burned in acid and my lungs stopped breathing altogether. Panic swept over me in waves, followed by anxiety. It was a blow right to the chest, and it hurt long after the initial hit. “You aren’t Florence…?”
“You aren’t Will?”
“No.” My jaw hurt just from giving that answer.
She slowly pulled her hand away until our fingers no longer touched. The second her hand was gone my body froze over. “It’s nice to meet you…”
“Kyle.” I already introduced myself but I repeated my name anyway.. All sense of logic went out the window the second we were in the same room.
“Kyle.” She said my name slowly, enunciating every syllable.
Then we stood there and stared at each other, everything around us forgotten.
“Good job, Florence,” Will said. “She’s gorgeous.”
“I know,” Florence said. “So is the guy you brought for me.”
I forgot about my date. The second Rose stepped into the room everything else seemed irrelevant.
Florence walked up to me, a flirtatious smile on her face. She had bright blue eyes and beautiful skin. “It’s so nice to meet you.” She extended her hand.
It was difficult for me to look away from Rose. It physically caused me pain to do so. “You too.” My hand grabbed hers and I gave her a firm handshake. I didn’t feel the same heat as I did with Rose. If anything, it felt like we were having a job interview. Florence was pretty, and if I saw her first I’d probably be attracted to her, but since I spotted Rose first I felt absolutely nothing.
Nothing.
Will walked up to Rose and extended his hand. “It’s such a pleasure to meet you.”
She eyed it closely before she took it. Unlike her handshake with me, she gripped him firmly before she dropped her hand. “You too.” She automatically took a step back, putting space between them. Her eyes scanned the restaurant and looked at anything else but him. She seemed uneasy staring at him straight on.
“Shall we?” Florence wal
ked to her chair and sat down.
I didn’t pull it out like I normally would on a date. I was in a daze, confused and uneasy. I lowered myself in the chair and tried not to stare at Rose. She sat on the opposite side of the table next to Florence.
I’d have to stop myself from staring.
“So, you’re a lawyer?” Florence leaned over the table with her elbows resting on the surface. Her enthusiasm was obvious.
“Yeah. I practice criminal law.” My eyes darted to Rose to get a peek.
Her hair had been pulled over one shoulder, revealing beautiful skin that my lips ached to touch. Her eyes were downcast to her menu and she was silent, not engaging in conversation with Will.
“Wow,” Florence said. “That’s impressive.”
I kept my eyes focused on her so they wouldn’t get distracted. “Thanks. I love my job. What do you do?”
“I work in IT.”
“Cool.” It was impossible not to look at Rose. My eyes wanted to scream in protest when I wouldn’t allow it. If I kept gawking at her, it would be rude to Florence. I didn’t want to be an ass.
Will was smitten with Rose. He was just as obsessed with her as I was. His wide eyes never relaxed because he was surprised his blind date turned out to be a supermodel. “What do you do, Rose?”
“I’m an architect,” she said quietly.
“Seriously?” I blurted it out before I could stop myself. “That’s so cool.” I’d never known an architect before. They were the people who built our skyscrapers and our landmarks. The creativity as well as the mathematics required for the job was impressive.
She looked at me for a split second. “Thanks. I like it.”
I caught myself gawking all over again so I turned back to Florence.
“That is cool,” Will said. “Have you designed any buildings?”
“A few,” she said. “You know the Lincoln Building?”
“Yeah,” Will answered.
“That was me,” she said quietly.
“Awesome,” he said. “I’ve never known an architect before.”
“Well, now you do.” She gave him a smile before she looked down at her menu again.
“I’m an engineer,” Will said. “So, our jobs are kind of similar.”
“What kind of engineer are you?” Rose asked.
“Mechanical.”
“Cool.” She took a long drink of her water, downing nearly the entire glass. Her mouth was just as parched as mine. She didn’t just seem nervous, but uncomfortable.
I was looking at her again so I forced myself to stop. She wasn’t my date and I needed to back off. I turned back to Florence and tried to think of something to say. “My mother is in Florence right now. Are you named after the city?”
“She is?” she asked. “Actually, I think my parents just liked the name.”
I nodded. “Cool.” Despite the way she kept smiling at me I didn’t feel any chemistry at all. Every time I tried to stay focused I thought of another question I wanted to ask Rose.
“Are you from New York?” Will asked.
“Yes,” Rose answered. “Born and raised.” She held the menu like it was a shield, keeping him back. “What about you?”
“Yeah,” Will answered. “I can’t see myself living anywhere else.”
Rose stared at the menu.
When I looked back at Florence she was staring at me hard. “What do you do for fun?” Our conversation was strenuous and choppy. It didn’t flow well like it should. If anything, we were forcing it.
“I like jogging. I jog through the park every morning.”
“Cool.” I couldn’t think of a better response so I kept using the same one over and over.
“You must work out a lot.”
“Uh, I guess.” It wasn’t a question so I wasn’t sure what to say. “Do you like sports?”
She shrugged. “Sorta. I don’t follow anything religiously.”
Will nudged me in the side. “This guy is in love with Stephen Curry. I think he’s a joke.”
