Page 36 of The Blind Date

“Just wait till you try the chips,” Victor chuckled.

Victor and Owen broke out into casual conversation. I added in my two cents here and there but mostly focused on my food, more interested in satisfying what felt like never-ending hunger. I alternated between a few chips and a bite of cheeseburger even though, like always, I had stuffed the latter with the former. That way, every bite was perfect.

After one particularly large bite, I put down the burger to give myself time to chew. I honed back into the conversation as I wiped my mouth on a napkin, and that's when I spotted him.

Cedric had just walked into the restaurant with what appeared to be some of his co-workers. He looked tired and run-down, but a small smirk still played on his lips. Or it did until he glanced around the place, and his eyes landed on me.

This was the third time we had seen each other in the past four days. It was ridiculous.

I blinked hard to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating from tiredness, and when I opened them, Cedric was gone.

His co-workers were still there, lingering around the entrance and talking amongst themselves for a few moments before they decided to leave. I watched them walk out the door and down the sidewalk but couldn’t spot him anywhere.

Was that really Cedric, or were my eyes playing tricks on me?

If it was the latter, then I had surely overworked myself today and needed to head home for a good night's rest. But if it was the former, why did Cedric walk away?

I thought he thrived off teasing and mocking me.

What had changed since yesterday?

I felt my face flush at the thought of our kiss yesterday. If you could even call it that. It was more of a teasing brush of my lips against the corner of his, but the thought of it still warmed my face.

My intention was to get him worked up before leaving, but it appeared my plan had backfired on me. I couldn't speak for him–especially since he had walked away at the sight of me, as if I suddenly repulsed him–but I ended working myself up quite a bit. And all over something that wasn't even a proper kiss.

“What’s got you blushing like that?” Owen asked, his voice breaking my train of thought and returning my attention to him and Victor.

"Blushing? I'm not blushing," I denied, but it sounded far too defensive to be believable.

I refused to believe that I was blushing. Not at the thought of seeing Cedric. My face was merely flushed after such a long, hard day at work. Yes, that was it!

“You’re definitely blushing,” Owen insisted.

“I think the question is,whohas got you blushing like that?” Victor snickered as he helped himself to my forgotten chips.

“Who?” Owen echoed with piqued interest.

“You see,” Victor began as he leaned back, a large grin on his face. “Saffron has been on a lot of blind dates recently. I can only assume she’s blushing over one of those men.”

I pulled a face. "I'm not blushing, and even if I were, it certainly wouldn't be over one of those horrid blind dates my parents set me up on.”

“So, you’ve been going on a lot of blind dates lately?” Owen asked, purposely trying to come across as uninterested even though I had good reason to believe that was not the case.

"It's nothing," I tried to deny. "My parents are going through a phase. I'm an only child, and they're determined I don't end up a lonely old hag."

"How many blind dates are we talking about here?" Owen asked, curious.

“It’s ten a month, right?” Victor asked even though he already knew the answer. “Remind me, Saff, how many blind dates have you been on so far this month?”

“Ten,” I grumbled before stuffing my mouth with chips, not wanting to have this conversation in front of Owen. I wouldn’t have minded if he was just a friendly co-worker, but he also harboured slightly romantic feelings for me. I did not doubt that if my parents tried to scout him to go on a blind date with me, he would jump at the opportunity.

“You’ve sure been busy this month," Owen whistled under his breath. "Do tell us which one of these men has got you blushing like that."

"No one," I denied at the same time that Victor started revealing all my secrets once again.

“Let me think. Was it the raging alcoholic, the one who had a curfew or the one in crippling debt?" Victor laughed, and I couldn't help but join in. Once again, what were my parents thinking? “Or was it the man you went out with on Friday?”

“It certainly wasn’t that man,” I snorted and rolled my eyes at the thought of Cedric.

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