My First and Last Blind Date

A fictional short story. Let me know whatcha think. :]

I don't know how exactly it is I found myself sitting here, waiting for my date to show up on a Friday night. I think I was blackmailed into it, somehow. I never would have agreed to this normally. As I'm racking my brain, trying to remember how my best friend talked me into this blind date, a hand rests on my shoulder. "Excuse me," a smooth voice says, "but is your name Tabitha?"

Two weeks earlier

    "Tabitha, please, I'm going to be late meeting Mike. Give me back my car keys." I hold the keys high above my head. My best friend Brittany is barely too short to reach them.
    "Give me back my cell phone first!" I exclaim. What, did you think there was no motive behind the theft of the keys? She stole my cell phone!
    "Agree to the date!" she persists for maybe the hundredth time in five minutes.
    "I am not going on a blind date with someone. That's creepy. What if they turn out to be a stalker or something?"
    "Tabitha, I've told you before, they won't be. It's going to be somebody Mike knows. Someone he's friends with."
    I sigh deeply and lower my arm, more out of it being tired than in defeat. "Here are your stupid keys. I'm not going on the date. Now give me my phone please."
    With an angry glare, Brittany tosses my phone on my bed with enough force to make it bounce right back onto the carpeted floor. "You're so infuriating. Find a new f*****g best friend!" she shouts, walking out.
    That sounds like a terrible fight, I know. But it's really just a whole lot of dramatics. Brittany says that to me at least twice a month. She never means it. We've been best friends since I shared my crayons with her in the first grade. We're in college now. She'll probably be back after her date with Mike to try to pressure me into this double date some more.
    I'm perfectly capable of finding dates myself. I'm just more focused on my studies and my friends than dating. I had my share of boyfriends back when I was in high school. But now that I'm in college, I'm ready to just find someone and settle down. And frankly, I'm still too young to settle down. I might not meet the perfect man for years. So I'm not going to test fate. I'll just let him walk himself into my life. And that certainly doesn't mean I'm going to allow myself to be set up on a blind date.
    My cell phone starts beeping from the floor. I pick up it and flip it open, recognizing Brittany's set ringtone. "I can't talk right now; I'm busy finding a new best friend."
    "Oh shut up, you know I never mean that."
    "No, no, I decided to take you seriously this time. I'm totally looking."
    Brittany sighs deeply from the other end of the phone. "Tabitha, look, I just met up with Mike. He found someone that you would be perfect with! Come on! What do you say?"
    I shake my head in disbelief. "I say no. Just like I've been saying for the past two weeks! Brittany, I'm really not into the idea of a blind date."
    "It'll be fine! Mike and I will even come with so it's not so weird and awkward."
    "You have my answer Brittany. No, now please stop asking."
    "Fine, continue your search for your new best friend. I'm done. You're stubborn and hard headed, and you won't even realize when someone is just trying to be a good and helpful best friend! F**k you!" The call disconnects.
    She gets more dramatic every time. I swear she tries to top herself, I think. I laugh out loud, then grab my jacket, my purse, put my cell phone in my pocket and walked outside. It was a beautiful spring day out. Ironically, it's due to this specific season that I need the walk. My allergies always act up for a couple of weeks at the beginning of spring, and I'm in desperate need of more Benadryl. I walk to the convenience store just down the street from my apartment and look for the aisle with the medicine. The pink and white box is all the way on the bottom shelf. I kneel down and try to find one that wouldn't make me tired. After all, I think, it's barely three o'clock, and I have a paper to write. The search proves to me useless, as every box clearly states that side effects include drowsiness. I sigh in frustration. "Excuse me, ma'am, but do you need help with something?"
    I look up at the voice that had spoken. A young man, maybe his mid-twenties, is looking down at me. I stand up. "I'm looking for Benadryl. Or some type of allergy medicine. But it cannot cause drowsiness, because I'm very susceptible to that particular side effect, and I have a lot of work to do. I can't fall asleep this early."
    "Well, I'm not sure if they have non-drowsy Benadryl, but I know they have Claritin, and you might find some generics. Not here, though. There's a store about ten minutes away. I forget the name of it, but it's local and it has everything you could possibly need. It's a big white building with a bright green roof. It's obnoxious, but it's very helpful. I could give you a ride if you wanted."
    Ha, yeah, get in a car with a stranger... riiiiiight. "No, thanks, I can walk. Which way is it?"
    He leads me outside the store and points in the same direction I had just come from. Go down this road until you reach the apartment building at the end, then you turn right and walk straight up. You'll see it from there."
    "Thank you," I reply. I smile at him before walking away. Wow, he was incredibly handsome. Trying to be sly, I turn around to see if I can catch another glimpse of him. I'm flattered to see that he's watching me walk away. I flash him a smile, then turn around for good and walk to the other store. I find the medicine, take two pills before I exit the store and walk home in a good mood. I should have asked for his name, I think as I shut my door.

