Not embarrassed. Bold. My eyes landed on her ass as shewalked back to the hostess stand. All I had to do was get through this terribledate and then I could take Tamara up on her offer.
I ordered a scotch. And then another. I checked my watch onemore time. Maybe my date had come, scoped the place out, and left already. Orshe was just a no-show. I looked over at the girl who had been reading. She’dbeen joined by her date. I was the last one alone in this restaurant, lookinglike a damned idiot.
And I wasn’t going to tell the waiter to wait any longer. Iwas about to wave him down to pay for my drinks when I saw someone runningthrough the restaurant. She had bright, wavy red hair, and her face was brightred too. She looked around the restaurant feverishly. And for just a second, Iwas worried she was going to try to rob the place or something. Or burst intotears. Or…do something else that she really shouldn’t.
Tamara went up to her and they started talking. The redheadwaved her hands around as she talked, still trying to peer around the restaurant.And then they both turned to me.
Oh no. God no. Penny, you have to be kidding me right now.
But instead of the hostess showing the redhead toward mytable, she tried to show her out the door. I was about to breathe a sigh ofrelief when the redhead sidestepped Tamara and ran into the restaurant. Shealmost collided with a waiter, but somehow managed to reach my table unscathed.
“I’m so so sorry that I’m late,” she said. She was completelyout of breath. “The subway broke down. I had to run. Luckily I wore sneakers.”
I looked down. Sure enough, she was sporting a pair ofsneakers in a five-star restaurant. Which I actually found endearing. Brooklynhad this pair of beat-up Keds she used to wear everywhere. She even wore themwith her homecoming dress.
“I really am sorry. I hate being late. Lateness is one of mygreatest fears.” She sat down, still out of breath and red in the face.
“Are you thirsty?” I asked and pushed my glass of water towardher.
“So thirsty. But um…have you already put your lips on that? BecauseI really don’t like germs. I’m not like a germophobe or anything like that. I’mnot actually scared of germs. But I am scared of dying from some kind ofcontracted virus. Okay, yeah, I’m a little scared of germs. But it’s a lotlower on my list of fears than lateness. And I don’t know why I’m telling youall this. I’m just really really nervous and when I’m nervous I tend to ramble.And I think being late is making everything worse.”
I can tell.
She eyed the glass of water longingly.
“Sorry, I forgot to answer your question. No, I haven’t gottenany virus germs on it. I only touched it to push it over to you,” I said.
“Oh thank God.” She grabbed it and downed half of it in onegulp.
I stared at her as she drank water like an Olympic athlete. Pennysaid this girl was exactly what I was looking for. I’d joked around with Pennyabout liking petite redheads like her. And she’d delivered one…
“Is it like a thousand degrees in here?” My date said as shefanned her face.
I probably should have given Penny a few more details aboutmy dating preferences. Because the girl not being an insane person was prettyhigh on my list. And I was pretty sure this girl didn’t fit that criteria. “You’reprobably just overheated from running. And the heat is on full blast in here. Doyou want to take off your jacket?”
Her eyes grew round. “No, I’m good.”
“But you just said you were hot.”
“I’m okay now.” She pulled the jacket tighter around herself.
Was she topless under there or something?
She finished the rest of the water and looked slightly lessflushed. “It’s really nice to finally meet you, Matt.”
I stared at her. So she knew my name? What else did she knowabout me? Had Penny actually spoken to her about me? Or had Penny pretended tobe me in some weird catfishing scheme? I cleared my throat. “Nice to meet youtoo. I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name?”
She laughed like I was joking. But then immediately frowned.“You don’t know my name? How many dates on this crazy app do you go on a week?”
I smiled. “This is my first one. Full disclosure: my friend actuallymade my profile for me and set up this date.”
“Oh. Oh. Wait…so who have I been talking to exactly? Ithought I’d been texting you.”
“You’ve been chatting with my friend Penny.”
“Your friend that’s a woman?”
“Yes?” I don’t know why my response sounded like a question. Itjust seemed like this girl didn’t want that answer.
“Hmm. Interesting.” She eyed her empty water glass andfidgeted in her seat, like she was debating whether to start eating the ice.
I should have called over the waiter to ask for more water. ButI had something more pressing on my mind. “Why is that interesting?”
“Because in my experience, boys and girls can’t really justbe friends.”
“In this case we are.” Unfortunately. “She’s marriedto one of my other friends.”
“Ah. Okay. I get it now. You’ve been feeling like a bit of athird wheel and are trying to find someone to go on double dates with?”
“Something like that.”
She nodded, seemingly content with my response. “Well, Matt,it’s nice to actually meet you. I’m Ash, by the way. Well, Ashley, but Ash forshort. Ashley Dickson.” She cringed at her own name.
Which was fair. It was a pretty terrible last name. I used toknow a kid with that last name. Joe “Cupcake” Dickson. That stupid son of a bitch.He’d dated Isabella. Tormented Brooklyn. Cupcake was at the top of my shitlist. When did I start listing things? This girl was already rubbing off on mein a really weird way.
“Nice to meet you, Ash,” I said.
“God, now I’m trying to remember if I said anything
