Jay and Ellen

The air buzzed with nervous excitement as Ellen fiddled with her phone outside the restaurant. Despite her calm exterior, she felt a flutter of butterflies in her stomach. This blind date, orchestrated by her friend Anita, was a gamble in her mind. Her date chosen by Anita, was fifteen minutes late. Not that she expected punctuality from a college student, but the gnawing unease in her stomach intensified with each passing minute.

The air crackled with energy as a loud bike zapped through the corner of the street, catching everyone's attention. Ellen's eyes widened as the bike came to a sudden stop inches from the sidewalk, with the beauty flinching a few steps back. 

The two stared at each other with uncertainty, before Jay took off his helmet and started to apologize vehemently.

"So sorry! Ellen, right?" he boomed, his grin disarming despite its mischievous slant. His dark hair was slightly ruffled, and his red flannel covering a tee flaunting his university contrasted sharply with Ellen's mature black dress. She flaunted a bun, with thick black strands hanging down on her face.

"Motorcycle decided to take a detour mid-journey."

Ellen, despite herself, found a corner of her lips twitching upwards.

"Does it have a mind of his own?"

-

The evening unfolded like a symphony. Jay, loud and animated, peppered the conversation with jokes that landed somewhere between groan-worthy and surprisingly insightful. Ellen, used to measured exchanges and precise language, found herself struggling to keep up. Yet, beneath the surface, she noticed a genuine warmth in his eyes and a depth beyond his carefree demeanor.

As the date progressed, a surprising connection formed. Jay's humor, initially jarring, started to chip away at Ellen's tough facade. His infectious energy drew out a laughter she hadn't heard in months. Ellen, in turn, intrigued Jay with her quiet strength and sharp intellect. She could finally feel herself relaxing and let go of herself. 

Jay talked about dreams of starting his own pharmaceutical company. Ellen, in turn, spoke of her work, surprised by how easily she opened up to this stranger. Her usual guardedness seemed to melt away in the face of his unfiltered enthusiasm.

The food arrived, and even that became a point of contention. Ellen's enthusiastic pronouncements about the pasta's "Pasta alla Norma." shook him at first glance, but he threw away all of that aside. They laughed, a genuine connection sparking despite their different perspectives despite being two sides of the same coin.

The seafood risotto arrived, a welcome distraction from the nervous tension simmering between them. Ellen decided to ease into the personal territory. "So, Anita mentioned you're still in college?"

Jay grinned, his fork poised mid-air.

"Yup, studying and trying to avoid adulting for as long as possible."

"And your friend, Adrian… she didn't say much about him."

Jay's smile faltered slightly. "He's...special. Younger than me by a few months, but with a maturity that surprises you. He gets me, you know? We have a blast together."

Ellen nodded, intrigued. "Sounds like a good friend."

"He is," Jay confirmed, his gaze turning distant for a moment. 

Suddenly having his curiousity piqued, he raised his question.

"I'm guessing you already know about Anita and her relationship with him. Tell me, what's she like outside of work? Does she always wear a suit?"

Ellen paused, swirling her drink.

"Ambitious, driven, definitely not someone to mess with. But underneath it all, she's loyal, fiercely protective of the people she cares about."

Jay sighed while interjecting,

"She's so scary! I thought she was bullying Adrian when I first saw her you know?!", a chill ran through his spine with the image of a mean Anita flickered through his mind.

"Me too. I was surprised when she told me about Adrian. It was surprising enough for someone as reserved as her to have a boyfriend, but imagine, she was the one who came to me to let me in on it! I was honestly blown away by it at first."

-

As the night drew to a close, they stood outside, the city lights twinkling and the people around them fading into the background.

Before Jay could say anything, his arms were already outstretched for a goodbye hug. Ellen, ever so cautious, hesitated for a moment. Then, with a playful glint in her eyes, she leaned in with the intention of a hug but surprised him at the last second with a soft kiss on the cheek.

The touch was fleeting, but it sent a jolt through Jay. He stared at her, speechless, his hand instinctively touching the spot where her lips had lingered. Jay could smell a faint scent of rose, still hanging onto him. Ellen, her cheeks flushed a faint pink, offered a shy smile.

"Thanks for tonight, Jay," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "It was..." she paused, searching for the right word, "nice."

Jay, still reeling from the kiss, managed a grin. "It was enjoyable for me too, Ellen."

Ellen couldn't help but take in the adorable spectacle in front of her. She had a man scratching his head in a cutesy manner and blushing in front of her very eyes.

Jay hesitated, then broke the silence,

"Maybe we can do this again sometime? No matchmaking friends involved."

Ellen giggled, a genuine joy in her eyes. "Maybe." she replied while giving out her phone number to Jay.

As they parted ways, Jay's mind buzzed. This woman, so different from what he expected, had left him intrigued. He hadn't planned on feeling this way, yet here he was, wanting more. Ellen, too, walked away with a smile playing on her lips.

A single thought echoed in both their minds: maybe, just maybe, this day had sparked something unexpected, something real. And in the city lights, under the gaze of a mischievous moon, a small fire ignited inside both of their hearts.