"So what are you up to this weekend?" Said Sophie.

It was closing time at the café. After a busy week we were both keen on some time off. Autumn had fully arrived, no more heat distortion from the late traces of summer. It was officially cozy season, which meant that customers would be pouring in all hours of the day demanding hot beverages until we were truly out.

"Not much really, my roommate has got a gig. Her band is playing at some retro restaurant downtown."

"Really, how cool."

"You think so?"

"Mhm." Sophie nods, resting her chin on the mop she had used to swipe across the café. "Francesca has got a lovely voice doesn't she?"

"She does." I agree. "Although I'm not sure it is used to its full potential, her band usually shouts more than they sing."

Sophie laughs. "I would love to come, which time does she go on?"

"I'm not sure, but perhaps we could go together?"

"I'd love to," Sophie smiles. She looks fairly young for her age. She is thirty-eight but looks like she's still in her mid twenties like myself. Her boyfriend recently left her for a job abroad. They figured that a long distance relationship was too much of an ask and therefore decided to split on mutual terms. Except for tending the café, Sophie was taking care of her mother who struggled with epeleptic disease.

"Of course I would. To tell you the truth, Francesca is setting me up with someone, he is going to meet me at the restaurant. "

"A blind date, how exciting." We took a seat around one of the empty tables, forgetting the closing of the café completely.

"I'm scared out of my mind to be honest. What should I wear, how should I act? What If I don't even like the guy, should I just leave mid date?"

"Don't worry." Sophie said, tossing her auburn hair over her shoulder. "You'll have me, I'll help you out if something goes wrong. If you need to hide I'll help hide you and If you have to run, I'll run out with you."

Her words make me laugh and the company is comforting. We agreed to meet up an hour before the date, this way Sophie can come to the apartment and help me pick out an outfit not too extravagant but not too concealing either, after all, my goal is to enjoy myself. I deserve to after my fiasco with Francesco, whom I never hope to run into ever again.

*******

Saturday night came around and I was trying on my fifth outfit. The doorbell rang and I had to let Sophie in.

"Wow." I gasped. "You look stunning."

"I do?" Sophie said shyly, twirling her heels against the door mat. I had never seen her like this before. Her long hair that she usually tied up in a knot ran smoothly down her shoulders, the red color resembling fire as she stood under the light. Her lips were painted dark brown, a sensual look, complimenting her sparkling party dress hidden underneath her coat.

"Are you sure I'm not showing too much cleavage?" She bends forth, letting the coat spill out the openness at the front of her dress.

I shook my head. "Not at all. I'm sure one of Francesca's friends will try to pick you up. Did I tell you about them?"

"Middle aged bikers?" Sophie turns to the mirror and checks her makeup.

"Yeah, exactly."

"Great, just my type." She jokes and we laugh.

After trying on yet another outfit I am left torn between wearing a party dress like Sophies or wearing a skirt and a jean jacket. "I want to look fashionably casual." I tell Sophie.

"Why?" She frowned. "It's Saturday, why not go all out?"

"Well I don't want to look like I'm trying too hard."

"Ouch." Sophie said, offended.

"I didn't mean it like that, you look great. It's just..." I hold my tongue.

"What?" Sophie tilts her head curiously.

"It's nothing, it's just this guy."

"Your date?"

"No, another guy." I close my eyes to say.

"Where's the wine glasses?" Sophie jolts. "Tell me all about him." She ushers me towards the living room, I sit down whilst Sophie dives towards the kitchen. She returns with a half empty bottle of red wine and two wine glasses. I decline when she offers to pour me one, that doesn't stop her from filling up her own glass.

"He is probably gonna be at the gig tonight." I sigh.

"How do you know?"

"We have mutual friends." I lied.

"Were you and this guy dating?

"No. It got complicated, a mistake you can call him."

"Mr. Mistake." Sophie nods. "Well we all have those." She raises her glass in salute.

"Don't get me wrong Sophie, I'm still up for a good time with you and Francesca, I just don't want to give the guy any wrong ideas."

"What kind of ideas would that be?"

"Well..." I realise how silly I sound. "I just don't want him to think that I'm stalking him or something."

"Stalk him how?" Sophie frowns.

I am really beginning to sound silly. I bow my head in shame, but Sophie is quick to raise my chin. "Hey, look at me." She said, her eyes sparkling with kindness. "You have a gorgeous blind date waiting for you, don't you?"

"Well, we don't know if he's gorgeous yet." I grin.

"Let's find out then. I don't know about you but I'm not letting any thoughts of my ex stop me from having a good time tonight."

"You're right." I said, rising to my feet.

"I know I am. That's why I say you should go for the party dress instead of the skirt."

I imagined how good I'd look in that party dress. "I say you're right."

"Alright, let's get you in that dress and head out."

Like the last gig Francesca invited me to, I'd say that the crowded restaurant resembled another bikers circus. A sea of pierced leather jackets.

