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MICHAEL

The moment I stepped through the restaurant’s door, I was hit with a pang of uncertainty. The whole idea of meeting a faceless stranger I chatted with on an app felt ridiculous. This wasn’t me, and I hated the thought of coming off as desperate.

I almost turned around and walked out the door, but then I remembered the messages from Jane. I thought about all the smiles and laughs she’d gotten out of me. She seemed sweet. If she didn’t turn out to be a whack job, maybe we’d have an alright time together.

With a heavy sigh I walked into the restaurant. The maitre d' greeted me with a polite smile. I’d chosen a place I frequented because I thought the familiar atmosphere would put me at ease. I was a tad nervous, not just because Jane Roberts might not be who she said she was, but because the last time I went on a date was about seven years ago. That was a hell of a long time to be out of the dating scene. I had no idea how to navigate or what to expect.

“Reservation for Michael,” I told the host. I hadn’t given a last name when I made the reservation in fear that Jane would figure out who I was before we met.

The man nodded and checked his tablet. He then smiled and said, “The other party is here. Right this way.”

Jane was already here. That didn’t leave me time to compose myself. I wasn’t typically anxious about things, but dating… Holy fuck. Maybe I should have practiced a few icebreakers or something. That thought made me snort inwardly. I really needed to relax. This wasn’t a date date. It was just an introduction… in an insanely expensive and romantic restaurant…

I blew out a breath as I wove around tables behind the host. I should have picked another place to meet. Jane might read too much into this romantic atmosphere. My heart raced with each step I took. There was no turning back now.

We approached a table where a woman sat with her back turned. She had wavy, dark blonde hair that hung to her upper back. The rigid set of her shoulders and the way she drummed her fingers on the table said she was probably nervous. However, I wasn’t sure if that was Jane, because two tables ahead was another raven-haired woman sitting alone. My gaze swung between the two women, anticipation curling in my gut as I wondered which one was my blind date.

My attention kept straying back to the blonde as if a part of me hoped that was the mysterious Jane. The host stopped at the table with the blonde and said, “Here you are, sir. Enjoy your evening.”

Satisfaction surged through me, which was strange because I couldn’t possibly be attracted to the back of a woman… Could I? “Thank you.” I took a deep breath as I stepped around him. “Jane?”

She looked up, and my breath caught in my throat. Her face matched the warmth and charm her messages had conveyed. She was stunning. Her eyes were a captivating light brown. The only thing I could think of comparing them to was liquid sunshine. A radiant smile stretched her full lips and lit up her face.

“Michael?” She stood up and offered a hand.

“In the flesh.” My hand engulfed her tiny one. She was on the petite side, but her coral pink dress hugged some delicious curves, and somehow her personality made her bigger. Her megawatt smile and twinkling eyes told me she hadn’t pretended to be vibrant and funny in her messages.

“It’s so nice to finally meet you in person.” Her voice was soft and so soothing it put me at ease.

As I shook her hand, I couldn’t peel my eyes away from her face. I wasn’t the superficial type who put too much on looks, but her beauty was mesmerizing. Jane was like a balance of striking and enchanting… if that was even ?enough to describe her.

Snapping out of my stupor, I said, “It’s nice to meet you, too.”

We sat, and I continued to study her. While I was now as attracted to her physically as I was to her personality, something was off. Jane seemed younger than the thirty-something she’d said she was.

She must have noticed my confused frown because her smile faltered and became uncertain.

“Is everything okay?” she asked.

My eyes continued to rove over her face. Plenty of people looked younger than their actual age. Maybe Jane had amazing genes…

“Sure. I hope you weren’t waiting long.”

Her uneasy air seemed to lift. “Not at all. Only about ten minutes. I wasn’t late for once…” Her nervous giggle floated around us and then she winced. “Not that I’m habitually late or irresponsible…” Her teeth sank into her lip as she regarded me with what looked like apprehension.

A little laugh escaped me. “I see I’m not the only one who’s nervous.”

“ You’re nervous?” Her eyes widened. “You hide it well.”

I shrugged. My face tended to not convey what I felt. It was a skill I’d perfected in childhood. “Please, relax.” I had relaxed significantly because, as it turned out, Jane wasn’t an alien or psycho in disguise. Or at least I didn’t think she was. I liked what I saw. So far, so good, but I couldn’t shake how young she looked.

Jane glanced around. “This is a nice place. I’ve never been here before.”

“I come here often. The food is great.”

“Often, huh? It seems pricey.” At that, her teeth punished her lower lip again and her cheeks flushed crimson. “I mean…”

I watched her with mild amusement. I thought I’d be the overly anxious one, considering I’d been out of the dating game for years. “Don’t worry about it.”

She sighed. “I’m so sorry. I’m a nervous mess. I haven't gone on a blind date before, and I was a little afraid…”

“That I’d turn out to be a troll or some kind of creep?” I finished with a wry smile. “It’s fine. This is my first blind date, too. I had the same fear. And really, don’t worry about dinner.” I’d never invite someone to this restaurant that cost an arm and a leg for just a bread roll and not foot the bill.

Her laugh was light and musical and somehow erased more of the tension. Her shoulders relaxed. “Okay, thank you. Well, Michael, I hope I haven’t disappointed you.”

