A Friend Of A Friend

Standing there, outside of the ambient Italian restaurant in her midnight-blue, velvet bodycon dress, which hung from her shoulders and cherished every curve on her body, Cora remembered why she didn't do blind dates. The suspense. Was it the waiting to see if this person had a sweet personality, or if he had a big ego? No. it was the suspense of whether they would show up. Many times, before, Cora had gone on dates she'd been set up on, that somehow her friends had convinced her to go on. And many times, before, she'd been stood up. Or, halfway through the date, he would just disappear. By now, she was well accustomed to the good old dine and ditch, and occasionally, a drink and ditch.

Gusts of wind swam through the air, making Cora's waved, mousy hair blow across her bronzed face, and resting itself on her full lips, which were lubricated with a dash of lip gloss. As she pulled the hair off her rose-tinted lips, footsteps from high heels and loafers connected to the ground and echoed through the surrounding side streets. People's laughs leaving the restaurant she was stood in front of, radiated into the atmosphere. Across the way stood an old-fashioned cinema, playing only 1980's movies on tape. The fluorescent lights flickered, signalling that bulbs needed to be changed, and the smell of popcorn squeezing the way through vents in the walls filled the air with a buttery, desired scent. People young and old, native, or not to the city walked the streets, smile happily: this was the place to be on a Friday night. There weren't any rowdy bachelorette parties roaming the sidewalks, looking for a club or bar to sneak into and get wasted from dubious amounts of liquor. No. There were groups of friends, family, looking for a place to have a quiet dinner. On the next block was where an arcade resided. You could hear the laughs and voices of children at birthday parties winning on vintage games, like Space Invaders and Donkey Kong, or the aggravated grunts from young men trying to win a cute, yet unnecessary, stuffed animal for their partners on the crane machine, as a romantic gesture.

Cora couldn't take this anymore. The wait. It was like a game she was playing, and she never got past level one: the introduction. A huff escaped her lips, indicating she was ready to leave this place, and push the memory deep back inside of her brain. Just then, when she had lost hope that her not so courteous date would arrive, a black town car pulled up. To some people who had been positioned by the windows whilst dining, they were fascinated. Why would a black town car like this be here in Chicago? Was it a senator? A politician? Or even better, a celebrity? To Cora, a girl who had grown up driving her dad's Chevrolet Monte Carlo from the 70s, this seemed a little pretentious. It wasn't like whoever would soon step out of the car would be walking into the Met Gala or was it someone who had done that before? Even though the act of driving up to an Italian place in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, in a car of that type seemed pompous, Cora was just as intrigued to find out who it was. And when the car's passenger was ready to disembark from their chariot, all eyes were focused, lips ready at a pucker to whisper to the person they were dining with, As soon as someone saw something that was it of place about their city, the news travelled fast, like it was mono in high school. Still, no one got out or into, the vehicle.

Yet again, it was the suspense that was killing Cora. Then she reminded herself that she was supposed to be waiting for her blind date to arrive, not some 60-year-old senator to get out of a car to eat the same place she just so happened to be at. To try and distract herself, she pulled her out her phone from her maroon quilted purse, which rested on her left shoulder, and began typing, quite passive-aggressively to be added, to her friend Sophia, who had set her up for this night, this ever so exhilarating night. As if it was supernatural, the phone started to vibrate in her dainty hands, the name 'Sophia' flashing up on the screen, along with a picture of herself and Cora together. The accept button was pressed and the phone made its way up to Cora's ear.

'What I am doing here, Soph, waiting? You know how much I hate blind dates, yet you set me up on them continuously. And repeatedly, it's the same every single time. I wait for 15 minutes, 30 at a push, for them to show up. I don't know how to introduce myself; do I go for the hug or a handshake? Then it just turns into this weird bro-shake, and it's already going downhill. Then it goes all awkward and tense. Sooner or later, they ditch without such as a goodbye. Just a vanish, never to be seen again. Which honestly, is fine by me. They were bound to be jagoffs anyway.' Cora's word vomit ended in a scoff. She had managed to just explain her whole love life in the past 30 seconds, not once stopping to take a breath. Aged 28, and 30 seconds was all she had.

'"Hi, Sophia, how are you? Thank you so much for setting me up on this blind date, what would I do without you to help me in my quest for love?" Oh, Cora, you have got nothing to thank me for, just doing what every best friend would do. You would probably do the same, if I weren't already in a loving and healthy relationship, which I hope you are soon, too.' The ring of sarcasm in Sophia's voice oozed through the phone connection, almost like she was standing right next to Cora.

