“Hello, Iris. You look beautiful,” he tells me, leaning in to kiss my cheek.
“Thank you. You look pretty dapper yourself,” I tell him, smiling at his slacks with the button-down shirt.
He is a very handsome man. Even if his sandy blond hair isn’t quite as dark as I like.
“Dapper? Should I be asking the lady if I can escort her to her dining table?” he asks.
I laugh. “I’m sorry. I enjoy historical movies and such. ThinkBridgertonorPride and Prejudice.”
His smile is crooked. “I dig it. You have to have something you enjoy. No one should be embarrassed by that.”
In a matter of seconds, he has me feeling at ease.
“Thank you. So do you know where our dining table is, or are we going to stand here for a bit longer?” I tease.
He chuckles. “I haven’t checked in yet. I wanted to wait.”
We approach the hostess stand. He gives his name before we are led to a table. Like the gentleman he is slowly proving to be, he pulls out my chair before helping me sit. Then he takes his seat across from me, his eyes going to the door before back to me.
“Looking for your escape route?” I ask.
“I like knowing where all the exits are in case of an emergency. Never know what might happen. This is the Big Apple, after all.”
I feel like for some this might be a red flag. Like, what is he waiting for? Is he paranoid?
It’s something Max does as well, though. Same with all the guys in our friend group. So instead, I find it comforting. A way of showing protection.
“Well, you better have my back then because I can’t see shit. That’s a lie. If the plumbing in the bathrooms doesn’t hold up, I could literally see shit,” I tell him, gesturing to the bathrooms behind him.
“You watch my back, and I’ll watch yours. Deal?” He holds out his hand.
I smile as I shake it. “Deal.”
“So have you ever been here before?” he asks me.
I look around at the place. It’s cute. Not too busy, but definitely a date night place. It has an intimate setting.
“No. Can’t say I have. Have you?” I ask.
He blushes a little. “Uh. Yeah. Sorry. Shit.”
I reach across the table and grab his hand. “It’s okay. You have dated before me. I have dated before you. I’m not mad you brought me to a date night spot.”
He looks relieved. “Can I be completely honest with you? It might ruin the date, though.”
“I prefer honesty. What’s the point in lying?” I ask him.
“Fair point. My friends dared me to approach you at the bar the other night. They gave me that shitty pickup line and about died when you gave me your number. They thought for sure I would chase you away.” He looks embarrassed now.
“You are a handsome man. Why would you need help landing a lady?” I ask him. “Or was it all a game?”
“Not a game. Truth is, I recently got out of a long-term relationship. It didn’t end on bad terms, and I’m a little hung up on her. So they were trying to get me back on the horse.”
“Hey, it’s okay. We all have someone we are hung up on, don’t we?” I tell him.
“You are being oddly cool about this. The guys warned me not to bring the ex up on the first date. I didn’t want to lead you on, though.”
“Don’t listen to them,” I tell him, pulling my napkin in my lap. “Honesty is always best. I am not getting over a relationship, but I did have a man I crushed on for many years that I am trying to move past. So in my own way, I am in the boat paddling withyou. If you are okay with it, I would like to paddle with you for a while. Say for at least one date?”
