Two Hearts

Roger walked through the door wondering what was going to be in store for him this time. As he walked down the hallway, he remembered the first two dates he went on through "Two Hearts Dating Service." The first one, Janice, went horribly wrong. She was not what he was expecting at all, full of piercings and tattoos. The second, Patricia, was so full of herself and consumed with her cell phone that they never had a conversation. He thought that if he would have walked out halfway through dinner, she wouldn't have even noticed.

He opened the door to the office of the service. He sat waiting to see Mrs. Harris, the director of the agency, in the reception area and looked at all the pictures of the happy couples she had matched. He began to wonder why he was here in the first place. Then he remembered how he could never seem to find the right girl for him. They were always the ones that were either a little psycho and would always turn up wherever he went, or they were the kind that would cheat on him just a few weeks into their relationship. He didn't trust himself to find the right one for him, so he took his best friend's advice and signed up at Two Hearts.

The door off of the reception area opened and Mrs. Harris came out to greet Roger. She was an older lady who wore too much jewelry and make-up. With each step toward him her bracelets and necklaces jangled and clanged together. Roger stood up and they shook hands before she took him back to her office.

"Now, I know things have not gone exactly to plan over the last couple of weeks, but I think we have finally found what you are looking for," Mrs. Harris said as they sat down.

"Her name is Cassandra. She is just about your age, in her early-20s. Here is her picture."

She gave the photo to Roger. He looked down and was happy to see it. Cassandra had dark hair and hazel eyes, with a slight tint of green in them. Roger was smiling when he looked back up at Mrs. Harris.

"She is gorgeous," he said. "She has agreed to go out on the date?"

"Yes," Mrs. Harris told him. "In fact, she is awaiting your call. She is looking forward to meeting you. I think we may have found you the right one, Roger."

He took Cassandra's phone number from the receptionist, hurried home and called her. The two agreed on a date that night, with both of them driving to the restaurant and meeting there. Roger was very nervous, and for him that was unusual. He never got nervous before going out on a date, especially with the other two girls from the agency.

He got dressed in jeans and a suit jacket with a nice collared shirt, and headed downtown.

After parking his car, Roger walked through the door of the restaurant and saw Cassandra sitting down by the maitre' d's podium looking at the menu. He remembered her picture and thought that it didn't really do her justice. She was wearing her long hair down, so it cascaded a little past her shoulders, a nice pair of black slacks and a sweater. He also noticed she was wearing a pair of glasses.

"Cassandra?" he said as he walked up to her.

She looked up, smiled at him, said "Roger," and extended her hand. Just then, the hostess came up to them and told them that their table was ready.

When they sat down, Roger kept staring at her. He could tell she noticed it, but was trying to keep her eyes on the menu she was studying.

"I-I-I'm sorry," he stammered, "but the picture you have at the agency is not a good likeness of you."

Cassandra's eyes got wide, as if she were offended. "What do you mean?"

"No, no . . . Don't get me wrong," he tried to recover. "I just meant that you are much prettier in person than in that photo. And you are stunning in the picture."

She started to turn red. "Thanks," she said as she tucked at few strands of hair behind her left ear.

Their waitress came over and took their orders while the two of them started getting to know each other. They discussed what each of them did for a living, how they spent their free time, and why each of them ended up going to the dating service in the first place.

"I just moved here," Cassandra said. "A new city and state, so I know no one. All of the guys at work are so full of themselves that I would never want to date them. And, to be honest, none of them are very attractive. Older, much older."

Roger started laughing as she smiled at him. "That's horrible," he managed to say through it.

"But its true," she said starting to laugh with him. "A couple of them could be old enough to be my grandfather. That's just wrong." She stared at him, smiling. "Your turn. Why did you go to Mrs. Harris?"

He took a deep breath and a sip of his wine. "I can't seem to find the right girl," he said.

"Every girl I go out with is either too shallow, turns out to be a mental case, or sleeps with half of the guys in town. So, my friend talked me into signing up. He said that since he found his present girlfriend through them, he thought they could help me find the right one."

"And have they?"