I gave her a once over. “I’m most definitely not disappointed.”

Her lips parted, drawing my attention to them, and her blush intensified. “I’m not disappointed either,” she said.

I stared at Jane for a moment, taking pleasure in the fact that there seemed to be a mutual attraction. A waitress approached, and Jane and I kicked off our evening with drinks.

“Do you have a recommendation?” she asked. “You said you come here often.”

I nodded. “The house red is excellent, and they make a pretty good Old-Fashioned if you’re into cocktails.”

I watched as her cute little nose wrinkled as she considered. It was surprising how into this woman I was, and we hadn’t gotten to the appetizers yet. This was a good thing. I was convinced my Blind Connection would be a fraud, and I’d instantly regret everything, but I was wrong.

“I’ll take the house red,” she said.

I went with the Old-Fashioned.

When we were alone again, Jane beamed at me. I wanted to ask about her age but was unsure of how to approach the subject. I was usually a straightforward guy, but this wasn’t a business meeting. I didn’t want to offend her.

“So, Michael,” she began. “I have to know. How did you end up on Blind Connections ?”

I rubbed my jaw. I was still embarrassed to be on a dating app. “It’s a long story…” Sighing, I admitted, “Alright, it’s not that long.”

Jane’s giggle made the corners of my lips twitch. I liked the sound of her laughter.

“A friend recommended it. He was annoyingly persistent, and I gave in. What about you?”

“I saw an ad on social media.” She shrugged, and her lashes lowered to hide her eyes, as if she was as embarrassed as I was to be on Blind Connections . “I’ve tried other apps, but I was super skeptical about a blind dating one. As it turns out, it’s better than the others…”

I held her gaze, noticing that jolt of attraction I felt when I first saw her. She was right. Our text conversations had gotten more intimate over time, and I felt like I knew her. I liked her before I saw her face. That solidified that Jane and I had more than a superficial connection. That damn app was proving itself to be useful… to my chagrin.

“This could be a one-off thing,” I said because I just had to maintain a sliver of my typical skepticism toward everything . “I’m sure there are plenty of crazies on Blind Connections .”

“Are you a pessimist, Michael?” Jane asked, wearing a smirk.

“A realist.”

She watched me closely. “You’re just as I expected based on your messages.”

“What exactly did you perceive about me?”

“You’re on the serious side, but there’s a hidden, softer layer that you let slip through now and then. You need the right person to coax out your laid-back side… someone you’re comfortable with.”

I blinked, surprised by her perceptiveness. Of course, as a father of a sweet, exuberant six-year-old, I wasn’t perpetually an unsmiling hardass. I did have my soft moments.

Our waitress arrived with our drinks, and before I knew it, I was immersed in conversation with Jane. It was fascinating and amusing at some points… many points, actually. She really was a barrel of laughs just like her messages.

By the time we got to dessert, Jane knew that I worked in finance, but I didn’t go into the finer details. I learned that she was between jobs and waiting on a call after an interview she had yesterday. Everything we learned about each other was surface level, which I thought was fine for a first meeting.

I was seriously considering another date with her, so I wondered if maybe I should tell her that I had a child. Just as I was about to mention it to gauge her reaction, her phone buzzed in her purse for the fourth time, and she checked it with a hint of annoyance.

She then gave me an apologetic smile. “Give me a minute to respond to this.”

“No problem,” I said, pushing aside the crème br?lée I’d barely touched. I wasn’t big on dessert, but Jane seemed to be. She had attacked hers with gusto. I liked that she indulged in every dish rather than picking at a salad all evening. I’d seen plenty of that when I was a part of the dating scene… eons ago.

“That was my brother. Again.” She sighed softly. “Big brothers can be annoying, but I appreciate his concern.”

“I wouldn’t know about the dynamics between younger and older siblings. I’m an only child. You mentioned your brother a lot in your texts. Are you two close?”

“We are.” She smiled. “Sometimes I have to remind him I’m not his baby sister anymore, though.”

I hummed my amusement. Perhaps if I had a younger sister, I’d be the same way. “Speaking of… How old are you, Jane?”

I’d held off long enough, and my curiosity demanded to be satisfied.

She paused in the middle of lifting her fork and wide eyes landed on me.

“I don’t mean to be impolite,” I said. My eyes moved over her face for the umpteenth time. “It’s just that you look… young…”

She put her fork down and took a deep breath.

Her reaction incited suspicion, and my eyes narrowed on her guilty face. My jaw locked as I thought the worst. What if I just spent an hour and a half lusting over someone I wasn’t supposed to be lusting over? Jesus fucking christ . I gazed at Jane with growing panic.

Her expression changed to resignation. “I was going to tell you after dinner…”

I leaned forward in my chair, apprehension knotting in my stomach as I watched her.

“I’m actually twenty-one,” she admitted. Her eyes were filled with apology.

I sat back and blew out a breath as I processed her revelation. I was immensely relieved she was at least legal, but I didn’t want to date a twenty-one-year-old. Plus, I was incensed that she lied about her age. That was a red flag, wasn’t it? Yet as I studied her flushed face and wide eyes that gleamed with remorse, my attraction to her didn’t diminish an ounce.

My short time with Jane had been nothing but easy and fun. Still… twenty-one? I didn’t do younger women, not that much younger. This wouldn’t work…