An American Cinderella

He stood in the middle of the entrance area before security, looking calm and comfortable despite the evil eye Gus was giving him. I nearly forgot how to breathe. He was even more handsome than I remembered, and I’d been sure I’d been exaggerating his good looks in my memory.

He wore fitted jeans that accentuated his lean figure and a dark suit jacket that broadened his shoulders. The dark color accented the reddish blonde of his hair and the blue of his eyes. He stood with one hand in his pocket, looking like some sort of magazine model.

He smiled as soon as he saw me and my heart sped up to insane cardio level. That smile would make anyone’s knees weak. It certainly was making mine turn to Jell-O. How in the world had I talked this guy into buying me lunch? I had to be dreaming.

“Hi,” I said, coming closer. I was unsure of what to do. Where we supposed to hug? Shake hands?

He held out his hand and greeted me warmly. I was grateful he knew what to do, because my brain suddenly didn’t have any blood. All I could think about was his smile, not what I was supposed to be doing.

“Are you available for lunch now?” he asked, releasing my hand. I wished for a moment that he would just keep holding it. That we could walk out on the street hand in hand, which was a silly thing to want from someone I’d known less than fifteen minutes.

“I am,” I told him. “What did you have in mind?”

I noticed then that he didn’t have any food with him. He had said he would bring me lunch, but unless he was hiding the noodles in his coat-sleeves, there wasn’t any food here.

“I know that I said I would bring you lunch, but I was hoping I might convince you to come with me to lunch,” he said, a slight blush crossing his cheeks. I wondered for a moment if he was as nervous as I was, which would be silly. He had nothing to be nervous about, looking the way he did.

“I have an hour,” I said, smiling shyly.

“She actually has two,” Jaqui called out from the corner. “It’s a new hire thing.”

I looked over at her and she winked. Knowing Jaqui, if I got her Andre’s number, she’d let me have the rest of the day off. There were some perks to working at a job that didn’t need to be done immediately. I never could have done this in my other job.

“I guess I have two hours,” I said.

He grinned and it lit up the room. My stomach fluttered and I could feel a blush heat my cheeks. How in the world was I going to make it through an entire meal feeling this flustered? It felt like a first date.

I was suddenly really glad I had worn my favorite work outfit. It was close enough to first date clothing that I didn’t feel under-dressed. I at least knew that I looked good today.

He offered me his arm and I felt like a true lady as he escorted me out of the building.

“Have her back in two hours, young man!” Gus called out after us, his arms crossed and expression grumpy. I loved him for it.

A lovely spring day awaited us outside. I’d been cooped up in my office scanning documents and hadn’t realized how beautiful it was out. The sun was warm, contrasting the cool breeze that threatened rain later.

Henry pulled out a ball-cap with a large blue R embroidered on it and pulled it down over his hair. He looked almost like a different person with it on, but he at least had the sun out of his eyes.

An older woman with her grand-kids in a stroller walked past us and smiled. “Ah, young love,” she murmured as she passed and I blushed.

I liked that she thought we were a couple.

“What were you thinking for lunch?” I asked, holding onto his arm as we walked along the sidewalk. I didn’t want to let go. I liked the way he felt next to me and under my fingers.

“According to my phone, there is a highly rated Greek restaurant, an American diner, and a place that sells grilled cheese,” he replied. “I’m not sure how there is a restaurant based solely on grilled cheese, but it’s close.”

“Do you like grilled cheese?” I asked, knowing what restaurant he was talking about. It was a cute little restaurant that did a creative spin on the American classic sandwich. It was one of my favorite lunch spots.

He lowered his head closer to mine. “To be honest, I’ve never had one.”