When Love Is Not Seen But Felt

"I can do this. I can do this. I can do this." Was the mantra I had repeated to myself in my head from the entire hour I spent getting ready for the evening, all the way up to until I pulled up to the restaurant in the backseat of my taxi that had picked me up outside of my apartment. I was hoping that the car ride would've settled my nerves but the moment I walked up to the front door my anxiety had completely amplified.

Apparently, considering my long lasting and "incredibly depressing" lack of love life that my best friend Sarah had so kindly put it, I was in desperate need of what she called her "unwavering talent in matchmaking". And although I pleaded with her to leave me out of it, she wouldn't hear of it. So, here I was, standing in front of a restaurant I had never heard of, about to meet a man I had never met before let alone even know what he looked like. Of all things, she had to set me up on a blind date. But at least I knew his name was Anthony.

Standing on the sidewalk, here and now, I decided even if I wanted to back out that it was too late and to just get on with it. So with that, I gathered up every bit of courage I had and entered the building. I had to admit, the restaurant was completely beautiful. With vibrant red walls, beautiful black and white photographs of the city, and vintage lighting. The style was modern and artistic. I found my way to the hostess stand and informed the woman of my last name and that I had a reservation for two. She found my name quickly and showed me to our table where I took my seat and waited for my date to arrive. Apparently, Sarah let me know that we were supposed to be able to find each other by our names and our outfits. According to Anthony she told him to look for a woman wearing red heels and a black dress. As for me, I was told to look for a man wearing a black suit with a red tie. So with that information in mind, I waited and scanned the room for any signs of a man wearing that particular outfit.

It wasn't long until I heard a deep voice beside me ask, "Olivia? It is Olivia right?" I looked up to who the voice had come from and was pleasantly surprised by who I saw for the man, my blind date, was really quite handsome, just like Sarah had described. He was tall and strongly built, with broad shoulders and a large chest. His black hair was cropped short, where as his beard which had grown just an inch longer than his chin was trimmed and combed neatly. He had a nice face as well, not just because of his charming smile, but also his eyes. Not only were they a wonderful color of blue with a small splash of green, but they were kind as well. I stood and nodded as I gave him a small smile. His smile only grew wider as he offered me his hand and said, "Great, I'm Anthony. It's a pleasure to meet you."

I took his hand and as I shook his hand I noticed his hand was strong yet gentle, and his skin gave off a comforting warmth. But I also noticed there was a slight roughness to them. It was clear this man wasn't afraid of hard work and I had to admit, I liked it.

We took our seats and the waitress soon approached us to hand us our menus and ask us for our drink order. Anthony ordered a Budweiser and I decided I was in the mood for a nice wine, a Merlot to be specific, but I couldn't make the choice myself so I decided it was best to ask the waitress for her advice, "What do you suggest would be the best merlot?" I asked. She smiled and pointed to a name on the menu and said, "Well, if you're looking for a great merlot may I suggest a glass of Dark Horse Merlot? To be honest, it's a personal favorite of mine." I returned the smile and said, "That sounds perfect thank you, a glass of Dark Horse Merlot it is, please." She nodded and informed us that she would be back soon with our drinks and to take our orders. We ended up both deciding on the steak and after receiving our drinks and relaying our orders back to our waitress, our small talk quickly turned into a more in depth conversation to get to know one another better.

Of the course after a delicious meal, a couple drinks, and conversation filled with laughter and stories including the sudden discovery that we had several things in common, the dinner eventually came to an end. But I think it was fair to say that we both weren't ready for the evening itself to end, because after Anthony had paid the bill, helped me into my jacket, and we were exiting the restaurant, Anthony spoke up and said, "I hope this isn't too forward of me to say but...I was wondering if you would like to join me at my place for coffee?" I took a moment to think it over but eventually I decided there was no harm in joining him so I agreed.

He drove us to his apartment and once we were inside, he offered to take my coat and told me I was welcomed to make myself comfortable anywhere as he went into the kitchen to make us each a cup of coffee. I decided to take a seat on the couch and he eventually returned with two coffee mugs. He sat beside me and handed one to me.

As we sipped our coffee Anthony suddenly broke the silence by saying, "I must admit something. You're friend Sarah told me you were gorgeous of course, but the moment I saw you earlier tonight, I realized that in person you're absolutely stunning." Hearing those words I couldn't help the blush that blossomed across my cheeks that I quickly attempted to hide as I looked away and shyly said, "Please, I'm not that pretty." Anthony looked at me shocked and softly placed his hand against my cheek and gently guided my face back towards his as he said, "Olivia, look at me please."

I did as he said and I found his eyes held such sincerity as he spoke with such intensity it almost came out as if sounding urgent as he answered, "Olivia, you're beautiful! Please believe me. And not only that, but tonight has been one of the bests nights of my life. And if you're okay with it, I would be honored if you agreed to see me again."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Not only were his words profound and utterly kind, but he meant every word. Suddenly I felt a warmth bloom across my chest as my heart began to race. Without thinking, I placed my hand over his and looked into his eyes as I smiled and said, "Kiss me, please." Anthony grinned that charming smile of his again and said, "Of course." With that, he leaned forward and our lips met in a soft but deep and passionate kiss. Neither one of us wanted the kiss to end, but our need for air became too great so we parted. As we caught our breath I looked at Anthony and said, "I would love to see you again. Anytime, anywhere handsome." Anthony's smile grew until he was grinning from ear to ear. And this time it was his turn to blush as he said, "I can't wait."

End