Tabbie had stepped out while I was still taking that bath. Thank heavens because I did not want to revisit what happened earlier today just yet. Or at all. I'm thinking like I'm definitely gonna bump into this guy again. It's a big city, right? What are the chances in a million I'd see him again? And the possibility of seeing him again today could be even greater. Anyway, I got calm enough to get dressed and think about what to pack for lunch before heading to work. Tabbie set up an outfit for me: red boyfriend cardigan with a gray long sleeve blouse, black pleated skirt, matching gray leggings and black leg warmer socks. She even put out a pair of brown ankle high buckled boots and some gold accessories. Really now... It's like she's being my mother or treating me like I'm her Barbie doll. I can't complain though. I would have just slapped on jeans, a tee shirt and sneakers but this is cuter. I made a sandwich and packed it with fruit on the side and I was good to go.

Ever since I met Tabbie, my closets and drawers have been filled with things I never considered before from places I never bothered to step foot in. Or consider the kind of skin and hair care I should be using. I just used whatever was on sale and it seemed good enough to me. When I got my job at Strands, traveling from the Bronx was okay and all, but living with my parents was becoming very stressful with my brother in college now and sometimes bringing his friends home. I needed my own space. I was lucky that a coworker knew someone that was looking to take on a roommate. How she was able to afford the huge apartment we now share was a mystery but I was so grateful. The only stipulation was that she might occasionally have a bone to pick about my sense of fashion,which ended up being all the time. I mean, when we met up for the first time, I dressed like it was a job interview. I wanted to make a good first impression and I was honest when she asked about my wardrobe. But after that, it was like I signed away all of my casual clothing to the Salvation Army. Which, I admit, I had to do in order to revamp my wardrobe. You might be saying "this bitch is crazy to put up with this." But think about the amount of money I just saved by living with a styling assistant. Not only is Tabbie fashion savvy, she's also a smart shopper that's so alert to sales, she knows about them before they're announced. I still have a few raggedy clothes for everyday things like chores and when I really don't care to be noticed but, living la vida broka is not a visual option for me anymore.

After my run in with Mr. Fabulous, I needed to treat myself for surviving what could have been a really bad experience. I headed out and made my way to Starbucks for a Green Tea Frappe because nothing makes me feel better than waiting for whipped antioxidants in a room filled with the smells of freshly brewed bean water. As I'm waiting on line, I see someone waving in the far corner. It's Tabbie with her boss and friend, Kiki Perez. I wave back just as it's my turn to order. Once I get my fluffy iced deliciousness, I walk over to their table to perform the social graces of having been noticed.

"Oh, look at you, chickee!" Kiki looks me over while I stood by their table. "Did my fabulous fashion assistant do this to you again?"

I laugh a little. "Yep. Never a dull moment when it comes to what I wear to work." I take a seat next to her after she pulls a chair up for me.

"So," Tabbie asks, "What happened this morning? You took longer than usual and you looked so spazzed." She sounded really worried, then noticed the bandages I had on my hands. "Oh my god! What happened to your hands?"

I flippantly gesture as if to say that it's nothing. "Just got spooked by a big dog, crashed into someone and fell down. No big deal." I save myself from saying more by drinking my frappe.

"Really? Is that all? Because you're turning red." Kiki was always an eye for details and she had to catch on to my face. Damn you, Asian face. Hide embarrassment better!

Fine... Can't lie to save my ass anyway... "I was halfway through my jog when I was spooked by some ugly dog and crashed into this guy. He helped me up and dragged me back to his place-"

"Wait, what?" Tabbie and Kiki said this in high pitched unison. Then Tabbie said, "You let some stranger drag you to his place? And then what? Did he show you his creepy collection of God's know what?" She's so excited that some random guy grabbed me off the street for all the wrong reasons. It shouldn't have happened at all!

"It was nothing!" I'm flailing my arms in front of me to stop them from asking anymore as I choke on my drink. "He insisted on cleaning my wounds because he felt they were his fault," my voice getting lower and lower, "And then he asked me to breakfast.."

