Chapter Six
BETHANY
I got a message in my inbox while I was at April’s house. “Bethany! Come here! Somebody is interesteeeeeeed.” I walked into the study with another bowl of stew as she peered at the computer. “Look at him. Gavin Wallace. Thirty-two years old. Handsome. CEO of High Time. I think we have a winner.”
I sat down in front of the computer. His picture was alluring. A muscular body with gray hair peppered in on the top of his head. It was cute, but I thought he was kind of young to have that many gray hairs at his age. “Um, thirty-two? Are you sure he is thirty-two?”
“Well, that’s what his profile says. What is it? The gray hair?”
“Yeah. I’ve never seen that much on a guy so young. What if this is a fake profile?” My eyes bucked wide open. “April, I don’t want to get cat-fished. What if this is a catfish account? What if this is really my ex-boyfriend setting me up?”
She laughed, “No, we are not going there. Like I said, that man is not going to pay for anything, especially if he doesn’t know if you are on the site. Come on. Click on your message, and let’s see what he said.”
I reluctantly grabbed the mouse, then opened my inbox. I read the message out loud. “Hello. My name is Gavin, and I just wanted to drop you a line. I think you are beautiful, and we may have a lot in common. If you don’t mind, I would love to see if we could connect, maybe over the phone or something. I look forward to hearing from you soon.”
I looked at April just as the words left her mouth, “Well, it is short and simple. I say go for it. Hell, if you two hit it off soon, I may be able to remove my card before it gets charged.”
“I don’t know, April.”
“Bethany,” she grabbed my phone off the desk, “I did not sign you up on this website just for you to turn down guys that contact you. Put your number in the message and send it back to him, or else I will do it for you. He looks good. He is successful. What more do you want?”
“I, um…”
She bypassed me and inserted a response for me. “Hi, Gavin. Thank you for contacting me. You are very handsome, and I hope we can hit it off. My number is 540-555-1876. I look forward to hearing from you.” She pressed send while I slid another spoonful of food into my mouth. I didn’t expect anything to happen after that. Maybe he would call me, maybe he would send another message and ask for more information. Either way, my expectations were low.
But he responded and told me that he would call when he got home. I didn’t hear from him until around 8:30. “Hi. May I speak to Bethany?”
“Speaking.”
“Hi. This is Gavin. I contacted you through the Right Click.”
I leaned back in my bed with my book in hand. “Yes, I remember. I didn’t think you would call me.”
“Oh? Why is that?”
“Well, I’ve never done anything like this before. Using a dating website. It all seems a little fishy to me, you know? So I was a bit apprehensive about signing up, but once my friend convinced me, I figured I would give it a shot.”
“Yeah, I understand that. I had to be convinced myself, but I just feel like this is the best option for me, especially since I’ve been so busy lately.”
“Yeah…”
An awkward silence filled the phone. I wasn’t impressed by him, and as of right now, the only reason I was on the phone with him was because April sent my number in a message. “So, how was your day?” His question had caught me off guard. For over the past year, I didn’t have anyone to ask me that question after a long day at work. For some reason, I started to unwind. I talked to him about my job and how much I adored the students and other people I worked with.
Before I knew it, two hours had passed, but it only seemed like a few minutes. “My goodness. I didn’t know we were on the phone this long. I need to get ready for bed.”
“Yeah, I do as well. So, I was thinking, Bethany, would you like to go out with me sometime?”
“Oh. Go out? Like… a date?”
He chuckled, “Yes… like, a date. Is that alright?”
“Oh. Yeah. I um…” I found myself looking for an excuse to weasel out of the offer. In my mind, I saw April’s grimace, demanding that I went out with him. She would kill me if I told him no. “I wouldn’t mind a date. Yes, we can go out. We can go out.”
He laughed. “You sound like you are convincing yourself. Are you sure you want to go? I don’t want to make you uncomfortable or anything.”
“No, I am fine. Let’s go. Just um, just tell me when and where.”
“How about the steakhouse downtown? Friday evening. Is nine too late?”
“No. Nine is great. I don’t have to work the next day, so it won’t be a problem.”
“Excellent. Friday at nine. I look forward to seeing you in person.”
“Yes, I look forward to seeing me, too.” I slapped myself on the forehead, “I mean, I look forward to seeing you, too. I think I am too tired. I don’t normally stay up this late anymore.”
He chuckled. “I understand. Well, I’ll see you Friday. You have a good night, April.”
