Betsy’s urging, wondering if that was the right choice, too. There didn’t seem to be anything I could do about it, however, as I watched the hostess lead Thomas, my date, toward my table. Luckily, this was the twenty-first century and we no longer had to rely on things like, “I’ll be the one holding the red rose.” I knew it was him because he looked just like his profile picture, kind of long faced, dark haired, side swept Humphrey Bogart look.
Actually, as I stood and he smiled at me, he seemed to be even better looking than his profile picture. He was wearing a nice grey button up with black slacks. Our clothing was very complimentary, which gave me reassurance that I (or Betsy, I suppose) had chosen wisely.
“Lauren. Thanks so much for agreeing to meet with me on such short notice.” Thomas stopped in front of me and shook my hand. I couldn’t help but notice his hands were warm, soft, and clean. A very good sign. “I was just so excited that I couldn’t wait.” He smiled a wide and bright smile that made it impossible not to smile back. He was a good few inches taller than me, and even though Betsy reminded me how little that mattered, my heart fluttered happily.
“It’s my pleasure,” I said, nodding and having a seat at his insistence.
“We’re probably breaking all sorts of dating rules. I was worried my eagerness would be off-putting or seem weird.”
I shrugged. “I find weird people are usually the best sort. My sort, it seems.” I sent him a reassuring smile. “And while I am usually quite a rule follower, I don’t think we’ll be fined by the dating police for a single infraction.”
Thomas nodded his head, smiling back. “This is a great place. Thanks for recommending it. I’ve never been here before.” He ran a hand through his brown hair and then picked up the menu sitting in front of him.
Our waiter stopped by with a basket of bread, a greeting, and a list of the specials. “Can I start you out with something to drink?”
I bit my lip as I thought. Making decisions was a bit difficult for me. I tended to second guess myself up until the last second, and then wonder if I’d made the right choice. At that moment, I was looking at a good thirty different wine choices. I had no idea what I wanted. Would it be weird if I pulled a notepad out of my purse and made a list? Yes, probably. Ugh. I looked up at Thomas to see if he looked more decided than I felt. Luckily, his eyes seemed to light up as he saw something on the menu.
“Oh! Côtes du Rhône.” He met my gaze. “Would you mind splitting a bottle?” His eyebrows furrowed slightly. “Not that I’m trying to order for you; I hate it when guys do that. It’s just a great bottle, if you don’t have anything else in mind.” He put a hand out as if to stop any feelings of pressure.
I shook my head. “Not at all. That sounds great. I was having a tough time deciding anyway.”
The waiter nodded, writing down our order and then heading off to fetch the bottle.
I reached for a slice of the bread but my hand collided with Thomas’s as he seemed to have the same idea. We laughed and he motioned for me to get my piece first. I pulled a section off the warm, crusty loaf and spread some butter on it with my knife.
The yeasty smell wafted into my nose as I crunched down on the slice, salty and creamy butter curling all around it. How did bread manage to make everything so much better? I mean, even a not-so-comfortable first date seemed so much easier now that we were both chomping away on our respective pieces.
Thomas winked at me from across the table and from behind his slice of bread. I feigned a smile, not loving the winking, but guessing he had to be just as nervous as I was and so was probably not making the most sound decisions.
“So, Lauren. Your profile said you’re a professor?”
Gotta love those dating sites. We already knew what the other did for a living, so there were no weird surprises there
Actually, as I stood and he smiled at me, he seemed to be even better looking than his profile picture. He was wearing a nice grey button up with black slacks. Our clothing was very complimentary, which gave me reassurance that I (or Betsy, I suppose) had chosen wisely.
“Lauren. Thanks so much for agreeing to meet with me on such short notice.” Thomas stopped in front of me and shook my hand. I couldn’t help but notice his hands were warm, soft, and clean. A very good sign. “I was just so excited that I couldn’t wait.” He smiled a wide and bright smile that made it impossible not to smile back. He was a good few inches taller than me, and even though Betsy reminded me how little that mattered, my heart fluttered happily.
“It’s my pleasure,” I said, nodding and having a seat at his insistence.
“We’re probably breaking all sorts of dating rules. I was worried my eagerness would be off-putting or seem weird.”
I shrugged. “I find weird people are usually the best sort. My sort, it seems.” I sent him a reassuring smile. “And while I am usually quite a rule follower, I don’t think we’ll be fined by the dating police for a single infraction.”
Thomas nodded his head, smiling back. “This is a great place. Thanks for recommending it. I’ve never been here before.” He ran a hand through his brown hair and then picked up the menu sitting in front of him.
Our waiter stopped by with a basket of bread, a greeting, and a list of the specials. “Can I start you out with something to drink?”
I bit my lip as I thought. Making decisions was a bit difficult for me. I tended to second guess myself up until the last second, and then wonder if I’d made the right choice. At that moment, I was looking at a good thirty different wine choices. I had no idea what I wanted. Would it be weird if I pulled a notepad out of my purse and made a list? Yes, probably. Ugh. I looked up at Thomas to see if he looked more decided than I felt. Luckily, his eyes seemed to light up as he saw something on the menu.
“Oh! Côtes du Rhône.” He met my gaze. “Would you mind splitting a bottle?” His eyebrows furrowed slightly. “Not that I’m trying to order for you; I hate it when guys do that. It’s just a great bottle, if you don’t have anything else in mind.” He put a hand out as if to stop any feelings of pressure.
I shook my head. “Not at all. That sounds great. I was having a tough time deciding anyway.”
The waiter nodded, writing down our order and then heading off to fetch the bottle.
I reached for a slice of the bread but my hand collided with Thomas’s as he seemed to have the same idea. We laughed and he motioned for me to get my piece first. I pulled a section off the warm, crusty loaf and spread some butter on it with my knife.
The yeasty smell wafted into my nose as I crunched down on the slice, salty and creamy butter curling all around it. How did bread manage to make everything so much better? I mean, even a not-so-comfortable first date seemed so much easier now that we were both chomping away on our respective pieces.
Thomas winked at me from across the table and from behind his slice of bread. I feigned a smile, not loving the winking, but guessing he had to be just as nervous as I was and so was probably not making the most sound decisions.
“So, Lauren. Your profile said you’re a professor?”
Gotta love those dating sites. We already knew what the other did for a living, so there were no weird surprises there
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