"And you went?!" Kiki is kind of like my city mother since I always see her in Manhattan and she's always been one to care for those she feels need it.

"No!" More internal flailing. "I ran out of his place as fast as I could and came right back home. I know you'd start to worry if I wasn't back in the time I said." I stared at my cup knowing my face is so red right now I couldn't hide it from NASA.

"So," Tabbie said slowly, "Let me get this straight... You fell outside and some random guy drags you back to his place... just to bandage your boo boos?" Leaning closer towards me, she asks in a low, mockish tone, "Was he cute?"

Could red get any redder? "Well,..." Drawing on dramatic pause to try and stop my heart from pounding out my chest, I take as deep a breath as I could before finishing my sentence. "He's... kind of a supermodel..." I gave them a strained sheepish smile.

The girls start squealing like we're in high school and I just got asked out to prom by the captain of the football team. "Shut the fuck up! No way," Tabbie is shaking her head fiercely, "I don't believe you."

"Go on, look him up. He told me his name is Hayden Oda." I feel both energetic and drained. This man is sucking the life out of me and it's not even night yet. It feels like a cosmic joke only it's not. I hope it's not...

They hop onto their phones and quickly Googled this guy up. The slow gawks on their faces show how real the shit just got. "Girrrrrl, do you know how lucky you are," Kiki said as she places a hand on my arm, "To have been blessed by this gift from the gods? No one gets so up close and personal with him. That's how hot he is. He's never caught outside a photo shoot or Fashion Week."

"Or his charity work. He always does those big charity dinners for various children's causes," Tabbie's matter of fact tone matched her true story pose.

"Well, he was the one I crashed into on the street," I said defensively. "Everything would have been normal if he ignored me like a normal New Yorker."

"But he's not!" Kiki gasped. "It's been said he's always lived in, like, Japan or England. That's where his parents are from. I didn't know he was living here and I'm usually the one that would know. Did you get his number? What's his place like?" Why am I suddenly getting the fifth degree?

"Did he try to do anything to you besides bandage you up?" Tabbie started taking on that tone she gets whenever a guy comes into my life. Like I'm suddenly a unicorn come with the juiciest of gossip. I might as well be so in this instance.

I take a long drag from my cup. "No, I don't really remember since I was more concerned about getting outta dodge, and absolutely not!" I said that a little too loudly and took a deep breath to calm down. "He was really nice and polite and insisted on doing what he did. He wanted to take me out to apologize for dragging me to his place." I look at my phone and stood up. "Oh crap, I gotta go or I'll be late for work." Saying a quick goodbye, I make my way out the door, leaving pleading questions for more details behind me.

It's busy today, but everyday is busy. It's a big book store in a major part of the city that's always managed to hold its own against Barnes & Nobles across the way. Everyday, someone is in need of a book and sometimes that book can't be found at a big time, multi-chain store. Today, I'm doing general customer service and inventory. I'm going over the list my manager gave me to see what we need more of on the shelves towards the back wall when, about half way done, a coworker reminded me that my break was coming up. As if my stomach didn't let me know already. I barely ate after my run in with that guy, Hayden. I didn't believe him when he said he was a supermodel but I'll be damned if I wasn't going to check his story out. I mean, yeah, you're fucking hot as hell, but you could just be saying you're a supermodel to get chicks into bed with you. Gotta play it safe these days. Doesn't help that mom is always worried about me since my move, but moms are like that. So glad I didn't check while I was in the tub, though, or my phone would have hit that water so fast. A real life, internationally known supermodel pulled me up from the streets (a complete stranger covered in dirt, sweat and blood) and took me to his place to tend to my wounds. If that wasn't a modern fairy tale moment, I don't know what is. I must have been living under a rock in the deepest hole not to have seen him before. How?! I'll tell you how. Because that hole was so deep, fashion could reach the end of a black hole and I still wouldn't know what a Gucci bag looked like if it slapped me in the face out front of Bloomingdale's.