“Thank you. You as well.”
The next day, I told April about the date. She was ecstatic, as if she was the one who had been set up. I didn’t know if she was happier about the fact that I finally had a potential boyfriend, or if he would slowly pull me out of her hair for now. Either way, she caused me to find more excitement for the date. Before I knew it, I was at her home on a late Friday afternoon, preparing to get ready.
“What if he is a jerk, April?” I asked while she fixed my hair. “I mean, what if he was nice on the phone, but in person he shows his true colors? What if he doesn’t look like his picture? What if he is–”
“Oh, my goodness, Bethany, shut up!”
“What? These are serious concerns, April! I don’t want this to turn into a disaster. Like, what if he is some psycho, crazy killer or something, and he puts like… a date rape drug in my drink. Then what?”
She brushed my hair, then grabbed a handful of it and pulled it into a bun. “Listen. I know what restaurant you are going to and, more importantly, I know where you live. If I don’t hear from you… let’s say, around 11 pm, I will call you. If you don’t answer, then I will tell Mark to go up to the restaurant and check on you. You know he thinks of you like his little sister, so he will take care of business if the guy happens to be a jerk.”
I sighed. As the time for our date got closer, it felt like the blood left my limbs. A cold, numb feeling set in as I shook my head. “Alright, April. Alright. I’ll take your word for it.”
“Good.” She reached into her drawer and pulled out a small bottle of pepper spray. “But, just in case you feel like he is getting crazy, and you two are alone, don’t hesitate to use this. And right after that, kick him right in his fucking balls with the tip of your heels. That’ll teach him.”
I laughed while grabbing the small bottle of pepper spray. “Yeah, I think I will take this just in case.” I glanced at my watch. “It is 7:45 pm. I guess I better get going.”
“Well, stand up. Let me see how you look.”
I stood up in the mirror. My white skirt stopped just below my knees. My black, tight fitting shirt carried stripes of white throughout, and my high heels lifted me three inches off the ground. “I hope he is not short because if so he will just have to look up to me for the date. Maybe I should’ve asked?”
“Yeah, maybe. But oh well, we will see shortly.” She handed me my purse, then walked me to the front door with our arms looped together. “Well, sweetie, like I said, I will call you later tonight just to make sure you are okay. When you get home safely, call me because I want to hear all about it.”
“I will.”
I extended my hands for a hug as if it was the last time I was going to see her. “Girl, stop with this dramatic hug. You are going to be fine, okay? And who knows? If it doesn’t go the way you expected, maybe, at the minimum, you’ll at least get some dick out of it. I know it’s been a long time since you let anyone visit that box.”
I rolled my eyes. “Bye, April.”
“Bye, girl! Have fun!”
Sex was the last thing on my mind. Besides that, my goal was to make guys wait at least two months before that line was crossed. That would help me see if they just wanted to have sex, or if they were willing to wait it out with patience. It showed integrity and, based on my last relationship, that was something I needed to see up front.
I arrived at the restaurant a little before 9 pm. I sat in the car, debating whether I should just drive away from the scene. I unzipped my purse to make sure I could get to the pepper spray in case I needed it. Come on, Bethany; it’s going to be alright. There is a restaurant full of people, so he wouldn’t try anything there. If he drugged you, somebody would notice. After a few moments, I finally shut the car engine off and opened my car door.
On my way inside, I gave Gavin a call. His voice was warm and inviting when he picked up the phone. “Bethany? I was just about to call you. Is everything alright?”
“Yes, everything is fine. I am on my way into the restaurant right now.”
“Great. When you get inside, just let the hostess know that you are here with Gavin Wallace, and she will direct you to our table.”
“Okay. Will do.”
As soon as I hung up the phone, a young man opened the door. “Welcome to The Steakhouse,” he said with a smile on his face.
“Thank you.”
He extended his hand for me to walk further into the restaurant. The young hostess’ grin was wide when I walked to the small table. “Hello. I am here with Gavin Wallace.”
“Gavin Wallace,” she slid her finger down a sheet of paper. “Ah, there he is. Table 114. Please, follow me.”
She led me through the seating area of the restaurant. Couples dined under small candle lights as I tried to keep my pace behind her. She weaved around tables and other waiters as if it was second nature. Finally, we arrived at Gavin’s table. When he stood up, he was at least three inches taller than me, and he looked better in person than he did in his pictures.
