The Kidnapper's Wife

8. Before

It's Friday when I get the text. I'm sitting at my desk at work when my phone screen lights up.

Connor: I know this is last minute, but what are you up to this weekend? All booked up yet?

I stop to think about how to respond. I don't want to make it seem like I have no life, but at the same time I want to be free at the right time so we can meet up – he was cute.

The truth is I'm pretty free this weekend. On Sunday I have a girls brunch because after all, no weekend is complete without mimosas. In the mornings I plan on going to my usual work out classes with my friend Diana, who I call my gym-friend because we met at the gym and go to almost all the same classes there.

I'm going to go see my sister's daughter, Chloe, play a soccer game on Saturday early afternoon, and I'm getting lunch with my sister, Chloe, and my parents before the game. Tonight, I'm going out for drinks with some friend from college, but my Saturday night is glaringly free.

Finally I decide on a response.

Jade: Have things going on throughout the weekends but have some free spots! When were you thinking?

Connor doesn't take long to respond.

Connor: Tomorrow night? Maybe around 7?

Jade: I think I could make that work =)

I debate adding the smiley, my friends have told me I have an unfortunate habit of overusing emojis, but I finally decide that I have to be myself and keep it in.

Connor: It's a date! Where should I pick you up?

I hesitate for a minute. I don't know how comfortable I am with a guy I barely know finding out my home address, much less being in a car alone with him.

Jade: I'll be coming from something else, so I'll just meet you! Just let me know when and where to be!

Connor: Let's say Organical at 7:30? It's that new place downtown that everyone is raving about. And don't worry, they have kale chips!

Jade: Haha, sounds perfect! See you then!

Smiling, I turn off my phone and turn back to my laptop, already letting myself get way too excited about this.

On Saturday night, I spend over an hour on facetime with Cara trying to decide on an outfit.

"I should have just come over!" her voice blares out from my ipad, which I have propped up on my bed.

"No, no, that would be too inconvenient!" I insist.

"Jade I live ten minutes away!"

I think about it. "Okay yeah maybe you should have just come over."

"Anyway, I think we've finally reached a decision," she says, "The blue dress, with the black heels. And that long stone necklace."

I pull the hanger holding the dress of the door to my closet.

"Are you sure this isn't too fancy? Especially with the heels, I don't know..."

"Jade that place is fancy!" Cara insists, "Plus you look hot in that, and that's the most important thing."

I consider the long sleeved fit and flare dress. It has a long exposed zipper up the back which links the bottom of the dress to the top through cut outs around the upper back. It does look good with white stone necklace on a long chain.

"Okay," I relent, "It's decided."

"Great! Now don't forget, don't talk about yourself too-"

"Okay and that's enough!" I laugh, "Thank you and goodbye!" I close out of Facetime and began the (long) process of getting ready for the date.

An hour and a half later, I am sitting in my car outside the restaurant, knees bouncing nervously. I look down at my hands to see they are actually trembling.

"Get a grip of yourself Jade, it's just a date." I tell myself into the rear view mirror.

I take a deep breath and turn off my car. Grabbing hold of my purse as I stand up. I'm ten minutes late, on purpose. In reality, I'm never late but I never like to be first for a date. I hate being stuck sitting at the table, wondering each time the door opens if this is it. I'd rather approach him instead.

When I walk into the restaurant it takes me a minute to spot him and my heart pounds in my chest, as I wonder if he's somehow not here yet. But then I see him sitting at a table by the window and I walk over to him.

"Hey!" I try to sound normal, but I'm pretty sure my voice still sounds super shaky. I can feel myself sweating underneath my dress. Great.

I slide into my seat as he greets me.

"Jade! I was beginning to wonder if you were standing me up!" he grins to show he's joking and I return his smile.

"Nope! Just running a little late!" I pick up my menu, to have something to do with my hands.

"Full disclosure," Connor looks down at the menu I've just picked up, "I've been here before, and I highly recommend the steak. It's pretty much the best thing you've ever tasted. But then, that is coming from a steak lover so maybe you should take my opinion with a grain of salt."

I laugh, "Well luckily for me, I'm also a steak lover so I might just have to go with that recommendation." I survey the menu just in case anything else jumps out at me. I notice that the steak is one of the most expensive things on the menu and immediately feel like I shouldn't order it, I normally try to choose the least expensive thing on the menu on dates, I always feel bad expecting a stranger to buy me a forty dollar dinner. But since he suggested it, I decide it's okay and make my decision.

"Yep definitely going with the steak!" I look back up at him.

"Great! Oh and I almost forgot to tell you, I already ordered some kale chips for the table."

"Stop! You did not!" I laugh.

"I wish I were joking – no really I wish I were because you know I hate kale chips."

The way he says that, the 'you know I hate kale chips' makes me feel like we're friends already, like I do know things about him and we have a history, even though we don't. But I like it, it makes me feel more comfortable.

I laugh again, "Well you never know, these ones just might change your mind!"

"I guess we'll find out!"

There's a pause and I relax just a little bit.

"So Connor," I appraise him, "Tell me about yourself. I literally know nothing besides your name and that you hate kale in all forms."

"Well, I'm a computer engineer, although I like to think I don't look like one. Not nerdy enough right?"

"Definitely not," I flatter him.

"I knew it. So yeah, I do that, I actually work for Amazon, and let's see, I'm really into hiking, I run a hiking group on weekend mornings. My bachelor pad is nearby, I actually walked to this restaurant."

"Fitting for a hiker." I tease him.

"Gotta use those feet for walking!"

"So did you grow up around here?" I ask.

"No actually, I grew up in Connecticut, so I'm an East Coast boy but not from Maryland."

"Oh wow. So how did you end up in little old Frederick?" I'm curious.

"Well when I first started working for Amazon, I lived in the city, in DC. But it was just too crazy there for me, I've always been more of an outdoorsy guy, so I looked into some of the smaller towns and found Frederick. Although, I wouldn't say it's that small of a town, downtown Frederick feels more and more like DC everyday."

"Very true. I saw they even put in a Francesca's down the street!"

"I'm not going to pretend to know what that is, but yeah, always adding stuff."

"It's a boutique store, they usually only have them in malls or cities."

"Ah gotcha." He pauses, and before he can say anything else, his phone rings. He looks down at it, and silences it, "Sorry about that," he smiles. And just like that I like him even more.