But, that was this morning. I'm really hoping to put all that behind me and just move on. I admit it. I screwed up royally with even the possibility of friending an ultra hot male model. I mean, for all I know, he could be gay or pansexual. Or hell, just naturally sultry (is that even a thing?). He was European, after all. If he's French, well... Deep breath, girl. Come back to planet Earth. New York City is filled with millions of people. The possibility of me bumping into him again is minuscule at best. I'm finishing up with the Van Gogh section when I spin around to take my break and crash into someone. "Oh! I'm so sorry!" My face went right into some really nice gray coat right then and my vision blurred a bit from the shock.

"Don't be," said a deliciously familiar voice. "I was hoping you'd bump into me again." That gentle voice put me on edge and made my heart jump hoops.

I take a deep breath, blinked a few times and there was that intoxicating scent. Hayden Oda, quite possibly the hottest guy I could ever have interacted with, was standing in front of me and so close! Dressed like Burberry and Marc Jacobs had a baby, his heat was radiating and it felt like a safe place to just snuggle up into... Get it together, girl! I snap back to reality and try to shake it all off. "Oh, uh, hi... I, uh... " Good job, self. I start walking off to make my getaway. "I didn't expect to see you after what happened." I'm trying not to walk too fast and act like my hair is getting in the way. Still talking, more rapidly now, "You must think me a super flake for what I did before and-"

His footsteps followed me and grabbed my arm gently to stop me from speeding further away. "Listen, I didn't mean to make things so awkward between us. Please, allow me to apologize by taking you to lunch."

I try to get him to let go by trying to turn down his offer. "I-I-I can't. I, uh,... I, uh..." I see John, my manager, looking over at me with concern. I mouth "It's okay" to let him know he's not causing me trouble. "Well," I said, shifting my weight a little nervously, "I am going on break right now, but I already brought lunch."

Smiling, Hayden said, "So did I." He lifts up a large brown paper shopping bag. Is that soy sauce I smell? "I would be honored if you would allow me to take you out on a picnic date." He bows as if he were a knight being graced by a princess. Oh my god, tone down the hotness! My manager can see it all play out and lipped out the words "What is going on?" I responded with what felt like the kind of expression a deer in headlights would make and made off to get my things.

When I came out, Hayden was near the exit, waiting patiently and being ogled by females and males at every turn. John stops me before we're in ear shot of my date. "Is everything okay, Alice? Was that guy bothering you?" Alice is his nickname for me when I started working here. He thought it was appropriate since I always seem lost when someone brings up fashion. John's not a fighter, but he'll defend his people tooth and nail like the big brother I never had. "Do you want me to tell him to leave you alone?"

"No," I said as I put my hat on and fix my scarf. "It's okay. He's a friend. Just surprised me is all. I'll be back. Promise." John gave me a skeptical look but nodded in agreement. I flashed him my phone to show he could always text me if he was that worried. "It's just lunch." John still had that look of worry on his face. "You'll be the first one I call if anything happens." Hayden holds out his arm for me to take and I hesitantly take it. Am I being swept off my feet or is he just being a gentleman?

Spring may be around the corner but it could hurry up just a little bit. My Liz Claiborne coat is warm enough when paired with the hat, scarf and mittens I made but knowing that Winter still lingers doesn't make them any warmer. We manage to find a nice sun patch with a bench and table under it at the park in Union Square. There's a fair bit of people around on their lunch break or just enjoying this weather. The farmer's market is in full swing too. I have to remember to pick up some stuff for the house...

Hayden begins taking out container after container of steaming wonderful. The smells are amazing! My stomach shares in this thought by making a public announcement. How embarrassing! I can feel my face turn red as he looks at me with a chuckle. He hands me a container of steaming rice and takeout bamboo chopsticks. When the other containers are opened, it was like a dim sum palace came to me. So many dumplings and rolls and delicious awesomeness came right from Chinatown. Whatever fears I may have had are gone now because he brought me a peace offering worthy of any war.

"If you're wondering, yes, I did go to Chinatown to get all of this," Hayden said as he reached over to open my container of rice to serve me. "Fresh from this little place on the corner across from the visitors center."