'Hi, Sophia. I cannot thank you enough for setting me up on this exquisite blind date, which I asked you time and time again not to make me do anymore, I'm having a fabulous time waiting outside this place in mid-fall in Chicago, freezing myself to death waiting for this guy to show. What would I do without you?' The mockery made its way out through Cora's vocal cords and into the phone, travelling to Sophia's ear.

'Cora, you do this every time. You act all crazy and psych yourself up for disaster,' Sophia began to talk, to reassure her, but Cora's mind was still running rampage. 'Which does happen sometimes, but that's not the point. Cor, for one night, drag yourself away from the memories of what has happened before, and ask yourself what could happen if you let yourself go and be free.' Sophia was right. Cora didn't have an optimistic bone in her body when it came to dating. She had been let down too many times to let herself think that any other date would be different from the last. 'Plus, Mateo knows this guy from work. He loves him, and he thinks you will too. Eventually, of course.'

'Yes, of course, I am bound to love him because every other sports agent I've gone out with has been a real treat.' Cora didn't know why Mateo had sent so many guys for her to have a blind date with, or she didn't know whether Sophia had roped in her boyfriend and was just pawning off lonely single guys on her. Either way, his friends never stood up her standards. She didn't have high ones, per se, just not egotistical narcissists who try to hide their sexist remarks with a sweet façade, miserably.

'He's different, Cora. Just give this guy a chance, you have to one of these days.' The way she spoke sounded as if she was sorry for her friend, that she many dates she had had, and how many dates she had left being riled up. 'Just have a drink with him, and if you don't feel it, you don't even have to get to the main course.'

A brief pause filled the air. Reluctantly, I replied 'OK, fine. But just know I'm only doing this for you, and a bit for Mateo. I don't want him loosing anymore friends.'

'He'll be fine. He's got us. Now go, before he turns up and you look rude talking on the phone. I love you, bye.' With that, Sophia hung up the call with Cora before she could say her goodbyes. Could Sophia be right? Could this be the night where she could forget all the past with blind dates and stated a new chapter? She highly doubted it: you have to start somewhere, why not tonight?

With all commotion that had just gone down on her phone call, Cora's mind has completely pushed out that there was a mysterious figure still sat in the town car, parked in front of the eatery. Why were they still sat in there? It all seemed mysterious to her. Despite wanting to know who it was parked in the lavish vehicle; Cora was still waiting for her date. The sun had started to set, and so had the prospect of her date turning up. The outside world began shutting down, signs on local shops were being turned to say 'Closed' by whoever was closing that evening. Metal shutters were being mechanically extended, the sharp squeals coming from the gears ring in bystanders' ears, and the aluminium glimmers in the disappearing daylight.

Even though exterior society was slowly withering away for the evening, the atmosphere in the town car was filled with much more unease. Inside, plush seats were engulfed in burnished black leather, with black stitching woven through to make it sturdier. Fleecy vehicle mats smothered the floor, making your legs go weak when it touches your soles. Overhead, the ceiling was protected by a stubbly material, that gave you goose bumps when you touched it. Sitting in one of those luxurious seats was a young man. In his early thirties, his head was blessed with ebony hair which trickled down his chiselled jawline, ending in a sparse, yet still full beard. His almond-shaped eyes sat deep-set in his face, while they glistened an alluring hazel, with a hint of green pushing its way through. His olive skin was plastered in a raven suit, which encapsulated every muscle on his physique. Oxford dress shoes, which shone under the phosphorescent car lights, were stationed on his feet, bounded with stiff lace.

Upon his face, a stressed emotion was there instead of his usual toothy grin. A deep breath was breathed into his diaphragm, before letting it out slowly. His nerves were getting the best of him. He had never really been a fan of blind dating. He wanted to know who he was testing the boundaries of a new relationship with. Not to mention, his last blind date happened years ago, which resulted in a 4-year relationship, which ended with his heart shattered and stomped on. He glanced out of the tinted windows to see a woman, around the 5" 6 mark. A body tight dress was wrapped around her figure, a complementary dimmed royal blue. On her left shoulder, he could make out a purse that just hung below her waist. The light overhead made identifying the colour hard, but to him, it looked like a Persian red. Maybe this was his date, waiting for him, the person thought to himself. The young woman, who seemed to be around a similar age to himself, maybe even a tad bit younger, looked up at the car. Before staring for too long, she pulled out a phone from her purse and began typing, before placing the phone to her ear, clearly answering a phone call. Taking from her actions, he decided to do the same thing. He dialled his friend, who was also his sports agent, who had set him up on this blind date. The phone rang a few times, multiplying the nerves rushing through his brain.

