Caught in the Middle

Chapter 4

It was going to be my first blind date.  I went on dates with other men but they ended in a disaster. They were either too confident or it was a dare. This time I was dating a male who was decent and I never actually met before.  He didn't sound like one of the usual bad good looking men.  I turned to my computer as I pulled up his picture and I smiled.  His facial features were definitely masculine and it screamed sexiness.  He had narrow and sharp angles that defined his face.  His smile brightened his green eyes.  If I were to see him smiling at me, I knew I would forget how to breathe.

I pulled out a red slinky dress and a black tight one from my closet.  Both dresses would emphasize my curves but I didn't want either one to scream whore on the first date.

'I guess the black one will be appropriate with a cardigan,' I thought.  I held up the sleeveless black dress against my figure and I nodded my head with appreciation.  'At least I will look conservative but appear attractive at the same time.  I only hope he likes the picture I sent of myself.'

Things had escalated quickly from my job at Thorton's Bookstore to home.  The moment I replied to his email, he sent another one back and we did an instant chat messaging where we exchanged formalities and then he popped the question about meeting each other tonight.  At first I was a little hesitant.  He sounded too good to be true but Irene's words snapped into my mind.  I didn't want to be myself.  As much as I enjoyed the quietness, I needed someone to talk to.  It was like me standing at my job waiting three hours before someone finally entered the bookstore.  The loneliness was deafening and stifling.

So I took him up on his offer and now I was dressing myself for a special occasion at a fancy Italian restaurant called Portofino.  I used Google to find out more information about the restaurant's location, the menu, and how the inside appeared.  I knew I couldn't react in this restaurant the way I did at Palto.  There was no running from a good-looking man if he did bring unfortunate news for me.

I lay the dress on the bed.  I stripped off from my casual clothing and went into the bathroom to take a quick shower.  After, I showered, dried myself and put my favorite cherry vanilla Victoria Secret lotion all over my body, I unzipped the back of the dress and let the soft material slide against my body.  My arms went through the spaghetti straps and I easily zipped up the zipper.

'There, I'm done.'

I moved to my dresser and checked the scattered contents of feminine products.  I grabbed my make up and carefully applied my foundation, blush, eyeliner, eye shadow and lipstick.  Unlike Irene's favorite cherry red lipstick, I used cherry blossom pink to accentuate the light pink brush strokes on my high cheekbones.  I popped my lips together and scrutinized my appearance at the mirror above my dresser.  I smiled.  I grabbed my cardigan and put my hands through the sleeves.  The weather was getting a bit chillier since summer was coming to a close, but I was still able to walk around New York City without a jacket.  I snatched my house keys, black high heel shoes, and my purse, remembering that as soon as I got home I transferred my wallet into it.  I thought about taking my lipstick but I refrained the urge from taking it.  I heard most first dates ended early because either person looked for a way out.  Since I didn't have a phone, I had to search for a good excuse to leave him.  It was highly unlikely that I could think of one.

I locked the apartment door and took the elevator to the main lobby.  Once I was outside, I hailed a taxi and gave the driver the address to Portofino.  The cab driver drove me to my destination and I tipped him for knowing his way around the city.

I exited his cab and looked up at the restaurant when a sudden breath escaped me.  Portofino was huge with a grand entrance leading to a front desk with a host waiting to greet customers.  Through the tall windows, I saw females dressed in formal evening gowns and men dressed in tuxedos.  There were exquisitely crystal chandeliers at the main entrance and in the dining area. I glanced down at my own dress rubbed one of hands down my bodice, suddenly feeling self-conscious.  My other hand tightly clutched my purse.