You’ve just finished reading the text from Danny explaining that ‘there’s a Summer Society emergency and l have to cancel on dinner, I’m so so sorry but maybe we can get pie on Wednesday night after class ;) again so sorry’. You’re kind of bummed because you and Danny usually get pie on Wednesdays but you’ve never made plans to go to a restaurant and have dinner together so you kind of thought it might have been a date, but now it looks like you’ll just have to go back to your dorm and wallow in what-ifs.
You’re just about to get up and head home when a girl sits down across from you with a muttered “Hey” and picks up the menu that was sitting on the table. You’re kind of dumbstruck from her sudden appearance so you can’t do much but take her in. From what you can tell she’s slightly taller than you, dark wavy hair, brown eyes, incredibly high cheekbones, and full smirking lips. None of which are particularly striking features separately but in combination they make up what is probably the prettiest face you’ve ever seen on a girl.
Pretty face aside, that doesn’t explain why mystery girl just decided the empty side of your corner booth was up for grabs.
You’re about to get to the bottom of her sudden appearance with a very straight-forward and not at all shrill, excuse me but who the hell are you, when you realize that while you were distracted with her face she had flagged down a waitress and ordered no less than four appetizers.
“What do you think you’re doing?” you ask and it does come out a bit shrill but seriously who just sits down at an occupied table with a complete stranger and starts ordering food.
“Uh, sorry, did you want to order something else?” she responds, eyes wide as she tries to signal the waitress again.
“Do I- no I do not want to order something else! I want to know what you think you’re doing here just plonking down and ordering the entire menu with a casual ‘hey’!”
Instead of responding she stares at you as if you’re the crazy girl that just sat down at some else’s table. And yea ok you were about to get up but you hadn’t and she couldn’t have known.
After staring at you for a long minute, eyes narrowed as if you were a particularly tricky puzzle, her lips curl up into an easy smile that some people -not you- might find charming.
“Look, cutie, I’m sorry I was late but I’m here now so maybe you can forgive my tardiness and we can just grab a bite and get to know each other. To be honest, blind dates aren’t really my thing so I wasn’t even going to show up but I owe the bio major a favor so here I am. Had I known you were this cute I wouldn’t have given them such a hard time. That scrunched up face you’re making is hilarious, buttercup.”
She ends her speech with a wink and a smirk, which again, not that charming and also her stupid pretty face is only just ok so whatever, it’s not like you got a thrill when she said you were cute or anything.
Also, what? She thinks you’re the other half of her blind date? Her friend definitely did a bad job describing the poor girl that would have to share a meal with her. That certainly explains what she’s doing in your booth.
You’re about to tell her that she has the wrong table, and the wrong girl, and that you were actually on your way out when she smiles at you and you curse yourself for losing your train of thought.
This is ridiculous, you need to girl the hell up and straighten this whole misunderstanding out so she can find her real date and you can leave. It’s not like you would actually ever be on a date with this girl.
Despite being unfairly pretty, whatever, she was also late by her own admittance, she sat down and ordered food without even asking you what you wanted, she said she was considering not even showing up, and she thinks she can get away with smirking by way of apology.
“Remind me to tell Frankendork that their description skills suck. I wasn’t expecting you to be quite so appealing to be honest, which is refreshing considering we have next to nothing in common.”
She is extremely rude. Who even tells their date that, was she raised in a barn?
“Isn’t that kind of a rude thing to say to your date? And how do you even know we don’t have anything in common, you haven’t tried to get to know me.”
That is definitely not what you should have said. You should have told her the truth and booked it back to your room to ponder whether or not Danny thought your dinner plans were a date. You definitely should not have encouraged conversation with this girl.
“It was meant as a compliment. I still showed up didn't I? And I dunno, Ginger 2 just made it seem like we wouldn’t share many interests, otherwise I would have suggested a different venue for this date.”
“Oh yea? And where would that be?”
Now you’re actively participating in this conversation, which is just great. But she thinks you’re attractive and she’s stupid pretty and she’s here and didn’t stand you up unlike some people. And sure the flaw in that logic is that you’re not who she’s supposed to be meeting and Danny probably didn’t think this was a date, but still, the ridiculously pretty girl is into you and maybe that gives you a thrill.
“I dunno, probably a used book store where we could each pick out a book for the other to read and then we could get together again to talk about them when we’re done or something but the bio nerd said you’re not really into that so…”
“I love books!” you blurt out before she finishes speaking and she looks a little startled before frowning.
“Wow, they are really bad at details. They said you were more into sports and stuff.”