I turn to Sophie as we leave our coats with the host by the door. "I am starting to believe Seasmus is in a gang." I said. "Perhaps Francesca has joined him?"

"I dunno, I kind of like the vibe." Sophie said, gesturing vigorously with her hands.

"What vibe?" I chuckled.

"You know, the bad boy kind of vibe."

Her words left me rolling my eyes. I sigh, "Let's find a table shall we?"

We get a booth close to the centered stage, however once Francesca and her band goes up to play their set, people are gonna wanna hit the floor and our view would be compromised.

"Should we order something to drink?" Sophie asked.

"Sure, let me just get my wallet."

I bent down to dig through my purse when a giant shadow stopped at our table. I look up. A giant man with broad shoulders and a deep frown across his forehead, hovered over us.

"Seamus." I said. Looking over to Sophie I could tell she was slightly frightened by the man. "This is Seamus, Francesca's boyfriend. I've told you about him."

Tilting her head, Sophie is met by Seamus piercing eyes, but if she looked closely beyond the frightful stare she would see that his thin lips were shaped into a welcoming smile.

"She's in the back." His deep voice uttered short, before leaving us be, taking his giant shadow along with him.

"Wow." Sophie exhaled. "He is..."

"Fran likes men of action, not of words." I joke.

"And she likes them big."

I chuckle as I return to my bag, but before I manage to fish out my wallet, another shadow appears at our table, although not equally as big as Seamus.

"Maya?"

Looking up, I am met by a pair of hazel eyes, shielded between a pair of Ray-Ban glasses.

"Yes?" I said.

"I'm Devon. Francesca told me that you wanted to meet me here. I saw you just talking to that man so I thought..."

My mouth fell slightly open in surprise. Across from me Sohpie squeals.

"You're my blind date?" I realized too late how rude I came off.

"You sound disappointed?" Devon played it off coolly, smiling in return.

"No...no not at all." I said, collecting myself. Don't get me wrong Devon was a handsome man. His skin was dark and his jaw linair, but judging by the type of men Francesca likes I thought I'd be paired with a middle aged man named Phillip or Frank, not a scholar named Devon.

"I just forgot that I was supposed to meet someone here."

"I was equally as surprised to get an invite to meet you here. I told Francesca that you've never even looked my way in the graphic design class we attend together."

"Graphic design?" I frown, trying to put a face to the familiar name.

"My point exactly." Devon laughs. His eyes sparkled behind his glasses and for a moment I found myself lost in them.

"Why don't you have my seat Devon." Sophie said, rising to her feet. I give her a protesting look. "Don't worry." She whispers. "I'll be right back with some drinks, on me of course."

I shake my head in disbelief, watching Sophie make her way over to the bar. Devon doesn't notice when he slides into the seat across from me. His hands rest flat on the table separating us.

"I must admit that I was a little nervous coming here tonight."

"You were?" I frown. "How come?"

"Well, I've always liked you, but I've never had the courage to speak to you during class."

"Speaking during class, that would be inappropriate, don't you think?" I said flirtatiously.

"It would, wouldn't it?" I can tell that Devon relaxes a little and as his shoulders drop I take notice of how his nose wrinkles when he smiles. It's cute.

"Look who I found." Shopie returns to the table, interrupting my little acquaintance with Devon. In her hands she carries two large pints of beer and before I could ask her where my drink was, my eyes turned to the person seen coming up behind her.

"You never told me Francesca had a brother." Sophie said, handing Devon his pint. He makes some room for her to sit, however she turns to Francesco who also carries two pints.

"If it hadn't been for Francesco here, I wouldn't have known to order you ginger beer."

In silence Francesco handed me my drink. His green eyes had a new shade of green, darker, speaking a language that I couldn't understand. Either that or they had changed since I last saw him. I stop breathing when he squeezes in beside me. Sophie sits with Devon.

"Francesco told me you guys went to Fran's other gig not too long ago. How come you've never told me about him?"

I looked at Devon who looked slightly out of place, then to Francesco who now sat comfortably beside me, it was all just a joke to him.

"I thought he would be long gone by now." I said coolly, not letting any of my panicking emotion show. "He is only here visiting his sister, isn't that right Francesco?" My lips are curled into my angriest smile as I turn to face him. A peculiar grin shapes his lips, as if he found pleasure in this awkward situation.

"Actually I'm here to stay." He said, patting my thigh without subtlety.

"Stay." I frown, not managing to mask my emotions.

"My sister's boyfriend got me a job."

"What kind of job?" I said angrily, forgetting the rest of the company around the table.

"I'm the band's photographer and roadman now."

"You're a photographer." Sophie said, impressed, obviously enchanted by the handsome man in front of her.

"So you're not leaving?" My face mellowed with the question.

Francesco's eyes slowly traveled to my lips, "Not as long as I'm needed here."