Chapter 5: The Apology

Danielle feels she came on too strong, and decides to make it up to Blake by taking him out on a proper date.

At a more desirable hour in the morning, Blake finds himself back in his office. He's a bit more drowsy than usual, given his knee-jerk, early morning church visit. With a quiet yawn, he types away at his keyboard and occasionally stops to write something down or make a brief phone call. He's so engrossed in his work that he nearly leaps out of his seat as he hears a small clink to his right.

Someone just placed a piping hot mug of coffee onto his desk, and judging by the delicate, caramel-colored hand gripping the handle, Blake immediately knows who's responsible. He nervously looks up until he meets Danielle's eyes, immediately remembering why he got up so damn early in the first place.

"Hey, uh, I couldn't help but notice that you looked a little out of it," Danielle says politely. "I... I wasn't sure how many Splendas you like, so I just added two."

"Well usually I drink my coffee black, but it's cool. I'm not picky," Blake replies.

Without another word, he takes a sip of his coffee and starts back on his work. He expects Danielle to just leave, but he notices her shadow still blanketing his desk, moving very little if at all.

"So, uh, I'm sorry about last night," she comments, halting Blake in his tracks. "I just... I feel like I overstepped my boundaries a little. I mean, yeah, I know we were both drunk, but clearly you weren't too comfortable with what was happening, and I... I didn't want to make you feel bad."

"It never happened. Now please leave me alone," Blake says flatly.

"No... n-no I can't. I just... I feel like I need to make it up to you somehow," Danielle insists.

"Honestly, you really don't have to. All is forgiven," Blake replies.

"Sorry, but I just... I just don't feel like that's good enough," Danielle continues. "C'mon, let me take you out for a night on the town. Just this one time? We can have dinner, go for a walk, or maybe go see that new comedy film? I hear they cast Priscilla Vicciotelli as the female lead."

Blake remains silent for a moment. The opportunity to get closer to his new colleague is now bigger than ever, and part of him wants to embrace it fully. However, the rest of him is unsure what could come next. He fears that he might end up committing a sin, and if he does, he feels he can't live with that sin hanging over his head. But on the other hand... that's the only thing he's really risking if he agrees to this proposition.

"Oh, alright," Blake gives in. "What time?"

"I was thinking tonight, possibly? Is seven good for you?" Danielle suggests. Admittedly the proposal was a bit of a whirlwind, but she feels the need to apologize for almost taking advantage of Blake, and she also wants to get to know him a bit more.

"Attention, everyone: our president and CEO, Mark Simmons, will be paying us a visit this afternoon. If I were you, I'd start working a bit harder, and if you're not working, then I'd suggest you get back to work," a voice calls over the intercom.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm open. Now just go before you get us in trouble." Blake shoos her away.

Danielle nods and returns to her cubicle. Blake briefly wonders if that was a little harsh, but shrugs it off. She already agreed to hang out with him tonight, so one little slip-up probably won't do much to deter her.

Later on that evening, Blake busies himself getting ready for the night on the town. He dresses in some khaki shorts, a slightly formal pair of sandals, and a polo shirt that's not too bright, for fear that he doesn't stick out too much. He sprays on half a bottle of cologne and cleans his teeth with mouthwash, toothpaste, and floss, all mint flavored. Even so, this doesn't stop him from ingesting a few breath mints afterwards.

When done, he leaves his apartment and heads towards Danielle's residence. She lives in an apartment as well, and to his shock, it's located just a few floors above his. She apparently moved into this complex around the same time as he did, but they never interacted until now. Blake politely knocks on the door, taking a few deep breaths to calm his nerves as he waits. He's never been on a single date in his life, so he's beyond terrified right now.

Barely a minute passes before Danielle opens the door, clad in some black skinny-jeans and flats with a matching beret, and a white scarf around her neck. These are accompanied by a tight, gray turtleneck sweater that barely covers her torso; she can't even move her head without giving a brief flash of skin. Blake can't help but admire the view in front of him for a moment, before he catches himself.

"Ah, good. You're on time. Do I look okay?" Danielle asks, striking a slightly suggestive pose.

"Oh, uh... ahem, y-you look great!" Blake stammers, blushing a little.

Danielle giggles effeminately before locking her door and walking with him towards the parking garage. During the stroll, Blake is taken by surprise as she grabs his hand, gently weaving her fingers into his own. He wants to pull away, but quickly gets accustomed to the feeling, even to the point of liking it.

For the rest of the evening, the two visit the local theater, enjoy dinner at a restaurant called Martha Rae Lewis' Oyster Bar, and hang out in the park for a spell. During this time, Blake slowly lets his guard down and enjoys himself. Even though he's not entirely sure how to feel about Danielle herself, he'd be lying if he said he finds this evening forgettable. Danielle on the other hand can't get enough of Blake, and only begins to love him even more as he relaxes a little more and lets his true temperament take center stage. Her period doesn't start until next week, but she wears a pad tonight anyway just because he arouses her so much.

Eventually, the two find themselves inside Danielle's apartment, snuggled up together on the couch and watching yet another movie. Whereas the first one was a comedy, this one is almost entirely focused on a developing romance. Shortly after the film ends and the credits start to roll, Danielle abruptly rests her head against Blake's shoulder. He lets it slide, but it caught off guard when she cups his face and mashes their lips together. Without warning, Blake suddenly finds himself lying back on the couch as she climbs on top of him, refusing to let their lips disconnect.

Blake's eyes immediately pop open and he gently pushes her off of him. Danielle looks back at him in slight disappointment.

"What's wrong, Blake? Did I... do something?" she asks.

"I know what you're trying to do, and my answer is no," Blake replies firmly.

"But... you enjoyed the evening, didn't you?" Danielle continues.

"Well yeah, but then things took a weird turn just now," Blake replies.

"What do you mean 'weird'? Haven't you ever wanted to just sleep around once in a while?" Danielle asks. "I've been doing it for years, and boy is it fun. Life's too damn short to be tied down for the better part of it."

"Yeah, well that's... just not my thing. And no, I haven't. I'm a virgin." Blake wriggles his way out from under his date. "Don't get me wrong, you seem like a nice person, but now is just not the time."

Danielle says nothing, deciding to remain complacent. This isn't the first time a man has played hard to get in her presence.

"Well okay then. I enjoyed the evening too," she says after a bit. "You willing to do this again?"

"Sure," Blake says, following a few seconds of hesitation. Again, he's not sure what to make of this situation or these feelings coursing through him, but he figures his best bet would be to face them head on. "Yes, I would love to."