The Blind Date

Kate Sanderson gave her reflection one last critical look. Ocean-colored eyes stared back at her, the pupils rimmed with gold in a way that made them appear vaguely cat-like. She’d gone easy on her make-up, wearing only mascara and a thin coating of pink gloss. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a complicated twist, though pieces were already beginning to escape here and there. 

Satisfied she’d done the best she could with what she had to work with Kate grabbed her purse, locking the door behind her. “Why did I even agree to this,” she muttered under her breath, heels clicking on the pavement as she walked in the direction of her car. 

Probably because if it wasn’t for Rebecca your no-dating streak would likely go on for another year, a sly voice in her head pointed out. 

Yes, Kate countered to the voice, but at least I'd be sitting at home right now, watching reruns of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and wishing I was married to David Boreanaz instead of going out to meet some stranger— whose idea of a good time is probably playing foosball and eating chicken wings. 

Slamming the door of her car a little harder than necessary, Kate stuck the keys in the ignition. “Right. Enough arguing with myself, let’s just get this over with.” 

The restaurant where she'd agreed to meet Bec's friend Tyler was only six blocks from her house but Kate wanted to be able to make a quick escape if she had to. All she knew about Tyler was that he’d once been in a fraternity with Bec’s brother, and had only recently moved to the city. According to her best friend, Ty was handsome, successful, and loved dogs. Kate assumed in blind date code this translated to: had no facial tattoos, had a job, and had—at one point or another in his life—been seen petting a golden retriever.

For a fleeting second, she wondered how Bec would have described her to Tyler. Kate? Well, let’s see. She’s super cute, and she’s a really hard worker. Oh, and did I mention her idea of a good time is eating cheese, drinking wine, and bingeing on Netflix shows from the early 2000's? You’ll love her!

Kate somehow managed to snag a parking spot right outside the restaurant, ducking under the awning just as it started to rain. Patting herself on the back for deciding to drive, she pulled open the door of The Flying Pig, grateful that her date had let her choose the restaurant. It was one of her favorites, serving tapas-style dishes alongside craft cocktails and a vast range of beer and wine. The atmosphere was upscale-casual, and tea lights flickered cheerfully on all the tables as she walked in.

“I have a reservation for Kate Sanderson,” she told the hostess, checking the time. As usual, she was ten minutes early. Good. It would give her time to freshen up and prepare herself for what was bound to be at least an hour of excruciatingly awkward conversation before someone made an excuse to leave. 

“Right this way. Your other party is already here.” The hostess looked her up and down, her lips pursing in an expression Kate would have sworn was envy if she hadn't known better. The gorgeous brunette led her to the back of the restaurant, her hips swaying suggestively as she walked towards a man sitting by himself in the corner. 

Tyler Gibbons was your stereotypical tall, dark and handsome. Definitely no facial tattoos or scarring, Kate noted. His jaw looked as though it had been carved from granite, and his hazel eyes were framed with the type of thick, dark lashes that no amount of mascara could ever provide her with. When he saw them approaching Tyler pushed back his chair, getting to his feet. 

The hostess beamed a brilliant smile in his direction, ignoring her completely. Can’t say I blame her, Kate thought, taking in the way his soft white t-shirt clung to his muscular frame. Her eyes made their way up to his and she realized she’d been staring. 

Praying he hadn’t noticed, Kate held out a hand, suddenly grateful Bec had talked her into getting a manicure the other day. “I’m Kate.”

“Ty,” he answered, clasping a large palm over hers. “I hope you don’t mind, but I ordered a drink while I was waiting.” He gestured to the half-full beer on the table as he settled back into his seat.

“Of course not.” She checked the time again. “Wait. We were supposed to meet at six-thirty right?”

Ty laughed, showing off teeth that would have made her dentist weep with joy. “Yeah, I’m always early. Habit.”

“Me too.” They shared a smile, and Kate made a mental note to send Bec a text thanking her. She cleared her throat, then picked up the drink menu even though she always ordered the same thing. 

