Chapter One
“Definitely not punctual,” Scarlett muttered to herself, taking another sip of her wine. She needed to remember to cross that off the list she had for him, as she did for every man. This was the first strike. She was in a fancy restaurant, all dressed up and waiting for her date to arrive.
Brad Lipton is the man she was supposed to meet at 8 o’ clock tonight, and he was twenty minutes late for his first date with her. She supposed that she could understand and let this one go considering the fact that he works as a manager of some sort, but she decided against it in the end. Scarlett couldn’t stand the thought of being with someone who put their work over everything else.
Scarlett decided that she would wait a few more minutes and then she would leave. She couldn’t stand the pitiful looks the passerby’s were giving her, as they glanced at the untouched glass of wine, standing opposite to hers, and the cold, empty seat in front of her. Online dating was a hassle and Scarlett knew that better than anyone. She could not remember when she had last been on a date with someone whom she hadn’t met online.
Scarlett was impatiently tapping her feet when Brad Lipton walked in. She gave him a small smile and waved when she saw him. He wasn't even sitting in front of her yet, when Scarlett mentally approved his looks. Scarlett almost sighed; who doesn't love a man in a suit? Brad Lipton was perfect in the looks department and due to the list, Scarlett now avoided dating anyone who wasn't. Blonde hair. Blue eyes. She could definitely check those two off from her list.
"Sorry I'm late. I got caught up with something at work." Brad offered Scarlett his hand and smiled with his straight, white teeth.
Scarlett shook his hand firmly, returning the smile. "That's perfectly fine. I'm Scarlett Woods."
"Brad Lipton. Nice to meet you, Scarlett."
He took his seat and carefully sipped his wine. When he noticed that Scarlett had almost finished hers, he apologized for making her wait this long and offered to refill her glass.
Scarlett approved of Brad Lipton so far. He only had one strike and if the night went as planned, he may just be the one.
"May I take your order?" A middle aged woman came to their table. She looked tired, Scarlett noted, like she had been working overtime for days. Scarlett silently read the woman's name tag: Karen.
"Ladies first." Brad motioned to Scarlett.
Yet another win, Scarlett remarked. She liked how Brad didn't order for her. She had been on way too many dates where she had eaten something she did not want or like.
Scarlett quickly placed her order, thanked Karen, and watched Brad do the same.
While waiting for their food to arrive, Scarlett decided to ask Brad some questions.
"So Brad," she began. "Where exactly do you work?"
Brad smiled, expecting the question. "I work as a senior manager for a phone company."
"Impressive." Scarlett stated. She had dated one or two other men who worked for a phone company, but none who were senior managers.
"Do you work Scarlett?" Brad asked, keeping the conversation going.
"Yes I do, actually. I work as a journalist for a magazine. It's meant for ladies so I'm not sure if you've heard of The Pulse."
"I have actually," Brad commented. "My sister is really into it. She wants to be a journalist herself."
Scarlett was surprised. Brad was the first guy who had heard of the magazine for which she worked for.
"I've never met a guy who's known of the magazine I work for." Scarlett commented and watched Brad smile a bit.
"Well Scarlett," he started, grabbing her hand, "you haven't met a guy like me before." He finished by placing a light kiss on her knuckles.
Scarlett flushed. Brad was a charmer, and there was no denying that. In fact, he seemed too smooth to Scarlett. So smooth that it made Scarlett think that he was hiding something. Her expression instantly changed and her eyes narrowed, ever so slightly. She had a strong feeling that there was something fishy about Brad Lipton, and she wanted to find out exactly what that was.
"Brad?" Scarlett suddenly asked, pulling back her hand.
Brad aimed his gaze at Scarlett, waiting for her to continue.
"What do you like to do in your spare time?" Scarlett asked.
Brad furrowed his eyebrows, like he was trying to think back to the last time he had time to spare. "I don't get much spare time, Scarlett, but when I do, I like to spend it with my sister."
Scarlett was taken aback. An extremely attractive, polite and charming businessman, who likes to spend his spare time with his sister? Scarlett did not know whether to be surprised, suspicious or overjoyed that Brad Lipton was becoming more perfect as time went by.
She stared at him slightly in awe and he stared back with a look that said, I've got you know. Scarlett couldn't care less if she had drool falling down the side of her face, to her, this man was the closest she had gotten to perfect.
The sound of someone clearing their throat, caused Scarlett to snap out of her disorientation.
Scarlett and Brad looked up at the source of the sound. Standing beside them was what Scarlett assumed to be a waiter, holding their plates of food. His black hair was tousled, like he had ran his hands through it multiple times and his grey eyes held the look of annoyance. She looked towards his right breast pocket for his nametag, but could not find one anywhere on his clothing.
"Where's Karen?" Scarlett asked the man as he placed Brad and Scarlett's orders on their table.
"Gone." The man replied, sounding annoyed that Scarlett was even talking to him.
