"I am so buried in work that it's not even funny. If I have to fill out another invoice, I'm going to scream my head off."
"Wow." He tried to sound enthusiastic, but it just came out impassive. It wasn't intentional, he just always sounded like that even though he attempted to sound 'normal'.
Sometimes, I wondered if he permanently had a stony expression on his face, or if anything ever impressed him. Personally, I found it charming. Sometimes, when he said something seriously or tried to make a joke, I couldn't help but crack up. I knew what he was trying to get at--after ten years, it came with the territory--but it was still a little cute. I think that's why we ended up being such good friends, I wondered if I was the only person to really 'get' his nonchalant, formal nature.
"How are things on your end?" I pressed.
"Not as stressful as yours."
"Oh yeah?"
"Certainly. I just closed another deal, so I have the rest of the evening for myself."
"Really? You work harder than I do! How is it that you manage to have free time?"
"You know I always make free time, Chrissy. I've told you repeatedly, you need to stop working yourself to death."
"Vanessa tells me that all the time," I groaned. It wasn't that I wanted to work constantly, but the invoices weren't going to pay themselves.
"Because it's so apparent." There was a short silence. "What are you doing tonight?"
Throughout the years, Blake has occasionally asked me out. At first, I was so busy with just finishing college and looking for steady work that I didn't even have the time. But now that the years have gone by, I realize that I'm afraid.
Although we've been talking for almost ten years, we've never met. He's seen pictures of me, but I've never seen any of him. With all this talk of catfish, I'm more than skeptical. No thanks to Vanessa. But every time I've turned him down, I'd regretted it immensely, not knowing if or when he'd ask me again.
"I don't know..." I began my brush-off speech.
"You know what tonight is, don't you?"
I frowned, looking at my calendar. I knew it wasn't his birthday or any major holiday, so I wasn't sure what he was getting at.
"Today marks ten years since we started speaking to each other."
My breath caught in my throat. "You've kept track?" My heart began speeding up, and I tried to push aside the worries that we wouldn't hit it off or that he was some sort of ogre. Looks weren't everything, after all, and the rare times Blake showed sensitivity like now made me regret that we hadn't met sooner. "But-"
"Stop over-analyzing everything," he cut me off. "If you don't want to meet me, that's fine, but this will be the final time I ask you. Allow me to take you out tonight. I promise you the night of your life."
My pulse sped up; I wasn't sure if he was serious, though I'd never known Blake to go back on his word on anything from the little I knew about his real life. Would I be able to live with myself knowing that I could have met him and never gave it a chance because of my own insecurities?
I looked over at my desk. The pile of papers was now in a neat stack, but there was still a ton of work to do. I saw all of the boxes in my office and I could feel my headache roaring back. I really could use a night of fun. And if Blake turned out to be a killer, so be it. I guess I will get that vacation after all.
"Fine," I sighed.
"Try to not sound too excited," he attempted to joke.
"No, I am!" I assured him. "It's just that work-"
"Nope. No more talk about work. You can get back to that once I get off of the phone. Any strong preferences for the night?"
"I don't know. Dinner and a movie?"
"Nothing more than that?"
"I don't know." I shrugged my shoulders. "Just surprise me. I just need to have a night of fun," I sunk deeper into my office chair, trying to disappear into the cushions. My hands we clammy as the reality of the situation weighed down on me: I was finally going to meet Blake.
"Consider it done."
Chapter 2
The rest of the work day seemed to fly by. Usually, it would drag slower than molasses but everything was skating along. I not only finished my invoices, but I managed to neatly put the boxes to the side. I had this pep in my step that was long overdue. I was moving with such joy that when Vanessa came to peep in on me, she had to do a double-take.
I was trying to push thoughts of my date with Blake to the side, because if I had to think about it now I wasn't sure I could handle it. It wasn't that I didn't want to meet him, I wanted to--more than anything. It was just that for all of the madness in my life, he was the one thing that had been stable throughout all of these years. I wasn't sure if I would be able to live with shattering the fantasy I had of him.
But I wouldn't be able to live with not trying, either.
"You look happy," Vanessa said--no, practically sneered. It was more of an accusation than a statement. When I saw her cross her arms over her chest, I knew the interrogation wasn't that far behind. "What's going on?" She sat in my chair as I faxed out paperwork.