One Week Earlier

    I turn over in bed for what must be the millionth time before giving up. I step out of bed and walk over to the window. My allergies are keeping me awake, and I know that if I take the Claritin, it will keep awake that much longer. You’re in a lose-lose situation, Tabitha, I tell myself. The lights down at the convenience store at the end of my street are still on. Maybe I can buy some of the drowsy allergy medicine; at least I know I’ll get to sleep. A glance at my clock reveals that it’s 2:30 in the morning. Frustrated, I throw on a pair of jeans, grab my jacket and my purse and walk out the door. It’s a warm night, but I still walk quickly to the store. Being out late at night scares me. It’s warmer inside the store than outside, so I unbutton my jacket a little bit. I walk straight to the center aisle like last time, bend down and grab the first pink and white box I see. There’s no one behind the counter, so I browse for another minute or so. I grab a bag of chips just as I hear someone clear their throat behind me. I turn quickly and walk to the counter, already reaching into my purse for my money. “Hey, don’t I know you?”
    I look up. It’s the man whose name I forgot to ask. “Hi! Wow, I didn’t know you worked here.”
    “For about a month now,” he responds, smiling. “Benadryl? I thought you didn’t want to sleep.”
    “Well, that’s my problem now. I can’t even get to sleep. I need the Claritin during the day and the Benadryl at night. I’ve figured out this system.” I smile.
    “And chips are just… what? An added bonus?”
    “I have the munchies. It’s 2:30 in the morning; give me a break,” I sigh.
    He taps his finger on his chin for a minute as if pondering the break. “Hmm, no, I can’t give you a break.”
    “Why not?” I demand.
    “Well, because I don’t get anything in return.” I roll my eyes. “Unless… I get your number.”
    A blush rises to my cheeks. Flirting wasn’t my strong point. “Oh, um, well, I suppose.” I took a pen and piece of paper out of my purse and wrote down my number. “So how much for the medicine and the chips?”
    “For you? It’s on me. Go get some sleep.”
    My blush sustains a bit longer and I smile at him. "Thanks," I say. "Goodnight." I wave and walk out of the store. It isn't until I'm back home, lying in bed and falling asleep thanks to the pills that I realize a mistake I made. I forgot to ask him his name again...

One day earlier

    I wonder if I'm out of that Benadryl yet... it'd be a good excuse to go down to see if he's working. But won't that seem a bit creepy? Oh, I can't even talk to Brittany about it because she's still so set on this blind date idea! If I close my eyes, I can practically hear him say my name... Tabitha... Tabitha... A blunt object suddenly hit me on the side of my head.
    "Tabitha! Hello, are you deaf?!"
    "What the hell did you hit me for?" I shout.
    Brittany giggles. "I've been trying to get your attention. I have a picture of that friend that Mike wants to set you up with, on that blind date you agreed to."
    "Whoa, whoa, whoa. I never agreed," I argue with her. "I said that I would think about it."
    Brittany grimaces. "Well, yeah, I guess you did. But I mean, come on that's the most leeway I've gotten in so long!"
    "Don't take it out of context. Just because I said I'd think about it doesn't entirely mean I'm going to say yes."
    "Fine! Anyway, do you want to see a picture of him?" My best friend bounces a little, her cell phone held tightly in her hand.
    I tilt my head to the side a bit, confused. "What's the point of a blind date if I know what he looks like? That kind of destroys the whole 'blind' purpose. And it isn't as if he has a picture of me. So that wouldn't be fair."
    "Why do you have to think so much?" Brittany demands.
    I smile at her. "Because it confuses you, and in the end you realize that I'm right, anyway."
    "Look, I think you should go on the date. If it works out, then hey, that's great. I mean, you don't even have to make it official that you two are 'together.' Just go out every once in a while, keep in touch, talk. You never know... this guy could be your soul mate."
    My reasons for not wanting to agree to the blind date have changed since the first time Brittany had asked me. Originally, I didn't want to go on the date because I thought it would be strange and creepy going on a date with someone that I knew nothing about. Now, I don't want to because I've been so curious to know more about the man from the store. But Brittany wears my patience down very fast, and a part of me wants to give the blind date a try. Who knows? Maybe it will work out.
    "If I say yes, Brit, will you promise to never try setting me up on a blind date again?" I concede.
    Brittany's eyes light up with excitement and she dashes forward to hug me tightly. "Yes! I will never try again! Oh, Tabitha! Thank you! You'll have so much fun! Where do you want to go? I'll tell Mike to have his friend bring you wherever you want!"
    "Dinner is fine," I tell her. If it's going well, we can do something afterward, but if it seems to be going badly, I can tough it out through dinner, I think to myself. "He can choose."
    "I know your favorite restaurants. I'll let him pick from the list. Oh! Thank you so much Tabitha! I'm so glad you're doing this! I promise you won't regret it!"
    I roll my eyes. “Alright, now, go I have a paper to write.” Brittany smiles at me and walks out, shouting her departing goodbye over her shoulder. I look at my computer. I really do have a paper to write, but I could always use a bag of chips. I grin, grabbing my purse and walking out the door. The walk to the store down the street seems shorter than usual. I walk in and grab my favorite type of chips, hoping to see the guy working. Unfortunately, it isn’t the handsome man working today. It’s an older lady, who smiles sweetly at me and asks if I’d like a bag with my purchase. I walk back to my apartment, disappointed. The chips don’t even look appetizing to me anymore. I throw them in a cupboard and sit down at my computer to write my paper. D****t! I still don’t know his name!