"So far, no," he said. "But then again, you are the third woman I have met through them and this seems to be going much better than the first two."

"Number three, huh?" she said. "What were the first two like?"

"Horrifying," he said, causing her to laugh.

"What do you mean?"

"The first one," he said before he swallowed a bite of bread, "was full of piercings. Not just a couple here or there. I mean they were everywhere. She looked like a pin cushion."

"It couldn't have been that bad," she said with a giggle.

"You have no idea," he said. "I bet that if she were to board a plane, she would have to spend an hour taking them all out just to walk through the metal detector."

"Oooo, that's bad," she said.

"Yep," he said, nodding. "And the second one was attached to the ear with her cell phone. The damn thing must have rang about twenty times just during dinner."

"No!" she said, smiling widely.

"It's true," he said. "Made me want to throw mine in a lake somewhere."

"I'll bet."

"How about you? How many bad ones have you been on?"

"This is actually my first," she said.

"Really? And how are you liking it so far?"

"Can't complain . . . but will have to reserve judgment for later," she said with a smirk.

They finished their meal and continued to talk about everything. When the waitress came over with the check, Roger paid it, and the two of them got up and left.

"What are your plans for the rest of the evening?" Roger asked as he walked Cassandra to her car.

"Nothing, really," she answered. "Why?"

"Want to go for a ride with me?" he asked tentatively.

"Where would you be taking me?"

"Just for a walk along the beach," he said. "That alright?"

"Sure. Let's go. But, how about I follow you there?"

"That's fine," he said. "Try to keep up," he smirked at her.

They got into their cars and headed off to a small beach at the north end of the city. They parked their cars and walked in the sand, each with their shoes in their hands.

"This beach is not that long, is it?" she asked.

Roger looked around. The beach ended at one end with a cliff, and a few hundred yards down, it curved into the water.

"Yeah, it is short, but it's very nice," he said. "When we get to that little bend over there, you can see right into the city. Very nice view."

"Sounds like you've been here before," she said.

"A few times," he admitted. "I like to come down here to think about things. Clears my head. I love the ocean."

"How many girls have you brought here?"

"Honestly, you are the second," he said. "The first one was way back in high school, so it has been a while." They took a few more steps before he said, "Can I ask you something?"

She nodded. "In your picture that Mrs. Harris gave me, you weren't wearing the glasses. Why?"

"She said I would look better without them," she said.

"She's an idiot," he said to her. "I think you looked great in the picture, but I think I like you more with them than without."

"Thanks."

They walked and talked along the beach, going up and down the same stretch of sand a few times. They lost track of time, and soon the city police were ushering them off of the beach. Roger escorted Cassandra to her car. There they said their good-nites, Roger kissed her cheek, and they left.

Roger wanted to wait a couple of days before calling her, but found that to be too difficult, so he settled for the next night. He dialed her number with those butterflies in his stomach once more. After four rings her answering machine picked up.

"Hi! This is Cassie. I can't get to the phone right now, so leave me a message and I'll call ya back. Bye!"

She heard her machine pick up just as she stepped out of the shower. After she threw her bathrobe on and opened the bathroom door, she heard Roger's voice.

"Hi, Cassandra. This is Roger . . . Er . . . the guy from last night. But I guess you already knew that. Sorry, I never know what to say on these things . . . "

"Hello?" she said as she picked up the phone.

"Hi. I didn't think you were home," he said.

"I just got out of the shower."

"Oh . . . You have another date tonight?" his voice tinged with a little disappointment.

"No, nothing like that," she said. "Just going out with a few of my friends. We have another friend who is getting married soon, so we are going to plan a surprise bridal shower for her."

"Oh, okay," his voice picked back up. "Well, in that case, I was wondering if you would like to go out for lunch tomorrow?"

"A Sunday afternoon date?" she asked slowly.

"Yeah," he said sheepishly. "I thought it was too late to ask about tonight."

"Just a little," she said with a giggle. "Yeah, tomorrow sounds fine. Do you want to meet me somewhere or come pick me up?"