You really shouldn’t find the confused pout on her face endearing, you don’t know her and she was kind of rude to start off with, but you really can’t help it.
“They were wrong. I hate all forms of exercise. What’s your favorite book? Do you even have a favorite? Because let me tell you I have a really hard time choosing I mean there’s just so many good ones how do you even narrow it down to one, or five! I have more like a top fifty.”
She’s not your date and someone is probably waiting on her and thinking about what an asshole she must be to have stood them up. And you don’t want someone to think she’s an asshole because despite your first impression, you think maybe she’s more than that. But she’s here and she’s attractive and her idea of a first date sounds just about perfect, so really you can’t be blamed for wanting to know more. Plus the half amused, half disbelieving smile she’s giving you is turning your insides to mush.
“I don’t think I could narrow it down to just one either. But I can narrow it down to one author, does that count?”
“Sure. Which author?”
“Camus. Are you familiar with his works?”
“Oh yea! Totally. Not in the original French but I’ve read The Stranger and a few of his collection of essays. What do you like most about his writing?”
“Uhm...sorry cupcake, I’m kind of thrown for a loop here. It’s kind of crazy I only showed up to fulfill a favor and I was prepared to sit here and sulk into my pot stickers because we wouldn’t have anything in common. I’m really glad that’s not the case.”
“Yea...so am I.”
You think again how you should be upfront with her but then the waitress comes back with the food she ordered and you get distracted when she offers you a mozzarella stick and starts talking about Camus again.
The more you talk over shared appetizers the more you realize she’s interesting and funny and incredibly knowledgeable. You wish that you were her intended date because you’re really enjoying yourself and at this point she’s probably going to be pissed when you get the nerve to reveal the truth. She said she was on this blind date as a favor, so now her friend will probably be upset with her too. You’ve really screwed the pooch on this one. You should have just been honest from the start.
But then you wouldn’t have gotten to talk to her and you would have just left thinking she was some rude girl that couldn’t even be bothered to find her intended date. You wouldn’t know that she likes to stargaze and that her favorite animal is the black panther. You wouldn’t know what her laugh sounds like, or seen the twinkle in her eyes when she teases you for liking all that nerdy pop culture stuff.
“Hey”, she cuts you off in the middle of a very impassioned rant about Hufflepuff being the best Harry Potter house.
“Yea?”
“I’m really glad that Laf made me come on this date. Despite my initial reluctance I’m having an unexpectedly good time with you cupcake.”
You would be lying if you said your heart didn’t swell a little bit at her quiet words and her shy smile. But then her friend’s name registers in your head.
“LaFontaine?!”
“Uh, yea?”
“I-uh-I’ve just never called them Laf. Sorry, would you excuse me for one second?” you say as you get up clutching your phone in your hand and backing away from the table.
“Sure...is everything alright?” she looks confused and a little bit startled at your sudden change in demeanor.
“Everything is great! Super. I just need to use the restroom. Be right back.”
You all but run to the restroom as she stares at you with a frown on her face. As soon as you lock yourself in a stall you pull out your phone and call the only person that can help you.
“Laf! Omigosh I’ve made a huge mess of everything!”
“Whoa, calm down frosh. Did you blow it with Danny?”
“What? No! I’m with...Oh god I still don’t even know her name! Laf this is bad. I really, really like her and she thinks that I’m someone I’m not and I should have told her the truth but she’s so pretty and she said that I was pretty and Danny stood me up and at first she was kind of rude but then we talked and she loves books and stars and her laugh is so nice and...and, what do I do?”
“Ok….I have no idea what you’re talking about and you’re making less sense than usual.”
“Your friend! The one you set up on the blind date? Brown hair, great eyebrows, gorgeous. She thinks I’m her blind date and we’ve just been eating and talking and she’s so great and how could you have set her up with someone that doesn’t even like books?! She loves books!”
There’s thirty seconds of silence on the line and you think maybe the call dropped but then LaFontaine starts cackling like a crazy person and you slump onto the closed toilet lid.
“It’s really more mortifying than hilarious.”
“Oh my god this is priceless! Carmilla thinks she’s on a blind date with Ell but really she’s been out with you the whole time! Oh god I’m going to pee myself.”
“Her name is Carmilla?”
That’s a nice name you think. It suits her somehow.
“Oh wow, you’ve got it bad. How did you make that sound so sappy and dreamy?”
“What? No I- how do you even- what do I do? Laf she think I’m some other girl!”
“Ok well, just tell her the truth. Where are you right now anyway?”
“Hiding in a bathroom stall.”
