Page 25 of Reeling in Love

I turn around and see a man with blue eyes, broad shoulders, brown hair staring in my direction. When he catches me checking him out, he smiles and raises his glass.

“Wow! He’s hot. Hurry and get lost now and keep away. He must be thinking we’re together.”

Gabs chuckles. “Well, why don’t you go to him and clear the confusion?”

“What about you?”

“Oh, I’ve had my eyes on that sexy girl in the green dress since we entered. I’ve only been waiting for you to find someone.”

“Well, let’s be on our way, then,” I say, taking a swig of my second beer and inching toward the blue-eyed man.

He comes over in a few seconds and taps to get the bartender’s attention.

“A beer for me too, please,” he says.

He has a baritone voice with a rich, velvety timbre that carries a sense of authority and warmth. That he said, ‘please,’ only adds to his personality.

“Um, hi,” he says, turning a little in my direction yet keeping a respectful distance.

I glance up at his face. He is smiling. It’s a cute, dimpled smile. “Hi,” I reply, trying to sound casual, but it comes out in a very high pitch.

“Do I need to fear that your boyfriend might take offense if I speak to you?”

“Boyfriend?” I ask and he raises his eyebrows and gestures toward Gabs, who is staring at the woman in the green dress, most likely trying to figure out the best way to get her under him.

“He’s not my boyfriend. I mean, he is a boy and a friend, my closest friend actually, but not… well, you get what I mean, right? I don’t have a boyfriend right now. Broke up with one. Quite recently.”

Jesus! I’m blabbering now. I’m too out of touch with this dating game.

“Interesting,” he says.

I turn to see Gabs talking to the green-dressed woman, whispering something in her ear. Well, he’s off to a good start while I’m making a fool of myself. I need to be better, to get in the game.

“I’m Clark, by the way.”

“Nora.”

“Beautiful name. Suits you.”

My phone pings. Message from Gabs. “Ask about him when you’re out of topics. Everyone likes to talk about themselves. He’ll do for tonight.” He adds a gif that is so explicit that I hope Clark didn’t glimpse the message.

But Gabs’ advice is sound. Clark and I talk for over half an hour. He’s a dentist, broke up with his girlfriend of four years two months ago, and shows genuine interest in what I do and whatever I have to say. But then he stands up.

“I actually came here looking to get laid.”

“Me too,” I say, a little too soon and too eager.

“But I think I may have found something much more,” he says, standing right in front of me, peering down into my eyes. “I want to do this right. Would you like to meet me for dinner, say, this Saturday?”

I smile and nod. “Sure.”

“Well, I gotta go now. Have a dental surgery early in the morning.”

I stand up and he leans in to hug me as I extend my hand to shake his hand. Then we both give an embarrassed laugh and I lean to hug him while he extends his hand. Finally, he pats me on the shoulder.

“I enjoyed this… talking to you, y’know. It seemed special, somehow. I wish I could stay longer. But…” he shrugs.

I nod, hoping that my disappointment is not too apparent. All I want is to accompany him home. I mean, I don’t want to be anyone’s ‘special’ right now. Maybe not ever. But he has such a good body. I see him exit the door and he turns around and waves at me and I wave back with a sigh.

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