Sugar Crush

Good Idea, No?

"No, I kid you not! I said, like two words, maybe. Then he goes 'you're like a Christmas present from me to me' like...WHAT?" I laugh, causing Sean-who was absolutely forcing me to recount my horrid dates from the week-to almost spit out the beer he in his hands because he was laughing so hard, and couldn't contain it. I smile and take a sip of my watermelon cocktail. So far, the night was going amazingly. I almost forgot that I was basically trying to see if this guy would be the right guy to pay me to date him. Sean Graves is everything his profile said and more. He's down to earth, I came to find out, when the waiter offered him the wine list and he said he'd rather just have a beer. Instead of the awkward conversation about how the "arrangement" would be, he told me we'd just see if we got along as friends first. It feels like a real date, and I find myself genuinely enjoying his company, and looking at him. That's fun too. His restaurant choice is amazing as well. Instead of the lame, stuffy mafia restaurant I visited earlier this week, the ABC Kitchen on 18th is a much better choice for me.

I ended up Yelping it this morning, just to figure out what to wear and all that. The cute wood furniture, warm lighting, and entire rustic ambience looked like a dream. Walking into the place was the same. Sitting here with Sean, I feel comfortable and at ease. After checking out more pictures, I decided to go with wearing the same over the knee boots I had worn a few days earlier, black leggings, and a white sweater. I curled my hair, too but left it a little messy. I wanted to match the setting: chic, and effortlessly elegant.

"That guy must have been such a douche, I'm sorry you had to deal with that," he chuckles, his voice an intriguing mix of raspy and velvety at the same time. He runs his hands through his hair and shrugs. "Maybe those are the only gifts he gets, acting like that. He probably has to buy his own."

"Oh my god, that's so harsh," I laugh. "It was tragic, I'll admit. I was so glad to get out of there. He wasn't as bad as the next guy, who basically made everything about business, and then the guy after him who looked nothing like his pictures. Online he was...well you, and in person he looked like Steve Wozniak."

"Well that's flattering, I'm glad you won't at least go out on another date with some guy and complain that I looked completely different from my pictures."

"I actually wasn't planning on going out with anyone else, even if we didn't hit it off," I explain to him between bites of the amazing salmon tar tar that the universe decided to bless me with the opportunity of having. "My roommate is the one who convinced me to get online, and I told her if I didn't find anyone I didn't think was going to axe murder me in Central Park, then I was out."

"Well, I hope I changed your mind, because I'd love to see you again, Cecilia." He smiles at me, and my heart skips a beat. He's just so damn gorgeous.

"You can call me Cici," I correct him happily. "I don't like being called Cecilia. It's too stuffy for me. I never thought it fit."

"You're right," he agrees whole heartedly. "Cecilia seems like the name of an old Sicilian grandmother, and that's definitely not you."

"Hey, can I ask you a question?" I ask curiously.

Seanlooks at me with an expression that basically was asking why I even bothered to ask if I could. "Of course! I'm an open book."

"Why are you doing this? The whole...website thing? Like, to me, you don't seem like you'd have a problem finding a date." I am genuinely curious. He's smart, funny, not awkward or boring, and he's humble.

"Good question. I'm just busy, I guess." Sean shrugs his shoulders, and takes another swig of his beer. "I mean, yeah I guess I could probably get a date whenever I feel like it-not to sound like your Christmas present guy. I own multiple businesses: an advertising agency, marketing firms. Between that, and running the TV broadcasting station my dad left me when he passed, I mean...I'm a busy man. Women who want a relationship require a lot of attention, and not in a bad way, I just don't have time for that. Plus women in the television industry only date for publicity, and I don't want to deal with that. That's why I want to try and set up something like this," he gestures between the two of us, "with normal girls. At least I hope you're normal."