Date in the Dark (11 page)

“Hard to believe that Kasey was the first
baby Parker ever held. And that little Eric here—” she holds up the
carrier, “—he was the second. With the way he acts around children,
you’d think he has many of his own and did this every day. I love
my brother, but it breaks my heart that he doesn’t have anyone to
share his life with,” she says with a smile just as beautiful as
his.

I want to laugh from her words. Not in a
funny way, but because she makes a great wing man. I wonder if he
set her up for this to get me to go tonight. “How old is he?” I
ask, gesturing to the baby that’s now in her arms.

“Almost a month.” She smiles down at him.

“The second one goes faster than the first,
doesn’t it?” I ask.

“It does.” She looks over to me. “Parker said
the same thing. Do you have kids?”

“No…it’s just what I’ve heard.”

Chapter Fourteen

Allie

It’ll all work out. It’ll all work out.

I’ve chanted this phrase in my head over and
over since I left work, got ready, and headed for the final night
of date-in-the-dark.

When we arrive at the restaurant, I’m
surprised and my heart feels like it bottomed out in my stomach to
see that the lights are on. A tall gentleman wearing an all-white
suit greets us and guides us into a large round room. The entire
space is filled with New Year’s decorations. Sparkling party hats
are on every table, along with a bottle of champagne and two
glasses. There are only eight tables with two chairs at each, and
they all have different colors of glittered tablecloths. There’s
confetti everywhere, and streamers line the ceiling. Whoever
planned this party didn’t forget a thing.

“Ladies! Oh, you all look so beautiful! I’m
Liz.” A woman greets us as we fill into the room. She gives us a
huge smile and claps her hands. Blond hair, which is cut into a
short bob, doesn’t move from its place as she looks at each one of
us. She looks lovely in her red floor-length dress, making me
second-guess my short silver sequined one. “It a pleasure to
finally see you all in the light. Your dates won’t know what to do
with themselves when they see how absolutely beautiful you are.”
Liz’s eyes land on both Kelly and I, she shoots a wink at us and
looks away.

A few of the woman laugh softly and then look
around as if they aren’t sure what to think of this night just yet
either.

“Tonight we’re going to play a trivia game
with your dates. They’ll be in a separate room on a loud speaker
while you’ll be in here on one as well. We’re going to ask you a
few questions about your dates to see what you’ve learned in the
last two nights. If you would choose a table, we can get started
and once the game is over we’ll turn the lights off for the last
time and let you enjoy your last date-in-the-dark. And then,” she
squeals, “the lights come on and everyone will fall in love.” Liz
claps excitedly as she shoos us to a table.

“Are we all ready?” she asks, and the group
respond “yes,” looking around at each other. Kelly chose the table
next to mine, and we hold back the nervous giggles that are trying
to force their way out.

“Hello? Can you hear me?” she speaks into a
microphone and then taps it.

“Yes, my love, we can hear you loud and
clear.” A deep voice fills the room and Liz smiles before holding a
hand over the microphone.

“That’s my husband Paul. We met on a blind
date, hence,” she says and points around the room, “this place.”
Liz reaches into a black hat and pulls out a piece of paper.
“Alright I have the first question.” She beams. “Who wants to go
first?”

A woman with long black hair raises her
hand.

“What’s your name dear?” Liz asks.

“Megan.”

“Alright, Megan, what is your date’s favorite
color?”

For the next hour the women in the room
answer question after question. What is your date’s favorite
number, food, hobbies? What type of movie does your date prefer, or
what are their dislikes? Once a lady answers, we wait for Liz’s
husband to get a confirmation from his room with the men. It’s been
about fifty-fifty on who answered right and wrong. Kelly has
surprisingly gotten all of her questions right and I’ve yet to
volunteer, but no one has noticed…until now. The moment Liz focuses
in on me, nerves take over my body and my heart starts to feel like
it’s ready to pound out of my chest.