"Oh, I know that place! My family used to go there whenever we had to make a grocery run." Food! Oh my god, shut up and eat, said my stomach. But I can't go scarfing down food when I'm technically someone's guest. I take one of the dim sums he gave me and savor it. Had I been by myself, I'd be shoving food in my face and not care who saw me. Unfortunately, I have to have a care.

He chuckles. "It was one of the first places I ate at when I came here to work. It was also the cheapest." He popped a dumpling into his mouth. Does he have to look hot while eating too? I swear, someone took a magic wand and turned my life into a Shojo. Seriously. I'm that dork girl that has the attention of the hottest guy in the universe. All I need now is the jealous ex-girlfriend and the cast is complete. I broke out of my train of thought when he continued his story. "I ate there all the time. So much so, that I got to know the owner and he would give me extra food whenever I came by close to closing. Really nice guy." He looked at me with concern. "Aren't you hungry? You're not eating." He took a har gow and indicated for me to open my mouth and eat it from his chopsticks. What?! Clearly he's never heard of cooties. Or germs. I think the normal response would have been to complain or wave off the gesture, but I was so hungry and it would be a sin to waste food so... I just ate it. "That's better," Hayden said with a satisfied smile. "You look so much better."

I rested my hands on the table while still holding my container of rice and chopsticks. "I'm sorry I'm acting like such a spaz. It's just that..." I can feel my face flush a little. Why must I suck at this so much? "It's just that..."

"You've never been out on a lunch date with a supermodel before?" Said supermodel smiled a charming smile worthy of any photo shoot.

"Actually..."

"Wait," he said, pointing his chopsticks at me. "You mean..." I nodded. "You've never been out on any date before?" I nod again. "No way," he said, placing his rice and chopsticks down and bringing out a thermos and two cups. "I don't believe you. You, an attractive young woman, could find a date anywhere."

I laugh a little sardonically. "Don't let the clothes fool you. My roommate is a styling assistant so she usually picks out my clothes when I have to go somewhere." I look off to the distance feeling somewhat ashamed now. Thanks for letting me grow up a tomboy, parental units. "The only reason I can dress like this is because I agreed to it. Otherwise, I'd still be home with my parents wearing jeans and tee shirts the rest of my life. And I never found a date because... Because I never went looking." Oh, I feel so stupid sitting here! "And besides, this is just lunch right? It's never gonna happen again."

Hayden looked a little hurt as he poured me a cup of tea. "Do you mean to say you don't want to have lunch with me again?"

Oh crap, really?!?! He's serious! "You're joking... Aren't you..."

"I'm being completely serious." He passes me the cup of hot tea. "As serious as I was when I bandaged your wounds this morning."

"But, I was a total flake! I'm still a total flake... A hungry... Total... Flake..." I ate another dumpling because I didn't know what else to say... and I was still hungry.

Hayden smiled and started to laugh. It was a refreshing kind of laugh, but I wasn't sure if he was laughing at me or the situation or both. He managed to calm himself and see the mixed expressions on my face. "I'm sorry," he said as he reached for my hand and held it in his gentle grasp. "I mean no offense whatsoever."

"Didn't feel like that," I muttered bluntly. That really hurt and felt like he was making fun of me. I try to take my hand from him, but he held onto it.

"You have to believe me when I say I wasn't laughing at you or at anything about you." Now he's holding my hand in both of his. His skin is so amazingly soft and his hands are so warm, I want to hold them in mine. But I'm still so mixed up with what's happening right now. "Please understand that, when I was laughing, it was because I have only ever met girls that have been in so many relationships that I could almost predict what they were going to do next." I blinked at him in disbelief. "Truly. It's the price one pays, socially, for becoming famous. It's why society hasn't seen me outside anything fashion related. I feel like it's a waste of time to look for genuine in a sea of, for lack of a better word, posers."

At that I had to giggle. "Because all models are posers?" We both start laughing and I start to feel better. I sip some tea and the warmth is refreshing. "I'm so glad. You'd think that, having been in this city, I'd have some dating experience. But all I've ever known was getting good grades and landing a job. Technically, I was going for a good paying job but, beggars can't be choosers sometimes. And, I just never bothered to think about dating."

