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“Let me ask you a question,” he starts, and I look back over at him. “If you could do anything in the world, no matter how crazy, what would you do?”
I open my mouth to answer but stop, thinking about my answer seriously. Anything in the world? I’ve never been asked that before, maybe in high school when career day would come around, but back then I was naïve and didn’t have a clue what the real world is like. I probably said something along the lines of becoming an actress or a singer, maybe a writer, dreamy goals that seemed so attainable at that age but are now way too far-fetched.
When I really think about what I want to do, what I would want to be remembered for when I’m gone, that’s actually simple. “I would want to help people.” My voice is quiet, and he doesn’t respond right away.
His eyes soften and he nods. “I knew it.”
“What?” I ask, my eyebrows pulled together again.
“I knew you were one of the good ones.”
Blushing furiously, I look away and am barely saved by our dinner being delivered, but I can’t stop thinking about what he said. It gets me thinking about what I said, and now I just gotta figure out how to make that happen.
After devouring dinner, Dan and I don’t move from our bar stools the entire night. It’s like two old friends catching up. We both laugh and tell stories, a lot of his about his travels all over the world. It’s like listening to the adventures of a book character, and it’s fascinating to hear about all the places he’s been as a travel agent.
We have more in common than I would have thought. He grew up much the same way as me in a smaller town with small schools, and when he graduated, he left that town and never looked back, which is how I felt about my own town. It was how I ended up in Denver, wanting to live in a bigger city with new experiences.
His stories are just another added bonus on the attraction scale, and he’s quickly becoming the most amazing man I’ve ever met. He’s kind but direct, shy but confident, gorgeous but humble. I even mention it once.
“I never thought I’d get a date with someone like you.”
“What do you mean?”
I shrug and gesture toward him. “You know…”
His eyebrows scrunch, and there are little laugh lines beside his eyes, which I catch myself staring at more than I should. “I don’t have any idea what you’re talking about.”
“Come on. You know how handsome you are.”
“What does that have to do with you?”
“Well, I mean, I’m no model.” I gesture back toward myself now, stopping at the massive hips I try to pull off as ‘curves’ but are really just a nod to the fact that I love carbs.
“Margaret, first of all, looks have nothing to do with connection.” Oof, is this what swooning feels like? “And second, you are absolutely beautiful.”
He orders two more drinks and acts as if nothing happened, but I’m looking around at the strangers surrounding us wondering if anyone else heard him say I was beautiful like it was a known fact to the universe.
I’m pretty certain I’ve fallen in love already.
Just kidding.
But seriously…