“I was going to get a glass of wine, but I thought you might want to share a bottle,” Ty continued, idly tapping a coaster on the table. “So I figured I would wait until you got here.” 

Out of the corner of her eye, Kate could see the hostess staring at them from across the room. She leaned forward a little, angling the menu so he could see. “This one's a favorite of mine if you aren’t too picky?”

“Works for me.”

Kate ordered a bottle from the waiter when he arrived, studying Ty from over the top of her menu as he looked at his own. His hair flopped appealingly over his forehead as if it had been a while since he’d had it trimmed. 

“Becca said you’d just moved to the city,” she ventured. “Was it for work or…?” 

“More of a family thing.” He leaned back in his seat, meeting her eyes directly. “I went to university on the island and just sort of ended up staying there. Then, all of a sudden, I realized almost ten years had passed. It’s not like the island is far from here, but my parents are getting older and it’s harder for them to travel these days.” 

Hot as hell, likes wine, went to university, and loves his parents. Kate mentally checked off all the appropriate boxes in her head. “What did you study?”

“I’m actually a psychologist,” he said, draining the rest of his beer in a casual motion. 

Positive points for a great job, but have to detract points because he’s probably judging me as we speak. Do I seem crazy? What if I have a personality disorder I've been completely unaware of?

His lips twitched as he set down his glass, and Kate wondered if he knew was she was thinking. “Wow,” she managed. “That’s amazing. I considered taking psychology at one point in my life.” 

“Oh yeah?” They were interrupted by the arrival of their wine, and Ty stopped to thank the server and pour them each a glass. “I take it you didn’t become a psychologist. Which career choice won out instead?”

“I actually work for the SPCA.” Kate played with her napkin, twisting it around her fingers. “I mean, it doesn’t pay a lot, but I love it.” 

“Money isn’t everything,” he said, giving a shrug that drew her gaze to his shoulders. “I actually had a rescue dog, but he passed away right before I moved here.”

Kate had just taken a deep drink of wine and at his words it caught in her throat, choking her. “I’m so sorry,” she coughed out, feeling her face burn. “I know how hard it is to lose a pet.” 

“I bet you do,” he murmured. “If I decide I’m ready for another one I’ll be sure to come to you.” 

Kate took another—much smaller—sip of wine before setting her glass down and picking the menu back up. They agreed on a few tapas to share, and she was grateful to see their taste in food seemed to align. They both hated olives, and though he liked calamari and she didn’t, they both agreed grilled halloumi was one of the most underrated foods in the world. “Men who aren’t willing to share tapas are a bit of a dealbreaker for me,” Kate admitted, handing the menu back to their water. 

“Why have one thing when you can have two,” Ty agreed. Kate grinned, then felt her smile fade slightly as she considered his words. What if he means that for women as well? A guy who looks like him must get propositions all the time. Why would he settle for only one? 

“Two is better than one when it comes to food,” he amended, and once again she found herself contemplating the idea of him being a mind-reader. Either that or her face was far too expressive for her own good. 

“I have to ask,” he said when the food was gone and they were waiting on the bill. “Why is a woman like you willing to agree to a blind date?”

Kate laughed, feeling much more relaxed than she had earlier. Probably because you've drunk over half a bottle of wine, Sanderson. “I was wondering the exact same thing about you!” 

“I don’t usually,” Ty told her, snagging the bill before she could look at it. “But I trust Rebecca’s taste, and I’m getting too old to go out for the sole purpose of picking up women. I don’t like the idea of scrolling through photos like I’m online shopping either, so I’m basically out of luck unless I find my dream girl at the grocery store.” 

“Trust me, online dating is the worst,” Kate assured him. “You aren’t missing out. I tried it once and the guy turned out to be a drug dealer. People kept coming up to our table calling him the Candy Man. Not even kidding. I couldn’t make that up if I tried.” 