Hayden patted my hand and let it go to resume eating. The heat was leaving my skin too fast. I wish I could hold onto it just a little longer. "Ah, the Asian parent mentality. Well, since our little run in, it's been quite refreshing to meet a girl that's a clean slate and wonderful to talk to." Oh crap, is that his smolder look? His soft smile is amazing and I could get lost in those eyes. The fringes hanging off sway gently in the breeze and it's like those tender moments you see in movies. I'm captivated enough to let this moment last a little longer.

But, before I could say anything, I saw the time. Five minutes till my break is over. "Oh shit!" I stood up super fast and blood rushed to my head, sending me into a dizzying whirlwind and spiraling to the ground. Hayden rushed to my aid and tried to steady me onto my feet. "I have to get back to work." I'm swaying too much and have to lean against him to make the world stop spinning. His steady hands kept me from swaying too much as he guides me back into my seat.

"Here, drink more tea and let me pack this all up. I will walk you back and we can pick up where we left off when you get out of work." Wait, what? "When is your shift over?"

Before I could think about what to say, I blurted out "8 pm."

A big smile spread across his lips. "Fantastic," he said as he finished packing up the leftovers. "I'll pick you up from work and we can continue to talk over dinner. Good?" He held a hand out for me.

I merely nodded in agreement and took the offered hand. Hayden interlocked our fingers and stuck both hands into his coat pocket. I was still a bit dizzy so I leaned into his presence. He didn't seem to mind it at all the whole walk back to work.

John so happened to be outside going over the carts of books we have out there when he saw us. He looked at me and didn't hide the frown on his face. "Is everything okay? You don't look so well."

"She stood up so fast to come back that she had a dizzy spell and almost fell down," Hayden explained matter-of-factly. "She should be just fine but I said I'd come and get her when her shift ended, just to make sure she gets a decent meal in before I take her home." John indicated an "ah" as he sized the model up before going back to what he was doing.

I straightened up after a few deep breaths and faced my lunch date. "Well! This has been really interesting, but you really don't have to come and get me later-"

Hayden rested the bag on the ground and took my face into those soft warm hands of his before I could finish what I was saying. "I want to see you again," he said in a soft, low tone that I can't tell was intimate or just low because only I was meant to hear him. He bent down to where his lips were by my ear and when he spoke, trembles shook my entire body. "I already like saying your name, Allison." He said my name in that sultry come hither kinda tone. Or was it? At least I think that's what it was. Man, do I suck at this dating thing! His breath tingled in my ear. Again, anime, nose bleed, death. Right here. In public. Outside of work for the whole world to see. Oh look... There goes my soul... I'm pretty sure I'm blushing because I'm in no condition to speak. All I do is nod. "Splendid," he said in that low tone. "I'll pick you up at 8," he said, right before giving me a kiss on the cheek. We stand there for a moment longer, caresses the spot he kissed before walking away.

Holy. Fucking. Shit. Did that really just happen? This thought went through my mind over and over as I went back to working inventory. It all seems like a daydream that I woke up from. I never went on that lunch. I was sitting in the back having that sandwich I made. But, the tingling sensation on my cheek was too real to ignore. I touch it for a moment. I don't want John or anyone else to ask what was up. Worse would be if Tabbie and Kiki came in to see how I was doing. I'm pretty sure they're still doing a shoot so they wouldn't be done until I get out, at the very least. I never knew how long photo shoots could go until I helped out on that one editorial Kiki invited me to help on and we didn't get home till 10 'o'clock at night. My feet were throbbing and I think I didn't wake up until the next afternoon. I don't know how they do it!