“And miss, what’s your name?” she asks.
“You’ve been awfully quiet. I think we need to get you and your
date caught up on a few questions.” Her voice hasn’t lost any of
its perkiness and for some reason I blush in a room full of women
for being put on the spot. She holds the microphone out for me to
answer.

“Allie,” I say, watching as Liz draws my
first question.

Parker

She isn’t here.

An hour later, and I’m about to have a panic
attack. I’ve been sitting here in a room that I’m almost positive
they use for storage and I’ve been listening to couple after couple
answer questions, and not once have I heard Allie’s voice.
Shit.

My chair screeches across the floor as I
stand. I try not to run toward the door when all I want to do is
break into a sprint. My hand is on the knob when Liz’s cheery voice
comes through the speaker, calling out one woman in particular for
being too quiet. I know before she says her name that it’s Allie.
When she responds and I hear her sweet voice, my entire body
relaxes. I quickly make my way back to my seat, gaining a few
chuckles from the men around me.

“Other than these dinners the last few
nights, when was your date’s last date with another woman?” Liz’s
voice questions her through the speaker.

This should be good.

“His last date?” Allie answers. “I don’t know
when his last official date was, but if you were to go off
impromptu dates…he went on a date last night after he left
here.”

“Oh,” Liz says with a high-pitched squeak and
the entire room falls silent.
Awesome.
They all think I’m a
prick and dating two women. Paul, the gentleman who’s been in the
room with all us men, looks at me for the answer. I nod and try not
to smile. He watches me for a moment and then puts the microphone
up to his mouth.

“She’s correct,” he announces.

A very loud gasp comes through the speakers
followed by whispering.

“Did… Are… Staying…” Those are the only three
words I can make out from Liz’s voice.

“Okay, Paul, it’s your turn to ask him a
question,” Liz says, and there’s no mistaking that her cheery tone
has faded.

Paul reaches into the bag he’s been carrying
around with him and reads the paper he pulled out. He looks at me
then back at the paper and his face crumples. “If given the
opportunity, do you think your date will consent to continue dating
you beyond tonight?”

I hear a few men grunt, holding back their
laughter, and one man whispers “yeah right” to another. I glance at
my brother, who’s just watching with his arms crossed and a
shit-eating grin on his face.

“Yes, Paul, I think she would,” I say without
hesitation.

The room falls silent as we wait for Liz to
reveal the answer.

“He’s right,” she says and there’s no missing
the disappointment in her voice. “I think it’s time we served
dinner now.”

****

When they bring us into the dining room,
Allie and I pick up a conversation like it was any other night. A
few times I have to stop myself from asking work-related questions.
I don’t think she’s noticed and if she has, she never gives it
away. Our comfort with each other has grown into something I enjoy
and look forward to. We eat and then talk for the next couple of
hours. Before I know it, dinner is over and the countdown to
turning the lights on is getting closer.

It’s strange how clearly both Allie and I
know who’s sitting here at the table and still, neither of us has
yet to say anything. We just keep talking and laughing like we’re
two complete strangers who are here for nothing more than to have a
good time.

We’re on our second bottle of champagne when
Paul announces we have less than five minutes before they turn the
lights on. As each minute passes, I repeatedly wipe my sweaty palms
against my jeans and occasionally tug at the collar of my
button-down. I know she knows it’s me, but this is it. The moment
she’s finally giving me a chance.

“Okay, everyone! Are we ready for the first
countdown of the night?”

Hoots and hollers fill the room as chairs
scratch against the floor. No one in this room wants to wait
another minute.

“Okay, here we go! Ten…nine…”

The room joins in with her as if it’s the
countdown to the New Year.

“Eight…seven…”

My heart starts to race.

“Six….five….”

”Allie?”

“Yeah?”

“Four…three…”

”I’m really glad you showed up tonight.”

“Two…”

”So am I.”

“One!”

The lights flash on, and I blink as my eyes
adjust. When I can finally keep them open, I see the beautiful face
in front of me.

