"Move-in day is officially May 1st. Dinner on the 2nd?" Clay texted.
Maisie glanced at the message as she walked into her third restaurant of the week, this one Italian. She was meeting an ER doctor named Bastian, but he'd also texted to let her know he was running late. Maisie appreciated the notice, but wished Talia hadn't given her number out to these random men.
"I'd love to do dinner. So excited you're going to be here full-time!"
She put her phone away and approached the hostess stand. A young woman, probably no older than nineteen or twenty, greeted her with a fake smile. "Welcome to Antonio's, how many will be dining with us this evening?"
"Two, I'm meeting a date but he's running late."
"Would that be Sebastian Miller?" the hostess asked.
Maisie nodded.
"He called ahead and reserved a table, please follow me."
Impressed, Maisie trotted after the lithe woman, to a private balcony overlooking the streets of downtown Raleigh. She accepted a seat and menu while the hostess poured her a glass of white wine from the bucket chilling on the table.
"Compliments of the chef."
"Thank you!" Maisie had never had this level of service before. Her idea of a nice restaurant consisted of one that offered delivery directly to her home. She sipped her wine and looked out at the lights of cars driving by below. It was a beautiful spring evening - warm, but not humid, a gentle breeze floating through every few minutes.
Her glass was nearly empty when the hostess returned with a gentleman. "You must be Maisie," he said, reaching for her hand. The hostess poured his wineglass and refilled Maisie's.
"And you must be Bastian. It's nice to meet you." Maisie tried to stop her cheeks from blushing, but Bastian was very handsome. He actually put Jack from the first night to shame, but unlike Jack, Bastian's good looks were approachable. Maisie suspected that just meant that his looks were her "type."
He had a square jaw, light brown hair, and a smile that immediately dazzled her. He took his seat with a comfortable ease that suggested this was not his first time on the private balcony.
"Is Maisie short for something?" he asked, reaching for his wine.
"Yes, but don't laugh."
"I was practically named after a crab in an animated movie, why would I laugh at you?"
"You're too old to be named after The Little Mermaid."
He grinned. "I said 'practically'."
Maisie giggled. Then hated herself for giggling. She was not a fifteen year old high schooler. "I was named after my father, Mason. My parents were convinced I was going to be a boy, and then, well, you can see how that worked out for them."
Bastian laughed. "Definitely not a boy."
"Damn right."
He laughed again. "If it makes you feel better, I think Mason is a cute name for a girl. It's unique."
The blush moved from her cheeks down her neck. "Thank you. But enough about my name. Tell me about you. I have a hard time believing a handsome doctor needs to use a Facebook gimmick to meet women." She groaned inwardly. Rule 1 of internet dating - never comment on the fact that your date has to use the internet to find someone, because you are, too. "Sorry - that didn't come out right. What I mean is... um... well..."
He shook his head, "I know what you mean - don't worry, no offense taken. I could ask you the same. But, the truth is, my schedule is just so crazy. My shifts change weekly, and I'm usually so tired when I get off work that attempting to go out and meet people is not a high priority. I tried dating nurses for a little while, but quickly learned that the old adage, 'don't shit where you eat' applied to dating at work."
Maisie frowned, and he laughed at himself. "Sorry for the crude language. You know what I mean, right?"
She did. She didn't exactly believe in dating co-workers either.
"Besides, I'm a lover of literature," Bastian continued. "Jane Austen is one of my favorite writers, so your post appealed to me. I thought, if this cute girl wants to talk books and theory with someone, I can be that someone."
SWOON. Maisie put her hands on the table to steady herself. "I'd love to talk books with you. It's not often I meet a man who like Austen. Which book of hers is your favorite?"
"I'm supposed to say Pride and Prejudice, right? But, actually, it's Emma. There's something really endearing about a main character who gets everything wrong and has to learn about her own shortcomings. Plus, Clueless."
Maisie laughed. A man who loved Austen and Amy Heckerling! Do not let him get away, she thought. "Elizabeth has to overcome her shortcomings, too. She had a completely prejudiced view of Darcy from the very beginning. It took a lot for her to admit she was wrong."
"Absolutely, but she didn't fuck anything up except her own prospects, whereas Emma went through her town like a hurricane, destroying hearts left and right."
"I'm sorry for interrupting," a waitress said. She stepped up to the table and laid a plate of calamari on it.
"I hope you don't mind," Bastian said, "but I went ahead and ordered for us. I come here all the time, when I can get away from the hospital, and there are certain menu items you don't want to miss."
"Oh, that's fine. I love calamari." And she did love calamari, but there were a lot of Italian dishes she loved. She had been looking forward to perusing the menu.
The waitress handed her a small plate and walked away. Bastian grinned as he dug into the food. "It's your turn, now."
"What?"
"Why is a bright, beautiful woman like yourself resorting to an internet gimmick to meet men?"
Because nothing else has worked, she thought. "It was sorta a happy accident," she said.