"I'll come get you," he said. "I'll call in the morning for directions. I don't want to make you late for your friends. Is 12:30 a good time to get you?"

"Sounds great. See you then, Roger. Bye."

She hung up the phone with a smile on her face. She liked him, and she had a good time on their first date. She had never been on a date in the afternoon before, so she was looking forward to it.

Roger hung up the phone with his heart pounding in his chest. He had never felt this nervous with a girl before. He knew he made a complete ass of himself on the phone, but it didn't seem to matter to her. Now he had to figure out what they were going to do.

Thinking quickly, he picked the phone up once more and dialed his brother's place of business.

"Hi. Can I speak to Patrick, please? Hey, Pat, it's Roger. No, I'm not going to argue with you about that right now. I need a favor. Come on!! We were kids then . . . Can't you help your baby brother out just this one last time? Thanks, Pat. Here's what I need . . . "

After fifteen minutes, Roger had told his brother everything he wanted and Patrick had agreed.

"Patty, how much is this going to cost me? No, how much? You sure? You're a lifesaver. Can I come pick it up tomorrow about noon? Excellent. See you then."

He hung up the phone and felt proud of himself. He now had a plan and the things that he would need to make a great impression on Cassandra.

Sunday morning came and Roger went out to get some of the things he would need for his date. He showed up outside Cassandra's house at 12:30 p.m., went to the door, and they walked arm in arm to his car. He opened the door for her to get in, and closed it when she was seated, before running over to the driver's side and sliding in.

In the car she could smell the food, but couldn't find it. She looked in the backseat and saw a very large picnic basket sitting on top of a big blanket, and a cooler.

"A Sunday afternoon picnic?" Cassandra asked.

"Yeah," Roger replied. "I figured it is such a nice day, it would be fun to just sit on a blanket in the park with something nice to eat, and talk some more. Sound good to you?"

She nodded and they drove a short way to the nearest state park. It overlooked the ocean, and you could see the city from the top of the hill that they decided to lay the blanket out on, right under a large oak tree. Roger opened the basket and set a couple of plates out for them. The smell of the food filled the air around them. He pulled out a plate of fried chicken, some mashed potatoes, mixed veggies, and a couple of pieces of chocolate cake.

Next he opened the cooler and brought out a bottle of wine and two glasses.

"Wow. Looks like you come prepared," she said with a large smile.

"Just want to make a good impression," Roger said.

"You did that Friday night, but this just made your stock rise a bit more."

He laughed as he popped the cork on the wine. He poured them each a glass, served the food, then they sat back, ate, and got to know each other better. When they had finished everything, Roger put the plates back in the basket, and refilled their glasses with the last of the wine. When he put the empty bottle back into the cooler, he found that Cassandra had slid over a bit so she was nestled into his side. He put his arm around her shoulders as he leaned up against the tree.

"I have to say this is one of the nicest dates I have ever had," she said as she looked out over the water. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, but it couldn't possibly be the nicest. I'm sure there have been better."

"No. This is the apex. Good food, great food and very good company," she said. "I can't believe that you can cook like that."

"Err . . . To tell the truth, I didn't cook all of that," he said slowly. "In fact, I didn't cook any of it. My brother is a chef, and he has his own restaurant in the city. I called him yesterday, told him about you and how I wanted to impress you, then asked if he could help me out. He agreed and all of that was from him."

"He cooked all that today?"

"Just this morning," Roger replied. "I picked it up about a half-hour before I got you."

"Maybe he could give you some lessons," she teased.

"I can hold my own in the kitchen, let me tell you," he defended himself, then as he raised his glass to his mouth, "but he is much better at it."

"Oh, yeah?" she chided. "What can you make?"

"Mac and cheese," he said as he took another sip from his glass. She laughed. "What? That's a gourmet meal."

Still laughing, she rose up and kissed him. Roger smiled as she went back to her position.

"Always knew being able to make that would pay off one day." Cassandra could not suppress her laughter as she poked him in the ribs.