“He’s a great player,” Rose said, her eyes still on the menu.
My head snapped in her direction, hoping she would look at me. “That’s what I keep saying.”
She took another drink of her water even though there were only a few drops left. Clearly flustered, she turned back to her menu and tried to withdraw as much as possible.
“So, you like sports?” Will asked. “Anything besides basketball?”
“I like hockey.” She set her menu down then abruptly stood up. “Excuse me.” She moved through the sea of tables and headed to the bathroom.
When she was gone, a cloud of tension fell over the table.
My eyes followed her movements through the entire restaurant until she disappeared into the bathroom. She had wide hips, the kind that gave her a full figure. When she carried herself, her back was perfectly straight. She possessed an aura of elegance.
Will turned to Florence when she was gone. “Damn, she’s hot.”
My hand immediately formed a fist and I wanted to punch him hard in the jaw.
“Where did you find her?” Will asked.
“We’ve been friends since college,” Florence answered.
“You need to set me up on blind dates more often,” he said. “You know all the sexy ones.”
Now my knuckles were turning white.
Will glanced at the bathroom before he turned back to her. “She’s pretty quiet. Is she just shy?”
Florence broke eye contact and looked at the table. Her fingers met and she fidgeted in place. “Yeah…she’s just shy.”
Even though I just met her, I knew she was lying. There was more to this story but I doubt I’d get to the bottom of it.
“She doesn’t date much,” Florence said. “I had to give her a push to come out tonight.”
I wondered why she didn’t date much. Did she recently get out of a relationship?
“Okay,” Will said. “I’ll go easy on her.”
My eyes kept moving to the bathroom, waiting for her to come out.
Florence turned her gaze on me, her natural smile coming through. “Want to share a bottle of wine?”
“Sure.” I wasn’t a big wine person. I preferred beer most of the time.
“White or red?”
It didn’t matter. “Your choice.”
She grabbed the wine list and looked through it, her eyes downcast. Her leg moved under the table until it brushed against mine. She rubbed it seductively, making it clear she didn’t touch me by mistake.
Rose stepped out of the bathroom and headed back to the table, and my eyes were on her the entire way. I watched the way her hips shook as she moved, and I noticed the way she stared at the ground as she walked. She lacked confidence of any kind but she still projected strength.
My date was really into me, judging the way she continued to rub my leg under the table. Her eyes were on me nearly the entire time, staring at my face and my broad shoulders.
But all I noticed was Rose.
***
We stood outside the restaurant together, the cars passing by on the street. It was a warm summer’s night and the breeze that drifted on the wind gave us some respite from the humidity.
My eyes moved to Rose’s legs more than once.
“Thank you for dinner.” Florence moved into my chest, taking up more space than I was prepared to give.
“You’re welcome.” I forced myself to stare into her face. “Thank you for spending the evening with me.”
“The pleasure was all mine. Maybe we can do it again sometime.”
Against my will, my eyes moved to Rose.
“Can I walk you home?” Will moved his arm around her waist.
Rose turned slightly, avoiding the affection without making it seem obvious. “That’s sweet but I can make it on my own.”
“Can I call you a taxi?” Will asked.
“No, I’ll just get an Uber or something.” She tucked her hair behind her ear and took ano
ther step back.
“I’d really love to go out again,” Will said. “There’s this new Mediterranean place I’ve been wanting to try.”
Her lips pressed tightly together, showing her distress. Her fingers were latched around her clutch tightly, squeezing it so tightly her knuckles were turning white. “Thank you for the offer but I’m pretty busy…”
“Oh…” Will couldn’t hide his disappointment. He rubbed the back of his neck then looked at the ground. “Uh, okay.”
Florence watched their interaction just the way I did. “Give us a moment.” She grabbed Rose by the arm and dragged her a few feet away. Her voice was low enough so neither one of us could hear what they were saying.
“I don’t get it,” Will said. “I was nothing but nice to her.”
“I’m sure it’s nothing personal.” Will was a good friend, but he didn’t deserve her. She needed to be with someone better—someone like me.
The girls came back, and Rose had the same look of unease on her face that she’d been wearing all night.
Florence finally released her arm. “Rose would love to go out with you again.”
“I don’t need you to talk for me,” Rose snapped.
Florence brushed off the outburst. “She’s free tomorrow night.”
“Awesome,” Will said. “How about I pick you up at seven?”
“I’ll just meet you there.” She pulled out her phone from her clutch and looked at the time. “Well, I really should get going. Thank you for dinner, Will.”
“Anytime.”
Rose turned to me to say goodbye. But instead of saying anything she just stared at me. Of everyone in that group, I was the only person she made eye contact with. Even though we hadn’t had a real conversation there was some connection there. “Good night, Kyle.”
Difficult
Kyle
All I could think about was Rose.
The way her hair fell around her face excited me in ways I couldn’t explain with words. The attraction was carnal and innate, like my body was unable to control its reaction to her features. I craved her endlessly, wanting her in so many ways.
When her eyes looked into mine there was more than just a look. Entire conversations happened in nanoseconds. My body felt hot and cold at the same time. Instantly, I would shiver then melt.