Blind Date

Slow Dancing

"Now?" I'm shocked with disbelief. I was hoping she would take up my offer, but I didn't think it'd be so soon... "Um," I look around at my coworker's and Jona winks and pushes me off, "yeah, I'll be there in about," I look at my wrist watch, "ten minutes?" I have little sweat beads on my forehead, from work, and thanks to Grace, my nerves. I drop everything and head for my car as soon as she hangs up with me.

••|••

Matt sounded busy... And I felt guilty after pulling him away but he did accept. I'm now headed to my room, figuring out what to put on instead of my moping outfit. I'm tempted to go like this, but Matt....
"Do I want sexy, casual, party, or just bland. If I go with sexy I'm gonna draw attention, if I go casual I'll be comfortable, party... I'll be kidnapped later. Bland? Ugh! Samson which one?" I talk to myself. I go through my closet, feeling with my finger tips; figuring out which clothing is what. I eventually decide to pick out casual and bland mixed. I slide on my favorite sweater, which I have been told it's read with white letters spelling "Nerd". I add black jeans helping the sweater pop. I throw my hair up into a second messy bun, still not wanting to mess with it, but torn between it looking good and not dealing with the labor. I get Samson moving, but then decide against it. Last time I took Samson to a bar, it did not end well. All the different smells confuses his direction and the wasted people trying to pet him without throwing up on his fur makes him anxious. Matt will have to be my eyes tonight... If he's willing. I wait around, playing music softly so I can still hear when he comes to the door. Not too long after that, he shows up and I open the door.
"Grace, I'm sorry it took so long for me to get here. I was still handling with that golden."
"Is she okay?" I remember the golden who was on the brink of birth from this morning.
"Of course, as long as I was by her side I wasn't going to let anything happen."
"How are her pups?"
"Three female's and four male's, healthy, with a mixed brown color; they're beautiful." He boasts, and I'm not even hurt.
"Oh, I wish I could take care of a puppy." I purr, bringing him into the kitchen.
"It's a lot of work. I give that speach to the little kids who come to adopt almost everyday." I hear him turning his head as he spoke. "Kyle here?"
"No," I keep it short, but he prompts me to go on. "I called to complain to him about my day before residing to alcohol, but he was focused on something better."
"Oh." Funny he knew exactly what I meant.
"So, um, I can't take Samson with me... So-"
"You need me to guide you; got it." His voice contains a smile and I collect my purse. "You ready?"
"Yep." I head to the door and lock it behind us. I have to hold onto his upper arm as we make our way to the elevator. I don't let go of his body while in there, which made the tension heavier, but too late anyways. I felt a soft but thin fabric, and his large, muscular arm. Personally, I didn't want to let go, no matter how awkward. He helped me into his car once we reached the parking lot, and we laughed and talked all the way to the bar.
"I'm choosing the most open and safest bar I can think of." He nervously adds, as if it will hurt my feelings.
"As long as I have you by my side, I'll be fine." I smile, realizing the awkwardness after I said it. To make it worse, every bumb in the road we hit, I would reach for his hand. We'd end up laughing, but it was still one of those "why" moments.
After we got there, Matt helped me sit down at the bar, already ordering my first drink.
"Pretty bad day, huh?" Matt chuckles.
"The worst." I take in almost half the glass once it's delivered.
"Slow down!" Matt urges, actually pulling the glass from my lips. "I plan on taking you home, not to the hospital."
"Oh please. I couldn't drink that much even if I wanted to." I lay my head down, regretting it after I feel the stickiness on the dirty glass.
"Tell me about it." There's actually sincerity in his voice.
"Well, a little girl was scared of me today." I take another drink.
"Scared of you?"
"Apparently I have a 'disease'." I face him, hearing a bottle hit the bar table. The cap clips off, and Matt takes a big drink; just like me.
"That little girl doesn't know what she's talking about." He grips my wrist gently and clinks our glasses.
"That's what I said." I savor the taste as it slides down my throat, before murmuring, "After I broke down in tears... On my office floor."
"Let's not think about those negative thoughts tonight." Matt chuckles, and I get even more glad that I can get him to laugh at my comments now.
"And what can we do, Mr. Davidson, to forget all the mess in our messy lives?" I pretend to be poliet. It takes him a minute to think and I take the time to drink the last of my beverage.
"Dance!" His voice chimes out over the music.
"Dance?" Matt pulls me to my feet and I now feel nauseous. Nowhere near the possibility of the alcohol already, but more on the account of nerves. I do not know how to dance....
"Yeah!" He grabs my hand and pulls me out onto what feels like a "dance floor". This is a contemporary bar, so most of the customers don't get overly wasted and a good portion of them have to couples. At the moment they were playing fast pace songs, which are better than slow ones for me. "Dance with me, Grace." Matt whispers in my ear. The scent of alcohol is on his breath, but not to the point of overpowering. I slowly step out of my shell, starting to dance. Before long I'm laughing and the Ecstasy in my blood rises. I feel like I'm on a natural high, which has become a habit around Matt. His hands help move my hips and my arms go behind his neck. Once the bar's crowd starts to die down, the DJ starts playing slow, and romantic songs. I swallow hard, definitely not prepared for this. "I'll be right back, I'm going to go request something." He takes both my hands, making sure I heard, before he let's go and I'm left in the crowd. After a while I start to get uncomfortable; people bumping into me, I can hear people talking about me, and what's worse I was lost in a room I didn't know how to get out of. I search through the darkness, calling out for Matt.
"Matt...?" I begin to feel desperate, and fearful. Relief hits my chest when I feel his hands fold over mine.
"I'm right here Grace." I move to his chest, trying to get the wetness to leave my eyes. He still holds my hands, but my head stays put on his shoulder. He starts to sway side to side.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." I smile at the thought of his apology.
"Sorry, if I embarrassed you tonight; I don't really dance, matter of a fact, I don't at all."
"What's the worst you're at?" Matt leans his chin against my head.
"Slow dancing." I laugh nervously, "I always step on their feet."
"Grace," Matt's smile is in his voice, "we're slow dancing right now." At the realization of our movements, I get clumsy and nervous. Before I know it, I'm apologizing for stepping on his feet. "Just don't think about it too much." Before long we're dancing into the night, the music hypnotic to my brain, and my heart fills with the hums coming from his mouth. I'm more sober than anything, but I feel as if I'm on clouds at this moment and nothing is going to bring me down. It scares me that Matt makes me feel this way, but for right now I'm okay with it. But in the morning, things will be a different story....
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- Emuna_Jasmine