Stood Up

Chapter One

Kyle didn't know why he was so fucking nervous. This was not the first time he agreed to a blind date after all. Granted so far he had never had any luck, and if this time would also turn out badly, he would just give the fuck up.
He wasn't totally desperate to meet someone. After the last three not so great dates, he wasn't that keen on meeting anyone at all if he was honest with himself.
But this one had been set up by his best friend Martin and he hoped the woman Martin had talked into giving Kyle a try would at least show up. So far, no luck.
It was a nice upscale hotel bar, he had dressed like Martin had told him to, because apparently it wasn't cool to ask for a picture.
He felt like a character in a fucking spy movie.

"Are you Kyle?" A woman asked and he turned to look at her. She was gorgeous. The kind of gorgeous that belonged on the covers of magazines.

Kyle swallowed and nodded. There was no way she would even have a drink with him. He really hadn't thought Martin would hook him up with someone like her. He hadn't even known Martin knew someone like her.

"You don't look anything like your photo," the woman said, looking him over.

What photo, Kyle wondered. What the hell did Martin get him into? And why did she get a picture of him, but he had to dress nicely so she would recognize him?
He knew without a doubt that he wasn't what she had been expecting. He swallowed again, fighting the urge to leave or play with the hem of his button up shirt. Fighting that nasty feeling of inadequacy. "I -"

"I think he's cute," a man said stepping closer to the woman. She looked over her shoulder at him and smiled. He could clearly see the love for him in her eyes.

"I didn't say he wasn't cute. I just said he doesn't look like the picture," she stated.

What fucking picture, Kyle thought again. Also, these two were a couple for sure, so what was this? He blinked. A mistake. That was it. Had to be. Nothing else made any sense at all. Martin didn't know people like her and Martin hadn't set this up for him.

"I think this is a mistake," Kyle said.

They both looked at him then, the man with a slight frown. "A mistake? Did you reconsider?"

Reconsider what, Kyle wondered.

"You just said your name is Kyle," the woman said, and she was suddenly close. She was standing in front of him, and he could smell her. Or more accurately her perfume, it was something citrusy and calming and probably expensive.

Kyle nodded. "Yes, but-"

"And you're here for a blind date?" The man cut in before Kyle could explain.

Kyle nodded again. "Yes, but-"

"Do you want to leave?" The woman asked.

Kyle blinked at them. "I need a drink."

"Excellent idea," the man said and sat down on the other side of Kyle. "We can just have a drink and talk a bit, that way it won't be too weird, right?"

The woman smiled at him, or maybe at the man on his left. "Yes. Or do you want us to leave Kyle?"

Kyle didn't want her to leave. This might not be the blind date he had been expecting, but the evening was shaping up to be at least interesting. He wanted her to stay, and if he was honest with himself he wanted the man to stay as well. They were both very attractive.

"No, let's have a drink," Kyle said, surprising himself.

"You already know our names, of course, but I think introductions are helpful to break the ice," she said, and then turned to him. On his left the man was flagging down a bartender. "I'm Emily and that is Noah."