He burst out laughing, and the hostess looked over, a sour expression on her face. “Thanks for the warning," he told her, still chuckling. "I’ll keep that in mind if I ever reach rock-bottom.” 

Somehow Kate didn’t think that was likely, but stranger things and all that. Ty insisted on paying the bill, telling her she could get the next one. Warmth spread through her at the idea of a second date, and she could feel butterflies fluttering around in her stomach as they walked outside. 

“This is my car, but I should probably walk home,” she said, pointing to her banged-up Jetta. “Someone insisted on having port after dinner.” 

“As the insister of the port, I suppose it must be part of my penance to walk you home.” He held out a hand, then gave her a suspicious look. “Wait, how far is it?”

“Only a few blocks,” she told him, giggling. Since when do I giggle? “But you don’t have to walk with me if you don’t want to.”

“Oh, but I do.” Ty grabbed her hand and started walking in the wrong direction, making her laugh even harder. Kate wondered if she was drunk, but quickly decided she didn’t care. She hadn't had this much fun in ages, and definitely not with someone who looked like Tyler Gibbons.

When they got back to her apartment she hesitated at the door, wondering if she should invite him in. In her opinion, the date couldn’t have gone better, but she had no clue what he was thinking.

If I invite him in will he think I’m easy? Will he lose interest in me? But what if I don’t invite him in, and then he thinks I’m the one not interested…”

“It’s only nine,” Ty remarked, pulling his leather jacket up over his wrist to reveal a fancy-looking watch. “How would you feel about watching a movie? Unless you’re busy,” he said, gentleman enough to give her an out. “I know we only agreed to dinner.” 

“A movie sounds great.” Kate unlocked her door, praying her apartment was tidier than she’d remembered. It wasn’t, but he didn’t seem to notice the clothing she’d tried on and discarded or the blanket crumpled up on the couch. 

“Great place,” he said, sticking his hands into the pocket of dark jeans. “I’m renting until I can find something more permanent. I’d like a view of the water, but nothing’s come up yet.”

Kate couldn’t even fathom how much a water-view apartment might cost. The only view she had was one of the parking lot. She’d managed to fix up the inside though, sanding and refinishing a large hutch, and recovering the sofa and cushions to fit in with her color scheme. 

“Thanks,” she said, feeling a rush of pride. “It’s been a lot of work fixing it up by myself, but I enjoy it.” 

She poured them another glass of wine and then sat down on the couch, careful to sit as far to one end as she could. She definitely wouldn’t mind if he wanted to snuggle up with her, but it had been ages since she’d been on a date and she’d forgotten all her moves. The last thing she wanted was to be too obvious and scare him off. 

Tyler chose to sit down next to her but left enough space so his leg only just brushed against hers when she moved. “What do you want to watch?” Kate handed him the remote. “I’ve got all the usual suspects: Netflix, Crave, HBO, Hulu, Disney, Apple…” she trailed off at the look on his face, feeling herself blush. “I’m a bit of a TV junkie,” she admitted. 

“Hey, no judgment.” He held up his hands in mock defense. “It just so happens I happen to be somewhat of a TV junkie myself. More movies, if we’re being technical, but I’m certainly in no position to be judging.”

“I guess for work you do a lot of listening, writing, and reading,” she mused. “Mindless movies are probably the perfect antidote.” 

“I mean I wouldn’t go as far as to say mindless,” he emphasized, “But I’ve been known to have a few guilty pleasures.”

“What’s your favorite movie of all time?” She sipped her drink, snuggling back into the sofa. His hand had somehow found its way to her knee, and she felt giddy at the hot warmth radiating from his palm. 

“Oof. Tough question, Ms. Sanderson. Give me a minute to think. Do you know yours?”

“The Prestige,” she answered, not missing a beat. 

“You can’t be serious,” Ty crowed, shifting to face her. “Out of all the movies in the world, you’re going to go with one about magic?” 

