If they were setting him up for success with me, I was going to enjoy shooting this guy down. There was no way that Nick possibly had any friends that would have any of my similar interests, let alone a job that paid more than $7 an hour. Daddy must have told him where to take a sophisticated woman such as myself. Like I said, this was going to be Hell.
I finished my primping under the watchful eye of Chelle, rolling my eyes when her mouth hung open at the sight of my suit.
"Why the hell are you dressed like that? This isn’t a business dinner, this is a DATE. Show some cleavage, wear your hair down, LOOSEN up a little bit. This isn’t a client, ya know."
I gave her a stone-faced look, no expression at all on my face and shook my head at her. SHE wasn’t the one getting set up like some schoolgirl without a date to a dance. I was the one with a pity date, and dammit, I didn’t have to like it one bit. If I felt more comfortable with my armor on, so be it.
"Will you get off of my back about what I’m wearing? I happen to like this suit; maybe it’s my get-lucky suit. You don’t know, so leave me alone! Go downstairs and play with your boyfriend, I don’t need any help."
I knew that I was getting just plain nasty, but I was not enjoying this whole date idea. I mean, this is a blind date with some guy that I know nothing about, except that he’s a friend of Nick’s. Come on, THAT is supposed to make me feel better? I think not.
She huffed out of the bathroom, and I heard her bound down the stairs like a sack of potatoes. Giving myself one last look, I headed back to my bedroom to grab my purse and head out. I walked down the stairs, past the living room where Chelle was indeed curled up with Nick, both having a pair of pugs on their laps, and paused at the doorway.
"I’m leaving for my BLIND DATE. I’ll be back sometime this evening I’m sure, considering where I know this is heading. Have fun without me, while I’m going through this torture, and don’t miss me too much. See ya…"
I could hear them whispering as I went to the garage to jump in my car and muttered curses towards them as I backed out of the garage. I turned on the air conditioning in order to not mess up my hair and sang along with the radio. I guided the car down the busy streets of downtown Tampa, occasionally checking the clock to make sure that I wasn’t going to be late and pulled into the parking lot at exactly 6 PM. Checking my hair one last time, I got out of the car and set the alarm.
Heading inside, I came to the maitre’ d and fumbled in my purse for the piece of paper that Nick had given me yesterday.
"I’m here with a Mister D? I’m joining him for dinner this evening."
As they checked their list, I stood checking out the place. It was very beautiful, lit by candles on all the tables, the fine china and crystal sparking in the flickers of light. I followed them through the restaurant, obviously heading towards the back, into a secluded section.
Sitting in a table all by himself, overlooking a moonlit cobblestone street was a man sipping a glass of white wine. As I neared his table, his eyes lifted from the street and he meet my gaze. He moved his chair back as he stood to greet me.
"Your party has arrived Mister Dorough…"
I heard a quiet "thank you" as the host walked away and I was alone with him. Taking in his designer suit and silk tie, his hair pulled back into a tight knot at the base of his neck and his perfectly groomed goatee, my breath caught in my throat.
"Surely, you are NOT a friend of Nick’s."
"Funny, as I was about to say the same thing to you," he said, taking my hand as he pulled my chair out for me and helped me be seated across from him.
The waiter came by and poured my glass of wine and took our order. Mr. Dorough took the liberty of ordering for the both of us, the menu was in complete French and I hadn’t touched the language in quite some years.
"I don’t think it would be right for me to call you Mr. Dorough since this is a little more personal that a business dinner. What is your first name?" I asked, entranced by his dark brown eyes that seemed never-ending.
"I’m so sorry, Nicky said that he wasn’t telling you my name and I completely forgot. Howard Dorough at your service, you can call me Howie. I know you’re Jana and a housemate of Nicky’s, but I’m afraid that is all that he told me about you."
"It’s nice to meet you Howie. I must say, you are definitely not what I pictured when Nick and Chelle told me about tonight and you being a friend of Nick’s. This is a very welcome surprise."
"Well, when he called me the other night, I could have strangled him. I didn’t want you to think that this was a pity date or anything, I asked him to reconsider his strategy about getting us together, such as a barbecue or a small party. Blind dates are just not the way to go anymore, I don’t think. People have too many hang-ups about them nowadays."
"I totally agree. When they said they were setting me up with you, they got the LOOK. Even the pugs ran out of the room because they knew that look from the time they all decided that my closet was the newest potty for them. I mean, no offense, but when they said you were a friend of his, I pictured some gangly boy in a pair of khakis and a wrinkled shirt. Much like I see Nick when he’s taking Chelle out. I really didn’t expect a man immaculately dressed in a designer suit and tie. Thank you for being YOU. I’m not so worried about this night now. May I ask how you ARE friends with him? You two don’t really look to have the same interests…"
"Well, we definitely have one interest that is very similar. I’m one of his band mates."
"YOU’RE a Backstreet Boy too?"
"Yup, Howie D at your service. Or Sweet D if you prefer. We’ve been friends for about eight years now, somehow we haven’t killed each other."
