Choosing Her Lover

I make a point of arriving at Luigi’s a few minutes early. But I don’t go in, instead buying myself a latte at the coffee bar opposite, and seating myself in the window to watch.

Why am I nervous?

At five to eight, Ben appears around the corner. The rain has cleared, and he wears a plain white shirt, the top couple of buttons undone, and black jeans.

Nice….

He pops his head through the door to glance inside, then returns to wait outside, looking up and down the street.

Something feels unfamiliar about this. Of course, it’s been a while since I last had an actual date….

Yeah…. it’s a date. Not a meet-up for a quick fuck….

My stomach is fluttering, my throat tight as I swallow my coffee.

Don’t be so damn silly. It’s a date. That’s all….

Gulping down the last of my drink, I exit the cafe to cross the street. “Ben….”

“Ah, there you are.” He gives me a peck on the cheek, then, “I reserved a table for us. Shall we….”

Courtesy itself, he opens the door, gesturing me through first. At our table, he pulls out my chair to seat me, offers me the menu. He is a perfect gentleman.

But he never smiles. There’s something about him, a kind of grimness, that’s a little off-putting.

Is he nervous too?

“Got yourself dried out alright?” he asks. “You’re feeling okay? Not going to come down with anything?”

“I’m fine. I had a long soak in a hot bath. It’s going to be a while before it’s pleasant being in the car though. You know what the smell of wet dog is like.”

“Yeah. It’s just the worst, isn’t it?” And he laughs.

And with the laugh, his whole face changes, lighting up. Suddenly, from being a little ordinary, he is a strikingly good-looking man, his features transformed.

Wow!

asks, and I realise

just that you look very

say that. My mother’s forever on at me to smile more. She says it makes me look more like my

there’s more like you out

at the head

underplaying yourself a bit. You’re

bad-looking’. He has women throwing themselves at him….” He

Of his own

the mood, crack a joke. “Every

more. “Too late. You’ve missed the boat. He got married recently.” He casts a speculative look over

just me. I opted out of that club

“Why was that?”

was pregnant. It put me

would do it. How long ago

“A couple of years.”

there’s been

What should I say?

whole dating thing. Didn’t want

arches a brow. “This is

“My first date, yes.”

Change the subject….

‘Mrs Ben’

turned out that she preferred my best friend to me.” He looks away, his mouth

that would do

talk about

“Good idea.”

bed on the first night with

spaghetti around his fork, visibly

lot. All