'Come on, pick up,' he muttered into his cell phone. Click. The call was connected.

'Hey, Ty. What's up man?' the voice over the phone uttered. Even with the slightest sound of his friend's soothing voice, he seemed to breathe more steadily.

'I am freaking out, dude. I haven't had a date, never mind blind, since Bella, and we all know how that turned out.' It wasn't that the mysterious man in the car had a bias against blind dates, it's just that he didn't have the best of luck with them working out.

'And that relationship lasted 4 years, sounds like that date went pretty well.'

'Yeah, 4 years of hidden torture and a rough breakup.'

'Tyler, listen to me. You need to put that behind you. You loved, you fought, you lost. You need to put yourself back out there. Anyway, this girl we set you up with had a much worse experience with blind dates. She's practically been out with every guy in the office, and every single one of them was bad. Just give each other a chance, if not for you, for me, so that I don't get shouted at by my girlfriend.'

After hearing how worse for wear this girl was for bad dates, he decided that he would try. 'All right, I'll give it a shot. But if it doesn't work out, you owe me a bottle of bourbon.'

A small chuckle was heard at the receptor end of the call, 'one bottle, done. Now go and have a fun time. She's just got off the phone with Soph. Go get her, tiger.'

'Thanks, Mateo.' The call was disconnected, and Tyler peered back outside. The girl standing there was now off from her phone and was looking around, longingly. What if he was right before he called Mateo? What if she was the woman he was waiting for, or more realistically, the man she was waiting for? Before contemplating making his exit, the phone was placed onto the leather seat next to him, he took off his suit jacket, rolled up his sleeves slightly, leaving them only going ¾ of the way down his tanned arms. He loosened his tie, before deciding that he was better off without it. He grabbed his jacket, in case he or his date got cold, and double-checked his wallet was secure in its place. 

That's it. He decided he was going to brave it. Pushing open the door, the cold breeze of the Windy City caressed his face, making blood pull away any of its colour from the surface, in an attempt to his profile warm. 

When Sophia ended the call, Cora put her phone back into her shoulder clutch and began to wonder how much longer she should wait. 10, 20 minutes? However long, she prayed that he hurried soon so that she could get into the warmth of the Italian restaurant that stood behind her. In a gust of wind coming from the west of where she was standing, Cora heard a small click. She turned her head to see where the sound originated and saw that it came from the black town car that had been situated beside the sidewalk for around the past 3 minutes. Finally, she, and the others waiting on the edge of their seats by the window, could learn who this lustrous car belonged too. When the industrious black car door was open all the way, an athletic figure ducked out of the opening and began unfolding himself up. When he had readjusted his crystal white shirt, he closed the door with grace. 'Wow,' Cora thought to herself. Not only did he have a good taste in style, but he also didn't slam his door shut. Maybe this guy wouldn't be like the others after all. In his hands, he carried a black suit jacket. It looked fancy, but not too fancy that showed he was a rich snob, maybe someone with an honest living.

As soon as his face was lifted into the light, Cora's eyes instantly darted to his. She felt herself get lost in the hazel-green orbs that were surrounded by sun-tinted skin. Before she drowned, Cora snapped back to reality. And the reality was, he was walking right up to her. What if he'd caught her staring? She felt herself freeze up like a popsicle. He walked over with confidence in his step towards her.

Once Tyler had stood upright, he locked eyes on the beautiful woman that was standing in front of him. Mateo's words rung through his head 'go and have fun', and that's what he was planning on doing. Having fun. No matter what the outcome was tomorrow, tonight, he was having fun. They both were. He took it upon himself to make his way to her, nervously thinking about what he was going to say to her, as he didn't even know his name, yet he tried to look as confident as possible.

When Tyler reached her, she looked up into his eyes. Her fiery hazels caught the light ever so slightly, making himself think that this night wasn't going to be a disaster.

'Hi, excuse me, hey' Cora, quickly blinked herself when the man had reached her. He held his hand out for her to shake. 'I'm sorry, but are you Mateo and Sophia's friend?' Cora nodded her head, a smile appeared on her face. Maybe this night wasn't going to be a disaster. She took his smooth-looking hand and enveloped hers into it.

'Yes, I am,' the girl answered in a sweet tone. To Tyler, it didn't seem condescending, but angelic. Their hands soon broke apart, and that's when Tyler's famous toothy grin graced on his face.

'Good. I'm Tyler.'

'Cora.'