“Laura, come on. This is totally not a bad thing. If she’s still there and you guys have been talking it means she likes you. It sounds like you’ve really hit it off. Just tell her the truth and it’ll be fine.”
“But she thinks I’m this Ell person that doesn’t even like books and plays sports and I’m not her.”
“Look Ell is in my bio class and she’d seen Carmilla around and she’s been bugging me to set them up for a while now. I owed her a favor for covering one of my labs so I figured what the hell and Carmilla owes me a favor so I made her go. She’s not exactly a people person so I figured she would be rude and Ell wouldn’t like her anyway or maybe they would hook up once and that would be that. She didn’t have to stay, that was all you.”
“But what about Ell?”
“Eh, she’s kind of a snob anyway. She’ll figure Carmilla stood her up or I’ll just owe her another favor, no big deal. But seriously, if you like her and she likes you then you should just tell her who you are. And get back to the table before she thinks you ditched her or something.”
“Ohmigosh I’ve been gone forever. Ok, ok Laf, thanks.”
“Go get her tiger.”
You pat some water on your face before stepping back out into the restaurant and give yourself a little mental pep talk. If Laf doesn’t think it’s a big deal then it should be fine. They know Carmilla best. You’ll just tell her the truth and then you’ll carry on like you had been because you like her and hopefully she likes you too.
As you get closer to the table you see that she’s frowning at your empty seat and you feel your stomach twist into knots, but you’re hoping everything is going to go well. That hope goes out the window when you get to the booth and see that your seat is occupied by a blonde girl with blue eyes who turns to look up at you when you stop next to the table.
“Uhm, I’m sorry but you’re in my seat.”
You wish the way you said that hadn’t made it sound like a question, but it causes Carmilla to look up at you too.
“Actually I think you’re the one that has been in my seat.”
Before you can ask her who she is and what she’s talking about, Carmilla addresses you in a flat voice.
“This is Ell. My date.”
“Oh.”
You feel your stomach bottom out and your heart is in your throat. You were going to tell her the truth but now there’s no way you can salvage a relationship with her. She knows you lied and misled her and she didn’t even get to hear it from you.
Carmilla looks at you and it breaks your heart that she doesn’t look angry, just sad and confused. Defeated maybe. You hope she can see how sorry you are but you figure there’s nothing left for you here so you grab your bag and with one final look at her you turn to leave. You feel tears prickle at the corners of your eyes as you leave and you tell yourself you won’t cry until you get home but your blurred vision tells you that you’re failing at that too.
“Hey, wait!”
As soon as you step outside you feel her, Carmilla, grab your arm to stop you but you can’t look at her. You don’t want to make an even bigger fool of yourself.
“I think you owe me an explanation at least. Why didn’t you tell me I had the wrong girl? Why did you lie?”
“Carm…”
“You know my name?”
“I called Laf when I was in the bathroom. I’m friends with them too.”
She seems surprised, and even more confused.
“I’m afraid you have me at a disadvantage yet again cutie.”
“Laura. Is my name.”
“Laura.”
She tests your name out on her tongue and you like the way it sounds coming from her. Much better than Ell. The girl that doesn’t even like books. Who only wanted to go out with her based on her appearance. You like Carmilla for the things you learned about her sitting in that corner booth. Too late for that now though.
“Why did you lie, Laura?”
“I didn’t mean to. I was supposed to be on a date with someone but she cancelled and I don’t even know if she thought it was a date. I was going to tell you the truth, really. There were lots of times I was going to tell you. But then you were obnoxious so I wanted to know why you thought you could be rude to your date, and another time you said I was attractive, and then another time you smiled at me, then I found out you love books, and the waitress brought the food, then we got to talk about, god, everything and you’re….I can’t describe you. But I wanted to stay and I wanted to talk to you and I just didn’t know how to tell you because it had been the best date of my life and it wasn’t even supposed to be mine.”
So much for not crying until you got home. It’s not just a few tears at the corners of your eyes anymore. Now there are tears running down your face and you’re sniffling and trying not to look at Carmilla.
She’s still holding onto your arm so when she gives it a firm tug you fall right into her and her lips descend on yours. Carmilla is kissing you and you’re kissing her back and your tears and snot are probably all over her face but you don’t care because she’s kissing you and it’s just the best thing.
When she pulls back you can’t help the sound of displeasure that falls from your lips but Carmilla smiles and rests her forehead against yours. You stare into her eyes and she doesn’t look sad anymore.
“I’m really glad I got the wrong blind date. How about we go to that used book store after all? I can’t wait to set up a second date with you Laura.”
You laugh and lean in to kiss her again.
You’re going to have to tell Danny you’re not available for pie.