Back at One (On Hold)

Back at One: Part 1

Chapter One

La Lanterna di Vittorio, New York, 1989.

Erin stood out from the cab feeling uneasy as Samantha pushed her lightly towards the restaurant entrance. The hesitant feeling of Erin was clearly shown on her face. It's telling everyone she saw that she doesn't want to be in this place.

Samantha–her friend who did all the blind date plans–on the other hand was flustered with excitement as she questioned the reception for a reservation under the name Erin Miller.

The blind date was scheduled tonight, in fact it has been rescheduled several times because Erin was so hard to convince. Her date was too.

They sat on the upper part of the bi-level place. Samantha was busy talking about the possible things that'll happen, while Erin just kept on thinking of something to write when all of these were over. Not paying attention to her friend at all.

"Are you sure he's coming? I'm waiting way too long for him now. He should be here earlier than a woman, what type of man is he?!" She argued with Samantha after the first five minutes went by.

Waiting was not Erin's forte, she can easily be impatient and dragged.

"I can feel he'll be here any minute now, just be patient and can you lower down your voice a little please?" Samantha whispered, gesturing a pinch.

"Alright." Erin sighed in defeat, she can't refuse her friend.

She's the only one she can count on when it comes to her writing. Samantha not only proofread her works but she also worked for a publishing company in New York. And that's the last thing that Erin will risk losing.

"He's here." Erin said hopelessly while rolling her eyes. Her friend's partner was walking towards them to pick up Samantha for a date.

"Okay, I will leave you here. Tell me everything tomorrow. And... Be patient." Samantha elatedly reminded and walked away with wrapped arms on her boyfriend.

Erin huffed and leaned back on her seat, eyeing every people around her on the dim lighted room. Thinking why was she even waiting for that stranger when she can sneak behind Samantha's scheme now that she's gone.

"Erin, be patient. As patient as you waited for something to write down that pops in your head." She said to herself.

She went in and out of the rest room to check up her do. She still wanted to look stunning on her first date with the unknown. First impressions.

Erin checked her watch which showed eight thirty seven in the evening, when just a little while it's only at seven fifty. Her eyes turned drowsy and blurry, the bags under her eyes were added by a tiny layer. She hasn't got a normal sleep since she started to write down a new novel and threw away the previous ones which she called trash.

"A little longer and I'm out." She whispered. She sighed deeply and put her hand on her cheek on a lousy manner.

A minute passed and she's still seated alone by the corner of the room, a little regret flashed in her mind. She should be concentrating at home now in front of her typewriter, she should be productive by now. But instead, she's wasting her time waiting for a man who doesn't know what punctuality means.

"Uh, excuse me. Can I have a glass of water please?" She humbly ordered to an attendant.

It's not her first glass, actually it's her fifth.

"Here Madam." A glass of wine was laid onto the table.

"But---" Erin hasn't got the chance to complain anymore, after the attendant turned back from her and entertained the orders of others.