“The Prestige was nominated for an Academy Award,” she protested. “Not to mention, Christian Bale is in it.” She felt him lift his hand from her leg, his eyes squinting at her as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. 

“That’s seriously your favorite movie?”

“One of them,” she said, feeling slighted by his dismissive tone. 

“Just when I thought you might be perfect.” He shook his head, letting out a disappointed sigh that Kate wasn’t altogether sure was feigned. 

“So what’s your idea of a good movie then?” She could hear the petulant tone in her voice, but she couldn’t help it. Her favorite movies and TV shows were sacred to her, and even if their tastes differed Ty didn’t have to make fun of her.

Kate pictured him attending a psych conference, dissecting her love for the supernatural into some sort of newly-discovered disorder, found predominantly in millennials. He'll probably call it Kate’s Disorder, or Sanderson Disease, or something like that. 

Shaking her head to clear it, she brought her attention back to the present. Ty was flipping intently through the movie section of Netflix, murmuring something under his breath. 

“I’m sorry, what? I didn’t quite catch that.” 

“I said, I’m going to show you what a good film looks like,” he repeated, tossing her a heart-stopping grin. How is it that he can be so good-looking yet so arrogantly irritating at the same time, she wondered. 

“And you think you know what a good movie is?” she asked, not bothering to hide her skepticism. “What will we be watching, Fast and the Furious 15?”

“Give me a little credit,” he scolded, patting her knee in a patronizing way. He left his hand there, and Kate was tempted to tug her leg out from under it but she felt like it would look too childish. 

“Ah. Here we go.” He glanced over at her to gauge her reaction, his face lit up like a little kid’s. In spite of her annoyance, Kate couldn’t help but be a little charmed. At least until she saw which movie he’d chosen.

The Silence of the Lambs.

“Oh, no.” She shook her head emphatically. “Hell no!”

“What’s wrong with The Silence of the Lambs?” He gave her a hurt look, his hazel eyes drooping at the corners. “It’s a classic!”

“It’s a horror movie!” Kate shuddered at the very thought of watching something that involved things jumping out at her and people getting turned into skin-suits. 

“It’s a psychological thriller,” Ty corrected, holding the remote out of her reach. “And are you seriously trying to tell me you’ve never seen it?”

“My brother made me watch The Shining when I was only seven,” she confessed. “I had nightmares for years, and I’ve never watched another horror movie since. My parents grounded him for like two months though,” she recalled, smiling a little at the memory. “He was furious.” 

“What if I promised to hold your hand during any and all scary parts?” He held one palm out in illustration, and Kate felt her resolve waver. He’d shed his jacket and his eyes were warm and inviting on hers. “Come on,” he coaxed, clearly sensing she was close to giving in. “It’s honestly not that scary. I swear. Have you ever seen The Talented Mr. Ripley?” 

“Yes...”

“And?”

“Matt Damon and Jude Law are pretty much a win-win any day,” Kate said, laughing as he covered his face with his hands. 

“But you liked it?”

“Yes. Especially when they sing at the club,” she added, remembering her favorite part. “And Matt Damon’s acting is absolutely incredible.” 

“Well, if you liked The Talented Mr. Ripley then you’ll love The Silence of the Lambs,” he predicted. “They're both psychological thrillers, and even if the storyline is different they have a similar tone to them. Even though you know Tom Ripley is the bad guy, there’s a part of you that just has to like him. Hannibal Lecter is the same. He’s one of the most famous antiheroes of all time, and Hopkins portrays him perfectly.” 

“What do I get in return?” Kate hedged, reaching over him to grab the blanket and wrapping securely it around her shoulders.

“You can choose a movie or TV show for me to watch.”

“What if I chose Buffy?” Kate let out a hoot of laughter at the expression on his face. “I won’t,” she assured him, “I just wanted to know how far you’re willing to go to get me to watch this horror masterpiece of yours.” 

“I trust you,” he said, wincing a little bit. 