Anyway, I better let her know I have plans after work so she doesn't worry about me. Oh, but I know she will. One time, we went out to dinner to try this new place that opened in the Village and some guy tried to pick me up. He was half drunk and rude as hell. Just some random guy that bumped into us after he crawled out from one of the nearby bars. Tabitha almost kicked his ass to the curb. Literally! She's one of few that has ever known I've never dated in my entire life. And Kiki knows because, whenever she talks about guys and sex and all things related, it makes me super uncomfortable. Yes, I'm a virgin. I begrudgingly admit that fact. My parents led me on that ultra sheltered road to success. They wouldn't let me date until I got a job. Yeah, you'd think till I got into college but no, it had to be a job. But when I was in college, I was too busy with studies to worry about dating. And then a job as well? Nope. No time for tomfoolery. So when it comes to guys, I'm a total flake. Never mind hot guys. And Hayden is a whole 'nother animal. Just to have someone from the beautiful spectrum even look at me turns me to stone because I don't know if I'm being judged or mocked or stripped by those eyes. Ugh! Tabitha always tells me I look cute and adorable and that I'm very attractive, but all I ever see in the morning is a generic Asian female that was born and raised in America and who's into the occasional video game, books, and food. Fashion won't get you into medical school, but clearly I can't get myself in either so yeah...

I let out a heavy sigh. I'm really over thinking this and have seen way too much TV which makes me paranoid about things out of my control. I just have to take things one hesitant step at a time and see where it leads me. I do have pepper spray my older brother got me when he came back from drill and those few moves he showed me. Moves I haven't practiced in a while... Shaking my head, I manage to snag a moment and give Tabbie a call.

"What?!," hit my ear sharply when I relayed the news of my sudden dinner date. "Are you serious? With Mr. Fabulous? Fuck, what I wouldn't do to be you tonight."

"It's just dinner," I said. Really, what's the big deal?

"Just dinner? Just dinner, Allison?" My roommate sounds like she's on the borderline of hysterics. "You're about to have dinner with one of the world's hottest bachelors and you're saying it's just dinner?" I didn't even know he was internationally known until they told me today. How was I also supposed to know he's also a bachelor? If you told me from the start that he was who he was, I would have either stared in disbelief or said a small greeting then crawled right back under the rock I was hiding under all this time. "No one's been able to see this guy outside a shoot. Hell, no one's seen him eat like a human being, let alone walk outside like a normal person."

"Well,... He kinda took me out to lunch..." I brace myself for impact and grimace as if I was already been hit.

"He did what?!?!" I can hear Kiki in the background acting like something horribly wrong happened and Tabitha goes ahead and tells her. Great. Just great. She had me on speaker and they're now all over my business, asking all sorts of questions related to lunch. "He fed you a dumpling? Shut up!" They're squealing more and aweing at how sweet he was to help me out when I had that dizzy spell. Then I tell them about after work and everything goes silent. Like, the tiniest pin that could possibly fall could be heard for the split second that it lasted. Then the flood of questions came on: when was he picking me up, where were we going, is it just dinner or will there be a movie involved, will I be coming home tonight and if not, I have to parlay all the juicy details whenever I get home. Oh hi, NASA. That super bright red spot you're seeing from space is just me. Me talking about the first real date I'm having with the only two people I'd ever allow embarrass me like this. Do not be alarmed. Continue doing science.

"Don't you guys have a shoot to finish," I deflect in the hopes they drop the subject already.

"Oh, we're on break, chickee," Kiki said, all purrs. "Listen, if you ever need any advice on men, you just hit me up. I can tell you all you need to do if things go past just dinner and mo-"

"Hoo, no! Stop! Stopstopstop! Goodbye!" I hang up and realized what I just said was louder than I meant it to me. I looked around and only Brenda was in the break room at the moment listening to her music loud enough the dead could hear it. Thank you, sweet baby Jesus, for that small blessing. I got enough people catching me in all this hot mess already. I do not need anymore! I trot to the ladies room to wash my face and calm down so I can finish my shift.

I have just under a couple of hours before that ends and my date begins. I take a few deep fortifying breaths and told my inner self to calm the fuck down. All this running about in my head is making me really tired and I need to be aware of myself and my surroundings tonight. I have no idea what's planned for dinner, where we're even going, if it's just going to be dinner or more, where we're even going... I'm sooooooooooooooo not ready for the more part. More deep breaths as I try not to let the internal freaking out out to make Brenda stop her music and ask what's wrong. Come on, blood pressure, calm your tits. When I finally feel calm down enough, I head back out and finish what I can. Whoever said "Expect the unexpected" clearly never met anyone like me and never had a day like this.