As I finished up bathing the last dog, my cell phone rang. I let the dog go, dried off my hands, walked over, and looked down at the screen. I didn’t recognize the number, but there were still a few websites with my private number listed, so I figured it might be a customer calling. I cleared my throat and pulled the phone to my ear, taking in a deep breath before answering.
“Hello, this is Reese,” I said professionally.
“Well hello there, just the girl I wanted to talk to,” the deep voice on the other line said. “This is Blaine from the wedding.”
“Blaine,” I repeated, too shocked to say anything else.
“Yes, Blaine,” he said, chuckling. “You know, the guy you blew off in the parking lot?”
“Oh, yes,” I said, blushing. “I, uh, I’m sorry about that. I realized afterward that it must have been insanely rude of me.”
He chuckled. “It’s all right. I have to say, though, I’ve never scared a girl off like that before, and it stuck with me. To be truthful, you stuck with me all weekend, and I hope you don’t get upset but Caroline gave me your number. She pretty much said the same thing you did, but I couldn’t let it go until I had the chance to talk to you again.”
“Okay,” I said, wondering where this conversation was going. “Look, I’m not a snob or a man-hater. I’m just careful when it comes to dating, I guess.”
“I don’t blame you,” he replied. “I’m a man in this dating world, and I honestly feel horrible for the good women out there that are serious about meeting someone.”
“I suppose it’s tough out there,” I replied, still unable to find the words.
“Anyway, I wanted to call and invite you to dinner tomorrow night,” he said.
“Oh, I mean, I don’t know. I have a lot of work to get done.” I automatically came up with an excuse.
“We all have work, but we all have to eat, too.” He laughed. “Look, I’m not expecting a thing. I would just like to get to know you a little better and have some nice company for dinner.”
Everything in me was screaming “yes,” especially when his charming smile and gorgeous eyes started to run through my mind, but for some reason, I was apprehensive. Maybe it was because I was so drawn to him. Maybe my need and desire to be around him was terrifying to me because I wasn’t sure if I could control myself with him. I was curious about who this man was, what he was about, and what he was really looking for.
“Well, I suppose it wouldn’t be a bad idea to get some dinner,” I replied. “Where would you like me to meet you?”
“How about the Tin Room at seven?” he asked. “I can have a car pick you up if you’d like.”
“No, I’ll be okay,” I replied. “Thank you, though. I will see you tomorrow at seven. And thanks for going out of your way to get ahold of me. It was sweet.”
“Thank you for being receptive,” he replied.
We said our goodbyes before hanging up. It was an awkward conversation because I was awkward, but I knew that I’d made the right decision by agreeing to go out with him. He had gone through extra effort to spend time with me. I wasn’t sure what more he could do to prove that it wasn’t all about sex. Part of me was nervous and apprehensive, while the other part of me was excited and ready to go on this date already. I was intrigued by Blaine, and I was really interested in finding out more about him. He was definitely forward, and he went after what he wanted, which I never thought that I would find attractive in a man. However, as I sat there thinking about how he pursued me, I could feel the butterflies churning in my stomach.
“Hey,” Leena said, startling me. “What’s wrong with you?”
“Nothing,” I said, shaking my head and grabbing the shampoo off of the counter to put back in the cabinet. “I just agreed to go to dinner with Blaine.”
“Wait, what?” she asked, shaking her head. “I thought you didn’t give him your number.”
“I didn’t,” I responded with blushed cheeks. “He got it from Caroline and called me.”
“Well, congratulations,” she said, smiling.
“For what?”
“For taking a chance and stepping out of your comfort zone,” she replied. “I don’t know if this guy will turn into anything, but maybe it will help you open up to future opportunities. You know, loosen you up and make you realize that the dating world isn’t that terrifying.”
“Maybe,” I said with a smile. “We will find out tomorrow night.”
“And it’s an excuse to buy a new dress,” she said, wagging her eyebrows and smiling as she walked from the room.
I chuckled to myself as I gathered my things and looked over at the fresh, clean puppies. Part of me was terrified, but the other part of me knew that I had made the right decision and that Leena was right. I needed to start putting myself out there. Who knew? Maybe, just maybe, Blaine wasn’t what I thought he was. Maybe he was exactly the guy that I was looking for, and this dinner could be the start to something amazing. At the same time, I knew it could also be the start to something that could end in heartbreak. Being a virgin put a lot more pressure on me in the dating world, and most guys were not going to wait around for me to finally decide to sleep with them.
I could only hope that Blaine was different, and I didn’t start my new venture back into the dating world with a complete asshole.