“Have you ever actually seen The Prestige?” 

Ty groaned a little but shook his head. “No.” 

“Okay. Let me think for a second.” Kate took a sip of her neglected wine, then snapped her fingers. “I’ve got it. How about Inception?”

“Everyone’s seen Inception,” he said, giving her a dubious look. “And I can assure you there is no magic in it, so I’m failing to see how the two have anything in common.” 

“They have one major thing in common, actually. They're both produced and written by Christopher Nolan. Not to mention both of them have all the plot twists you could ever want in a film.” Kate crossed her arms over her chest, giving him a severe look. “I guarantee if you like Inception then you’ll love The Prestige.”

To his credit, Ty only hesitated a moment for holding out his hand. They shook to seal the deal, and then Kate got up to grab her purse. 

“I hope you’re making popcorn,” he called, flashing her a hopeful smile. 

“I’m getting a coin so we can flip it to see which movie we watch first,” she informed him. “Fair is fair.” 

He rolled his eyes, but dutifully chose tails. 

“Heads,” Kate said, her voice filled with triumph. “Looks like we’re watching The Prestige.”

“I think I need more wine.” 

Kate laughed but obligingly handed him the bottle while she made popcorn. When they were settled back on the couch she hit play, elbowing Ty in the side when he let out a pretend snore.

Periodically she glanced over at him, but his face was unreadable in the dim light from the screen. Then, he tugged her so she landed flat on his chest, putting an arm securely around her. “That’s better,” he murmured, trailing his fingers up and down the flat of her wrist. 

He was warm and smelled like some sort of spicy cologne that reminded her of sandalwood. It took heroic effort to focus on the movie after that, but Kate was determined not to let him distract her. At the part when Borden’s wife died Kate felt his chest tense up, but she studiously avoided looking at his face, wiping a stray tear from her eye. Finally, the movie ended, and she sat up, sniffing a little as she leaned over to flick on the lamp beside the couch.

“Well?”

“Fiiiiiiine,” he drawled grudgingly. “It was really good. You win.”

Kate squealed, doing a little shimmy on the couch. Rolling his eyes he grabbed her, pulling her down so her lips landed on his. 

When he left ten minutes later she was flushed, slightly out of breath, and desperate for the next three days to go by so she could see him again. 

“So how did the date go?” Kate hadn’t been at work for ten minutes when Bec called. 

“Surprisingly good,” she admitted. “We hit a little snag when he came over to watch a movie, but he redeemed himself by watching The Prestige with me and admitting he liked it.”

Bec let out a little sigh. “Christian Bale,” she said, her voice reverent. “My favorite little American psycho.”

“Speaking of psychos, Ty made me agree to watch The Silence of the Lambs with him in exchange,” Kate told her, snapping a leash on an old bulldog named Petey.

“He’s convinced you to watch a horror movie?” Bec let out an unflattering snort of laughter. “Wow, you must really like him. He’s dreamy though isn’t he?”

“I don’t know how you thought I could even be in the same league as him, but I’m not complaining.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, you’re beautiful. If you actually left the house you’d be inundated with guys asking you out. You’re just shy.”

“We kissed,” Kate said in a hushed whisper, looking around to make sure no one else could hear her. “He does this sexy thing with his tongue…” she let her words taper off, feeling her knees go a little weak at the memory.

“Oooooh. When are you seeing him again?”

“Friday.” 

The rest of the week went by in a blur, and soon it was the end of the week. Kate spent hours washing and curling her hair, arranging it in long, loose waves down her back. She'd decided on a pair of black tights with a cloud-like, girl-next-door sweater over top. She considered the effort well paid off when Ty opened his door and let out a low whistle, then tugged her in for a long, steamy kiss. 

“Your neighbors are going to see,” she hissed when she could think coherently again. 

“You’re right. Come inside, and let’s move this to the sofa.” This time it was more like half-an-hour before they came up for air, and Ty’s shirt was hanging haphazardly over a lamp, and Kate’s sweater was lying on the floor next to them.

