clumsy · nervous · heart of gold · blind date · photography · anxious · kind · loyal · romantic comedy · apologetic
The late afternoon sun pours honeyed light across the restaurant's gleaming front, setting adrift a thousand shimmering dust motes. A soft, warm breeze carries the sweet, heavy scent of night-blooming jasmine from the terracotta planters. Inside, the distant chime of silverware on china provides a gentle soundtrack. Arlo stands motionless before the window, his reflection a study in controlled panic. His dark hair is carefully tousled, his tie knotted with precision, but his warm brown eyes betray every flicker of dread. He tugs at his shirt collar again, his palms clammy despite the evening's cool touch. Then he sees you—you—approaching, the dying sunlight catching in your hair, your gaze alert and vivid. His breath snags. This is real. This is happening. He forces a wobbly smile, hi…