Blind Date
WRITTEN BY ANGELA WOOLDRIDGE
Confidence is a truly beguiling quality – even sometimes when it’s completely misplaced…
I’m just like Velma in Scooby-Doo.
I can’t see a thing without my glasses.
I never expected that to be so useful on a blind date.
The café was a bright oasis of warmth. Thank goodness I’d picked somewhere familiar. My date hadn’t seemed keen when I’d suggested it, but now I knew I could make it there blindfolded.
I pushed back my hood, blinked the raindrops from my lashes and shrugged philosophically. Even if I’d been wearing my glasses they’d have steamed up coming in from the cold. I straightened my shoulders and counted the tables from the door.
You must be Matt!
I was nervous and late, which made me come across as super-cheery to make up for it.
The man-shaped blur glanced up in surprise from putting his coat on. “Actually I’m –”
I thrust my hand forward. It had been a rotten evening so far, and I was determined that this date wasn’t going to be another failure to add to the list.
I’m Molly. So sorry I’m late. The Underground was chaos, and to top it all someone just crashed into me and knocked my glasses flying.
They’d been my best pair that framed my eyes nicely, and whoever-it-was had barely noticed me in a tangle at his feet, let alone the glasses catapulting through the air. Despite the busy street, I swear I’d heard them crunch beneath the tyres of a black cab.
“I think –”
He still looked ready to leave, so I rushed on. “Fortunately I’d memorised what table you said you were seated at. Fourth one along.” I beamed at him. “Thank you so much for that, otherwise we’d be in a right mess.”
His attention drifted past my shoulder to the other side of the café, and I held my breath. Had my stream of chatter scared him off? Or was there someone better looking and less flustered over there he’d been about to chat up? I blinked myopically in the same direction, but it was all just a big colourful blur.
“Yes, but my friends call me Rob.” He turned back to me, shrugging his jacket back off and I breathed a sigh of relief. “So, Molly, what would you like to drink?”
Silly really, I reflected as I sat down. I wouldn’t have been so determined to continue the date if it hadn’t been such a performance to get here – especially as he’d seemed a bit full of himself in his messages.
I rummaged in my bag as he gave our order, and triumphantly unearthed my spare glasses. My friend, Diana, called them my science-nerd specs – but I hadn’t a hope of seeing the specials board without them.
My date, now that he was in focus, had the slightly scruffy, roguish charm that Diana and I often drooled over in movies and I silently thanked whoever had bumped into me. I’d never have had the guts to approach him if I’d seen him first.
I crossed my fingers and hoped he wasn’t all surface.
My phone pinged imperiously.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” I said. “I missed a couple of messages from you.” My eyes widened as I took in what they said, and I looked back at Matt – Rob – whatever he wanted to call himself, in disappointment. It looked like I’d been right after all.
It was a shame, because he had a wicked smile that was currently directed at the other side of the room again.
“I love that you wear glasses,” he said. “And even more that you lost them.”
Puzzled, I followed his gaze to the fourth table from the other side of the door…
The too-smooth good looks of the man just leaving were spoiled by his sulky expression as he thrust his phone into his pocket and tossed a bunch of convenience store carnations into the bin.
My mouth formed a perfect “O” as I turned back to my… my… not-my-date-after-all.
“Did you want the flowers?” he asked me contritely.
I shook my head slowly.
“Good.” He grinned again as our waitress set our drinks in front of us. “So, Molly, tell me about your day.”
Our My Weekly Favourites series of lovely short fiction from our archives continues on Mondays and Thursdays. Look out for the next one.
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Allison Hay
I joined the "My Weekly" team thirteen years ago and, more recently, "The People's Friend". I love the variety of topics we cover both online and in the magazines. I manage the digital content for the brands, sharing features and information on the website, social media and in our digital newsletters.
