Hard to Find

Chapter Two - No Strings Attached

"Sounds great, tell him I say hello." I get ready to step into the shower. "I have to get going, can I call you tomorrow?"

"Of course. Be safe, have fun, make good choices. Call me if you need anything. Love you to the moon and back."

"Love you to infinity and beyond."

We hang up and I climb into the shower, readying to shave faster I ever have.

Seven o'clock rolls around sooner than I expect. I slip on my other high-heel and race out the door to my car. I'm running behind as usual and traffic won't help.

My date, Blake texted me he is on his way, which eases some of my worries. It has been quite some time since I've been on a proper date. My nerves are through the roof.

'You are hot, sexy, and cute, and sexy.' I repeat. 'You can do this.' I comfort myself, but it doesn't help.

I pull up to the restaurant and a valet takes my car. I walk through the lofty doors and the smell of cooking invades my nose. Laughter blends with the soft live music coming from the back.

I tell the host I have a reservation and she escorts me to the table tucked away in the restaurant's corner. There is a brunette, broad man sitting by himself, his back toward me. I figure it's Blake from the description Raven gave me. 

"Here you are." The host says, which catches Blake's attention. He turns around and stands to greet me. Everything about him overwhelms me in the best way possible. His eyes, his smile, the softness enveloping him. I smile, he smiles back.

"Hi," I extend my hand to shake his. "Skylar Leighton."

"I'm Blake Trenton." Our hands join. I chuckle nervously and we stare at each other, not knowing what to say. He clears his throat, then whirls around me to pull my chair out. I sit down.

"I ordered a bottle of Chardonnay, would you like some?"

I nod, and he pours steadily into my glass. I bring the glass to my nose, inhaling before taking a sip.

"So how are you?" He asks. I set my glass down to pick up my menu. I can tell he is staring, even though I'm not looking at him. 

"I'm doing well, how are you?"

"I'm great." I look up and find him grinning. "You look beautiful."

I quickly look back down as heat creeps into my cheeks. I know for a fact "I'm blushing because that single word made my entire body ignite. 

"Thank you. You look very handsome."

He thanks me back. "So you are a social worker?"

I nod and divulge about work without over-sharing. He does the same, then conversation abruptly shifts into our life story. From what he's told me, I can tell he's an intelligent person. Then there's me, refraining from saying too much about myself, other than things he most likely already knows.

"So you travel a lot?"

"Yeah, I like to volunteer for charity work. You meet so many amazing people and change lives." If I was on a date with anyone else that said this, I would have assumed they were fibbing. But from everything I know about Blake, I believe he is genuine.

"That's amazing." His hand rests close to mine, as if he's waiting for me to reach out and hold it. I don't, but part of me wants to.

Instead, I reach for a piece of bread and he asks, "So, have you had any past relationships?"

My eyebrows raise, taken aback by his forwardness. "Yeah, not many though. They were never long."

He shifts in his seat. "Neither have I. It's hard to settle down when you work full time."