Chapter 5

Georgina looked at herself in the mirror, trying to decide if she had overdone the lipstick. Yes, she had.

It wasn’t like she was nervous or anything. Why would she be nervous? Daniel was just another man. Except that he wasn’t. For some inexplicable reason, she was anxious about their date.

She checked her phone for the umpteenth time that evening, waiting for a message from Daniel. What if he stood her up and never came? She shouldn’t have told him about the dance part.

Daniel was supposed to arrive at 6 p.m., but it was already fifteen minutes past six and yet there was no sign of him. Georgina was getting worried and impatient.

Finally, after another five minutes, Daniel arrived. He looked all flustered and apologetic.

He was wearing black. A slightly too-big pair of black pants and a shirt with a small Batman logo. His hair was still a mess, but it was clean. He was not wearing glasses.

“Daniel! You made it!” Georgina came out with a relieved expression on her face before he could knock at the door.

“I’m sorry I’m late. Last-minute work. “Daniel sounded contrite. “It took longer than expected. I wanted to call you but my phone’s battery died.”

“It’s fine. I understand.” She waved a hand at him. “It’s me. I panic way too easily when it comes to dates. You are here and that’s all that matters.”

Daniel handed Georgina a colorful bouquet of freesias. “These are for you.”

“Oh Daniel, thank you! They are lovely! You shouldn’t have,” Georgina exclaimed, smelling the flowers.

“Everyone says it’s customary to bring flowers to your date. You look amazing, by the way.”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

“Just the truth. I feel underdressed at your side. We don’t match,” he twisted his mouth.

“I have no problem with you being underdressed. I’ve been told I tend to overdress. So we complement,” Georgina expressed with a smile. She took a look at her phone and said, “We should get going.”

She went inside to place the flowers in water and came out a few minutes later carrying her car keys.

“Do you mind if we go in my car?”

“Not at all,” he opened the driver’s door for her once she unlocked it.

As Georgina navigated along the paved two-lane road, Daniel looked to his right and was able to see glimpses of the blue waters of the lake. Inhaling deeply, Daniel savored the scents of the forest. The ground was filled with greenery, from ferns to towering Douglas firs and pines. He took his chance to take a look at Georgina too.

Georgina caught Daniel stealing glances at her. That steady, avid gaze had caused her fingers to become clumsy and her heart to pump just a little faster. What was so special about Daniel that made her body react like that? She couldn’t tell.

“So, no glasses?”

“Nope,” he answered, rubbing his eyes. He had done it a few times while they were riding in the car. “I’m wearing contact lens. I’ll probably throw them away after tonight and go back to my glasses.”

“I like you in your glasses.”

“Really?” he asked, perking up a little.

“Yeah. The contacts are nice, but your glasses suit your better.”

“That’s good because the contact lenses irritate my eyes.” He rubbed his left eye again. “That’s why I always wore glasses.”

“Get rid of those stupid contacts and next time put your glasses back on, otherwise I might think you’re trying to give yourself a makeover to impress me.”

He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, because a makeover is the only way you’d be impressed by someone like me.”

“What? No, that’s not what I meant.”

Slowing down the car, Georgina turned into a side road. The car bumped down a small path through the forest until they arrived at a clearing. There were torches all around. Not far from it there was a meadow filled with wildflowers.

They had set a wooden dance floor and a small stage for the occasion and a well-known local band was playing some country tunes.

There were a lot of people. Daniel felt a wave of anxiety. He had never felt comfortable around crowds. He thought about Yaron challenging him to do things that were out of his comfort zone.

“I didn’t mean what I said to sound like you need to change to impress me,” Georgina said once she stopped the car.

“It’s okay. Don’t worry about it,” he shrugged. It wasn’t the first time someone suggested something like that to him.

They got out of the car, but Daniel stood beside Georgina without moving. “I hate to break it to you, but you’re dating a very romantically insecure person,” he said quietly.

“I wasn’t aware I was dating anyone at all,” Georgina said with a sassy smile. “Are you asking me?”

Daniel’s heart caught in his throat like it was snagged on barbed wire.

Georgina’s heart melted. She elbowed him softly. “Kidding. Mostly.”

“Relieved,” Daniel replied. “Mostly.”

Georgina grinned. He was such a very lovable person.

“I know I’m not the kind of guy you usually date,” Daniel said, almost apologizing. “Your friends are going to notice.”

“You said that as if it were a bad thing. Trust me, it’s not. I have no idea where this thing we have is going, but I want to be honest with you from the very beginning, Daniel. You’re a good man, a decent man, and you deserve the truth from me from the very start. I’ve dated a lot of jerks who only wanted to have sex with me. I’ve slept with a lot of men. Tonight you’ll probably hear stories about me sleeping with the football team in high school. Well, it’s true. I did it. I’m not proud of myself for doing that.”

Georgina felt completely safe and comfortable with Daniel. She didn’t know exactly why. She had never shared her past with a stranger. But this time it was different. HE was different.

Daniel remained silent. He was pretty sure it wasn’t a standard practice to be given that much information on a first date. He didn’t know much about dating rules or relationships, but he was sure what Georgina said could be labeled as ‘too much, too soon’.

On the other hand, he fully appreciated her honesty.

“Have I shocked you into silence?” she asked trying to make her voice sound light and humorous.

Daniel shook his head. “I’m just looking for the right words.” She nodded. “I don’t judge people, Georgina. I try to see the best in everyone. Those things are in your past. We all did things we are ashamed of. I was judged so many times for being weird. I can laugh at myself because I know being weird doesn’t define me. Don’t let your past define you.”

Georgina beamed at him. “You’re deep.”

He laughed. “I have my Yoda moments.”

“If I find a good man, I’m going to spoil him rotten. I’ll make sure he gets all the sex he can handle, I will prepare his favorite meals, I will send him sweet texts during the days, and give him a relaxing head massage when he gets home from work. I’d never cheat on him because cheating on a good man is like choosing trash over treasure.”

Daniel gave Georgina a soft smile. “That sounds about perfect. That man will be very lucky to have you at his side. Thank you for being honest with me about your past. I truly appreciate it.”

Her eyes glistened, but no tears spilled. “You’re a true gentleman, Daniel. There aren’t many of your kind left.”

He snorted softly, embarrassed by her compliment.

“Are you nervous?” Georgina asked him.

He nodded. “Yes. Very.”

Georgina giggled. Again, his charming and refreshing honesty. A man who wasn’t afraid to show his feelings.

She took Daniel’s hand in hers, gave him an encouraging squeeze, and whispered, “Relax. Everything is going to be fine.”

Daniel twisted his mouth and followed her. In movies when someone said ‘everything will be fine’ it usually meant bad things were about to happen.

They walked into the clearing hand in hand. Daniel felt everyone’s eyes were fixed on him. He could see them whispering to one another and pointing toward him. He did his best to ignore them.

Georgina approached a small group of people. They gave them a warm welcome, and Georgina introduced Daniel to them.

“Steve, Diana, meet my friend, Daniel.”