Lavender and Merlot

It had been a dare, and she had accepted it. And now she was debating the wisdom in her decision to do so. She didn’t usually agree to blind dates, but for whatever reason, this time, she had decided to take up the gauntlet, perhaps more to prove her co-workers wrong than anything else.

Against her better judgment, Abigail had allowed her co-workers to set her up on this first date with someone about whom she knew absolutely nothing, so she was literally going in blind. They had insisted, however, that it was a match meant to be, akin to the likes of Cleopatra and Mark Anthony or Romeo and Juliet. Walking the last few steps to the restaurant where she was destined to meet her blind date, she rolled her eyes at the absurdity of the thought; after all, everyone knew exactly how those famous matches had ended: in tragedy.

There was a definite chill in the fall evening as Abigail continued to make her way to the small Italian restaurant called La Pasta. The rustic, multi-colored leaves whispered, blowing and scattering about as her black heels clicked methodically with each step she took on the narrow sidewalk. Reaching up, she attempted to push back the loose wisps of russet colored hair that flew about her face, but it was a futile endeavor. Her hair, thick and lustrous, had a mind all its own, and tonight, one thing was certain: there was no escaping the force of the breeze that lent it a new strength against any of her efforts to tame it. She mused to herself that she would likely look a mess once she arrived at her destination, but alas, it was what it was. She should have taken that taxi after she had agreed to come on the first date only if she was allowed to arrive and depart of her own accord.

She was very early, and she much preferred it that way. She could acclimate herself to the surroundings and be sure that she was comfortable before meeting her date by the name of Luca. Well, at least he had a decent name going for him, she mused. She wondered briefly if Luca was short for Luciano as she opened the door of the small establishment and stepped inside out of the wind. It would be inherently pleasant to finally meet someone whom she found attractive or with whom she could carry on a decent conversation.

Abigail was immediately engulfed in a new world as she entered La Pasta. The warmth and ambience of the place was pure magic and transported her to Italy in the mere skip of a heartbeat. A fire blazed from the stone fireplace across the room. Small, intimate tables were scattered throughout, covered with crisp, white tablecloths upon which sat shimmering candles, small crystal vases filled with purple and yellow flowers, and gleaming silverware. The place was enchanting, she thought to herself. A small bar ran the length of one side of the room, so Abigail quickly headed to it and took a seat. Despite the charming, inviting atmosphere, the room was eerily quiet, with the exception of the soft strains of Italian music playing in the background. It appeared she was one of only a few patrons. Still, everything combined to lend her an ease and comfortableness as she took a seat and settled herself on the high stool at the end of the bar.

The bartender approached her. “Buona serata, signorina,” he said with a huge smile. “What would you like to drink this evening?”

Abigail returned his smile. “What do you recommend?” she asked.

“We have a new Merlot from Tuscany. It is the best,” the bartender replied.

“Excellent. I’ll try that please.”

He poured a small portion of the rich, burgundy Merlot into her glass and waited for her to taste it. Abigail slowly lifted the glass and inhaled of the sweet fragrance before softly swirling the wine in the glass and then sipping of its richness. The warmth of the Merlot was delicious, and she eagerly nodded for him to fill her glass. She had always found Merlot to be a soft, sensual wine that fully warmed her. It was one of her favorites and perfect to ease the slight tension or apprehension she felt this night as she waited for her first date with Luca.

She heard the light tinkle of the bell at the door but glancing at her watch, she realized it was still far too early for her mysterious date of the night. She had generously allowed a full hour prior to the scheduled time to give herself ample course to partake of a drink and familiarize herself with the surroundings. If she did this small thing, it would allow her a level of comfort with the evening that she was sure she otherwise would not achieve.

As she continued to sip the glass of Merlot, a gentleman settled himself on the bar stool which was situated two seats away from where she sat. Lightly strumming the stem of her wine glass with her slim fingers, she eventually turned, and in pretense, glanced about the room as if searching for someone. As her glance came full circle to land on him, she nearly gasped aloud. His crystal blue eyes watched her intently, never wavering in their regard despite the fact that she’d caught him staring. In response, his brow cocked slightly above his left eye, and then ever so slightly, his lips rose into a semblance of a smile as he nodded his head in greeting, the barest hint of a dimple peeking from his left cheek as he did so. Nearly mesmerized by the intensity of his blue gaze, she managed to reply with a slight smile and nod of her own.

She listened as he ordered a glass of Merlot as well. Unnerved a bit, she continued to sip her drink, allowing the warmth embodied in the wine to relax her. She was musing that she’d never seen such icy blue eyes as his when he interrupted her thought process.

“May I join you?”

