A Blind Date Adventure

Glen was still nursing the sting of his argument with Emily as he drove his silver Ford Focus home through the rainslick streets of London. The divorce from his wife had left him raw, and his flirtation with Emily, a colleague, was anything but calm. She was temperamental, always finding a reason to spark a fight.

I could have let this fester, but Emilys whims have worn me thin, he thought, the traffic lights blinking red against the grey sky. Arguing in private would have been easier; here shes shouting in the office while the rest of the team snickers. They all stare, puzzled at what I see in her. Good thing I deleted her number.

That night, after a halfhearted dinner, Glen sank onto the sofa, his eyes flicking between his phone and the muted television. A hollow feeling settled in his chest.

Cressida was asleep when her phone buzzed. It was an unknown number, but she answered halfasleep, voice still thick with dreams.

Hello

A strangers male voice crackled through the speaker. Hey, are you still angry?

Cressida blinked, still half in the world of sleep. No, she said, realizing the voice wasnt hers to recognize.

Thats my fault. I snapped, Im sorry. Making a scene in front of everyone was ugly, and I was hurt too. I even deleted your contact, but I cant forget a face. Let me come over.

What now? She glanced at the clockone a.m.

She wanted nothing more than to go back under the covers, to tell the man hed dialed the wrong number. It would have taken time to explain, and she was too tired.

Come, she said, hanging up.

A fleeting smile crossed her mind, a thought that maybe hed bumble on to his own girlfriend. Then she slipped back into sleep.

In the morning, Cressida finished her coffee, washed the mug, and tucked it away when her phone rang again.

Oh God, whos this early? Ive got a meeting She recognized the numberexactly the one from the night before.

Hey, the same voice said.

Hey, she replied.

Last night my girlfriend slammed the door in my face, he announced cheerfully.

And youre not upset? she asked, the two of them suddenly on a firstname basis.

Right, but now you, as a decent lady, owe me some moral compensation, he joked.

Cressida burst out laughing, then paused. Me? What does that even mean? I should’ve remembered the number properly.

Why didnt you tell me straight away Id got the wrong person? he asked.

Because I wanted to sleep. Polite folk dont ring their girlfriends at night.

Fine, Ill agree, but you owe me a date.

Thats a bit much, she retorted, halfdreaming.

Why not? We met by chance in the dark, didnt we?

We never actually met, she said, baffled.

Then Im Glen. And yours?

Cressida, she answered automatically.

Lovely name, I love it. How about we meet at the Fortune café at six this evening? he suggested.

My word, you havent even seen me and youre already arranging a meetup I feel like an old hag, a sort of witch, she scoffed.

You sound young and beautiful from your voice, Glen laughed. Im in my prime too. Im actually a bit of a clairvoyant, I see everything I already like you.

Cressida laughed, genuinely this time.

Then why ask my name?

Even seers slip up. So, the date? Ill be at Fortune.

Im not interested, youre far too cocky, she snapped.

Im not begging, but I strongly recommend it. Youve got the whole evening free, he replied before the line went dead.

Cressida drove to the office, the citys bustle a blur of paperwork and preaudit panic. She was thirtythree, two years out of a marriage that never produced a childher ex had never wanted one, and shed finally accepted his coldness. When her younger sister arrived with twin boys, her husband fled, returning later in a fury.

I cant stand the noise, the screamingtheyre everywhere. Tell your sister not to visit when Im home, he had shouted.

The divorce came swiftly, both parties relieved. The office gave Cressida no chance to linger on Glens early call; she barely registered the encounter. Blind dates weren’t her sort of thing.

Cressida, bring me that file you showed me yesterday, her boss barked, peering over his shoulder as he entered the meeting room. Im beginning to doubt something

Her reputation as a reliable analyst meant her boss piled on more work, promising a generous bonus. Some female colleagues muttered enviously.

Whats she pulling off that makes our bossBoris, they call himpush those documents on her? Were not stupid theyll even hand out bonuses, they whispered.

Rita, the most vocal critic, complained, and Tim, the offices unofficial sage, replied, Jealousy is a nasty thing, Rita. You cant calculate everything without error. Our boss sees right through us.

The day finally ended. Cressida exhaled, feeling oddly productive, and slipped into her car. On a whim she turned into the side street where Fortune stood, parking beside the curb without getting out.

She watched people drift past the café, then saw a young man near the entrance clutching a bouquet of white roses, halfturned as if waiting for someone to appear on the pavement.

He turned fully toward her, eyes widening. Its Glenmy first love! she gasped, halflaughing, halfteary.

From school, Glen had been a popular eleventhgrader, while Cressida was in Year 9. Hed been surrounded by admirers and friends, and though many girls fancied him, he never noticed her because she was younger. Hed hung out with Lily, the snobbish daughter of the town mayor, who bullied others with her privileged air.

Now, standing in the rainkissed evening, Glens head swiveled, as if waiting for someone else, nerves evident. Cressida stepped out of the car, walking toward the café. The moment Glen saw her, his smile widened.

I wasnt wrong, he thought. Shes exactly who I imagined.

He approached, extending the roses.

For you, Cressida.

How do you know its me? And that I love white roses?

I pictured you exactly like this. Its odd, but you remind me of someone, she replied, giggling. And the rosesintuition. I never doubted, chose white straight away.

You remind me of a girl from school, a volleyball star. I remember your serves, the way youd barely miss the net. You were tinywell, youngbut I admired you. Youve grown into a stunning woman, long and lithe legs, I recall from the courts, Glen said, clearly recalling every detail.

They lingered in the café until the night deepened, then drove off in separate cars, promising to meet again the next evening. Their encounters grew steady, conversations blooming, regret over lost years softening into laughter.

Six months later they married, and a year after that a healthy daughter arrived, followed by a son. They often recalled those school days, the accidental midnight call that sparked a destiny. It was a blind meeting, yet they had known each other long agolife had simply scattered them, and fate had finally reunited them.