Blindly Dated

"Oh honey, you look beautiful!"

Julia Hart had heard these words from hundreds of people over these past ten years, but she still refused to believe in what she couldn't see.

The last time she could see herself in the mirror, she was an average looking nine year-old girl with auburn hair that framed her lightly freckled face in natural beach waves. Most people fangirled over her eyes – a deep sapphire blue, which were apparently extremely rare and hard to come by. But their awe soon turned to pity when they gazed into her sightless orbs.

"What a pity she's blind," they'd say.

And eventually Julia had learnt to accept that her accident on the 4th of July, ten years ago had left her blind. Forever visionless.

"Elise, do I have to go?" She asked, addressing the darkness around her where she assumed her bestfriend was. "I don't even know who this guy is. What if he has an issue with me?"

"It will be alright Jules," Elise assured her, running her eyes over the black cocktail dress which she'd gotten her friend into. "Trust me. It's a regular Friday night and you have nothing else to do. Now hurry up. He's waiting outside."

Julia hesitantly allowed her to lead her towards the front door when she heard a foreign car purr to life in the driveway. Elise helped her inside and despite the air conditioning turned on to almost freezing point, Julia felt the warmth of a person next to her.

"You must be Julia," a voice said from the darkness as soon as Elise shut the door. It was deep and warm, probably belonging to a man in his early twenties. "Hi, I'm Lucas Gray."

"Hello," Julia chirped in his direction. She held her hand out, expecting him to take it, but he didn't move. "It's really nice of you to take me out."

"Always a pleasure," came the reply, a smile in his voice. "Head to our destination Stan." Stan was probably the driver, since Lucas was in the backseat with her.

She wondered if she was the only one who felt the awkward tension in the air. "Where are we going?

"Elise told me you like music," Lucas said, his hand coming to rest over hers. "My band is playing at a wine tasting. I thought we could go there."  

Over the years due to her absence of sight, Julia had learnt to conjure up pictures in her head based on touch. Lucas's hands were warm, sturdy and calloused in just the right places while his fingers were long and slender. Musician fingers.

"Sorry, your band is performing..?"

"Yes. You heard right. I was the saxophonist."

"So you'll be performing then," she said.

"Of course not! I'll be in the audience, enjoying your company and the wine."

"There's no need for that," Julia continued. "I would love to sit and listen to you play."

"But I can't do that."

"There's no need to worry about me," she went on. "You know – with being blind and all. I can manage myself for a while. It can't be very difficult to sit and drink."

"Your blindness is the least of my issues Julia. I don't play in the band anymore."

"Oh." She couldn't help but be a bit dumbfounded at his disregard for her condition.

For the past ten years, her absence of sight had been a major issue in relationships. Julia had found herself friendless and being treated with hostility wherever she meant. Lucas was the first person she'd met who honestly didn't care whether she was blind, ugly or naked.