“Oh! I loved both those books. He’s super cute too. I’d forget my year of celibacy for that guy. How did you guys meet?”
I laughed. Whenever Addie was between boyfriends she claimed she was having a year of celibacy.
“We haven’t met,” I said. “It’s a one-sided blind date.”
“A what?”
“Jessa sent me a text the other day. She knows him. Apparently he’s in town for a month doing a teaching gig at Columbia. She asked if I’d be interested in going out with him, but didn’t tell him who I was. Just that I’m a good friend. You know, to keep expectations low and also discourage any possible paparazzi issues in case he’s actually a douchebag and makes a few calls beforehand.”
“But if he doesn’t know who you are… how will he know who you are?”
“We’re meeting at a place I know in Brooklyn. He’s to tell the hostess to take him to table number eight.”
“Smart.”
“Not my first time, baby.”
I flipped my head over and brushed my hair out, then flipped it back and watched it fall into place.
“So, I’m planning to fly out there in a few days,” I said, changing the subject. “If there’s a carnival going on somewhere we should definitely go take a ride on the tilt-a-whirl.”
“Ugh,” she said. “Don’t even joke about it. I still have a lingering headache and it hurts to breathe.”
“Shit. Sorry, babe. But that’s what happens when you go three rounds with a Lexus.”
“I’ll try and remember that.”
I checked the clock, gave myself a once over, and said goodbye to Addie, promising to text her the next day to tell her how the date went. Thirty minutes later I was let in through the back door, seated at the table I’d reserved, and was sipping a glass of wine and waiting for my date to arrive, which he did right on time.
“Alex?” I said, standing to shake his hand. “I’m Lior. It’s so nice to meet you.”
“Oh,” he said. “Wow. You’re… Sorry, I just… wasn’t expecting… you.”
I was used to taking people by surprise and smiled, motioning for him to take a seat.
“I get the secrecy now,” he said, looking around at our secluded spot away from the rest of the dinner crowd.
“Unfortunately, it’s become a bit of a necessity if I want to go out and have any sort of privacy.”
“Of course.”
“Anyways.” I leaned forward. “I loved your first two books,” I said, trying to put him at ease by giving him something he knew well to talk about. “Are you writing a third or… Jessa said you’re teaching a class at Columbia. Are you taking a break from writing while you do that?”
If he had been nervous, any sign of it evaporated as soon as he began talking about his work… and himself. I suddenly found myself on the other end of a litany of thoughts, opinions, and even advice I hadn’t asked for. From his critical view of “uneducated” readers posting one-star reviews of his books, to other authors not deserving the success they’d had - and having the balls to name names. I was ready to go before dessert was offered, and inwardly groaned when my date ordered the cheesecake.
“And for you?” the waiter asked me. But I didn’t want an excuse for this night to last longer than it already had.
“I’m good thank you,” I said.
As he walked away, Alex leaned forward, his eyes moving down to my body.
“I think you can afford to eat a dessert or two.”
I grinned tightly and took a large drink of my wine.
“How nice of you to say so,” I said through clenched teeth.
“Now take Jessa,” Alex said, returning to his thoughts about his contemporaries. “Nice girl, decent writer. Could do with a bit of finessing though.”
