CHAPTER 1: BLIND DATE GONE WRONG
1026 Words
The café greeted him with quieto conversations, the clinking of cups which blended seamlessly with the soft jazz overhead.
Jacob adjusted the cuffs of his shirt, the material stretched smugly over his broad shoulders, his deep green eyes flashing across the customers inside — looking for someone.
As he glanced at his reflection in the glass door, he silently reminded himself why he had agreed to this.
To him , it made no sense.
A blind date. What was he thinking?
At 28, Jacob had lived through more battles than most men twice his age. As an ex-soldier turned gynecology nurse, his life was anything but conventional.
His profession often sparked skepticism and, worse, judgment
from those who couldn't understand his masculinity with his career choice. He got that silly , sheepish look all the time whenever he told people that he was a nurse.
A nurse ? They had muttered, giving him a look that suggested that he might have ran out from a psychiatric home.
Relationships had always been fleeting, lasting just long enough for his dates to stumble over their discomfort.
The last and longest relationship was two weeks and four days and it had crashed like a ship in the sea.
But today was different. Today,he decided to try again. Try and try again, until you succeed.
It was one of the things life had taught him.
His eyes roamed around the cafe again, then it settled on a woman in white sitting by the window side.
Her posture was poised, her expression thoughtful as she spoke into her phone. She was beautiful. A wicked beauty, he supposed. That kind of beauty that makes a man begging for another chance when obviously there's none.
The sunlight streaming through the window caught her auburn hair, casting that beautiful late evening sunlight around her, making her look like a lost angel.
Jacob hesitated. His date had mentioned a white dress. Yes,flowing white dress. Perfecto.
"That has to be her," he murmured under his breath, his pulse quickening, he adjusted his suit as he approached her slowly.
The woman ended her call, her slender fingers lowering the
phone to the table. She looked up just as he stopped before her.
Her eyes-dark and piercing met his, and for a moment, he felt a strange tug in his chest and he swallowed hard. Involuntarily.
"Hi" he began, his voice steady,
though his palms felt sweaty and his legs grew weak and at that moment, he longed for a drink of water and a chair. He tried to ease himself but his pounding heart wasn't helping matters.
"I'm Jacob."
She blinked, her gaze narrowing
slightly, a frown jumping on her face. "Excuse me?"
He cleared his throat, offering a
small , nervous smile, which shook at the edges.
"You're wearing white. I assumed you're my.. date?"
Right now, he knew how crazy he sounded and he almost slapped his temples.
Her expression shifted, a flickerof irritation crossing her featuresbefore she quickly masked it.
Jacob found himself admiring her composure even as he realized he might have made a mistake.
"I think you've got the wrong person," she said, her tone cool but polite.
Jacob felt the heat rise to his face. "Oh. I-uh-sorry about that.
It's just.." He trailed off, unsure how to explain himself without sounding completely idiotic. But he already did.
"Let me guess." she interrupted,her voice carrying a hint of exasperation. "Blind date? White dress? You thought I was her?"
He nodded, laughing awkwardly and wondered why he was laughing.
"Pretty much."
For a moment, she studied him,her sharp gaze making him feel as though she could see straight through him. Then, to his surprise, her lips quirked into a faint smile.
"Well" she said, leaning back in her chair, "You're wrong. You don't go around thinking every woman in white is your date."
Jacob chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. "I sincerely apologize."
She glanced at the empty seat across from her, as if deliberating something. Before she could speak, however, a sharp ringtone cut through the moment.
The woman stiffened, glancing down at her phone. Jacob caught the slight tension in her shoulders as she answered, first ,rolling her eyes.
"Yes, Grandfather?" she said, her the tone shifting to something calm but had a tinge of anger in it.
Jacob wasn't trying to eavesdrop,but her words carried, and her grandfather's voice was loud enough for him to catch snippets of the conversation. Something about family obligations,marriage, and... inheritance?
He shifted his gaze, suddenly feeling out of place. This woman wasn't just out of his league-she was playing an entirely different sport.
"Excuse me" she said abruptly,rising from her seat and stepping aside to continue her call in
private.
Jacob took the opportunity to slip away, his embarrassment mounting with each step toward the door.
This was too much for one day. He should have probably stayed home.
What was he even thinking? That he had found the love of his life and get married the next week?
As he left, he failed to notice the older man seated a few tables away, watching the entire exchange with keen interest.
The man's sharp eyes followed Jacob until he disappeared out the door.
Then he shifted his gaze back to the woman, a small smile tugging at his lips.
"Interesting" the older man muttered to himself. When the woman returned to her seat moments later, she found her thoughts trailing back to the stranger with the nervous smile and warm green eyes.
She shook her head, dismissing the strange pull she felt.
It wasn't necessary. He was just a stranger.
Jacob, meanwhile, was already halfway down the street, his mind replaying the brief encounter.Despite the awkwardness, he couldn't deny there had been something about her-a sense of grace and beauty that caught him off guard.
He thought about his blind date as he glanced down at his wrist watch.
He turned , going into the cafe again. He should probably find her and stop thinking about the woman in white.
For reasons he couldn't quite explain, he hoped their paths would cross again.
- Writer