“Okay, stop, stop,” he begged, stopping her hands from wandering any further. “We’ve established our favorite films are very important to both of us, and I really want you to watch mine. If this continues I can guarantee that will not be happening tonight.” 

Kate would happily have skipped the movie to keep doing what they were doing, but she appreciated the sentiment. She knew how offended she'd felt when Ty had dissed The Prestige, so she couldn’t blame him for wanting to share his beloved movie with her. This time he made the popcorn, adding way too much butter and salt just the way she liked it. 

Ty's apartment was cleaner than Kate had expected, though it was a lot more masculine than hers with all the steel, glass, and dark marble. She was surprised when he came out of the bedroom with a fuzzy red throw blanket, and had to cover her mouth to stifle her laughter when she saw there was a price tag still hanging off of it. 

Touched, she slipped her sweater back on and accepted the blanket, covering both of their legs with it. Ty cuddled her up against him, scrolling through Netflix until he found the movie. Labeled horror, of course, Kate thought, chewing her lip as the opening credits started. 

To her surprise, Kate could instantly relate to Jodie Foster’s Clarice Starling. She found herself rooting for the inexperienced agent, who was stuck dealing with a bunch of misogynistic assholes. And, in spite of all her protestations, she couldn't help but be captivated by the polite, respectful cannibal killer. 

The Silence of the Lambs was a far cry from The Shining, and though Ty stayed true to his word to hold her hand, it wasn’t entirely necessary. It was more of a mental thriller, as he’d told her, and she couldn’t help but feel pleased that Dr.Lecter managed to escape in the end.

“Why do I like him so much?” Kate wondered out loud. She could tell Ty was dying to ask her if she’d enjoyed his movie, but she wanted to toy with him a little. Plus, she was curious as to what a psychologist would have to say about it. 

“He’s the ultimate antihero,” Ty explained, rubbing his hands together. “There are so many other terrible characters in the film, that it automatically tricks the mind into painting him in a different light. He might be a killer, but he has rules and he sticks to them. People love rules, whether they admit it or not. People understand rules.”

“That makes sense,” she relented, thinking it over. “On the outside, he’s got a lot of good qualities. He’s intelligent, polite, classy. He has great taste.” She waited for a second, then elbowed Ty. “Get it, great taste?” 

“Ha, ha,” he muttered, but she saw his lips twitch.

“I think it also has to do with the fact he’s got Clarice Starling’s back," Kate continued, puzzling it out. "It’s clear he likes her, feels drawn to her in some way. Because you, as the viewer, want her to succeed, you can’t help but feel you have something in common with him.”

“Just like Matt Damon’s character in The Talented Mr. Ripley,” Ty pointed out. “You have to pity him, and relate to at least some of the anger he must have felt when his idol basically wrote him off, treating him like someone who wasn’t even worth regard.” 

“I almost think this movie was better. I hate to admit it, but I really liked it,” Kate allowed. “You were right about Anthony Hopkins. The way he speaks sets the perfect tone. He never raises his voice but the way he speeds up or slows down when he talks shows he’s always in command of the conversation. A master manipulator.” 

“Yes!” Ty punched the air, flopping back against the couch. “I really liked your film too, though. I can admit when I'm wrong, and Nolan nailed the themes. Every character has a rivalry and an obsession of some sort, each to their own detriment. Plus, I definitely didn't see the end coming.” 

“So, does this mean we get a third date?” Kate held her breath. 

“Third of many to come,” he told her, bending down to kiss her lips. “More importantly, does this mean we can pick up where we left off?” 

1 year later…

“I knew Ty was the one for Kate when I discovered she watched The Silence of the Lambs with him,” her brother told the room, gesturing with his glass of Champagne. “Let’s all raise our glasses to Kate and Tyler, the new Mr. and Mrs. Gibbons!”