She turned to watch as he stood. He was brutally handsome. And quite possibly, it was not the color of his vivid blue gaze that was so different, but the intensity therein instead. He was tall and lean with dark hair to contrast against the blue of his eyes. He was dressed immaculately in a black cashmere sweater, a crisp white shirt beneath, tailored, charcoal grey slacks, and fine Italian leather shoes. She momentarily considered abandoning her blind date as she watched him, but she knew she could never do such a thing.

“I’m meeting someone in just a while,” she responded.

“Ah, well, just for a bit then,” he responded with a bit more of a smile evident as he took the seat beside her.

She was surprised by his boldness but admittedly curious as to what conversation he might strike up. She promised herself that she would leave and get a table prior to the arrival of her date.

As the stranger took the seat beside her, she was suddenly very self-conscious of the short black dress she’d chosen to wear this evening. She conspicuously pulled at the hem of it, ensuring it covered as much as possible of her long, slender legs. She wound her hands through her emerald green shawl, securely draping it through her arms. It was as if she felt the nearness of him with her entire being. He continued to watch her, and she wondered if he knew every move she would make before she made it with those eyes of his. They were unbelievably beautiful and seemed to penetrate to the depths of her soul.

As he settled next to her, he took a sip of his wine before glancing up to lean toward her ever so slightly before speaking. “Lavender,” he said, his tone deliberate and as penetrating as his blue gaze.

Abigail was perplexed. “Excuse…me,” she stammered in response.

He watched her closely as he continued. “Your skin. It smells of lavender.”

Was that the trace of a smile she saw on his face? Confusion filled her mind with his words and a multitude of questions swept through it like particles of sand in a windstorm. Who was this man? And did he just say that her skin smelled of lavender? Really? Lavender? Tonight, she wore no lavender scented oil or perfume, but how could he possibly have known that she had bathed the previous evening in lavender scented bathwater? Her mind raced, full of questions and then quickly drifted to the memory of the rosemary and mint shampoo she’d used. Curious, she wondered…….

Before she could form another thought, and as if he’d read her mind, he reached out his hand to lightly touch a wisp of a russet curl against her neck. “But here, right here, there is the faintest hint of rosemary and mint.” He spoke slowly and deliberately, as if knowing the affect his voice and its low timbre had on her. He was still lightly touching the wisp of hair while he watched the myriad of questions flood her face.

“How….do you….?” She could barely speak, less alone form a coherent thought in response.

The look in his blue eyes shifted to the pulse in her neck before he reluctantly dropped his hand, pausing as he did so to look down at his glass of Merlot. With a hint of a smile, he said, “I have a keen sense of smell. A hidden talent of sorts.”

A keen sense of smell? A hidden talent? What the devil? Abigail didn’t want to admit that she was impressed, but she was. He had been completely and unbelievably right. And she also had to admit that this was certainly unlike any other pickup line she’d ever heard. She attempted, likely in vain, to act nonchalant, as if this sort of thing happened every other day to her, but the truth was that she wanted to know more about this man. Where was he from? What was his name? And where the devil did one get such a super talent as a keen sense of smell? She was inexplicably drawn to him, feeling as though she already knew him in ways she didn’t understand. And why did she feel as if he had secrets she needed to uncover – that he yearned to divulge to her?

Abigail sighed to herself, resignation and a bit of disappointment filling her being. She reminded herself that she needed to be respectful of the impending arrival of her date. Luca would arrive at any moment, and it would not do for him to find her seated at the bar with this stranger, no matter what attraction he held for her. She eyed the man beside her before she reluctantly stood.

“As intrigued as I am, I’m sorry, but I can’t stay. I really am expecting someone,” she said. It took everything inside of her not to remain rooted to the seat and make this man the focus of her undivided attention.

He nodded. “Of course,” he said and watched as she walked across the room, where the waiter seated her at a table near the fireplace.

Slowly, he resumed his seat, sipping the wine he’d ordered as he continued to watch her. She was much lovelier than he had imagined she would be. Indeed, she was perfect. He was looking forward to knowing more about her. And, if he’d read her correctly, she also wanted to know more about him. It was strange, but he was wondering why it had taken so long for their worlds to suddenly collide. If he was sure of anything, he was sure that tonight was a fated meeting and was long overdue.

After a short while, he stood and ran a hand through the dark, thick waves of his hair. Picking up his glass, he finished the remainder of his wine and carefully sat the glass back on the bar. He turned and slowly made his way to the table where she sat waiting for her blind date. As he approached, she looked up, confusion clearly etched across her lovely face.

He extended his hand. “Hello, Abigail,” he murmured. “I’m Luca. It’s very nice to meet you.”