Her shy smile is one I’ll never get used to
and when she looks at me with those sapphire eyes, I fall for her
all over again. Wasting no time, I rush around the table. I grab
her and kiss her as fiercely as I can. She responds instantly,
weaving her tongue with mine and wrapping her arms around my neck.
At the same time I move my arms and hook them around her waist,
lifting her off the ground and making this moment as romantic as I
can. She deserves the best, and I plan to make it my goal for as
long as she lets me.

A fit of laughter comes from a woman across
the room. Our lips part and our heads snap around at the noise to
find my brother hugging a happy and excited Kelly.

He pulled it off.

“I know how she feels,” Allie says, regaining
my full attention. I can’t hide the grin on my face. “But how did
he make that happen?”

My hands cup her face and I press my lips to
hers. She tastes like mint and champagne, and I don’t ever want to
live without her taste again.

“Once the men in my family set their eyes on
something, they don’t give up?” I say, kissing her again. Our lips
never part until we hear the second countdown of the night.

This is going to be one hell of a year.

Chapter Fifteen

Allie

The sun’s out, snow’s falling lightly, and
there’s no wind. It’s the perfect day to start the New Year and an
even better day for a first date. Technically, it isn’t our first
date, but it’s our first date being exclusive. I have more nerves
now than I did when I first tried skydiving—and I thought that was
bad.

I pace my apartment while Bell watches from
where she lies on the kitchen’s linoleum floor. I reposition
pillows, restack magazines, and wipe the counters off twice before
I finally convince myself to sit down. This is going to be great.
He is going to be great.
Stop worrying.

I sit on the couch and start to browse though
a few social media sites on my phone. I scroll the pages, but can’t
focus. If Parker doesn’t get here soon, I’m going to start
convincing myself this whole week has been a dream. A crazy one at
that. I can’t believe I ever doubted him and I can’t believe he
still wants to take my crazy ass out on a date. My entire body
tightens and I inhale deeply to keep from squealing or laughing
.
I’ve never been so excited about a date.

He only has to knock once before I spring
from the couch. I stop in front of mirror by the door and brush
down any flyaways with my hand, and then I fix my grey shirt, pull
up my black boots, and open the door.

Parker’s smile is instantly contagious, and I
feel my cheeks begin to heat as his eyes lock with mine. You’d
think we’ve never met before by the way my body reacts to seeing
him. My stomach won’t stop fluttering at the thought of being alone
with him.

He clears his throat and extends a bouquet of
lilies. “You look amazing.”

I accept the flowers and like an idiot I just
keep grinning. My hand brushes against his, and a chill runs
through my body. He looks dashing in a dark pair of jeans, black
belt, and a baby blue button-down shirt.

“You do, too,” I say softly. “Please come in
while I put these in water.”

I step into the kitchen and grab a flower
vase from the bottom cupboard. Parker joins me just as the water
starts running. He leans his hip against the counter and crosses
his arms. His jacket stretches from the tightness against his arms,
and I feel my eyes go wide.
Have his arms always looked that
good?

“I like your place,” he says with a grin.
He totally caught me checking him out.
“I’ve always been a
fan of studio apartments.”

His eyes warm up as he watches me, and I
can’t help but to let out a small laugh at his attempt at small
talk. I don’t want him to talk; I want him to kiss me already.

Setting the vase onto the counter with the
flowers inside, I turn to face him. Our eyes meet and he pulls me
toward him. With me flush against his body, he leans down and
presses his lips against mine. We keep it G-rated for all of two
seconds before I open my mouth and let his tongue tangle with mine.
He grabs my hips and lifts me onto the counter. He stands between
my legs as he holds my face in his hands to kiss me like I’m his
air.

When his hands move down to my waist and he
pulls me closer, I break the kiss. If I don’t do it now, we’ll
never make it out on our first date.

Parker rests his forehead against mine to
catch his breath. Then, he kisses my forehead and steps back.
“Ready?” he asks looking a bit embarrassed.

“Yes,” I jump off the counter. On the way out
the door, I grab my jacket and purse from the coat rack. I quickly
put on my hat, gloves, and scarf before we step outside.