A little while later, they decided to leave the park and head to the beach about five miles away. Once there, they walked up the main street, looking in the shops and penny arcades, and took a ride on the carousel. They stayed at the beach until the sun went down, and as Roger drove her home, Cassandra lay her head on his shoulder, with both of her arms wrapped around his right one.

When he pulled up in front of her house, he jumped out and opened the car door for her. He walked her to her door, holding her hand.

"I want to thank you for today," she said. "I had a really nice time."

"You're welcome, and so did I," he said as he smiled at her. "I want to see you again."

"How about tomorrow night?"

"I can do that," he said. "I will take you to meet my brother at his restaurant."

"Sounds good," she said. "Good night, Roger."

"'Nite."

Then he leaned in and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he slid his hands to the small of her back. They held the kiss for a few seconds before breaking apart. He watched as she opened her door and went inside, saying good night one more time as she shut the door.

Monday, Roger called his brother to thank him for the picnic basket, and to tell him that he was going to come by with Cassandra that night. He got off of work early, hurried home to shower and get ready before he headed over to pick her up. When he got there she was ready, wearing a nice dress that ended just above her knees. After helping her into the car, he got in and drove to his brother's place.

The restaurant was a nice, rustic place called The American Grille. There was old time Americana pictures on the walls all over, an old wagon wheel next to the bar, and wooden barrels seemingly placed every twenty feet or so. Roger and Cassandra were taken into a back room, where there was a single table with two chairs, and three candles in the middle. The hostess gave them their menus after they were seated and told them that their waitress would be with them in a minute. When she left she closed the door, cutting off the room from the rest of the restaurant.

"Did you do this?" Cassandra asked.

"No," Roger said, smiling. "This I had absolutely nothing to do with. This would be all Patrick."

No sooner were the words out of his mouth than the door opened and in walked an older version of Roger. He was a little taller than Roger's five-foot seven, but he had the same dark hair and eyes.

"And speak of the devil," Roger said as his brother walked over to them. "This was unnecessary, but thanks. Patrick, this is Cassandra."

Cassandra extended her hand. "Call me Cassie."

"Pleasure meeting you, Cassie," Patrick said. "Roger has told me a bit about you. He called me last night and told me you two were coming tonight, so I had them get this room ready for you. Hope you enjoy it." He then turned to Roger. "You didn't tell me she was this pretty, though."

"Some things I wanted to keep to myself until you met her," Roger replied.

"Well, you two enjoy your meal. I have to head back to the kitchen. Nice meeting you, Cassie. Whatever you two want, just tell your server." He shook her hand again, then leaned in to Roger. "We are going to talk later."

When Patrick left, Roger looked at her. "You didn't tell me you like to be called 'Cassie'."

"I do, but for some reason, I like it when you call me by my full name," she said. "I can't explain it, but I do." She smiled over her menu at him and gave him a wink.

They sat and looked over the menus. A few minutes later a waitress came in with two glasses of wine, and took their orders. Their food came quickly, and they were told that it was Patrick who had made their meals personally. Roger knew that since he owned the place, Patrick would usually just let the cooks do it all themselves with him overlooking everything. So to have him get back into the cooking at the restaurant, Roger knew that Patrick wanted to make tonight special for the two of them. After all of the good food and the wine, they decided to call it a night. Roger asked for the check, and was not too surprised to hear that Patrick had already taken care of it.

"Can you tell him to come in here?" Roger asked the waitress.

"Sorry, but he already left for the night," she told him.

"Figures," he mumbled. "He knew I would not be happy that he did that, so he took off.

Typical Patty." He looked back at the waitress. "Thank you. Everything was perfect," and he handed her the tip.

They got up and left. Roger drove to Cassandra's house and she invited him inside. She had him sit on the couch while she went and got them a couple of drinks. They sat on the couch talking for a little bit before she asked him if he would watch some TV with her. She found a movie that they both liked and they sat and watched it together, with Cassandra leaning against him, holding his hand as his arm was draped across her body. Half way through the movie they stopped watching and started kissing. Quickly, the kissing turned more passionate, with both of their hands exploring the other's body. Their breathing increased, and they were only stopping their kissing to unbutton an article of clothing.