Drunk Fate

Vinny splashed some aftershave on his face and grinned in the mirror. He walked over to his bedroom and put on his clothes lying on the bed: a cream colored button-down, black pants, and a black jacket. He could hear the phone ringing over the TV playing in the other room. “Eh, they'll call back,” he reasoned. Attempting to sit on the edge of the bed to put on his socks, he stumbled and landed on his rear-end. “Oh no.” He plopped into a sturdier position. His phone blasted its ringtone again. “What? What?!” Vinny marched to the phone to seize this annoyance.

“Hello?”

“Vinny, what up? It's Donny! I haven't seen you down at the club lately, what's going on?”

Vinny sighed in relief. “Donny baby; yeah I've been busy. I've actually got a date tonight. It's like a blind date. I'm meeting her through Bill.”

“What does she look like?” Vinny leaned against his kitchen counter, popped open some vodka and poured himself a cup. It would be his 5th alcoholic beverage for the day so far. He chucked the bottle into the recycling bin, and it clanked against the other beer and wine bottles in the container.

“I think she's a pretty blonde from what I hear.”

“Hey Vinny, you're not drinking again are ya?” Donny asked.

“Don't worry Don, we are meeting at Ruth's Chris. It's a couple of blocks from here, and I'm not driving. I have to meet her there at 6.”

“Well, its 5:50 Vin, I hope you let her know you are running late.”

“Ah, crap! I've got to go Don, call me Tomorrow.” He hung up without waiting for a reply.

Vinny froze in place searching his pockets for his keys, phone, and wallet. He slapped on some dark shades and left his apartment. He made it outside, his face flushed red from drinking. Looking both ways down the street he picked a direction. He grumbled about the humid temperature, bobbing up and down with each step, but greeted every person who passed. His past dates were so disappointing.. It wasn't making sense to him anymore. But, his therapists told him to not give up. He quickened his pace and looked down at his watch, 6pm.

Bam! He looked up at the young man he has collided with. “Excuse me sir,” the young man said holding out a flier and trying to organize the rest of the disheveled papers towards his abdomen. “Please come visit God's Church! We want you to hear about the good news of being saved by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

Vinny shrieked dramatically. “Ahh, sorry!Yikes, I'm running late!”

He saw the entrance to Ruth's Chris now. He clenched his fists, stuck out his chest, and walked the remaining 100ft with confidence. Once in the restaurant he scanned the faces, it was dim, but he left his glasses on. “I have a reservation under Vincent. Did a female come in here already for that table?”

“Yes, right this way,” the hostess replied.

“Hi Vincent, I'm Elizabeth, we briefly spoke on the phone. Call me Liz.” She stood up to shake his hand.

Vinny was abashed. “Hello, sorry I'm late. Things came up.” He took a seat and looked at the menu, his breath still heavy and his skin perspiring.

“It's been so long since I've been on a date,”Liz said. “I'm usually swamped with work, I barely have time for myself.”

Vinny took off his shades and squinted at Liz; his eyes glossy and red. He tried not to awkwardly smile for too long. “Yeah, same here,” he replied, “What shall we eat tonight? Steak sounds good.”

“Great,” she said.

Vinny signaled to the waiter, “Excuse me sir, we would like an order of the Porterhouse, medium for 2, the macaroni and crabmeat, an order of asparagus, and mushrooms.”

“Absolutely, will that be all?”

“Yes”

“And to drink?”

Liz pointed to Vinny. “I will have a glass of Merlot.”

Liz closed her menu, “I'll have the same.”

“So, what do you do for a living Vincent?”

“Well, I do many things, I'm somewhat of an inventor.” He raised his tone as he sipped his glass and spoke about himself. “I'm looking get on Shark Tank one day. I also have investments in different sectors.”

“That's fantastic, What are you currently working on?” Liz asked.

“I'm actually working on a board game for future medical students to teach them about diseases and body parts. It's going to be the Chutes and Ladders of the next generation,” he said with a smirk. “What about you?”

“I work at the Citigroup Investment Bank,” she answered.

“Ain't that something? I went in there last week looking for a loan, and they refused.”

“That's interesting, Loans are my department; my staff can be so judgmental. Something I learned from Radford University was to 'never judge a book by its cover'. Thats a whole story in itself.”

“Ha, I went to Radford as well, but just for a year. I went to study Art.”

“What a small world! I had always wanted to study art, but I was advised finance is where the money is at.”

“I could barely pay the tuition and had to work at the River Grill to get by; it was terrible. I dropped out and worked on Wall Street, that's where I met our mutual friend, Bill. I thought I found love with someone too, but she turned down my proposal in the middle of Times Square.”

“That's so strange, I also was once proposed to in Times Square. I had only known the guy for 2 months; I thought he was nuts.”

They chatted for a while about Virginia and culture until the food came out. Things were starting to click between them as they expressed what was on their minds.

“What kind of music did you enjoy listening to growing up, Liz?”

“I liked a lot of rock music. I was big on Pearl Jam.”

“'Yield' was their best album.”

“I was just thinking the same thing; so many people say that. Tell me Vinny, do you believe in fate? Its quite coincidental that we have such similarities in our lives.”

“Listen, darling, I don't believe in none of that garbage. We make our own decisions in this world.”

“Sometimes I feel like the universe is talking to me; telling me something. They say god speaks to us in coincidences”

“I don't believe in nothing out there,” Vinny snapped. “There is no such thing as a god who knows all things and has anything predestined. We make our own decisions!”

“Well, I believe there is a being who guides our decisions.”

“That's nonsense! Nothing controls me but me! I don't think god knew I was going to lose my job, drop out of school at 19, or go on this date today! God was not there to stop my parents from divorcing, my first love from breaking my heart, or even stopping the plane crash on the news!”

“Well, I think of it differently Vincent. I believe that there is a God who sees every possible decision you could make and knows the path it will take you based on your combination of decisions. So you do have freewill, but it's up to you whether you will make the right or wrong decisions.”

“That's some interesting college thinking you do there Liz. Hey, do you hear that piano music? Do you think they'd mind if we dance?”

“I think they would.”

Vinny guzzled down the last of his Merlot. “Waiter, fill me up a second glass...and for you Liz, I'm just going to show you my dance moves real quick.” Vinny stood up, kicked his legs, and wiggled his arms. Liz chuckled in disbelief. People were staring. Vinny eventually sat down and cried.

“What's the matter, Vincent?”

“I just wanted this date to go well, I hope you're enjoying yourself.”

“I am, I'm glad Bill told me about you.”

“Okay good. Let me see your hands, I can read palms...” He reached for her palms and spilled the drinks on the floor and on Liz. “Oh no! Waiter we need some towels...and the check!”

Elizabeth did not appear happy. “Vinny, you are a wreck tonight. Are you going to be alright? Do you need me to call you a cab? I'm going to head out actually.”

“No, it's fine, I got it. I can walk.”

“Alright Vinny, here's my number. Call me sometime, I'd like to see where fate can take us.”

“Yeah, yeah sure.”

Ten minutes after Elizabeth left, Vinny, with blurred vision, pushed through the restaurant doors to a warm August night. “Which way do I go?” he sighed. This was going to be interesting.