"Where?" She wondered out loud.
"What's it to you?" The man gave her a look as he refilled Brad and Scarlett's glasses.
"Just wondering. She was much nicer than you and didn’t have an attitude problem." Scarlett retorted. She was kind of pissed off now. She did not understand why this man was being an ass for no apparent reason. And the fact that he wasn't wearing a nametag, annoyed Scarlett even more.
The man looked annoyed before, but now he was just pissed off. Who was this woman and what right did she have questioning him like that and then judging him at first glance.
The man thought better than to reply to the woman and give her the satisfaction she clearly desired. He quickly glanced at the man sitting opposite the woman. He looked like a real life Ken doll, and was texting away on his smartphone, making the best of the situation where his date was distracted.
"And where is your nametag?" Scarlett could not resist asking.
"I don't need one." He answered through gritted teeth. He was already having a bad day with half of his employees on a sick leave, and he did not have the time or patience to listen to this woman who would not stop staring at him.
Scarlett scoffed. "You're rude, impolite, not welcoming at all, and not wearing a nametag. You're lucky I haven’t called over the owner of the restaurant and complained."
The man laughed dryly, as if he knew something that she did not. "First of all, I hope you do realize that rude and impolite basically mean the same thing. And second, why do you care so much if I do not have a name tag on? It doesn’t concern you in any way."
Scarlett took a sip of her wine. "Well when I go to eat in a restaurant, I like to know the name of the person who is serving me and I'm sure that others do as well."
The man was pissed and it took all of his self control to not yell at the woman who was having a pointless conversation with him. "And I bet you always argue with the staff over stupid things, am I right?"
Scarlett gasped and glared at the man, as he gave her one last look of pure annoyance and walked away.
"I cannot believe that man!" She exclaimed, turning around to face Brad again.
However, Brad was preoccupied with his phone and didn't even acknowledge the fact that Scarlett was talking to him.
Noticing this, Scarlett's mood dropped and she instantly crossed off one more thing off her mental checklist. Scarlett absolutely hated a man who would not give her, his full attention when out on a date or any other private outing. She found it to be downright embarrassing and she hated being made a fool out of.
Suddenly Brad wasn't looking so perfect to Scarlett anymore. He was looking more and more like a workaholic who would probably cheat on his wife with his secretary.
Scarlett was pissed off.
"Brad!" She exclaimed.
He instantly looked up and fumbled with his phone, hurrying to put it away. He looked like a toddler who had been caught stealing cookies from a cookie jar.
"Sorry, Scarlett. It was important." Brad confessed, taking a bite of his food.
Scarlett finished the wine in her glass and helped herself to another. She noticed Brad eyeing her. Maybe he was thinking that she had a drinking problem, Scarlett imagined.
"So Scarlett, what do you like to do in your spare time?" Brad tried to continue the conversation they were having before they were rudely interrupted by a nametag-less waiter.
"I like to write," Scarlett answered, "and go on long walks and runs with Jack."
"Jack?" Brad asked. "Your friend?"
Scarlett laughed. "Actually no, Jack is my dog, but I see him as my best friend."
Brad nodded, looking kind of uncomfortable.
"Do you like dogs, Brad?"
Brad made a face. "No. I despise dogs, actually. I always have."
Scarlett suddenly stopped smiling.
"I have to use the ladies room, Brad. Please excuse me." Scarlett said, picking up her purse and heading to the ladies room after seeing Brad nod.
Once she was in the ladies room, Scarlett instantly dialed the number of the one person she knew was waiting for her call.
"Lisa!" Scarlett said, as soon as her best friend picked up the phone.
"Uh oh. That tone doesn't sound like you're having a good time." Lisa commented.
"No, Lisa, I am not. Brad is a total jerk. Three strikes and now he's out."
Scarlett heard Lisa sigh over the line, before talking. "What were his strikes?"
"Well for starters, he was late, and Lisa you know how much I hate guys who aren't punctual. Then second, while I was distracted, he was texting! Lisa he was texting someone else in the middle of our date! And to top it all off, he absolutely hates dogs! And Lise, you know that Jack and I are a package deal. Plus, Brad Lipton is a weird name now that I think about it." Scarlett finished.
Lisa laughed. "You used the old, I'm going to the ladies room thing didn't you, Scar?"
There was a pause, before Scarlett answered. "Yes."
"I knew it! Now how exactly do you plan to get out of the restaurant?"
Scarlett looked around, as if an escape plan would magically appear in front of her. Her eyes landed on a window. It looked just big enough for Scarlett to squeeze through.
"I have a plan Lisa, don't you worry. I'll see you tomorrow now and tell you the rest of the details."
"Bye Scarlett, don’t hurt yourself!" Lisa yelled over the phone as Scarlett pressed 'end call'.
A/N:
Hey guys! So here is the first chapter! Things will pick up in the next chapter, which I cannot wait to finish! Let me know what you think!
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-colourfulsprinkles