The Day Of

    "So where am I going?" I ask Brittany. She’s sitting on the side of my bathtub, reading a magazine. We’re in the bathroom, me doing my hair and make-up, Brittany sitting nearby, throwing out random bits of conversation and advice.
    "I don’t know. I told him your top five restaurants and he said he’d pick the one he liked too so you’d both enjoy yourselves. But I don’t know which one he picked."
    I sigh. "That’d be helpful to know so I have an idea what to wear."
    "Clothes," Brittany says simply, flipping a page of her magazine. I throw a comb at her. "What was that for?"
    "It was for you being oh so very helpful." I roll my eyes and look down at my outfit. Jeans and a t-shirt could work for some of the restaurants she told him. I know that Julie’s Bar & Grill is casual, and so is the steakhouse. But the other three are nice, kind of dressy places. "Hey, Brit, what’s an outfit that could work for a dress-down date or a nicer place?"
    "A pair of tan pants and a nice blouse. Maybe one that shows a little bit of cleavage." Brittany looks up from her magazine long enough to wink at me. "Seriously, though, if you wear a pair of like khaki pants, but tighter ones, and a nice blouse, you could go anywhere from a fast food joint to a five star restaurant."
    This is why I love Brittany. As much as she drives me up a wall, she’s very helpful when she wants to be. "I have a pair of pants that match exactly that description hanging up in my closet. Could you grab them for me?"
    "You need a shirt too," she informs me drily.

    I look down at the shirt that I'm wearing. It's a two-toned blue shirt that I've worn many times. "What's wrong with this one?" I ask stubbornly.
    "It won't match." Brittany sighs dramatically. "I'll grab you a shirt and a pair of shoes while I'm in there. You just keep doing your make-up and hair."
    I laugh. "I'm practically done." Brittany skips out of the bathroom and returns five minutes later with my outfit. I put it on quickly and am not at all surprised to see that it actually looks good. "Thanks babe." I hug my best friend. "I really don't want to do this." I'd much rather find out who that guy working down the street is, I think.
    "You'll have fun tonight. I know you will." Her cell phone rings. "Hello?" she says, answering it. "Alright, I'll tell her. Bye." Brittany smiles and turns to me. "You're going to the steakhouse. He's on his way now, so you should probably head over. I don't know where he's driving from, but you don't want to be late. It'll make a bad impression. Now go, have fun. Behave. No bringing him home or I'll slap you. I'll hold down the fort until you get back, and then I want to know every single detail." As we're speaking, we're walking toward my front door.
    "Brittany, hold on. I need my keys and my purse." With a smile, Brittany holds both up for me. "Thanks. Alright, don't trash the place, please. It's my only request. I'll call you and let you know when I'm on my way so you and Mike can redress yourselves." I kiss Brittany on the cheek quickly, and then run out of the house and to my car before she can hit me. Thankfully, she hadn't grabbed me heels.
    The steak house is about a five minute drive from my apartment, so I figure stopping by the convenience store really quickly won't make me late. After all, I could always use a pack of gum. Walking in, I'm again disappointed to see someone else working behind the counter. Nonetheless, I purchase a pack of minty gum and drive to the restaurant. I park near the front and walk in, sitting on a bench right inside.
    "Can I help you?" the hostess asks.
    "No, I'm just waiting for someone."
    "Oh, well, I can give you a seat and take your name down, so if someone shows up looking for you, I can bring them over." I smile and nod. "Okay, then, what's your name?"
    "Tabitha Arcaine." The woman writes my name down on a slip and leads me to a small table. "Thank you," I say to her.
    "Sure thing. Is this a first date?"
    "It's a blind date, actually. My best friend set it up."
    She smiles. "Those are always disasters. Good luck. If you'd like, I'll make sure you get a good waitress."
    "Sure, that'd be really nice." The hostess smiles and walks away with a promise of bringing my date over once he arrives.
    I pull out a menu and look through the drinks. I'm debating between a margarita and a soda when I feel someone's hand on my shoulder. "Excuse me," I hear a voice say, "but is your name Tabitha?"
    My heart is practically frozen as I turn around and look into the big brown eyes of my date. "You're the guy from the store!" I exclaim.
    "And you're the girl with the allergies," he responds. With a smile, he sits across from me. "I was not at all expecting to see you here."
    "Believe me, if I had known you were the one I was being set up with, I probably would have agreed to this a lot sooner." My heart is pounding and millions of thoughts are racing through my mind. I can already tell this date is going to be fantastic. "I have one question for you, though. To start, anyway."
    He grins. "Okay, shoot."
    "What's your name?" I finally get to ask.
    He reaches across the table to hold my hand and kiss it gently. "Blaine. It's nice to finally meet you, Tabitha."