The date with Marshall was only my second time eating at the 1428 Steakhouse downtown. The first time was a meeting with one of my best accounting clients. He invited me as a thank you for my solid work over the first full year of managing his books.

That first time was a great evening. We dismissed the talk about work within about fifteen minutes and then simply chatted like friends. He was more than ten years older than me, but the conversation was comfortable. I wondered if the conversation would be just as comfortable with Marshall.

An immediate difference was Marshall wasn’t part of my work. He was a real date, and I recognized that he was stunningly handsome when I was being honest with myself. That explained my nerves. I was also a little intimidated by really handsome guys. I felt like that when I first met Blake. I tried to keep my legs from shaking, but I worried that at any moment one of my knees might buckle.

I arrived ahead of Marshall and reported in to the host that I was one half of the Easterling reservation. Fortunately, comfortable seats were available for waiting. It eased my nerves slightly. At least I wasn’t worried that I might simply collapse in the floor.

When Marshall walked through the door, I flashed a huge smile. He was wearing dark blue jeans, a button-down shirt, and a sport jacket that all looked perfectly tailored for his body. I wore a sport jacket as well over khakis. I knew that we would look good together.

I thought that we might generate some whispers about our age difference, but I guessed that we would generate just as many twinges of jealousy. As the host escorted us to our table, I stepped up close behind Marshall and noticed that he smelled good, too. It was an expensive smelling cologne that I couldn’t quite place. I wanted to reach up and run my fingers through his perfectly trimmed hair.

A server arrived immediately to take drink orders. After I ordered a gin and tonic, Marshall opted for bourbon on the rocks, and he said, “I was a little surprised you asked me out. I thought you were already dating.”

I explained that my relationship with Blake was in a bad place, and Marshall stopped me. My voice trailed off saying something about, “haven’t heard from Blake…”

Marshall asked, “Wait, so you haven’t formally broken up?”

I sighed and said, “I guess not. It’s a bad situation.”

“But you’re dating me, too?” asked Marshall. He furrowed his dense eyebrows. “Are you trying to make him jealous.”

I’m certain my eyes took on the appearance of a deer caught in car headlights. I said, “No, I’m not doing that at all. Wait, Marshall, I started this off all wrong.”

Marshall rubbed his chin and said, “So when a relationship hits a bad streak, you just find another guy to date so…in case it doesn’t get better… Do I have that sorted out right?”

I squirmed in my seat. The entire evening was going downhill swiftly. I said, “No, it’s not exactly that either.”

He didn’t look angry, but he did look a little confused. The server brought our drinks, and Marshall looked up saying, “Be ready. We might both need a second one soon.”

After the server left, I said, “I’m really not trying to screw with you, Marshall.” I closed my eyes for a moment realizing I made a really poor choice of words.

Marshall laughed and said, “No, you’re really not close to that point, Ian.” Then he laughed out loud again. I couldn’t help but laugh along with him. He said, “Let’s get our food ordered, and then it seems like we have some things to talk about.”

I breathed a sigh of relief and wondered if I would have kicked my own ass out of the restaurant by that point in the date. I ordered a medium rare steak with a baked potato and waited to hear what Marshall would dig out of me next.

He sipped at his bourbon and asked, “Are you still hung up on Blake, then? I thought he was gone from the team for good.”

I sighed and said, “I guess a little.”

“Well, why did you ask me out?” asked Marshall.

“Have you ever looked at yourself in the mirror, Marshall? I think it might be over with Blake, and I want to get over it. You’re a nice guy, and…well, like I asked, did you ever look in the mirror.”

Marshall laughed softly and said, “I guess I’ll take that as a compliment since you look pretty great yourself, but it does sound like you’ve got something pretty major to sort out. What happened with Blake anyway? Did he leave the team over a spat between the two of you?”

I shook my head. “No, he found a baseball team.”

“He prefers baseball?”

I said, “He was a minor leaguer.”

Marshall’s eyes opened wider and he said, “Oh, that explains a lot then. He’s definitely a better ballplayer than the typical softball guy. I had a friend who played for one of the other softball teams, and then he tried one of the baseball leagues. He eventually came back.”

“What made him do that?” I asked.

“It’s not the nicest environment for guys that aren’t typical athletes. Why do you think Billy plays softball with gay guys? He’s talented enough that he could play baseball or softball anywhere, but he has horror stories to tell about playing baseball if you ever go out for a drink with him.”

I nodded. “I hope Blake does come back, but I hope he doesn’t have to go through anything like that. He really is a great guy.” Then I paused before I said, “And you are, too, Marshall. I wouldn’t have asked you out if I didn’t think that.”

He laughed and said, “Thanks for the compliment, Ian, but you don’t have to tiptoe around me. My ego is in good shape.”

I asked, “I’m sure you’ve been asked this many times before, but why is such a great-looking guy like you single? You seem like such a nice guy, too.”

“Do you really want to know?” he asked.

The server interrupted the conversation to set our plates of food in front of us, but it didn’t stop the talking. I said, “Yes, I would like to know…if it’s not too personal.

Marshall said, “It’s been almost twenty years, but I lost my first partner to AIDS. I’m not sure I’m over it yet. I was only twenty four.”

I dropped my fork and said, “Oh, wow, that’s horrible. I’m so sorry.”

He shrugged and said, “You know, it has been so long, I probably should be over it. Unfortunately, I guess somewhere in the back of my head I’m worried if I commit to someone again, something else will happen. It will be a new disease or something, and I’ll lose another love. I know it’s kind of crazy, but that’s me. I’ve had a lot of good dates and my fair share of great sex, and for awhile I had the best partner anyone could ever ask for. There’s no reason to feel sorry for me.”

I leaned across the table and said, “You know what, Marshall, we’re going to win the season championship this year. The Soft Serves are going to the top whether Blake comes back or not. I can feel it…and thank you for being such a great guy. I think this was exactly the kind of date that I needed.”

He gave me a half smile and said, “I’m not complaining either. I’m glad you asked me out. Maybe we can do it again. You’re good company, Ian, and you’re not half bad as eye candy either.” He followed the last comment with a good-natured smirk, and I blushed in response. Then he added, “But first I think you need to sort out things with Blake.”