Suddenly, my apprehension went away. The fear that bubbled in my heart dissipated as soon as he reached his hand out to mine, “Wow. Your pictures cannot hold a flame to your pulchritude now that we are face to face.”
I blushed. I had no idea what he meant, but it seemed too nice for me to say anything other than, “Thank you, Gavin. You look very nice.”
He pulled my chair out for me, and from that point, I couldn’t wipe the smile from my face. It seemed like we picked up exactly where our conversation left off a few days ago. I felt comfortable with him, but I tried to keep things in perspective. The last time I moved too fast, I ended up with a man who turned out to be the exact opposite of what I expected him to be.
Before I knew it, we were the only two people left in the restaurant. One of the workers swept the floor, and that is when it hit me. I looked at my watch, “Wow, I did not know it was this late. It’s just about 12:30 am.”
He laughed. “Yeah, I didn’t notice the time, either. It is funny how time flies when you are truly enjoying yourself.” I smiled and avoided eye contact with him. It felt weird that I was able to connect with him as quickly as I did, and I wasn’t sure how to handle it. He slid a twenty-dollar bill onto the table on the table after he paid the bill, then stood up and extended his hand to me. “Shall we?”
I delicately placed my hand inside of his, and with that, we walked out of the restaurant together. The moonlight shined down on us as the stars twinkled in the distance like they were in a battle to see who could shine the brightest. “I wish this night didn’t have to end. I’ve had such a great time, Bethany. You were like a breath of fresh air.”
I led him to my car. “Likewise, Gavin. Let me tell you,” I reached into my purse and grabbed the pepper spray, “this is what I thought I might have to use with you tonight.”
He laughed. “Wow. Pepper spray? Did I really seem that bad over the phone?”
“No, you didn’t. But, these days, it is hard to tell by appearance. It was just in case, though. But judging by what I’ve seen and heard from you tonight, I think this is the last thing I would have to use with you.”
He smiled as we got to my car. I pressed the alarm to unlock the doors, and after that, he reached for the handle. “Well, since we are being honest, I must be honest with you, too.” My heart stopped. He’s married. That was the first thought that came to mind, and it was the most logical. Why would a man this successful and handsome still be single at his age? He had to be married. I prepared my heart for the let down as he continued, “I left something off my profile.”
I folded my arms over my chest, waiting for him to explain.
“I have a son. He is seven. Me and his mother will never be together. She is out of the picture, so I don’t want you to worry about anything like that. But, we had a son together, and he lives with me.”
I waited for him to say something else that would deter me from getting to know him more. “That’s it?”
“That’s it,” he said, solemnly. “That’s it.”
I put my hand on my chest and took a deep breath, “Wow.” I laughed at the fact that what he left out was minuscule to me. “That is a relief. I thought you were going to tell me that you were married.”
“Married? No. Not even close. I’ve never even been engaged.”
“Good. Well, your son? He is seven?”
“Yes.”
“I love children, Gavin. I don’t see a problem with the fact that you have a seven-year-old son. The fact that he lives with you already says a lot because most children live with their mothers. So that is not a problem. If the opportunity presents itself later, I would love to meet him.”
“Yeah. Yeah, I would like that.”
I stood by the door as crickets chirped in the midst of our silence. I would’ve been lying if I said I didn’t want him to kiss me on the lips. I felt that our chemistry was strong enough, and if he tried it, I would’ve allowed him the touch. As he leaned forward, my heartbeat sped up in my chest. I closed my eyes, and right after that, I felt his lips press against my cheek. I opened them in a world of surprise. “Goodnight, Bethany. Please call me when you get home so that I know you made it safely.”
“Oh. Um, yes. Yes, I sure will, Gavin. Thank you for the wonderful night.”
“You’re welcome.”
I got inside my car as he closed the door behind me. I watched him walk to his car, and once he made it safely, I pulled out of the parking lot. I wanted him to kiss me, but the fact that he took the safe route made me appreciate him even more. As soon as I drove away, I called April. Her voice was groggy when she answered. “Hello?”
“April, are you up?”
“Bethany. It is nearly 1 am. No, I am not up.”
“Well, wake up! The date with Gavin was AMAZING! I want to tell you all about it!”
I knew that I would be talking to myself halfway through the conversation because April was known to fall asleep at the drop of a dime, especially after she had gotten pregnant. But I didn’t care. I had to share my good news with someone, even if it was just me listening to my own thoughts.