"Oh my, I really wasn’t expecting this. Since he’s never had you all over to the house, I’ve never really seen you all. Now that I look at you, I recognize you from the CD plaques all over. Man, you all were so YOUNG when you started!" I had to giggle a bit, I could almost see one of the pictures from when Nick was about 14, and the other guys didn’t look much older at all.
"I take it that you really don’t know much about Nicky?"
"I know enough about him, probably too much sometimes, but we haven’t really discussed all that he does. We just take care of the place and the pugs when he’s not there, and when he is there, he’s usually attached to Chelle in some way, so not much talking goes on. I listen to the radio, so I’m not completely out of it, I have heard your songs, I just never really paid attention to what the other guys look like. He does speak of you, not often really, but I have heard your name mentioned around the house."
"Well since we’ve established that you are his house mate and I’m his band mate, why don’t you tell me a bit more about yourself? After you’re finished, I’ll tell you whatever you want to know about me…" he grinned, sipping his wine.
"Well, what would you like to know about me?"
"How about we start off with the basics and then get a little more personal? Name, age, occupation, hobbies…that sort of thing."
"Jana Elizabeth, twenty one, I’m a financial consultant for multiple firms and I enjoy sleeping as much as possible. I also like riding around in Nick’s boat and reading books. Why do I feel like I’m doing a video dating service all of the sudden?"
He cracked up, drawing attention from the waiter and a disapproving glance from a bus boy. We looked at each other and giggled, trying to compose ourselves as best we could.
"I guess it’s my turn. Howard Dwaine, twenty-seven, I’m a Backstreet Boy and owner of Sweet D Inc. and the club Tabu in Orlando. I enjoy time with my family, going to the office and developing new talent to produce."
"Don’t you feel like you’re doing an interview for a dating service?"
"I can definitely see what you’re saying. Though I’ve never done one of those; care to explain how you know all about that?" He said, raising his eyebrows at me and getting another embarrassed giggle out of me.
"I’d prefer not to go into that, maybe later on. What else would you like to know about me?"
The waiter finally arrived with our dinner and we spent the rest of the meal getting familiar with each other. I was having a wonderful time, he was funny, intelligent, a true gentleman with interesting conversation. I still couldn’t believe that THIS was Nick’s friend. I was going to have to kiss the both of those sneaks when I got home tonight.
As the waiter brought the check to the table, we were still in discussion over business. The recent stock market plunge weighed heavily in our minds, and we discussed what was the best plan of action. Howie pulled out a credit card to pay the bill and soon we were on our way.
Out into the darkness of the night, it was beautiful and balmy for a June evening. Together we walked side by side down the cobblestone street that we had just looked over during dinner, towards the beach.
"I didn’t really have anything planned for after dinner, considering I really didn’t know what you liked to do. Normally it’s dinner and dancing for me, but I thought that maybe tonight a nice stroll along the beach down here would be nice. Would that be all right with you?" He asked.
"That’s fine with me, I can never get enough of the beach. I’m from the Midwest, there are no beaches there, except for the ones around lakes, and those don’t count. It’s so soothing here; it’s like no one has a care in the world because they know of the beauty they are near all the time. I don’t think I’ll ever move from Florida, I just love it too much."
As we got to the beach, we stopped to take off our shoes and let the sand wrestle between our toes as we walked.
"Would I be too forward to hold your hand tonight," Howie asked, almost shyly, diverting his gaze anywhere but at me.
I lifted my hand to his cheek, gently stroking it, and cocked my head to the side. "I don’t think I’ve ever been asked before someone held my hand. Thank you. And no, you wouldn’t be too forward for asking me that. I appreciate it."
His smile reflected in the moonlight, and he softly took my hand in his. We walked in the surf, talking lightly of our families and other things that obviously brought joy to our lives. We turned around and headed back towards the area where we had parked, and as we neared the sidewalk, we stopped to slip our shoes back on.
Silently, we walked back to our cars, neither one of us wanting the night to end.
"I had a wonderful time tonight, Howie. I haven’t had a night like this in a very long time."
"I had a wonderful time too. Would you mind if I called you later this week to see if we can get together again soon?"
This guy was almost too much. First he turns out to be Mr. DreamGuy for me, then he asks to hold my hand, and now he’s asking me if he can call me to set up another date because he wants to see me again. Someone pinch me, I must be dreaming.
"I’d like that a lot. Here’s my card; it has all my numbers on it. And if you lose it, well, just call Nick, he knows where I live." I said, chuckling with him.
With a soft kiss on my cheek, he turned and headed back to his car. Making sure I got in my car safely and drove away, he waited before he left just to make sure.
Twenty minutes later, I was in a daze and pulling into the garage.
"Well?" Chelle demanded.
"I think I’m in love," I sighed, and walked away without another word up to my room.
"Hmph," I heard as I walked upstairs. "That’s the thanks we get for hooking her up with an obvious Mr. Right."
"Shut up woman, and kiss me."