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!

wrong?” he asks, and I realise that I

that you look very different when

clicks his tongue; flashes his brows. “You’re not the first to say that. My mother’s forever on at me to smile more. She says it makes me look

more like you out

forth. “No, not really. He was at

yourself a

it? ’Not bad-looking’. He has women throwing themselves at him….”

Of

mood, crack a joke. “Every

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

I opted out of

“Why was that?”

girlfriend was pregnant.

eyes. “Yes, that would do it.

“A couple of years.”

there’s been no-one since

What should I say?

the whole dating thing. Didn’t want

brow. “This is your first date

“My first date, yes.”

Change the subject….

there’s no ‘Mrs Ben’ either,

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

would

talk about

“Good idea.”

hopping into bed on

fork, visibly casting

a lot. All