Page 98 of The Blind Date

“Now, back to you,” he countered. “How long have you and Cedric known each other?”

“About a month.”

“Was it love at first sight for you and Cedric as well?”

"It couldn't have been further from love at first sight if we tried,” I snorted. "Like you and Lucinda, Cedric and I were set up on a blind date," I explained. "He ran into me outside the restaurant, and then when I got in, I waited for him at the bar for half an hour. When he arrived, we argued so much that the waiter threatened to kick us out, but somehow, we managed to get through the main meal without killing each other."

"Ever heard ofthere's only a thin love between love and hate?" Owen laughed, and before I could respond, the waiter dropped by with our meals. "Sounds very applicable to you two."

"I've been thinking about that a lot," I smiled softly. "It might be too soon for love, but you’re right. The line is very thin indeed. All the hate that I used to have for Cedric suddenly transformed into everything I like about him."

“So, if things were going so great, what happened between the two of you to leave you sad and mopey all week?”

"I haven't been sad and mopey all week," I tried to deny, but it fell through when Owen quirked a disbelieving brow at me. "Okay, maybe I’ve been a little sad. We got into an argument."

"That's normal. All couples argue."

“Yes, but we’re not exactly a traditional couple.”

“What do you mean?”

"Other than Cedric and myself, you're the only person to know that we're dating," I admitted, my lips tugging down at the corners.

His eyebrows shot up in surprise. “How long have you been dating?”

“Three weeks. We decided to keep our relationship to ourselves for a while. It would take all the pressure from our parents off us. Long story short, they're convinced that Cedric and I are perfect for each other. We were both worried the relationship wouldn’t be able to withstand so much pressure.”

“It’s a little strange, but I see the reasoning behind it.”

“Anyway, we ended up getting into an argument when I told him that my parents set me up on another blind date on Sunday.”

Owen laughed and shook his head. “I can understand why he would get upset.”

"Aren't you supposed to be on my side?" I frowned.

"I'm not taking anyone's side here, but I'm just saying that I understand why he would be upset over something like this. I would be too if I was in his shoes. Of course, it's not anyone's fault as you didn't know you were going to be set up on a blind date, and your parents didn't know that you were in a relationship. All in all, it's a very unfortunate situation to be in."

"I've been trying to talk to him all week, but he's been ignoring my texts and calls,” I sighed, another wave of sadness washing over me.

"Maybe he just needs some space.”

“Probably, but I wished he wouldn’t ignore me like this. It hurts.”

“I don’t think he’s ignoring you in the way that you think he is,” Owen murmured cryptically, his voice sounding distant as he stared at something over my shoulder.

“What do you mean?” I frowned, my eyebrows furrowing together in the middle.

“Is that him?”

"What?"

“There’s a man sitting a few tables behind us. He hasn’t stopped staring at you since the moment he walked in here. I wonder if he’s your Cedric.”

My breath hitched. “What does he look like?”

“Fairly tall,” Owen murmured, craning his neck to get a better look at the person who could possibly be Cedric. Well, so much for trying to be subtle. “He’s got brown hair and green eyes. Other than that, I don’t know what else to say without sounding like I swing for both teams.”

"It does sound like him," I whispered. A few moments of silence passed between us, and we focused on our meals, but the whole time, I couldn't help but wonder if it was really Cedric.

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